Alex De Pase, portrait artist extraordinaire, does an Elvgren pinup. Not the best thing he's done, but still pretty amazing. Nope she's not getting a thrill off that radio!
Classic FM
Alex De Pase, portrait artist extraordinaire, does an Elvgren pinup. Not the best thing he's done, but still pretty amazing. Nope she's not getting a thrill off that radio!
Tattoorism: Sean's Leg Piece Represents His Transformation from Child to Adult
This installment of Tattoorism comes from Sean, a reader who offered up his leg piece for our viewing pleasure. The detail above is my favorite aspect of the tattoo, which wraps around Sean's entire left leg.In Sean's words:
"...Even though this was done in about 4 or 5 sessions, I could not describe this in any other way except as one big tattoo. Each piece works together with each other.
I consider this my growth-themed tattoo. I started the tattoo, at the age of 18, right before I graduated from high school and finished it right before entering my first year of college, a period of immense growth in my opinion. As long as I can remember, I have been drawn to Asian artwork, so at an extremely basic level this tattoo is just extremely aesthetically pleasing to me, but there is also deeper meaning.
From the Japanese folklore I have heard, koi fish are said to grow into dragons.
That was the basic premise of my tattoo, maturing from childhood to adulthood. I decided to have the koi swimming upwards to portray the different struggles experienced in this growth. The dragon has always been such a powerful image to me and a great symbol of courage and strength, two qualities I constantly strive to achieve and portray myself.
There are also two other major images in this tattoo, the pagoda and the lotus flower.
The lotus is another symbol of "growth." I always loved the idea that a lotus begins its life in murky, dark, ugly waters, but eventually grows to become a beautiful flower despite its surroundings. It's a reminder that no matter how hard things get in life, I can make it through those times and blossom as a better person.
Finally, the personal symbolism I hold for the pagoda is a house of knowledge and discipline. I hoped to achieve, and believe I have, a great amount of knowledge and discipline through my years in college and during the growth from childhood to adulthood in general.
The tattoo was done by Mike Schweigert @ Electric Tattoo in Bradley Beach, NJ.Thanks to Sean for sharing this amazing leg piece with us here on Tattoosday!
Sean recognized that our "posts kind of drop off, completely understandably, during the colder months." Not only did he help us with content on an ink-less day, regular readers will recognize that I generally don't run sleeves, or wrap-around tattoos, on the blog, as their characteristics make them very difficult to adequately display in their full glory. It's tough to capture them fully when on the street. So a double thanks to Sean for not only sending us an elaborate leg piece, but providing a well-written synopsis of the personal meaning behind the elements in the design!
Lizz's Tattoo Anchors Her to Her Brother
One of the things that I love most about writing Tattoosday is the way New York City plays a significant role in the narrative. It may not be a blog about New York, but it would be a much different one without this city I call my home.
This is one of those posts that is tied to the fabric of New York.
This evening, I was taking advantage of a free ticket to see a revival of Guys and Dolls at the Nederlander Theater, which is still in preview and opens March 1st.
I was standing in line outside, about twenty minutes before curtains. The theater, on the south side of West 41st Street, faces the back of the New Amsterdam Theater to the north.
There were assorted people milling about across the street, folks I assumed were crew from Mary Poppins, outside having their last cigarettes before their show started.
I spotted a woman who had exited the theater and saw, from across the street, that she had a tattoo on her right forearm. I was doing nothing but standing in line anyway, so I crossed over 41st Street to say hello.
Lizz, who works as a dresser, was more than happy to share her tattoo:
What's remarkable about this traditional-style anchor tattoo is that she had it done at the same time, on the same spot, and with the same design as her younger brother.
For Lizz, this was her most recent, her nineteenth tattoo. For her brother, five years her junior, it was his first.
The piece is based on the state flag of Rhode Island, where Lizz grew up:
Tattoos in general have significant meaning for their bearers. When the same design in shared, and the act of being tattooed is similarly experienced, the emotional charge instilled in the work is compounded.
Another example of siblings sharing a tattoo can be seen here.
Lizz told me that she doesn't rely on one artist, but that her ink has come from different shops all over the country.
This tattoo was created at Cherry Bomb Tattoo (now known as East River Tattoo)in Brooklyn by the artist Duke Riley. Work from Cherry Bomb has appeared here previously.
Thanks so much to Lizz for sharing her ink with us here on Tattoosday!
This is one of those posts that is tied to the fabric of New York.
This evening, I was taking advantage of a free ticket to see a revival of Guys and Dolls at the Nederlander Theater, which is still in preview and opens March 1st.
I was standing in line outside, about twenty minutes before curtains. The theater, on the south side of West 41st Street, faces the back of the New Amsterdam Theater to the north.
There were assorted people milling about across the street, folks I assumed were crew from Mary Poppins, outside having their last cigarettes before their show started.
I spotted a woman who had exited the theater and saw, from across the street, that she had a tattoo on her right forearm. I was doing nothing but standing in line anyway, so I crossed over 41st Street to say hello.
Lizz, who works as a dresser, was more than happy to share her tattoo:
What's remarkable about this traditional-style anchor tattoo is that she had it done at the same time, on the same spot, and with the same design as her younger brother.
For Lizz, this was her most recent, her nineteenth tattoo. For her brother, five years her junior, it was his first.
The piece is based on the state flag of Rhode Island, where Lizz grew up:
Tattoos in general have significant meaning for their bearers. When the same design in shared, and the act of being tattooed is similarly experienced, the emotional charge instilled in the work is compounded.
Another example of siblings sharing a tattoo can be seen here.
Lizz told me that she doesn't rely on one artist, but that her ink has come from different shops all over the country.
This tattoo was created at Cherry Bomb Tattoo (now known as East River Tattoo)in Brooklyn by the artist Duke Riley. Work from Cherry Bomb has appeared here previously.
Thanks so much to Lizz for sharing her ink with us here on Tattoosday!
My Friend Zak (when bad tattoos come full circle and become awesome, part II)
My friend Zak is quite possibly the coolest dude ever. He has great taste in music. He's super nice and friendly. He has a black belt in karate. He likes space and d&d and being awesome. And he is willing to share his ridiculous stick-n-poke tattoos with us.
In the same vein as this dude, Zak and his friends like to get tipsy and tattoo each other. And ridiculousness ensues.
I'm going to post his tattoos in installments, because they are just that amazing, so here is the first, of many.
Here's the story behind it, if I'm remembering correctly... he decided to get a wolf tattoo, because wolves are RAD (p.s. I have a bunch of amazing tribal wolf tattoos to share with you guys). However, no one could tattoo a wolf, so he just went with the word "WOLF!". Then, apparently, there's a Chinese saying "horse, horse, tiger, bear" which brings good luck, I think? So he went with writing those next to "WOLF!" to round out the tattoo. But the words kept getting progressively crappier as he went on, so you can barely read the last one.
This might be one of the worst tattoos I have ever seen, but it is also one of the best.
If you have a silly stick-n-poke tattoo, or have a friend who does, by all means EMAIL ME!
In the same vein as this dude, Zak and his friends like to get tipsy and tattoo each other. And ridiculousness ensues.
I'm going to post his tattoos in installments, because they are just that amazing, so here is the first, of many.
Here's the story behind it, if I'm remembering correctly... he decided to get a wolf tattoo, because wolves are RAD (p.s. I have a bunch of amazing tribal wolf tattoos to share with you guys). However, no one could tattoo a wolf, so he just went with the word "WOLF!". Then, apparently, there's a Chinese saying "horse, horse, tiger, bear" which brings good luck, I think? So he went with writing those next to "WOLF!" to round out the tattoo. But the words kept getting progressively crappier as he went on, so you can barely read the last one.
This might be one of the worst tattoos I have ever seen, but it is also one of the best.
If you have a silly stick-n-poke tattoo, or have a friend who does, by all means EMAIL ME!
This World Has Made Me Hoot
A great reader submission from Tim in Melbourne, Aus, done by Rob Abell @ dynamic tattoo, Richmond, Aus.
Tattoorism 101: Jenny's Unforgettable Memorial to Her Mother and Grandmother
Despite unseasonably warm temperatures this weekend, I didn't see any tattoos, shattering my expectations. However, all was not lost. I received a lovely e-mail from a reader named Jenny who brightened my day with an amazing tattoo. She must have been reading my mind when she said, "Since it's winter and most of us have our ink covered by turtlenecks and wool sweaters, I would let one of my tattoos out and share it with you."
And what Jenny sent me was a breathtaking floral tattoo that is simply beautiful:
I'll let Jenny explain this piece in her own words:
"My grandmother and mother are two very special people in my life, and both have passed away. When I was 21, I got my first tattoo. It was a small piece, but it meant a lot to me. My mom was so excited for me - she told me that she wished that she had the money to get a tattoo herself! My mom died without ever getting a tattoo, but blue was her favorite color.
My grandmother passed away a few years after my mom, and I decided that I would get a tattoo for them. The tattoo did not start out as planned. I went in to the shop thinking that I'd get myself a small lilac on one shoulder that had a green ribbon wrapped around it (Grandma in the Green House had lilac trees). I was also toying around with the idea of some sort of blue tattoo for my mom, but I had no idea what to do.
When I talked to the tattoo artist, she was designing a lovely lilac tattoo, and I asked her to put some Forget-me-nots with it for my mom. She created two separate sprigs, and the forget-me-nots were perfect. I went in to plan for a lilac tattoo, but I left with a shoulder of forget me nots (my largest tattoo, and I had it done in one sitting - it was intense, but I am so glad that I did it in one sitting). A sprig of lilacs will go on the left shoulder once I have some more money and the design is "right" (it's good but not ready, yet). For now, I have my mother's forget-me-nots intertwined with my grandma's green ribbon."
A closer look shows how well the two elements of the forget-me-nots and the green ribbon are woven together, just as Jenny's mother and grandmother are permanently sewn into the fabric of her life:
This simple and poignant memorial tattoo was inked by Kira at Sleepy Hollow Studios in Potsdam, New York (40 minutes from the Canadian border).
Much thanks to Jenny for being a loyal reader and from infusing a drab weekend with color by visiting us here at Tattoosday and sharing her tattoo!
Wizards with triangle things on their hats
You guys probably know by now how much I love bad tattoos that are all from the same book/ piece of flash/ google search. I especially feel this way about wizard tattoos. I collect photos of wizard tattoos and then try to match them up. It's amazing how many are alike! This is the largest collection of matching wizards I have so far. Enjoy.
This one has a sketch next to it, but it can't be the original.
I love how they are all the same, but have their own little personalities...
... like "mild" written over the nipple, for example.
And finally one in color! I can't decide if the color makes this bad tattoo more or less awesome. There's something about the classic black and white wizard that I really love, but I think anything magical really deserves to be in color.
I'm sure there are many more wizards-with-triangle-things-on-their-hats out there, I just have to find them. If you know of anyone with one of these, or know where they might come from, please let me know!
This one has a sketch next to it, but it can't be the original.
I love how they are all the same, but have their own little personalities...
... like "mild" written over the nipple, for example.
And finally one in color! I can't decide if the color makes this bad tattoo more or less awesome. There's something about the classic black and white wizard that I really love, but I think anything magical really deserves to be in color.
I'm sure there are many more wizards-with-triangle-things-on-their-hats out there, I just have to find them. If you know of anyone with one of these, or know where they might come from, please let me know!
Bikes (part 2)
whyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy???????????????
There are so many better things you could put on your chest! Symmetrical, flattering, awesome things! Why why why why why why would you put a line drawing of a BIKE on your BOOBS? It makes her left boob look 10x bigger and droopier than the right because the left wheel is so much bigger.
sdjkskjfhsdfjs
At least it's well done. And I hope it's just the first outline and that she went and got it colored in later. And maybe put some stuff behind it to even the whole thing out.
p.s. my friend has a blog about funny emails he gets at work, if you're bored you should check it out.
There are so many better things you could put on your chest! Symmetrical, flattering, awesome things! Why why why why why why would you put a line drawing of a BIKE on your BOOBS? It makes her left boob look 10x bigger and droopier than the right because the left wheel is so much bigger.
sdjkskjfhsdfjs
At least it's well done. And I hope it's just the first outline and that she went and got it colored in later. And maybe put some stuff behind it to even the whole thing out.
p.s. my friend has a blog about funny emails he gets at work, if you're bored you should check it out.
The Crow
I haven't gotten a tattoo in a year, and have been feeling the itch. I have an appointment for this upcoming Wednesday. I decided to get two big crows with lightning bolts, they'll probably on my ribs, unless I wuss out. It's kind of a memorial tattoo for my dad, but not totally. Anyway, I'll post pictures and you guys can feel free to make fun of them as much as you want. In anticipation of my appointment, I decided to do some looking around for terrible crow tattoos. I found a lot.
Full disclosure: I was really into The Crow when I was a teenager. Here's a photo of me being totally awesome when I was 13 or 14.
I don't have any ridiculous makeup on in that photo, but I definitely went to school made-up like the crow. The movie was filmed in my hometown (Wilmington, NC) and I went on a pilgrimage to see where Brandon Lee died. I listened to the soundtrack to the movie every day. I still really enjoy the movie. Regardless of my history with the movie, my crow tattoo idea has nothing to do with the movie The Crow. These people's tattoos do. There are so many sweet crow images out there, I don't know why they picked these out....
So here you go. Awful crow tattoos!
I think this crow is supposed to be on fire? It just looks blobby to me.
This is supposed to be the Crow logo, but it's not executed well...
This one too. Plus! Bonus barbed wire armband! I love seeing terrible versions of the same thing. (See my zombie jesus and wizard posts for more)
Crow mask + tribal + cross = goldmine!
Scarred Kanji + flaming crow = bigger goldmine!
I don't understand the spacing and sizing on this. It looks like the tattoos just got slapped on completely randomly. Also the little spritzes of red and yellow are a real nice touch. What is the black blob on the left? Can anyone tell?
skldfskdjf Brandon Lee does not look like that!
And he really, really does not look like this!!!
I hope you enjoyed this confessional edition of awful tattoos. Check back next week to make fun of my crow tattoo!
Full disclosure: I was really into The Crow when I was a teenager. Here's a photo of me being totally awesome when I was 13 or 14.
I don't have any ridiculous makeup on in that photo, but I definitely went to school made-up like the crow. The movie was filmed in my hometown (Wilmington, NC) and I went on a pilgrimage to see where Brandon Lee died. I listened to the soundtrack to the movie every day. I still really enjoy the movie. Regardless of my history with the movie, my crow tattoo idea has nothing to do with the movie The Crow. These people's tattoos do. There are so many sweet crow images out there, I don't know why they picked these out....
So here you go. Awful crow tattoos!
I think this crow is supposed to be on fire? It just looks blobby to me.
This is supposed to be the Crow logo, but it's not executed well...
This one too. Plus! Bonus barbed wire armband! I love seeing terrible versions of the same thing. (See my zombie jesus and wizard posts for more)
Crow mask + tribal + cross = goldmine!
Scarred Kanji + flaming crow = bigger goldmine!
I don't understand the spacing and sizing on this. It looks like the tattoos just got slapped on completely randomly. Also the little spritzes of red and yellow are a real nice touch. What is the black blob on the left? Can anyone tell?
skldfskdjf Brandon Lee does not look like that!
And he really, really does not look like this!!!
I hope you enjoyed this confessional edition of awful tattoos. Check back next week to make fun of my crow tattoo!
Hoot or Miss
Another international reader submission, sent in by Mats, which was done by Kurt Fagerland in Stavanger, Norway. I love the mix of old school and action shot!
At The Drop Of A Hoot
Mallory sent in these owls, the first on her and the second on boyfriend David, both done at Idol Time Tattoo in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Carrie Returns with Some Matrimonial Ink
As this blog has evolved from a weekly installment over at BillyBlog into a full-time appreciation of the Tattoo, I have gained an immense appreciation of the way Mexican folk art has been absorbed into the medium.
The celebration of Dio de los Muertos (the Day of the Dead) is a perfect match for tattooing, as it is associated with bright colors and what I call a "pleasant morbidity," in the form of skeletons and skulls.
Some of my favorite posts here at Tattoosday have been related to the Day of the Dead (see here and here).
So it was with great pleasure that I learned that Carrie, of the amazing ship tattoo, was sending me new ink photos, and moreso when I saw they were in the Dio de los Muertos theme.
Carrie sent a slew of photos relating to two tattoos she and her new husband, Ryan, received as a wedding gift from their friend, Evan Lindemann, who is a tattoo artist at Revolver Tattoo in New Brunswick, NJ. This is the same shop where her pirate ship was (and continues to be) inked.
The couple were married on Halloween of 2008, and honeymooned the following week, which coincided with the Day of the Dead celebrations:
"We had a masquerade ball for our Halloween wedding...our cake topper was a Day of he Dead skeleton bride and groom folk art bride and groom
and our toasting flutes were hand painted from Mexico and had day of the dead bride and groom skulls as well [see photo above]....Going to Mexico was the icing on the cake to finish out our awesome wedding....In Mexico we went to Playa del Carmen, shopped like crazy on 5th ave and ... found some beautiful Day of the Dead figurines and shadow boxes.....For our wedding gift, ...Evan...wanted to give us a tattoo each.We love tattoos, so it was one hell of an offer....so...we decided that I would get the Day of the Dead figurine that is the skeleton in the tux representing the groom
and Ryan would get the Day of the Dead woman figurine which represents the bride:
So, we have a piece together and they are beautiful!"
Carrie concludes, that these tattoos "symbolize our love, marriage and honeymoon".
She added that this may "sound kind of corny," but she is right when she says they are beautiful.
She added that this may "sound kind of corny," but she is right when she says they are beautiful.
A belated congratulations to Carrie (and Ryan) for the marriage, and their incredibly cool (and romantic) his-and-hers tattoos. In a day and age when so many married couples tattoo each others' names on their bodies, it is heart-warming from an artistic perspective to see the level of creativity and thought that went into these pieces.
And a hearty thank you to Carrie (and Ryan) for sharing their work here on Tattoosday!
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