Welcome back to our Artist Spotlight series. This time we’re talking to JME Pants, a tattooer at Full Power Studios in Newbury whose work is bold, crooked and unapologetically fun. His style blends thick, heavy lines with the looseness of 90's cartoons and the grit of early 2000's metalcore merch. It’s a mix that feels raw, lived-in and instantly recognisable. From offbeat wizards to merch for bands, JME has a way of making every design look like it belongs on both skin and a t-shirt.
Please introduce yourself who are you, and what do you do?
Hello, I'm Jamie, also known jmepants or pants. I'm a full time tattooer-er at FullPowerStudios in Newbury, "specialising" in dumb and wonky tattoos. On the side I do merch designs for bands and brands.
How did you first get into tattooing what pulled you in?
Purely by accident! I had a few tattoos at the time and started helping out a studio, one day I showed up and was told I was being taught how to tattoo.
Your style is bold and instantly recognisable. How has it changed (or not) over the years?
For tattoos...once I learned you could line with a shader everything kinda fell into place, I like big chonky lines and cartoons so that fit together perfectly, the wonky, colour outside the lines came later as an experiment and I've just kinda rolled with it.
Who or what has influenced your work the most? Doesn’t have to be tattoo-related.
90's cartoons and the old school rubberhose style like early Mickey Mouse. There's an artist called Mcbess that does his own take on the rubberhose stuff and I've definitely borrowed his style a few times.
Aaaand early 2000's emo/metalcore tees, the big bright usually slimey full front print merch was always a favourite of mine.
What, to you, makes an artist actually good beyond just being technically solid?
Don't be a horrible person...?
What’s a common misconception people have about tattooing or the work you do?
People think that I'm a millionaire. Some people are surprised that I also do "normal" tattoos.
If you could put one of your tattoos on any celebrity, dead or alive, who are you picking and what are they getting?
Sir Trevor Mcdonald! Think he'd be cool to hang out with, probably tattoo some ignorant style gang related bits on him to go with all his prison documentaries.
Lastly, tell us about the design you did for us. What was the idea behind it and how did it come together?
Follow JME Pants on Instagram and book in for your next tattoo: @jmepants_
Grab yourself a D&D JME Pants t-shirt here :
