This is probably one of my favourite documentaries I have ever seen, it has pretty much 10 of the best american tattooists. Basically it is these two guys who travel round America and collect tattoos from amazing tattooists whilst interviewing them etc. heres the links to the episodes on youtube. If I am to be completely honest my favourite episode by miles is the Bailey Hunter Robinson episode, just looking at some of his art work makes me uncontrollably green with envy.
Episode 1 Brian Bruno
Episode 2 Bailey Hunter Robinson
Episode 3 Eli Quinters
Episode 4 Bert Krak
Episode 5 The Gus and Martin LaCasse
Episode 6 Steve Boltz
Episode 7 Nikki Balls
Episode 8 Hunter Spanks
Episode 9 Chad Koeplinger
Episode 10 Todd Noble
Thursday, 25 March 2010
Thursday, 11 March 2010
Artist profile.
Right so here is my very first artist profile, and it is Ashleigh Blake. I am not really uploading any pictures to this entry, mainly because to look at her work like paintings and tattoos click on her name to look at her myspace page.
First experience?
My first real tattoo experience was at 15,
I was in town with my mum having a girly day when she decided to get that dragon tattoo she had been wanting for years
So there we were walking towards Danny’s tattoo studio in Nottingham, me all excited to watch and mum slightly nervous, then it struck me it was my 16th birthday in a few days, what better present was there than a tattoo, so after a severe ear bashing from me mum finally agreed that I could have a tiny one for my present, we went in chose what we wanted and waited for our turn.
I chose a small blue rose……
That was it for me, after feeling the needle for the first time I was hooked.
Have you always been into art?
I was always really arty and after studying hairdressing and hair design I decided to try my hand at what I loved most…..art, and what better than doing my art on people who could wear it everyday.
I got my first proper apprenticeship at 18 and never looked back.
Who has tattooed you?
Some of my work is done by friends and other pieces by artists I admire,
I have a beautiful piece on my face which is of cherry blossoms by artist Kamil Mocet
I also have one of my favourites which is a cupcake in my armpit by artist Endre Szabo.
a lot of my work was done by a very dear friend called Sumo who unfortunately passed away in 09.
Any inspirational artists?
Most artists I admire are the usual bunch who appear in magazines regularly,
Artists such as Mike Devries, Nikko ,Stephane Chaudesaigues, Joshua Carlton, Guy Atchison are to name afew, the list goes on.
Theres so many fantastic people out there who do wonders with skin and ink.
What sort of style are you really interested in?
I have tattooed most styles but my favourite style is realistic, im a fan of flowers and pretty images, butterflys swirly patterns ect..
Lettering is also a big love of mine.
Do you think you have learned everything there is you need to know now?
There is still so much to learn even after the 8 years worth of knowledge I already have.
Tattooing is endless and will always be my big love. I look forward to the new techniques and styles which are constantly changing which makes tattooing so interesting.
First experience?
My first real tattoo experience was at 15,
I was in town with my mum having a girly day when she decided to get that dragon tattoo she had been wanting for years
So there we were walking towards Danny’s tattoo studio in Nottingham, me all excited to watch and mum slightly nervous, then it struck me it was my 16th birthday in a few days, what better present was there than a tattoo, so after a severe ear bashing from me mum finally agreed that I could have a tiny one for my present, we went in chose what we wanted and waited for our turn.
I chose a small blue rose……
That was it for me, after feeling the needle for the first time I was hooked.
Have you always been into art?
I was always really arty and after studying hairdressing and hair design I decided to try my hand at what I loved most…..art, and what better than doing my art on people who could wear it everyday.
I got my first proper apprenticeship at 18 and never looked back.
Who has tattooed you?
Some of my work is done by friends and other pieces by artists I admire,
I have a beautiful piece on my face which is of cherry blossoms by artist Kamil Mocet
I also have one of my favourites which is a cupcake in my armpit by artist Endre Szabo.
a lot of my work was done by a very dear friend called Sumo who unfortunately passed away in 09.
Any inspirational artists?
Most artists I admire are the usual bunch who appear in magazines regularly,
Artists such as Mike Devries, Nikko ,Stephane Chaudesaigues, Joshua Carlton, Guy Atchison are to name afew, the list goes on.
Theres so many fantastic people out there who do wonders with skin and ink.
What sort of style are you really interested in?
I have tattooed most styles but my favourite style is realistic, im a fan of flowers and pretty images, butterflys swirly patterns ect..
Lettering is also a big love of mine.
Do you think you have learned everything there is you need to know now?
There is still so much to learn even after the 8 years worth of knowledge I already have.
Tattooing is endless and will always be my big love. I look forward to the new techniques and styles which are constantly changing which makes tattooing so interesting.
Wednesday, 3 March 2010
My canvas so far..
At the moment I have my chest tattooed and and currently working towards finishing my left sleeve. Eventually I do want to be virtually covered from the throat down but I guess its the age old saying of patience is a virtue. I definately dont want to rush my tattoos because I am a bit of a snob when it comes to which artists I like etc. I also have a million ideas and designs for various tattoos over my body, so I really want to make sure that they are definately what I will want when I'm old and saggy!
Chest
This is the first tattoo I got done, if i remember correctly it took around 7 or 8 hours to completely finish. It was pretty horrible. After long deliberation with my friend Ashleigh (who was the tattooist) we decided to go ahead with it. Originally I was literally just go
ing to have the script, but I then thought it might look a bit boring so we decided to add the roses in, which luckily turned out to be absolutely amazing. Ashleigh decided to do the roses in a realistic style with no black outline. By doing this I think they look much more perfect, however it did take so much longer and as a result more painful. Worth it...I think so.
Sleeve In progress
My next project w
as my left arm. Seeing as I have an unhealthy obsession with sailor influenced traditional designs, I thought there would be no better design than a full sleeve including iconic sailor imagery such as; an eagle, an anchor, a sinking ship, a mermaid, a lighthouse. Basically anything and everything sailor based. I went in to Haunted Tattoo on Holloway road in London, and the man for the job was Andreas. He is amazing at anything oldschool when it comes to tattoos. His linework is ridiculously good and although slightly painful I really think i couldn't have chosen anyone better to do my sleeve. I ended up going all the way to Brighton Tattoo convention to start the shading on my sleeve. When I actually have any spare pennies I am going to go and get the rest of it all finished.
Chest
This is the first tattoo I got done, if i remember correctly it took around 7 or 8 hours to completely finish. It was pretty horrible. After long deliberation with my friend Ashleigh (who was the tattooist) we decided to go ahead with it. Originally I was literally just go
ing to have the script, but I then thought it might look a bit boring so we decided to add the roses in, which luckily turned out to be absolutely amazing. Ashleigh decided to do the roses in a realistic style with no black outline. By doing this I think they look much more perfect, however it did take so much longer and as a result more painful. Worth it...I think so.Sleeve In progress
My next project w
as my left arm. Seeing as I have an unhealthy obsession with sailor influenced traditional designs, I thought there would be no better design than a full sleeve including iconic sailor imagery such as; an eagle, an anchor, a sinking ship, a mermaid, a lighthouse. Basically anything and everything sailor based. I went in to Haunted Tattoo on Holloway road in London, and the man for the job was Andreas. He is amazing at anything oldschool when it comes to tattoos. His linework is ridiculously good and although slightly painful I really think i couldn't have chosen anyone better to do my sleeve. I ended up going all the way to Brighton Tattoo convention to start the shading on my sleeve. When I actually have any spare pennies I am going to go and get the rest of it all finished.
Monday, 22 February 2010
Are tattoos for freaks?
Loads of people who may be reading this are likely to think tattoos are normal, as a matter of fact I feel the same way. But I have been reading lots of articles recently and even talking to my parents and people of the older generations, and unfortunately it doesnt seem that tattoos are socially acceptable afterall. Tattoos, over the last 20 years have become unbelievably popular. But, it is pretty clear that the majority of societies members still see them as inappropriate and unacceptable.
The main problem seems to be with careers and jobs, if someone has visible tattoos they are often disregarded for the job instantly. Most of these jobs seem to be in the business world, but still this goes to show that people are serious about thinking tattoos are inappropriate. There are plenty of nightclubs across the UK, particularly up north such as newcastle that refuse entry to anybody who has visible tattoos. This is pretty ridiculous and in no other terms, discrimination. It is really sad to think that because some people make the choice to use their body as a blank canvas, in which they wish to decorate, they are seen to be an outcast and a lesser member of society.
So even though the tattoo community has come a long way from where they were, it seems we still have a long and rocky road to travel yet...
(original blog post - http://infinitetattoos.wordpress.com/2008/08/26/are-tattoos-still-taboo/)
Tuesday, 16 February 2010
My first attempts at watercolour painting.
Throughout this part of my blog, im going to regularly upload new attempts at painting watercolour. My main aim with painting is to try and test myself and push myself outside of my 'comfort zone' to try and improve my art skills. It is very likely a lot of these attempts will turn out pretty messy and not how I wanted them to come out, but that is all part and parcel of the learning process.
My First Watercolour.
This is my first attempt with
watercolour paints,
its is a basic design of a traditional western style rose and a traditional style tudor rose. With the paintings all I have tried to do is learn techniques of how to hold the brush and how to shade with watercolour paints. With these simple roses I have applied the dark areas of colour first and then after applying water on my brush gently working from the edges of the dark area to apply a lighter shade and blend out from the darker shades to a lighter shade of colour. I try to hold the brush as close to the brush point as possible, as it allowsme to have greater control. Also by using the flat side of the brush rather than the tip of the brush I am able to blend the colour much more easily.
My Second Watercolour.
Right so here is ym second attempy at watercolour, this is another western traditional style painting. For this I was mainly inspired by the tattooist Eli Quinters who works at Smith Street Tattoo Parlour in New York City. He is one of my most influencial tattoo artists. I love absolutely everything about his work, ranging from the colours that he uses, the clean and sharp outlines he uses for his designs to the designs themselves. I know my painting doesnt really do his style justice, but I am learning so hopefully one day they will be closer to his standard. For this painting I have used primarily block colour rather than intricate shading to try and exaggerate the outline of the painting.
My First Watercolour.
This is my first attempt with
watercolour paints,
its is a basic design of a traditional western style rose and a traditional style tudor rose. With the paintings all I have tried to do is learn techniques of how to hold the brush and how to shade with watercolour paints. With these simple roses I have applied the dark areas of colour first and then after applying water on my brush gently working from the edges of the dark area to apply a lighter shade and blend out from the darker shades to a lighter shade of colour. I try to hold the brush as close to the brush point as possible, as it allowsme to have greater control. Also by using the flat side of the brush rather than the tip of the brush I am able to blend the colour much more easily.
My Second Watercolour.
Right so here is ym second attempy at watercolour, this is another western traditional style painting. For this I was mainly inspired by the tattooist Eli Quinters who works at Smith Street Tattoo Parlour in New York City. He is one of my most influencial tattoo artists. I love absolutely everything about his work, ranging from the colours that he uses, the clean and sharp outlines he uses for his designs to the designs themselves. I know my painting doesnt really do his style justice, but I am learning so hopefully one day they will be closer to his standard. For this painting I have used primarily block colour rather than intricate shading to try and exaggerate the outline of the painting.Friday, 12 February 2010
Attempts at drawing and learning slowly to improve!
Right so I have never had any formal training or anything like that in art so forgive all my technical flaws in my drawings and sketches. However I am learning slowly but surely, little techniques to try and help improve my drawings. My first love is obviously tattoo art, however in order to become better at that I am now trying to learn techniques of sketching, such as learning proportions of the human anatomy.
Throughout this blog I am going to update you with drawings and sketches that I am working on throughout the weeks, trying out new styles and techniques for shading etc.
Praying Hands
Here is
a drawing that I started and finished on Thursday morning when I woke up and had an hour to kill. I find hands really interesting and especially praying hands within tattoo art. This is primarily because I think this image is incredibly delicate and also the symbolism it has within tattooing is inspirational. As a tattoo, many people get it to commemorate a loved one that has died as a way to symbolize that the deceased will forever be in their prayers. My favourite artist for this particular design is Marco Cerretelli, one of my main ambitions with my art is to one day be half as good at designing praying hands as that artist.
Sailors Grave
Here is my second attempt at drawing for this project. It is another very traditional tattoo design. The Sailor’s Grave symbol included an anchor, life preserver, or a perching, spread eagle, but its defining characteristic was the sinking ship, still partially visible above the surface of the water. The design stems from a long tradition of sailor memorials and it commemorates the men and ships that have been lost at sea. This type of design, and others of the maritime school, were typically done with heavy outlines and dark shading. With this drawing I have tried to keep to the traditional characteristics of the design. The main thing I like with my design, is the shading as i really took my time to build up the shading on the design.
Throughout this blog I am going to update you with drawings and sketches that I am working on throughout the weeks, trying out new styles and techniques for shading etc.
Praying Hands
Here is
a drawing that I started and finished on Thursday morning when I woke up and had an hour to kill. I find hands really interesting and especially praying hands within tattoo art. This is primarily because I think this image is incredibly delicate and also the symbolism it has within tattooing is inspirational. As a tattoo, many people get it to commemorate a loved one that has died as a way to symbolize that the deceased will forever be in their prayers. My favourite artist for this particular design is Marco Cerretelli, one of my main ambitions with my art is to one day be half as good at designing praying hands as that artist.Sailors Grave
Here is my second attempt at drawing for this project. It is another very traditional tattoo design. The Sailor’s Grave symbol included an anchor, life preserver, or a perching, spread eagle, but its defining characteristic was the sinking ship, still partially visible above the surface of the water. The design stems from a long tradition of sailor memorials and it commemorates the men and ships that have been lost at sea. This type of design, and others of the maritime school, were typically done with heavy outlines and dark shading. With this drawing I have tried to keep to the traditional characteristics of the design. The main thing I like with my design, is the shading as i really took my time to build up the shading on the design.Okay so here is my attempt at the classic western style owl design, thia design symbolises wisdome and is incredibly popular with modern western tattooists, i basically sketched it and then decided to use watercolour pencils to add some colours to it. I think I am getting better. 
Wednesday, 10 February 2010
The blog begins..
Well, the blog begins and I should probably start with a brief outline of who I am and what exactly this blog is about! So, I'm 21 years old and have recently moved to London to get myself an education, going pretty well so far living in the smog. However, my real love lies with tattoo art. This is pretty evident when you consider I spent every last penny of my loan to pay for my tattoos (It's good to have my priorities all in order!). The thing I find hugely irritating about being in London is being surrounded by tattoo parlours but not actually working in one. I guess that's because tattooing has become a 'dream' career for thousands of people my age as it is a pretty 'rock star' lifestyle. But I'm not one of those 'follow the crowd' sheep. So I'm doing this blog to prove my passion for tattooing is not just a fashionable one. I have a genuine love for every element of tattoo culture, resulting in an insatiable thirst to enhance my knowledge of the history of tattoos and improve my own work, spending every spare minute putting pencil to paper. If i am completely honest, there is a secret agenda for this blog. Unfortunately many people still think of tattooing as a 'thugish' and talentless culture, and this does nothing short of infuriate me! So I'm here to set that wonky record straight!
Please please please feel free to leave tips and comments on how to improve my work, everything is appreciated!
Enjoy :)
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