Frankensteins, skulls and crows grin out from Richard "Bez" Beston's portfolio.

These are no wobbly, biro creations: each one could hang on the wall of an art gallery.

The 36-year-old from Houghton is quiet in person, but making a huge name for himself on the national tattoo circuit.

In August, he swept the board at the prestigious 2008 Tattoo Jam event in Llandudno, winning UK Male Tattoo of the Year, Best Portrait, Best Large Colour, Best of Day and Best at the Convention.

The news spread like wildfire through tattoo devotees and now Richard's Triplesix Studio on Stockton Road is fully booked up until August, 2009.

Customers even come from as far as Dubai for an ink fix.

Yet Richard is relatively new on the scene.

He left Houghton Kepier school aged 16 and went straight into the computer game and film industry.

He worked on computer games like Need for Speed, Testdrive and Destruction Derby before boredom set in and he decided to put his skills to a different use.

Now he works long hours, seven days a week creating tattoos that are often worth thousands of pounds.

Richard said: "I don't really think of it as a tattoo, it's more like a piece of art. People come to me with an idea and I work on it until we're both happy.

"I love my work because every day is different and it has a spontaneous feel to it.

"I used to stay up until 4am in the morning trying to plan everything but now I just let it happen."

Richard specialises in "realism" tattoos rather than caricatures or cartoon characters.

He said: "I choose what I do now.

"Everything I do is 100 per cent customised work. You can't come here and choose a tattoo from a ready-done drawing and no one walks out with the same thing as someone else."

The Triplesix studio doesn't follow the rules of a traditional tattoo shop either. Art work hangs on the walls alongside a bizarre collection of dolls and masks.

One-way mirrored glass in the front window adds privacy but causes moments of grossness for Richard and co-worker Louise Mallan (one woman stopped in the street and used the mirror to clean her teeth much to the enjoyment of the Triplesix team).

The new studio is part of Richard's plan to expand. He has had guest "cages" fitted so tattoo greats from around the world can visit and set up for a bit, while plans for art seminars for fellow tattooists are also in the pipeline.

Richard said: "In the past, good artists have always stayed down south so we want to get a few up here next year."

In October, Richard will have back surgery (to correct wear and tear from years of motorbiking and snowboarding) and will turn his attention to teaching other tattoo artists while he recovers.

He is steadily determined to raise standards in the industry, and has one big pet peeve.

He said: "A big problem these days is the tattoo kits sold on eBay.

"You wouldn't believe the things we've had to fix that people have had their mates do in a shed or a kitchen somewhere.

"It does irritate me when I see bad tattoos but I just make sure my work keeps improving. I like each tattoo to be better than the last.

"Sunderland has loads of really good tattoo shops so there's just no reason to get a bad one."

Sophie Darwin, 26, had an elaborate first tattoo done at Triplesix two months ago: a crow perched on a branch of blossom stretched across her side – it took six hours.

"I love it," she says with a grin, "I might even get another one."

One tattoo often leads to many more.

Richard had his first aged 24 and now has nine. His favourite is a portrait of his daughter Millie, done by tattoo legend Bob Tyrell.

He plans to have more done but is stumped when I ask him why this is so common.

He said: "I've no idea. People get one and they always want another but I've no idea why."

When I visit the studio, his first customer is a man with 36 tattoos all over, including his face and neck. He tells me he plans to have some lasered off so he can start again.

Richard is happy to leave the questions and get back to what he does best.

And who can blame him?

A full diary and a stack of awards are answer enough.

Read more in today's Echo