James Jirat Patradoon x Vault Editions: Artist Interview 

James Jirat Patradoon's work draws from a rich mix of cultural references, from 80s aesthetics and 90s fashion to comic books, tattoo design, and the occult.

James was an artist and commercial illustrator for nearly two decades, conjuring visions of a surreal, neon gothic paradise. Working across animated GIFs, murals, and paintings, his designs fused Japanese anime with pop-horror, channelling a bold, high-impact, captivating visual language. He has exhibited in Australia, the USA, and Asia and has collaborated with clients including Microsoft, Coca-Cola, Apple, UFC, Billie Eilish, and HBO.

In 2020, James began tattooing under the alias Noirdealer, creating blackwork designs influenced by horror, abstract metal typography, and his signature 80s-inspired style. He runs a private tattoo studio in Sydney, Australia.

Join Vault Editions in conversation with James as we learn more about his creative practice, process and plans for the future - let's go!

'Metal Skull' by James Jirat Patradoon 

1. You were an illustrator for 20 years and transitioned into tattooing five years ago. Was this always your goal, or did this move happen organically?

I initially took up tattooing as a side-hustle that could support me during the quiet periods of freelance illustration which were becoming longer and longer. It unexpectedly ended up becoming my full time thing, which came at the perfect time because I eventually stopped getting illustration work altogether as the industry shifted more toward AI. Not a day goes by that I don’t wish I got into tattooing way earlier in my life.

Tattoo by James Jirat Patradoon / Noirdealer

2. You show previews of your creative process on your Instagram profile, giving us a look into how you design a tattoo. How did your background as an illustrator influence your approach to tattoo design?

In illustration you’re expected to show your stages and make a lot of changes and iterations so working digitally became a vital process for me to not lose my mind.

'A View to Surrender' Illustration by James Jirat Patradoon

I still split drawings into several different layers in case I need to modify anything or reuse elements down the line. It’s especially handy when a design needs to be changed to fit a particular area of the body. 

Artwork from INFERNO exhibition by James Jirat Patradoon

3. How has working with a living canvas changed the way you think about line, form, and composition?

Illustration is generally bound within a square or rectangular canvas but with tattooing the bounding area changes depending on which body part the tattoo is going.

Tattoo by James Jirat Patradoon / Noirdealer

Designs can get extremely long or wide and you have to consider how it looks within the negative space on someone’s body or if they have other tattoos that the design interacts with, in which case you sometimes approach it like a collage. 

I tend to veer away from just slapping illustrations on like a sticker, it’s really important to me how it flows and works with the body to accentuate certain features, I compare it to tailoring sometimes in that regard.

Tattoo by James Jirat Patradoon / Noirdealer

4. What surprised you most about entering the tattoo world, creatively or culturally?

Just the sheer volume of work and the relentless nature of it, constantly drawing every waking hour to get images I am 100% confident with, it’s high pressure to draw something that is going to be on someone forever. I’m definitely much busier with tattooing than I ever was with art and illustration.

Tattoo by James Jirat Patradoon / Noirdealer

I tend to take my time with both the drawing and the tattooing side, which I’ve noticed is in opposition to the general nature of tattooing as a trade where artists are supposed to just churn things out and move on to the next client. I only focus on one client per day and some designs can take weeks to perfect.

Tattoo by James Jirat Patradoon / Noirdealer

Social media is a huge factor nowadays too. Where once it was about getting on the radar of a few art directors, tattooing is for everyone, so a consistent social media presence becomes a lot more important. So much of my week is spent trying to stay on top of posting, and that is in addition to the actual drawing and tattooing.

Artwork from INFERNO exhibition by James Jirat Patradoon

5. You're launching a new line of tattoo flash sheets soon. Can you tell us more about them?

The way I generally work is I just start images whenever they come to me or jot them down in an ever growing list, which gets a bit overwhelming. I seldom finish an image in one sitting before I have to go do something else, in most cases to physically tattoo, so they all sit at about 80% finished.

For the flash sheets I decided to pick about a quarter of the ideas or images I had started over the past several months and forced myself to finish them. Once done I arranged them into sheets based on how they fit with each other compositionally, for this reason thematically they can be a bit haphazard and random. 

This process takes a while because as much as I’d love to do a focused deep dive over a few consecutive days, my schedule means I only have an hour here and there to chip away at them within the margins of everything else I do. 

Digital Flash Sheet by James Jirat Patradoon / Noirdealer

6. Is there a tattoo design you want to do but haven't had the opportunity to tattoo on someone yet?

Gosh so many, in fact most of my designs. 

When an idea comes to me it’s mostly because it’s something I’m interested in drawing or doing my version of. Whether or not someone would actually want it as a tattoo is a secondary thought. If someone finally does get one of the stranger ideas I’m overjoyed because it means someone finally ‘gets’ it and there is a connection there.

I don’t want to fall into the trap of only drawing things that are popular as tattoos. Coming from an art background for so long I’ve learnt to trust my personal taste above all else so that at least my work stays true to me. I’ve always been a fan of artists who do the weirder stuff that makes you ask “Why on earth did someone draw this?”

'Devil Cop' tattoo by James Jirat Patradoon / Noirdealer

'Such Beauty Untold' Illustration by  James Jirat Patradoon

7. Does illustration still have a place in your creative life, or has your focus shifted entirely to tattooing?

When I started tattooing I made a point of only tattooing my own work so as not to step on any other artists toes, so luckily now people only come to me for my own work. Illustration on the other hand has in the past forced me to draw a lot of things I don’t even want to post or put my name to.

Illustration also takes a lot longer because of back and forth and changes etc. in the span of time it takes to complete one illustration project I could be doing several tattoos. Tattooing pays less but I find myself drawn to its rapid sense of accomplishment and productivity. 


Artwork from INFERNO exhibition by James Jirat Patradoon

8. If you could offer one piece of advice to an illustrator looking to enter the world of tattooing, what would that be?

Focus on personal work, make as much as you can and edit it down till you figure out what makes you you and your voice. I see so many artists doing the exact same things as everyone else over and over because they’re popular, not even putting a twist on it, it all becomes very generic and much harder to stand out in such a competitive field.

'Soon Comes the Night' Illustration by James Jirat Patradoon

If you draw something that you’re not particularly interested in, in the hopes that someone gets it, and they don’t get it, then you’re left with nothing really, but if you draw something you’re personally excited by and no one gets it, then at least you have articulated your personal voice.

I do understand that artists want to convey that they can do everything, but I would personally want to get tattooed by someone who only does a particular thing and is the master of that style, I’m less trusting of someone who just does every single style only kind of well.

Tattoo by James Jirat Patradoon / Noirdealer

9. What's inspiring you at the moment? Are there any new themes or concepts you're eager to explore in your work?

I really love the eurotrash/cybersigilism tattoo trend that is polarising people at the moment, it was actually what inspired me to get into tattooing in the first place, seeing groups like Euthanasia Sport come out of Europe.

I can get pretty bogged down in control when it comes to drawing so I love the completely irreverent and somewhat chaotic approach to that style, it conveys freedom to me. I also love how much old-head tattooers hate it. 

It’s so fresh and exciting to me and when it shows up on my feed I always stop to analyze it and try to understand the thought process and decision making behind it. It literally stops me in my tracks and I love feeling like that from seeing an artwork.

It’s inspired me to move further into abstraction, which is refreshing given how long my work has been strictly representational, under the thumb of having to depict a particular subject matter.

Tattoo by James Jirat Patradoon / Noirdealer

10. Is there a book (art-related or otherwise!) that's had a lasting impact on you or your creative process?

There was a book I bought back when I was at art school called JAPAN AVANT-GARDE. It’s a massive tome of 100 posters from Japanese underground theatre from the 60s and 70s.

It introduced me to a lot of artists such as Tadanori Yokoo and Katsuyuki Shinohara and I especially loved how strange and different each one was. I really gravitate to art that I don’t understand. 

Image from JAPAN AVANT-GARDE via JapaneseAvantGardebooks.com

Interested in learning more or booking a tattoo with James? Head to the Noirdealer website or follow Noirdealer on Instagram 

Mural by James Jirat Patradoon for Art Basel Miami Beach