10 Questions with tattoo artist Derek Lewis of the Lewis Family Tattoo Company & Better Butter Care, Toronto, Canada

Our series of 10 questions with tattoo artists where we like to pay tribute to beloved tattoo veterans of our trade. Many old friends and some new ones! Thank you Derek Lewis for letting TattooNews catch up with you!

Your Name:  Derek Lewis

Years tattooing: 36 years

Place of business:

Lewis Family Tattoo Company 2235 Dundas St West, Toronto, Ontario Canada

Instagram: @dereklewis_lftc | @lewisfamilytattoocompany

 Lewis Family Tattoo Company

Lewis Family Tattoo Company, located in Toronto Canada, opened in 2010 and is owned and operated by veteran tattoo artist, Derek Lewis and his wife Christine.

Derek and his wife Christine, are also the owners of Better Butter Care, a tattoo aftercare company that specializes in skin care and makes you smell like chocolate!

1- How old were you when you got your first tattoo? Where did you get tattooed and who did it?

I was 12 yrs old, a friend of mine at the time did it for me. It was not awesome and was

eventually covered some years later. Probably not something 12yr olds should’ve been doing, but there you go, that was the 80s for you.

It’s still something I like to point out to people when they ask me about me getting my first tattoo and I always like to let them feel it, because, wow that was done badly and you can still see how raised the original piece is.

2- Did you have an apprenticeship? If yes, by whom and where? How long was it?

I'd stick and poked who ever would let me when I was in my teens, until I learned how to build my own machines (yes, that way...)

I learned in the beginning from this tattooer named Ken (that’s all the info I have), got some

great tips and help along the way from a bunch of people. Guys like Johnny FineLine were very influential, but I think the most I learned about tattooing was from Gary at Studio One. Gary took me under his wing at the insistence of Sharon, who worked for him, because she saw something in me and thought I didn’t belong at the shop I was at.

So, one day while I was at work, Gary walks in, tells me to pack my stuff and I do, we walk

out, and that was it, I was working with Gary. I spent a good bunch of years working at the front window of Studio One and met a wide variety of Toronto tattooers that came through the door. They came with important info that I still use today.

3- Your tattoos are rad! What are the top 3 things you like to tattoo?

Space stuff and cover ups are always on this list!!! Figurative tattoos with full scenes rather than cut off floating heads, also enjoyable. Fixing awfully done work, definitely. Lately I've been working on some decorative blackwork/ornamental which I've been finding quite intriguing and challenging and a good cover up or fix up where the old piece just disappears and the client is so happy, that never gets old.

Comic book stuff, aliens, flowers, traditional symbolization… fuck it, you know what I just want to tattoo, I’m not fussy.

Ok, that’s more than three, but when has tattooing ever followed rules or stuck to any limitations on art?

4- Do you like travelling and tattooing? Which conventions, guest spots were your favorites?

I very much do and would love to get to do some more!! St. John’s Tattoo Convention is my

favourite! I just love it out there, people are great, they come with amazing ideas. The culture is really something special. St. John’s was where I launched my tattoo glide and aftercare company Better Butter Care and that’s still one of the places it sells best thanks to the welcoming people there.

I've done some guest spots in Ontario as well as conventions all over Canada, Europe, and the States. New Orleans was a blast, I didn’t work much, but I adore New Orleans as much as St. John’s so I wasn’t mad at it. St. John’s and New Orleans are like second homes to me; I've been there more than anywhere else. There’s always plans for more cross Canada and it would be great to get back to Europe again.

5- Tattoo pilgrimages, have you ever travelled to get tattooed or have been tattooed at a convention? How far have you gone to get tattooed? Who are some of the people you have collected from? 

I’ve been tattooed at a convention before, but that’s local. I think it was Halifax? My friend, Jared Dale, gave me a lobster claw. That didn’t end well. It got gnarly infected and I was on antibiotics for weeks.

Although most of my travels have been to explore architecture and art museums, if I

was going to travel to get tattooed, I’d make my way to Lausanne, Switzerland to book time with Filip Leu or out west to book in with Steve Moore and next time I’m in Denmark I’d book some time with Henning Jorgensen.

6- What was your last tattoo? Do you get still get tattooed?

I've spent the last 10 or so years getting laser removal done, so as to properly work on my right sleeve. It’s been hellish, but were finally at a point where we can get to working on it. For someone who’s been tattooing as long as I have, I should be covered by now, but I'm not. I have soooooo much space. I have plans for it all though, I just haven’t got there yet.

7- One of your favorite machines, current or past? 

NeoTats hands down my favourite things to tattoo with. All of them. Even the OG square backs. I was starting to dabble into rotaries back when, I will say (I’m this old) and was around when Spaulding and Rogers came out with the “Revolution” their proprietary rotary machine. Anyway, I was getting into rotaries and Alie K from GoodTattoos (she works with me at Lewis Family Tattoo since her building got sold) was raving about NeoTat machines and some old dude name Ray Webb… so, I bought a couple and I haven’t looked back.

I use every single machine. Even with the new NeoTat The One and cartridge systems. I always find myself setting up my Vivace or OG square backs. I literally haven’t used much else in the last 15 yrs or more.

8- Where can we see and get tattooed by you this year? (Shop, guest spot, convention, etc.)

Always sitting at Lewis Family Tattoo Company, the St. John’s Tattoo Convention (in May now!) I'm planning on some guest spots in southern Ontario for winter; Hamilton, London and Barrie are in the works.

I will be at NIX in 2026 (in May as well!), sitting in with Glen Paradis and the good people at Barnstormer Studio.

I love traveling around seeing friends, meeting new people, and sitting in at shops and catching up so this list could grow, and for sure I will announce them on the shop website & socials as they come up.

9- Other than tattooing is there any other type of art you like to do? Do you have merchandise for sale and where can we purchase it?

I’ve been a photographer for a few years now under the name Longpoint Photography, I shoot music video for bands as well.

I have a number of designs up on our website for sale as patches and t-shirts and there will be new prints added as I finish them, so definitely keep an eye out for those.

I still need to add my Longpoint photography prints to the website and also, RiverValley Print Company has some of my work available for sale.

I always do art for a couple of charity auctions yearly, like Dead Things where we take ethically sourced animal skulls and turn them into art, also Campfire Circle currently has a paddle painted by me up for their charity auction.

10- What are your interests outside of tattooing?

I like things slow. Being outside in nature away from populated areas. Kayaking, bird watching (don't laugh), and feeding chipmunks at the cottage. I also spend time up north near Algonquin visiting with family.

You can also find me in the kitchen a lot as I am the Sauce King and

mixologist of whisky drinks.

You want to sit and discuss space stuff, I’m your guy! Psychology! Sign me up! Physics, yep I’m good there too. I’m not a huge conspiracy theory guy, doesn’t interest me much, so you can keep your lizard people ruling the world from their secret lair in a self-contained environment in the center of the earth only accessible through a portal doorway in the snowy reaches of Antarctica to yourself…

Follow: @dereklewis_lftc | @lewisfamilytattoocompany | @betterbuttercare

Website: Lewis Family Tattoo Company | Better Butter Care