The story of Tiny Kalach

While you’re trying to start your career, most people will ask to see a portfolio, which you do not necessarily have! This is why having a good mentor is key to becoming a good tattoo artist. I had the chance to meet with Tiny Kalach, a 22 years old tattoo artist in Montreal at studio Tattoo Abyss, in Griffintown.

Who is Tiny Kalach?

Tiny is a 22 years old tattoo artist from Montreal and Lebanese descent. After trying visual arts at Vieux-Montréal college, she decided to follow her love for movies and motion pictures and complete her diploma in cinematography at Ahuntsic College. 

Even though she loved movies, the industry was not what she was expecting, and decided to change fields and go into the world of tattooing. When she’s home and not doing arts, Tiny loves to play guitar, listen to music and enjoy the time with her boyfriend, her 2 ferrets, and her dog. 

What pushed her to become a tattoo artist?

During the pandemic, she had a lot of time to think about what she wanted to do for her future. Being a student still, she knew that she would never use her diploma in cinematography. That is when she told herself that this is the best moment to pick up her artistic skills again and push them further. Knowing she had a skill in arts, it would have been a shame not to develop it to its full potential. 

Did she have any background in arts before starting to tattoo?

Tiny discovered the beautiful world of arts at 11 years old. Already, she was drawing stuff that looked like tattoos and then moved to portraits. She qualified the drawings as ‘’not good, but a great start’’, which pushed her to keep drawing and develop her skill. In high school, she was part of an exhibition at the Fine Arts Museum of Montreal and it pushed her dream of going somewhere with her art. Towards the end of high school, she stopped taking arts as seriously as she did once and focused on school. But like a lot of people, the pandemic reconnected her with her old passion and she picked up the pencils again.

When did she start to tattoo?

Even if she started earlier, Tiny says that she only started to tattoo in October of 2021 since this is when she started at Tattoo Abyss. Upon meeting Abby, she found out that the way she tattooed before was not the right technique and that she did not have the needed training to tattoo. Her exact words were ‘’Once I started at Tattoo Abyss, I truly started tattooing.’’

What style of tattoo does she do?

Tiny works with anything reminiscent of cartoons, anime, or Japanese culture. She only works in black and grey at the moment. Her method of tattoo is by fine lines with dot work for the shading. You can take a look at her tattoos on her Instagram.  

What type of projects would she like to do more often?

Anything that touches characters! Could be anime or cartoon characters, she would love to develop that side of her work even more! 

What inspires her during the process of a tattoo?

Her inspiration is when she meets new people and learns about them. She wants to make sure that the tattoo she is about to design meets the client’s not only criteria but also his personality. The fact that her art is about to be on someone’s body forever pushes her to new limits every time to create the best design possible for her clients. 

What was her first project?

Her first project was a tattoo on her older brother. A simple outline of a picture of the duo when they were kids. Right over there are coordinates of a special place for both of them where they used to hang out while growing up.

What’s her latest project?

Her latest project was the start of a manga half-sleeve, it was a panel of Satory Gojo from Jujutsu Kaisen! Make sure to see the updates of the sleeve on her Instagram! 

What was her favorite project she did?

Her favorite project she did was also the biggest anime tattoo she ever did. It was Bulma from Dragon Ball Z. The project was her favorite not only because of the design and the challenge but also because the client was sitting amazingly, which helped the tattoo to come out amazing! 

What project had the biggest challenge she had to overcome?

The biggest challenge she had to overcome was a tattoo where the client wanted tons of different aspects added to the design. She had to find a way to make sure that all the details could be included without making the tattoo look bad. After some work and time, she succeeded and the design came out amazing but she still was afraid that she wouldn’t tattoo it as well as the drawing. After taking her time and being focused at 110%, the tattoo came out amazingly! That is the tattoo she is the proudest of!

If you are interested in a booking with Tiny Kalach, you can visit our website and book an appointment with her!