Tomas Tumbeweed
Written By Jose Araujo
Tomas Tumbleweed’s journey into the world of tattooing and painting is rooted in his lifelong passion for art. Born in Glendale, a suburb of Los Angeles, Tomas has always had a creative mind. “I’ve always been an artist—always painted, always drawn,” he says. “Honestly, I can’t do much else. My brain is wired a certain way, and if I wasn’t a tattooer, I don’t know what I’d be doing. It would have to be something totally mindless, like digging holes or moving heavy things.”
For Tomas, the path into tattooing was as organic as his art. His first tattoo, at the age of 18 or 19, was done in a friend’s bathroom—a tribute to his brother who had passed away. “I think I paid my friend with an asada torta,” Tomas recalls. At the time, he didn’t think much about tattoos, but a few years later, the spark reignited when his friend Ruger bought his first tattoo machine. “We were working in a warehouse in the Valley, shipping dog beds. A year or two later, he tattooed my chest, and that’s when I caught tattoo fever.”
From there, Tomas’s journey into the tattoo world began to take shape. His connection with Troy Peace, who was working at Pure Tattoo in Hollywood at the time, proved to be a turning point. “We became cool, and I’d stop by from time to time. When Pure closed, Troy started at a wack shop down the street, and I started getting tattooed by him a lot. At that time, I was working for an after-school program painting murals with kids all over LA. That job was ending, and I was nervous and embarrassed, but I asked Troy if I could apprentice. He said, ‘Hell yeah.’”
After apprenticing for a year, Tomas and Troy opened a shop on Pico and Redondo in Mid-City in 2011. For Tomas, this was a defining moment—his foot was firmly in the door, and he hasn’t looked back since.
Tomas’s artistic influences reflect his love for the raw and the gritty. “I love lowbrow everything—stuff with grit, not overly refined,” he explains. “I’m inspired by prison art, old cartoons, and rough American traditional. I especially love the old stuff from guys who weren’t that good at drawing but had charm in their work.”
This attraction to the imperfect is central to Tomas’s style, which merges the rough edges of traditional American tattooing with a sense of charm and nostalgia. He takes pride in tattooing images that resonate with him personally, giving new life to designs that might otherwise go unnoticed. “I love tattooing images I would personally get—stuff most people wouldn’t look twice at. But I enjoy giving it some love, polishing it up a bit, and selling it.”
Like many artists, Tomas has faced his share of challenges. In 2013, he moved to Seattle to work at Liberty Tattoo, an experience he describes as “the land of milk and honey.” “Seattle has the best clientele in my opinion—they pick cool stuff, tip well, and are overall educated tattoo people.” However, when Tomas moved back to LA after his daughter was born, COVID-19 hit, bringing tattooing—and much of life—to a grinding halt. The transition back was rough, but Tomas has managed to keep going by staying busy.
“I have to keep myself busy,” he says. “I always need a project; otherwise, I get depressed. I need something tangible at the end of the day to keep me going.”
That drive is what keeps Tomas moving forward, whether it’s tattooing, painting, or simply dreaming up the next idea. He understands that the tattoo industry has changed significantly since he first started, with more tattooers than ever. “There are a million tattooers out there nowadays,” he notes, “but I just hope the body of work I’ve produced over the years will be appreciated by my peers. I hope I can add to the legacy of tattooing in some small way—from my point of view, the images I find special, and the tiny details and personality I add to my work.”
While Tomas doesn’t have any major projects in the works at the moment, he’s always working on something, even if it’s just a small personal endeavor. His focus remains on honing his craft and continuing to create art that resonates with him and his clients.
From the streets of Los Angeles to the studios of Seattle, Tomas Tumbleweed’s journey as a tattooer, painter, and scholar is one defined by passion, grit, and a love for the imperfect. His unique style and approach continue to add a distinct voice to the world of tattooing, one that leaves a lasting impression on both skin and canvas.