Yo Poznan

Alright, listen up ink lovers — y’all wouldn’t stop flooding our inbox about where to get a next-level realism tattoo in Poznań. So, we went undercover — like proper tattoo detectives. We dove into portfolios, stalked half the internet, and got lost in about 200 “bro check my ink” DMs.

And guess what? The real realism sorcery isn’t born under the Poznań sun — it’s from the cold. Russians, Ukrainians, Belarusians. These guys are out here making skin look like HD cinema. (Maybe it’s the subzero winters — hands so steady they could do surgery in a snowstorm).

Anyway, long story short — we found the guy. The realism wizard. The dude who just took home Best Tattoo at this year’s Kraków Tattoo Convention (aka the Coachella of ink). And get this — he even invented a whole new genre. Yup. New. Genre.

The Interview

Meet Anton, the realism sorcerer from VRB Tattoo in Poznań’s Old Town. We pulled up, grabbed some coffee, and this is what went down

PD: Yo Anton, we’re obsessed with your work. What pulled you into the tattoo game?

Anton: My older brother was a tattoo artist, so I basically grew up surrounded by needles, ink, and half-finished skulls on the kitchen table. Our fridge looked like a biker gang’s Pinterest board 😂.

When did you realize you actually had the sauce?

Anton: Back in liceum during art class. I looked around and thought, “Yeah, I’m him.” Hahaha.

PD: You gotta be good on paper first to do realism, right?

Anton: 100%. I don’t know any realism artist who wasn’t already sketching like a beast before they touched skin.

People say tattoos hurt. Ever had anyone pass out mid-session?

Anton: Oh yeah. Happens sometimes.
PD: And you just keep tattooing?
Anton: Hahaha nah, I wake ‘em up, grab a smoke or a coffee, and then we go again. Pain waits for no one.

PD: Any designs you’d never touch?

Anton: Swastikas. No discussion.

PD: What about full creative control — does that ever happen?

Anton: Sometimes, yeah. When someone says, “Do whatever you want,” that’s my love language.

Women handle pain better, right?

Anton: 100%. Women are built different. Meanwhile, I’ve seen massive gym dudes cry like toddlers when I hit their biceps. You’d think I was tattooing their soul out .

PD: Face tattoos — brave move or bad idea?

Anton: I’ve done one full face before. Totally up to the person. But you better really mean it.

PD: Be honest — would you tattoo a penis?

Anton: 100% no.
PD: What about for a million?
Anton: Depends on the size. Micro tattoos are an engineering nightmare .

PD: If you could tattoo any celeb?

Anton: Quentin Tarantino. The guy’s brain is chaos in HD. I’d love to match that energy on skin.

PD: Most painful spots (besides the obvious one)?

Anton: Stomach and ribs. That’s where people start questioning life choices.

Music while you work?

Anton: Always. It’s like a movie soundtrack — skulls get metal, florals get chill beats. Gotta match the energy.

PD: Your wife ever get jealous when you’re tattooing half-naked models?

Anton: Hahaha not at all. She’s the real MVP — she knows it’s art.

PD: Ever tattooed yourself?

Anton: When I was starting out, yeah. Big mistake hahaha

You really invented your own tattoo style?

Anton: Yeah — Glitch Realism. It’s realism with digital distortion, like a photo glitching mid-download. I hadn’t seen it anywhere, so… I guess I started it.

PD: Favorite tattoo artist right now?

Anton: Mashkov — total legend from Russia. His realism game? Unreal. Shading like cinema.

How much of your body’s tattooed?

Anton: About 50%. Gonna go full eventually — just not the face. I still need to look normal in my passport photo.

PD: Ever had someone snore mid-session?

Anton: Hahaha, yeah! One dude was so loud that the whole studio froze. I had my headphones on so I didn’t even notice till my mate tapped me like, “Bro!”

PD: Anyone ever ghosted you on payment?

Anton: Not yet — but if it happens, maybe I’ll tattoo “IOU” on their forehead 😂

What’s harder — skin or canvas?

Anton: Skin. Canvas doesn’t twitch, sweat, or complain.

PD: You only do big pieces or small ones too?

Anton: Whatever the client wants. Small, big, weird — bring it on.

PD: You’ve been winning awards too, right?

Anton: Yeah, 1st place for Large Realism in Kraków, 2nd in Bydgoszcz. Feels good.

PD: Fame changed you yet?

Anton: Nah. Prices are the same, I just don’t get a day off anymore.

PD: Man, it’s been a blast. I might finally get my first tattoo — maybe my kids’ names, small, simple?

Anton: Sure. Just don’t let me freestyle it or they might end up as dragons with sunglasses.

Wrapping Up

If you’re hunting for that “holy sh*t, is that a photo or skin?” level of realism — Anton’s your guy. Find him at VRB Tattoo, 23 Lutego 11/35. Or slide into his DMs at @vrb_tattoo.

I’ll be back soon with the tattoo he promised me. Probably something deep and spiritual. Depends on how brave I feel that day 😂