Platt College Student, Brendon Trenberth’s Beautiful Tattoo Inspired Artwork
Graphic Design student Brendon Trenberth is this month’s featured artist for our spotlight blog. We first discovered his art through his Instagram account and knew that his creations were perfect for our latest blog feature!
Natasha: When did you first discover your passion for art?
Brendon: It all pretty much started in high school, when I first started dabbling in art classes. However I originally felt a bit deterred from it, because the teachers and projects were often too specific and didn’t allow me to express what I truly wanted creatively. This caused me to stray away for awhile until I took a ceramics class senior year with a very motivating teacher. For one of the projects we had to sketch a mask concept before creating it and that’s when I rediscovered my passion for art.
Natasha: What motivated you to seek out Platt College?
Brendon: Before graduating high school I started getting into tattooing as a licensed body art practitioner. I started gaining clients pretty quickly while apprenticing in a shop. However, my parents wanted to see more structure in my chosen career path. They wanted to see me doing something that I enjoyed while having more of a foundation for my intended career.
At the time i was stuck in Fresno, California where there isn’t much for artists to do within the community. There was a lot less opportunity for me there, which is why I moved to San Diego.
I really liked that Platt offered art oriented degrees for design and animation. Digital media is the the new age of art, but I still wanted to keep my classical art style. So Platt seemed like a good balance for that. The small class sizes are also a great aspect. Smaller classes allow me to block out the noise of larger campus life so I can focus on my projects and creativity.
Natasha: What class have you enjoyed the most so far?
Brendon: The Term 2 Raster Graphics Photoshop class, because how it can apply in the tattoo world. A lot of tattooers are using Photoshop to edit realistic images to create custom tattoos. When artists are dealing with photo realistic tattoos it helps them with their creative process. For example, if someone wants a portrait of their grandmother they are most likely going to use Photoshop to create the piece first.
Natasha: When did you first realize that tattoo art was what you enjoyed creating the most?
Brendon: After I graduated high school I started getting my own tattoos and grew to love the culture and the art. I came to the realization that simplicity in design was the best way to start out in my career. Starting with creating designs that were easier for me practice, instead of jumping in and trying to start out with crazy intricate details. This allowed me to gradually build on my tattoo skills.
Natasha: You’ve recently been doing guest spots for some local San Diego tattoo shops, what’s that experience like?
Brendon: I’ve been guest spotting at Guru Tattoo after submitting photos to the owner Aaron and he was really intrigued by the fact that I was only 20 years old. I’m still in a trial mode at Guru working weekends, to make sure I’m the right fit, so it’s nothing official. But, if I get a full time job there, my career as a tattoo artist will sky rocket. I’ve been working there for about a month now and really enjoy the environment and the other artists I get to work with.
Natasha: What would you say is your favorite piece of artwork that you’ve created so far?
Brendon: “Expand”, the painting of the girl with the roses and butterflies that was on display at the Lyceum Art Exhibition. I’ve only been painting with acrylics for about a year, so I only have a handful of paintings done in that medium. But I definitely want to pursue more with acrylics.
Natasha: Any advice for aspiring artists and students who want to learn to create art like you?
Brendon: Never be content with your art. Because the day you are, is the day you’ll stop being creative. Work hard every single day. Keep drawing and trying new things. Try to find different things to draw to expand your arsenal of what you’re able to create. If you don’t stress about your art and how it looks. If you don’t think about it when you’re away from it, then you aren’t passionate. That stress will build you into being a better artist.
For more beautiful creations from Brendon, be sure to follow him on Instagram : @bdonski_