Shop Shirts/Holiday Hours

Our new shirts have arrived at the shop and are available for purchase! We have 3/4 sleeve baseball tees- sizes Small through Extra Large in Black and Grey as well as a limited run of Red and Blue- for twenty dollars in-store. For out-of-towners, we will ship them for twenty-five dollars prepaid over paypal to andrew788@gmail.com. Please be sure to specify size, color, and shipping address, and mark payment as a gift- and PLEASE, no local orders over the web. Big thanks to Nate Hudak, our artist, for the design, and Southpaw Prints downtown for the awesome job screening these. They turned out great!

Over the Holidays the shop will be closed Saturday, December 22nd through Tuesday, December 25th, and also Monday, December 31st and Tuesday, January 1st. Please take this in to consideration if you want to come by this Winter, and have a safe and happy holiday season!!

What's Up?!

 After a little over a year, our website is finally fully functional and up to date! Give us a look at www.flying-tiger-tattoo.com, and don't forget to visit our friends in the Guest Artist and Random Awesomeness sections, as well as all the brand new photos in everyone's portfolios. Theres too much good stuff there to pass over.
 Also, the shop will be closed for a Holiday break from Thursday, November 22nd until Sunday, November 25th. Big Thanks to All- have a safe and fun Holiday!!

A Proper Lady...

Everything about this design made it fun! I know I've said it before, but Pretty Ladies have always and always will make great Tattoos. This fella sat like a real champion for his, and healed his piece just right, too- everything pictured here besides the skin tone is healed and solid! Thanks, Skavenger Brandon, for doing it right, on top of being a proper dude!

The Red Baron.

Gary came all the way from Pittsburgh for a Tattoo of the Red Baron's plane a few weeks ago. Initially, the idea was to illustrate the Baron's more famous Triplane- but, as I found through a small bit of internet perusal, his most well known vehicle was more for show than anything else, and added to his arsenal of quite a few planes much later in his career as a pilot. It was apparent at that point that a bit more research was in order- an aspect of tattooing that I've been enjoying more and more as of late. It turns out Manfred von Richthofen, a highly decorated WWI fighter pilot, actually made his start as a bit of a hack. It wasn't until a flight he made against orders through a huge storm, where he nearly perished, that he realized his folly and began to step up his game. It was at this point that he began shooting down plane after plane- and although he was a stunt-pilot by no means- he developed his signature takedown maneuver wherein he would lure his opponents to a position where the sun was behind his plane, rendering him nothing but a silhouette against the sky and very hard to see. It was also  around the same time that he painted his plane red for the first time- and Albatross DIII biplane that earned him his famous moniker- shown here on Gary's chest...

The Boneless One!

Pictured here is Brian's Tattoo of Ebisu- one of the Seven Gods of Luck. He resides over Fishermen, Workers, and Children, and his origin story is pretty interesting. According to Eastern Myth, Ebisu was born with no skeleton due to some grave violation his Mother committed during the Marriage Ritual. He was cast into the sea on a boat, washed ashore, and somehow overcame his disfigurements by mysteriously growing a skeleton and learning to walk again. He remained deaf and slightly lame, but is known for his pleasant disposition in spite of his hardships. Thanks, Brian, for yet another opportunity to learn about and tattoo a great piece of Japanese Mythos!

Halloween!

I figured there wasn't any better day to post a Tattoo of the ghost of a jealous lover than on Halloween day- so here it is! Japanese folklore contains some of the scariest and strangest stories of ghosts, goblins, ogres and the likes. Pictured here is a red Hannya surrounded by Peonies. Have a fun and safe Holiday!

We're Five!

This month marks the Fifth anniversary of Flying Tiger Tattoo's existence. Big thanks go out to all of our friends and cohorts, everyone who has ever worked with us (in-shop or abroad), and, most importantly, our customers! You have all made this an awesome time- despite some truly rough turns!

Four-Eyes

I don't know what to say about Tommy's new design except, "Pick Tattoos like this one!"

 Rad Imagery + Proper Placement x Brilliant Palette = Mega-Fun.

Last Week

Last week was a fun one! Besides our buddy Nick being in town, people seemed to be picking really proper designs across the board! Shown here are Stephanie's Gypsy with Peacock Feather, Brian's Black Cat with Dagger, our own Nate's Folksy Jesus Rib, and finally Ben's Indian Lady. Thanks, everybody!!

You Missed It!

Nick B. was here crushing Tattoos left and right, and you were somewhere else! Maybe you were at the park, or the Reds game- or at home watching Oprah. In any case, you were totally blowing it! Not to fear, though- he'll be back again. In the meantime, go to our website and check his work out in the guest artist's section. It's okay...you can catch him next time... 

From Long Ago...

Amber stopped by just the other day to let me have a look at her Dragon Tattoo (and touch up a tiny bit of red). It's always great to see pieces like this after having not for awhile. This particular one is from a drawing I did, loosely based on some old Horihide line art. Thanks, Amber, for the opportunity to witness a finished and well-healed Tattoo!

Part Six!

Jason is still going strong! This installment, a Koi rushing up over rocks and waves, completes his second rib panel- the sixth part of his Japanese Bodysuit. The next stage will be the largest yet: a full back piece depicting the Bodhisattva Kanzeon, which will eventually link with his legs and complete the full design. The momentum and spirit of this piece has been full-forced from the start, and truly reflects that of the wearer!

 

Swimming Upstream.

Chris picked this upward swimming Koi fish to fill the space beneath his old Crimson Ghost Tattoo (made elsewhere.) I enjoy this pose the best, as it shows the virtues in perseverance and hard work- and, in turn, appreciate Chris's dedication to these concepts. He sat like a champ and finished his Tattoo promptly, on top of allowing me to work in an appropriate scale (no pun intended). We Tattooers love that sort of approach from our clients. Thanks, Chris!

Rocket To Russia

My good buddy Nate came by the other day and picked up this Soviet Cosmonaut Tattoo. Beyond being a really fun design, this marks a time in world history- before the International Space Station or any Mars Rovers could even be conceived- when the idea of getting out of our atmosphere meant a sort of cultural war between the U.S. and Russia. Contrary to what most may assume, the Russians started with the upper hand. Much of our technology and innovation today, as far as Space Travel goes, could very easily be chalked up to the fear and anxiety symptomatic of this rivalry. Here's to an era gone!

Guest Spot in St.Louis

As a heads-up to my clients, and on the slight chance that some folks from the area have seen my work, and are interested in a Tattoo, I will be working at Iron Age Tattoo in St.Louis, Missouri From the 28th of August until the 2nd of September. I'll be taking walk-ins for the most part, so come by and see me! Very big thanks to Caleb and Kyle at Iron Age. St.Louis is a great City with awesome people, and I can't wait to get up there and do some work!

Shop News!

 Lots of cool things are happening around the Shop as of late! First and foremost, Sagent Staygold will be back once again from sunny Los Angeles from Thursday until Sunday. If you haven't already, hit him up for a time and get a super-clean classic tattoo! He's the man!
 Next, we are finally fully staffed, and so our hours are extended. You will now be able to stop in and get a Tattoo, or set up an appointment, Monday through Saturday 12-10 pm, and Sunday 12-5 pm.
 Lastly, our apprentice, James, has done his first few tattoos, and is now doing free work on Wednesday nights to build his skills! If you are interested, and understand what it means to be tattooed by an apprentice, stop by Monday-Wednesday, or Saturday and grab a spot. As time goes on, he will be tattooing more days, and eventually be paid for his services accordingly- so if you want to help a brother out, and get a free Tattoo, come get it while you can!

One, Two...One, Two...

When you've worked in Tattoo Shops for awhile, you start to notice patterns- and patterns within patterns- in the way people get tattooed. The strangest part of this experience is that, three times out of four, there is no real explanation or reason as to why random people with no knowledge of each other or each other's decisions are asking for the same stuff on the same day. Sure, some folks come in after each other asking for the same Tattoo they saw on the same celebrity from time to time, but slightly more so are perfect strangers with very similar ideas drawn to the studio in timing with each other. This also poses the challenge of keeping each customer's design unique from the other. Shown below are two examples of two tattoos done twice (in two days, none the less). First, you see a pair of cherry blossom tattoos- the first in a sumi wash style, and the second in solid graphic black with small bits of red- both gorgeous ideas in their own right, and a pleasure to tattoo. Next you'll see two keys, once again- each tattooed on the same day. Even stranger about these is that they are the second set of two keys done on two separate people on the same day, unbeknownst to each other whatsoever- and the last of those four keys, by request of the client and unprovoked, is crowned with the number four! Tell me that's not strange...

New Artist!

Flying Tiger Tattoo welcomes our friend Nate Hudak to the crew full-time starting next week! He'll be coming all the way from Santa Barbara, California to make a life back here in Cincinnati- so if you like his work, be sure to set something up with him. If you haven't seen his tattooing yet, you can check it out here: http://www.facebook.com/NateHudakTattoo. This also means that, including our apprentice, James, the shop is officially fully staffed! Keep watch for more info on new hours of operation in the near future. Thanks!

Wolf and Snake

Griffin's slayed wolf and Dan's snake and lantern tattoos- both coming from classic-style skin rips- were awesome ways to illustrate sinister subject matter without getting too cheesy. Whether they were meant as simple ways to display inner struggle and growth, or just plain cool designs- they were more than a pleasure to work on in each case!!

Lady Heads.

Since the beginning of Electric Tattooing beautiful women have been a rightfully revisited subject matter. Many Tattooers would agree with me in saying that they are one of the most interesting and elegant images to put in to skin. Add the theme of Life and Death to the composition and the Tattoo just couldn't be better- as you can see here in Karlen's newest piece!

Three-Toed Bionic Guest Artist!

Our good buddy and fellow Andy, Andrew Wesley Bennet, will be visiting the shop over the weekend of June 8th and 9th. Andrew is a gentleman and a scholar, and you can witness some fine examples of his extraordinary art at http://www.facebook.com/andrew.w.bennett1. Contact him there if you'd like to wear one of his works of tattoo wizardry!

Camera One...

Ben picks really cool designs- like this antique accordion camera...

'Nuff said.

Guest Artist This Month!

Flying Tiger Tattoo is proud to welcome Nate Hudak of 805 Tattoo in Santa Barbara, California as our next guest artist! He'll be in the shop on Friday, May 25th and Saturday, May 26th. Check his work out here https://www.facebook.com/NateHudakTattoo and contact him for an appointment while they last!

New Addition!

Jason has finished the right rib panel of his Japanese body suit- a Tiger climbing down through molten rock and fire. Each time I work on this project, I feel humbled with gratitude for the opportunity- and for Jason's tolerance and persistence! This is what makes Tattooing great!

Electric City

Andrew Blair and I just returned from the Electric City Tattoo Convention in Scranton, PA- and it was a real blast! Big thanks to Woody, Andrew, Jimison, Dominic, and everyone at Electric City Tattoo Gallery. This was the most fun I've had at a Convention to date, and there was work to be done by all! Here are a few of the designs some of the fine folks of Scranton were kind enough to ask for:

Dragon!!!

Steve knows what's up! He asked for a Dragon to surround his tree Tattoo, and cover another small design, but couldn't imagine the magnitude of it until I had drawn it. Still, he was down for the haul, and so it began...

Lost and Found

I just found these photos from a few weeks ago! A giant cuckoo clock, and a ship with birds!! Awesome!!!

Upcoming Events

 We've got a couple of awesome things going on at Flying Tiger Tattoo this month. First, and foremost, Sagent Staygold will be back for another weekend of Tattoo madness! He'll be in the shop from Thursday, April 19th until Sunday, April 22nd- email him at sagentone@gmail.com to grab a spot if you haven't already!
 Also, Andy Blair and I will be attending the Electric City Tattoo Convention in Scranton, PA from the 27th to the 29th of April. We will be sending some line-art up to the area for Tattoo ideas ahead of time, and are looking forward to a good time! For info on directions, accommodations, attending artists and events check www.electriccitytattooconvention.com. Hopefully we'll see you there!!

Knit and Purl.

Here is a prime example of the way that proper communication can help a Tattoo turn out just right. Originally, the customer had asked to cover-up a small name with the word "knit", and to balance the other ankle out with the word "Purl". Unfortunately, covering words with other words makes for a big mess, and an epic failure as far as cover-ups are concerned- so we explained it that way to her. At first, she was bummed- but after letting the idea of adding small roses in to the equation sink in for a few days, she decided to let us run with it. In the end, she came out with a nice, simple, cute tattoo that covered the old design just right. The key to these interactions is two-sided: Not only does the Artist have to be knowledgable and honest, both with themselves and the customer, but the customer needs to be receptive and trusting. It's a simple concept, really, but has fallen by the wayside in these days of hype and ego. Find a Tattooer, and let them Tattoo you!

Welcome Aboard!!!

 Flying Tiger Tattoo is proud to announce a new member to our team! After taking some time to get her Master's Degree in sculpture- and go on to teach at Northern Kentucky University- our friend Megan Butler has come back to Tattooing! Megan has five years tattoo experience under her belt to start, and likes to work with bright, bold colors in an illustrated style. You can catch her here at the shop on Sundays, Mondays, and Tuesdays for now- and with more frequency in the days-to-come. Welcome aboard, Megan!!

Big 'Ol Eagles

Two giant Eagles, large classic Roses, and a limited pallet are good at explaining themselves. Thank you, Craig, for your dedication and tolerance!