A TATTOO artist from Burtonwood has won an award for his design of a walrus.

Paul Terry, 29, who has worked at the Skin Kandi studio in St Helens for five years, entered the Cariad Ink competition in Llandudno, held at the end of November.

He said the judges felt his design - which he describes as abstract and neo-traditional in style - was 'something a bit different, something they'd not seen before'.

Paul, who started out at Skin Kandi with a two-year apprenticeship, said he was never particularly artistic at school, although he always liked graffiti art.

He said: "I had been thinking that I needed to do something for the rest of my life that I actually wanted to do. I was getting a tattoo myself and it went from there."

The first two years of his apprenticeship at Skin Kandi consisted of cleaning the premises, equipment, taking bookings, and so on, before he started getting to grips with the tattooing procedure itself.

After five years, he said, his confidence has grown and he decided to enter the competition.

He said: "I went to a convention in Wales with my girlfriend and entered my walrus design in the best small colour category. I was delighted to win, there were some artists who are really well known in the industry there and I didn't really think I had a chance.

"I really like what I do - and I'm proud of the studio - I've put my plaque up there now.

"Tattoos can take anything from half an hour to four hours to complete, the work is very absorbing. Some of the very large tattoos like sleeves need to be done in separate visits."

He added: "They hold the conventions in cities all over the country - Manchester, Liverpool and beyond. I'm booking to go to more next year."

Paul, who jokes that he has so many tattoos that it is easier to count the clear areas, said the A4 sized design was his own idea - and he tattooed it on to a friend.

For information visit skinkandi.co/home.html.