I had a collector from Germany who refused to look at the tattoo (on his back) until I finished. It was his first tattoo, and he traveled to Sweden for a 10-hour session. When we were done, he finally looked at it and then just broke into tears. He couldn't stop crying and laughing at the same time. When he caught his breath, he hugged me and thanked me for it. It was quite satisfying knowing that what I do makes some people really happy.

Back in early '90s, maybe '92 or '93, I wanted to have a tattoo so badly, but I didn't know anyone who could do it, so I attached a little motor to a mechanical pencil and tattooed myself. It was a little tribal that I saw in a magazine. [It's gone now.] I did five tattoos on myself before I did any on friends. And that's how I got started. [...] It wasn't my plan to make my living out of tattooing. I was just trying it for fun, but rapidly the word spread, and at some point I didn't need to work at anything but tattoos. Eventually I fell in love with it.

And as is stressed in the profile, Ed believes the key to creating better tattoos, is constantly bettering your drawing. He says that he continues to learn, adding humbly that he hasn't succeeded in where he wants to be artistically, but he won't give up.

I think his work is playful and bold and inspiring, especially to those with a particular bent towards cartoon-styled work. See more of his tattoo and fine art on EdPerdomo.com and his Facebook page. You'll also find him working various international tattoo conventions.

Ed is featured in my Color Tattoo Art book, available for purchase in our online store.