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Although everyone at The Raven and The Wolves exemplifies top-notch artistry, there are few people in the studio — or around the world — as qualified in the upper echelon of fine art as Shay Bredimus.
As a renowned painter who brings his canvas-based skills to the human body through tattooing, Bredimus has developed a style all his own, primarily focusing on large-scale tattoos that contain the subtle intricacies and depth of a museum-worthy painting.
“I approach tattooing from a fine art perspective — working in layers from general to specific,” Bredimus says. “It’s also a lot about the edges of the artwork. You find some and lose some, and it creates a focal point while letting some of the rest disappear. I’m just a painter, so it’s the natural thing to do for me. A lot of people want to find their voice or style or whatever, but this is just my natural voice in tattooing.”
It’s that unique painterly style that makes Bredimus one of the most in-demand artists not just at The Raven and The Wolves, but also all throughout Southern California. A native Arizonan who’s called Long Beach home for well over a decade, the 42-year-old painter/tattooer appreciates both the city’s tattooing history as well as its prominent position in the modern tattooing scene. Although he’s always considering retiring from tattooing to paint full-time, Bredimus appreciates that his many colleagues who also specialize in black and gray tattoos are there any time he wants another opinion or set of eyes on the pieces he designs.
“I came to this shop because it's the best shop to focus on art, and it’s here in the epicenter of tattoo history in Long Beach,” Bredimus says. “There wouldn't be realistic black and gray tattooing without guys like Charlie Cartwright and Jack Rudy, and all of those guys started down here at the Pike. But being here at The Raven and The Wolves, I really like how I’m able to bounce ideas off of the other guys. I think the best part about all of us working together is that we’re just sharing and growing — there’s not any ego. Having a shop full of artists that do the same style is really beneficial, because it means everyone can help each other with placement, composition, and things like that. There’s a mutual respect here, because we’re all learning and growing together as a team.”
As a valued member of the team, Bredimus requests artistic freedom for nearly every project and prefers tattooing designs featuring the human body — particularly faces — and other natural shapes and curves. His paintings have been shown at galleries such as Koplin Del Rio, Long Beach Museum of Art, and numerous others around the world. In his free time, Bredimus enjoys riding his bike, embracing a healthy lifestyle, and raising his two cats, Dallas and Kenny.