This week at MTS, we had the pleasure of sitting down with award-winning Melbourne lettering legend Wade Lucas.
If you’ve ever gone down the rabbit hole of script or lettering tattoos, chances are you’ve already come across Wade’s work and probably saved it to your inspiration folder.
Based out of Umbra Tattoo in Melbourne, Wade is a true jack of all trades and easily a master of most. But today we focused in on what he’s best known for - his lettering and script game.
Introduce yourself and tell us about yourself!
Hi, I'm Wade Lucas, I've been tattooing for 11 years and I specialize in script and lettering tattoos. As well as all things black and grey.
What drew you specifically to letting and script work?
As a kid, my artwork was heavily influenced by graffiti, for a long time that's all i was drawing. At the age of about 14 or 15 I began to notice lettering tattoo artists online and i was instantly drawn to it. Specifically, artists like NORM, who I had the honor of being tattooed by a couple of times before he passed away. my focus quickly shifted to tattooing and I've had tunnel vision with it ever since.
When I first left school I completed a signwriters apprenticeship. Although tattooing was what I really wanted to do, learning the fundamentals of letter structure and flow has been super beneficial for me.
There's just something about letters.
How does your mindset shift when tattooing script versus traditional imagery or illustrative styles?
In a lot of ways my mindset is similar when doing either style. things like composition, flow and legibility are always a factor!
Do you approach stencil making or layout differently for script tattoos compared to other styles?
Definitely. I approach lettering tattoos on a case by case basis, depending on the layout and the area of the body I'm working on. sometimes ill draw the whole design directly onto the skin, other times I can stencil it. But more often than not, I'll use a combination of both methods
How do you ensure flow and legibility, especially on curved or tricky placements?
Redrawing it a thousand times until I don't hate it haha.
I usually get the client to send me through a photo of the area they want tattooed, that way I can design to fit it around any existing tattoos and at least get an idea of how the piece is going to flow. that takes a lot of the guess work out of it, but ill almost always make minor adjustments on the skin when I see the client in person, to ensure it flows nicely
What’s your go-to machine setup when doing script work?
Lately I've been using a combination of the Bishop liner 5.0 and the Cheyenne sol nova unlimited.
Are there any needle groupings or cartridge brands you rely on to get that crisp lettering?
I love the new MTS summit cartridges! especially the liners and round shaders. For mags, I've always been a fan of Cheyenne.
What ink brand(s) do you prefer for line-heavy work and why?
For the last year or so I've been using the Panther XXX tribal black for lining and solid black. I've had the best results with that when I see my work healed. very satisfying to see something come back as black as the day I did it!
Some people say script is “easy” — what do you say to that?
I think that's a common misconception. it makes sense why people would think that, seeing as it's usually one of the first tattoos you learn how to do when starting to do walk ins etc. but there's a big difference between printing off a basic font from google and tattooing it, and drawing a custom piece from scratch
Do you view script tattoos as more emotional or personal than other styles?
For sure! More often than not, a script tattoo is meaningful to the person. It's usually something they feel strongly about or have a strong emotional connection to. song lyrics, a phrase, a name or date that means a lot to them; which is cool because I get to hear a lot of cool stories and connect with people. But having said that a lot of people also just think they look cool! I've had quite a few clients tell me they love the look of script/ lettering tattoos. They'll pick the style and placement and then come up with something they want written last.
What’s one mistake you see artists make when trying to get into letting or script-focused tattooing?
The big mistake I see a lot is people trying to get that "wow factor" with their tattoo by dressing it up with flourishes and effects, but the basic letter structure is off. The most important thing is letter structure and flow, all the tricks in the world aren't going to save it.
I've learned that spending the most amount of design time on your initial sketch and nailing the fundamentals is what's going to give you the best result.
What advice would you give to a professional tattooist looking to sharpen their script game?
Draw more! consistently drawing letters and experimenting with different letter styles is key. I've also found that meeting people and seeking advice from artists that I admire has helped me learn so much. everybody has a different and fresh perspective on things.
getting tattooed by my favorite artists has not only been a cool experience, but also very educational and beneficial. I never would have just figured things out on my own.
Where can we find your work and book with you?
My Instagram handle is @wadelucastattoo and I tattoo at @umbratattoo in Melbourne.
Just send me a DM or email 🙂
A big thanks to Wade for having a chat with us and teaching us about script and lettering!
Go follow him and make sure to support your local tattoo artists!
