Mooch Talks Episode 3: Sunny Bhanushali, Aliens Tattoo

Recently, on our next episode of Mooch Talks, we had the honour of having Sunny Bhanushali with us, a globally renowned tattoo artist specializing in hyper-realistic, photorealistic and conceptual tattoos based on Hindu mythology.

He is also the owner of the Aliens Tattoo Studio and School, one of the most prominent tattoo schools in the country that trains tattoo artists to excel in their careers.

We have talked about quite a few things about Sunny, his tattoo school, his views on the tattoo industry and his personal life. Let's dig deep into some of the insights of the conversation we had with Sunny last day!

Views on Tattoo Schools

Should a formal tattoo education exist in India?

Yes. Of course. A proper tattoo education will build the basics and help the artist learn the proper techniques to master the skill.

What are the essential skills required to be a tattoo artist?

One of the significant things I noticed in the initial days of my career is that tattoo artists tend to make a huge deal about being an artist. However, the most important thing I learned after being a professional for so many years is art!

The most important skill every tattoo artist should have is art. Learning to use the tattoo machine can hardly take a few months. It is the art or the drawing which matters and takes the most amount of time.

A tattoo machine is simply a medium for tattoo artists, like a pen and paper. If the person is not skilful enough to portray his art the right way and bring his visions into reality, he will have a hard time being successful as a tattoo artist. Thus, it's primarily the art that every tattoo artist should focus on.

At Aliens Tattoo School, we focus more on digital art since, as per the market trends and the commercial market, most customers tend to google images of their tattoo inspiration which then the tattoo artist replicates to the skin along with their creativity. Hence, the next skill every tattoo artist should master is the understanding and implementation of art. They need to understand how to make the best out of any image and make it unique yet as per client expectations.

What are the durations of the courses in the Aliens Tattoo School? Is there any specific process for shortlisting candidates?

Currently, we have a diploma course running for the students, which has a duration of 6 months.

We sometimes conduct some tests on the candidates, but not all of them. We generally check the background and their previous expertise in art. In some cases, we ask them to draw and portray their skills.

Should tattoo artists master any one form of tattooing or explore different avenues?

Even though it is always a universally accepted fact that most tattoo artists are supposed to master specific types of tattoo arts only, however, in my opinion, it's a personal preference, and I have witnessed many tattoo artists who are open to exploring multiple forms of tattoo art without any hindrance. Hence, there is no strict rule here. It's all about the person's interests and perspectives.

SunnyBhanushali's Personal Life

What was your first job before being a tattoo artist?

I was a sweeper in a cyber cafe. My job was to clean the shop, oil the shutters, etc. and my pay rate was about 750 INR at that time.

What is one of the things you want to put on your tattoo list?

I would love to try out a few bigger pieces, especially some bodysuits. Building and boosting my portfolio are my upcoming goals as a tattoo artist.

If you could someday trade lives with anyone, who would they be?

Elon Musk!

What do you enjoy when you are not tattooing?

Reading. I have mostly been an avid reader throughout my journey, and it's a great refreshment to the mind at times when I am not tattooing.

3 things no one knows about SunnyBhanushali?

Well, even though I am always out there and active on my Instagram, some of the things many people don't know about me are:

• I come from a really poor background.
• Despite being called a great negotiator or manipulator in the industry, I always try to be as real as possible!
• Most people may consider me showing off about my achievements on social media sites. However, they are just my childhood dreams which I have achieved by hustling for days and nights in my studio.

Aliens Tattoo Studio

What is the Aliens Tattoo Franchise model that is offered to tattoo enthusiasts in India? Why did you come up with this idea?

Aliens Tattoo Studio is very different when working as a tattoo studio compared to the others in the industry. We focus on giving a structure to the way our industry works, which is precisely why we have this Franchise model along with the studio.

According to the model, being a tattoo artist is not a prerequisite to opening a tattoo studio. Investors can invest, build, and run it efficiently, which was not the case in the previous days! Our target was to simplify the business so that investors or business owners could replicate it properly and earn profits.

Being a businessman is definitely challenging, and so is being a tattoo artist, which I have realized in my career of 12 years. The more I thought of expanding the business, the more members were required to help with the expansion and not tattoo artists.

This structure is simplified and implemented in our tattoo studio at first to understand what works best per the industry, which then proceeds with the sale of the franchise to investors. Apparently, it has worked great till now!

In which cities do you have it up and running?

In India, we have 7 operational studios, including Gurgaon, Noida and Bangalore. Next, we are targeting Cochin, Guwahati and Assam.

Do you plan on expanding beyond India?

We were supposed to expand to California but couldn't execute it well due to the Covid. We are again starting it and opening up a studio in San Diego soon.

How do you ensure tattoo quality and hygiene across different franchisees?

It is simply a part of the structure. In most places, it is about the local culture. However, we simplified it further by having a sole training hub, the Aliens Tattoo School, which offers the same expertise across every location.

It is easier to maintain the quality when you train everyone under the same roof and from the same course since they will replicate the same skills and values to the other franchise in a similar way.

What are your views on The TattooPedia?

The TattooPedia is a fantastic initiative. In my view, it would bring the tattoo artists, brands, clients and everyone closer under a single platform. The TattooPedia is a one-stop solution for different issues such as finding good tattoo artists and getting every insight abouttattoos.

For example, I get many clients who are not into tattooing but get tattoos when they see theircolleagues or friends getting one. In such cases, there is no space on the internet to get allthe guidelines before getting a tattoo, which is a crucial requirement to figure out what’s wrong and what’s right while getting a tattoo.

You can’t just trust google reviews since, at times, people can buy reviews and make them biased. Hence, The TattooPedia is one of the best platforms wherein they can get the correct insight from the right people.

Wrap Up

Were you already hooked on the session? Well, this conversation was just half of it. You can find the complete session on The TattooPedia Youtube channel and Instagram. You can also find the previous episodes of Mooch Talks which will give you a better insight into the raw and unfiltered world of tattooing.

Thus, don't forget to check them out too!

Also, follow us on The TattooPedia's social media handles to get insider stories on different tattoo artists and informative content about everything related to tattoos!

Till then, stay safe, and we will be back with the next episode of Mooch Talks with one of your favourite tattoo artists real soon!