Local Tattoo Artist Inking a Pittsburgh Steeler

| May 29, 2017

Bryant Back Tattoo 2CLARION, Pa. (EYT) – It’s not every day that a kid from Oil City, a self-described non-sports fan, gets to rub elbows with the elite of the elite in the professional sports world – a Pittsburgh Steeler.

(Photo: Some of the artwork on Martavis Bryant’s back that Andy Mast of Clarion helped rework. Mast then added to Bryant’s back tattoos and has tattooed other areas for Bryant as well. Photo courtesy of Andy Mast.)

But, that is exactly what has happened for Andy Mast, owner of Resolute Custom Tattooing in Clarion.

Mast has become the personal tattoo artist for Martavis Bryant, the ultra-talented Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver.

cloud“A friend of mine DJs down in Pittsburgh, and he has a ¾ sleeve that I started on a few years ago,” Mast said in answer to how a local kid who didn’t watch football very much if at all ended up meeting Bryant.

“Martavis originally went up to him to request a song, I guess, and asked who was doing his tattoos for him. They ended up becoming friends and started inviting me down.”

As a non-sports fan, Mast said he didn’t know who Bryant was or what position he played.

“I’m not that big of a sports fan, to be honest,” Mast said. “That’s one of the reasons I got introduced to him. I had no idea who he was when my buddy first told me. I didn’t know the position he played. He (Bryant) thought that was pretty cool because I’m not going to be bugging him for autographs and talking to him about stats. We just have normal conversations. That’s more or less why I’ve become friends with him because I don’t act like a fanboy when I’m around him, I guess.”

Even though he didn’t know much about Bryant, Mast admits to being a little nervous the first time he tattooed him.

“I was a little nervous at first,” Mast said. “But, he’s an easy going, cool guy. He’s real down to earth. It’s not that big of a deal. Like I said, I was nervous at first but eased into it after I tattooed him the first time.”

Tattooing Bryant presents some challenges for Mast, as he goes to Bryant as opposed to Bryant coming to him like nearly all his other clients.

“I’ve tattooed him in a hotel room,” Mast said. “I’ve tattooed him in my buddy’s apartment. Now, I usually go to his place, his apartment and tattoo him there. These guys are busy, and none of them want to travel. That’s why I go down there.”

Mast's setup to tattoo Bryant's newborn son.

Mast’s setup to Tattoo Bryant’s newborn son.

According to Mast, adjusting to tattooing away from his studio, which is located on Grant Avenue in Clarion next to S&T Bank, was a challenge at first.

“At first, just bringing my gear down there, I was kind of unprepared,” Mast said. “We had bad lighting. Eventually, I knew what to bring and how to set up for him. That was probably the hardest thing to get to know.”

Mast said mainly Bryant knows what he wants; although, on some of the tattooing on Bryant’s back, Mast was able to do some of his own work.

“He pretty much comes up with the ideas,” Mast said. “I pretty much did his whole back, and I kind of pieced and parted some of the stuff together myself with stuff he likes.”

Bryant's back tattoos

Bryant’s back tattoos

Mast’s latest project with the Steeler was a portrait of Bryant’s newborn son.

“Portraits are always difficult,” Mast said. “We just did a real big portrait of his newborn boy on his side.”

The tattoo of Bryant's son

The tattoo of Bryant’s son

Mast, who has a pair of Bryant jersey’s hanging in his studio’s waiting area, said he has become a Steelers fan, well at least a Bryant fan, since getting to know him.

“Yeah, definitely,” Mast said. “I’ll start watching when he is playing now. Like, I didn’t care last season (when Bryant missed the year with a suspension), but the season before when he was playing, I was watching a lot of the games and paying attention.”

Mast said a lot of people say he is lucky to get to tattoo a person like Bryant.

“They will tell me I’m lucky,” Mast said. “But, I say it’s not luck because I’ve had to work my (butt) off to get where I’m at, do what I do. I’m real particular about what I’m doing in the first place.”

The King of Hearts that Mast tattooed on Bryant

The King of Hearts that Mast tattooed on Bryant

Mast’s journey to where he is at today wasn’t an easy one and started with him not being the most attentive student in school.

“I never really paid attention in school and just drew a lot,” Mast said. “I wasn’t even interested in tattoos. I didn’t think they looked good all over people’s arms. I thought it was kind of trashy. I grew up in Oil City, and all I saw were homemade and jailhouse tattoos and uneducated tattoo artists doing it.

“I actually met a guy who was really accurate and on point and started learning from him.”

Mast did three apprenticeships before setting out on his own.

“The guy I initially started learning from was my first apprenticeship,” Mast said. “He taught me more along the lines of the path and the mindset you have to have. I learned more from him than anybody.

“The second apprenticeship was pretty much garbage. I was strung along to take the guy’s trash out and do the setup.”

“The third one, my mentor, got me going, got me started, got me all of my equipment, and really got me moving.”

Mast said tattooing comes naturally for him.

“It’s something I’ve been doing, not necessarily tattooing since I was a kid, but making artwork and drawing,” Mast said. “Tattooing has become my medium. I don’t really paint. I really only draw to prepare tattoos now. I’ve been picking up the iPad Pro and learning how to do artwork on that a little bit. But, still, it’s hard when you do this eight hours a day to feel like going home and doing artwork for yourself. You kind of burn out on it. I would rather be having fun in here than starting to do art all the time. I would rather put all of it into work for others rather than going home and making artwork for myself. It’s still your own creative input but other people telling you what they want, what to do.”

Mast preparing to Tattoo Bryant's back

Mast preparing to tattoo Bryant’s back


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