...A Charmed Life.

The last couple of days have been fun! Besides some larger work that has yet to be finished, I've had the privilege of being asked to work on these nice classic-style designs. The process itself, from beginning to end, has proven rewarding- from researching vintage photos of fighting ladies and finding shots of the human skull, to the drawing table, right down to putting them in to the skin. I can only hope that my clients will request things like these of me for the years to come. It would be a charmed life!

Beasts and Bravery

Jeff has been one of three people (along with Scot and Brian) brave enough for one of my combination-animal tattoos. This particular grotesquery happens to be a viper/pitbull/eagle, and is impervious to fire. Grow a pair and get weird!!

Trees and Branches...

 In the past few years we have gotten a lot of requests for tree/branch related designs. I've found that approaching these designs based on an eastern style of painting called "Sumi-e" has turned out to be the most visually striking. Sumi paintings utilize quick, fluid brushstrokes with ink washes to create simple forms, usually imitating nature. Although making a Tattoo look this way adds some deliberation to the process, the end result is, in my humble opinion, the best look for a tree or branch related design. Seen here is a branch with blossoms Tattooed as described:

Nick B.'s Coming Back! (really)

 Our friend and cohort Nick B. will, after some minor complications, finally be making his way to the shop between the 8th and 12th of February! If you would like a super-clean, classic-style Tattoo from him, hit him up at mfnickb@gmail.com. His open slots are moving fast, so don't delay! Thanks!

Devildog!

Russel and I were both amazed at the lack of good designs for military Tattoos as far as contemporary flash is concerned, but when you look back at the old stuff it's a whole different story. By-and-large, early American Tattooing was entrenched in military culture, with most of the now legendary shops positioned strategically just outside of bases across the U.S. Russel's new Tattoo- a U.S.M.C. Devildog- is a custom design in the vein of the hand-painted flash that decorated those old Parlours. In my opinion, this is how a Tattoo looks best, and anyone who wants a military Tattoo should consider having it done in this style. Beyond the obvious merits- the lasting power of the bold lines, the steadfast legibility of the bright colors, the elegance of simplicity, etc.- Tattoos like these have an unspoken history to them, and are an example of art that is originally American. Not CocaCola-bullshit -American flag magnet on your car- American, real deal- Rock and Roll- get up and do it- American.

Joker's Wild

My firend Chris picked this design- nose art from the plane his Grandfather flew in- and we finished it up last night! I feel like it made a really nice tattoo, but even more so than that, I appreciate the sentiment: a great image from a time where great people stood up against real tyranny. Folks from our generation only know of this mentality from lore, and this is, in more than one way, a piece of that lore. I'm not one to linger much in the past or yearn to move backwards in time, but I earnestly feel that we can all learn a thing or ten from our Father's Fathers, and Mother's Mothers.

Daggers Rule!

Here are a couple of nice dagger-related Tattoos done on the few days before our Christmas break. The first is on Jeff, and the latter is a Navy design for Chris, who is stationed in Hawaii. Knives and daggers make great Tattoos- especially when they're jabbing through things, or when they're used in tall, narrow spaces- as you can see here.  Thanks, Guys!!