el_alquimista

To me, traditional means that it is one of the families in Japan doing the tattoos or someone that was taught by one of them. Within that field there is still room for a ton of variation and expansion. I like to limit my view to that though. It seems to keep most, if not all, of the traditional and honor of the traditiopnal tattooing in place. I think it shows in the tattoos and even more so if it is done by hand.
Anyone not directly from one of the Japanese families I consider not traditional. I also think there is a large difference in approach, technique, imagery between people like Shige and Calle and Rubendall or Travino, etc. Sometimes, whether it is traditional or not doesn't really matter. If the person making the tattoo understands and works hard to incorporate everything from Japanese traditional that they can into the tattoo, then I will love it equally. But I think this means at one time they would have had to work closely with pure Japanes tattooers in the past.

This is slightly off from the question but still relatable. This idea of "Japanese" is a funny one for me. I've always loved the traditional Japanese style growing up. Without getting into details I was less fond of tattoos I'd seen around the neighborhood. Both in terms of subject as well as how they looked. Traditional Japanese stuff always looked clean and cohesive, the neighborhood stuff were blotches. I didn't know spit about anything. That's straight out fact. I attributed bad tattoos as American. But even then I did develop a discernable eye for recognizing traditional Japanese on a subconscious level. When japanese influenced tattoos started becoming increasingly popular or more readily seen in the US circa the kanji craze, it never looked really "Japanese". I would flip through magazines see the images and would be able to blindly point to images saying,"American, European, American, Chinese, European, European, Japanese.". Then I'd look at the tattooer's names. 90% of the time I'd be spot on. There seemed a time when it was very discernable between the traditional Japanese style, American Japanese, and European Japanese. American stuff often seemed busy, sometimes cartoony, blue water almost definitely signaled American, but also solidly packed with colors. European stuff almost seemed delicate with smooth shading. Chinese was painterly(???). And Japanese stuff had balance between detail and legibility or if the detail took over it seemed that the point was to create texture or patterns on the wearer's skin. I don't know how else to describe it. This was all just by looking at them and not taking into account stories or any of that. Again this was during my ignorant phase, pre-tattooed but looking, when I still couldn't appreciate an Ed Hardy piece.
Skip to today years later, however and looking around it's much harder to pull up a magazine and call out traditional, American, or European. So many artist's works from outside Japan these days look more traditional than artists in Japan and same with the opposite. So many artists in japan are flipping tradition on its head and giving a fresh breath to things w/ western influences. I've come to figure it's all good. There's room for all. After hundreds of years of the same thing traditional Japanese can probably stand to take in a fresh breath.
I am still intrigued by people when I hear them say things are traditional only if done by hand or if they have a hori title and all that vice versa those who don't think it matters. An interesting debate to see viewpoints.
Just to be a stinker, lets just remember traditional Japanese is not even the same in Japan. What I mean is there are families. The rules of one family are not necessarily the rules of another. Then you have variations by regions too. It's all very interesting and overwhelming. Okay nuff said I'm just rambling. Btw, all the above, take it with a grain of salt. I'm no tattooer, historian or anthropologist on the matter. Just a random guy giving you his personal and I stress personal history, recollections and experiences. Rip into me if you will.

got any cool gorilla heads or flash ?
this one by Grant cobb at spotlight tattoo http://www.facebook.com/pages/Bob-Charlie-Roberts-Spotlight-Tattoo/182583588460619?fref=ts might be a monkey but It rules.
There are a few I really like on our gallery but I dont know how to put them here

Might as well post this here:

The start of my sleeve by Thomas Hooper. Two hours in at this point, next session in January.

I agree, the lines look so solid and clean. I love all the black.
As for me, I have black & gray, but my black & gray left arm incorporates a little "dotwork" type stuff in the background. I don't think I put this pic on LST... This is my inner arm after the 4th session w/a Spencer Briggs Style mandala. It's not finished yet and my iphone takes crappy/grainy pics but here it is:

I personally like were Jondix has taken it. His work has this elegance about it that I really like, I hope to get something from him one day.

I think my favorite thing about this "school" of tattooing is that it seems to give tattooing back it's primal since of empowerment. I probably wouldn't wear this style, but to the people who do, the sacred geometry etc. seems to have a sort of primitive/ancient way of giving the wearer confidence and power. Maybe it's the way that the designs fit on the body in a similar way to tribal? I don't feel like this post adequately articulates what I'm trying to get at, but hopefully some of you guys know what I mean.

@Graeme so you're saying that because it happens with everything on the internet, it's ok?
I have no problem with people trying to do 'fresh' things. In my opinion, this style is still fresh, therefore how can anyone else do something new with it? Maybe it's different because I've been fortunate enough to see the seeds of this style develop from other things in a natural and gradual way that I feel uncomfortable when someone else hops on the wagon when the bumps have been ironed out.
Yes it does happen, I know I can't stop it and I'm not trying to. The reason I take the time to post here is because Last Sparrow is different. It's better than that. This place is the real deal and I care about it. It may be just another forum to chat about whatever is on your mind to pass the time, for most here, but for the collectors and tattooers who post here there hasn't been anything this positive about good tattoos and tattooing on the internet, ever.
There's been a machine forum that was good for a while and some kinda-sorta fringe industry sites and forums that were good for a while but there's never been somewhere online for just tattoos where quality matters and people who are respected in the real world are respected in the forums. Too often a post/blog count matters more than the quality of submissions and real-world experience. It's different here. Last Sparrow is having a real-world effect and I think it's up to us all to realise the responsibility we have and to try a little harder to be thoughtful and intelligent in our actions online and offline.
While I wouldn't wear tattoos in the style Amanda Wachob does, I can see how they would appeal to some. I'm not even sure it appeals to 'tattoo people'. It's not really a new tattoo style either. It's based on a style of painting (wich was once new - over 70 years ago) Ed Hardy did some similar stuff in the 80's too.
@TrixieFaux some of the people you mentioned do visit SF.
I'm not trying to tell anyone who they should get tattooed by or whatever and I'm not knocking anyone specific. I'm sure 'new' guys give props or shout-outs to Hooper, Jondix, et al. But it still stands that without the guys who developed the style none of us would even want to get it tattooed.

I wish this style didn't have a name. As soon as a style is given a name, it seems to give others the impression they can do it too.
The reason I don't do this stuff is because I like Hooper, Jondix and Albrigo as people and friends.
They each seem to take direct influence from each other while still retaining some individuality and nuances of design and layout that make it possible to identify which one of them did it. The same goes for Binnie, Xed, Tomas Tomas, Mike from Athens and Curly. I love the work of each of those guys.
I can't say the same for anyone else doing these styles. It seems to be a "Me too" attitude. They let the first few guys take all the risks and learn what works and find select clients who want to trust in something new. Then they make technically clean but hollow facsimile of something that was interesting.
Maybe thats a bit strong coming from someone who doesn't have a style of his own, but I try to work in existing, classic tattoo styles and sometimes have a little fun with them. The reason I don't do this pattern/skull/mandala/pointilist stuff is the same reason I don't do Biomech, Pacheco painterly colour or straight-up cholo tattoos: They are styles that were developed by people with a specific set of interests and inspirations that managed to filter them into a style of design and execution. Also those pioneers are still alive and working.
Maybe I've opened a nasty can of worms... How soon is 'too soon' so imitate an iconic style? Do we have to wait for the pioneers to die before crotchety fucks stop complaining? To be honest, I'm not interested in the answer. I just notice that every week the internet spits out a new guy who sticks a skull over or under a doily and it's held in the same regard as work by Mike, Jondix and Hooper.
The same as we distinguish between Aaron Cain or Guy Aitchison Biomech, we shouldn't try to coin new phrases and just refer to Thomas Hooper, Jondix or Tomas Tomas Blackwork, dotwork or whatever.
Use the name of the guys that made it what it is. We at least owe them that if we're gonna encourage other people to try it and get it tattooed from the rest of the pack.
note: I'm certainly not anti-new styles and I'd like to say that I'm eagerly awaiting the second generation of artists influenced by these guys who take it somewhere new, now that there's a body of work by a group of artists. That could be exciting!

I have booked a month ago with Jondix again to continue with another piece on me arm, the waiting will be long, till may, but so worth it! i think i will ask for a tibetan mask a mahakala, with some more sick geometry. :)

I have booked a month ago with Jondix again to continue with another piece on me arm, the waiting will be long, till may, but so worth it! i think i will ask for a tibetan mask a mahakala, with some more sick geometry. :)

When my backpiece was really starting to come together, I remember walking past a mirror and catching a glimpse of myself. At first, I thought, "Holy shit, that guy is covered!" Then I thought, "That guy is me." I often have a similar reaction when I see, say, an MMA fighter who has full sleeves and maybe a big torso piece. Then I realize that I'm way more tattooed than that. I don't regret anything in those moments, but I am a little surprised that I'm surprised.

I have this feeling too, i think its a normal thing, like you have to adapt to a new change in your body and your brain has to absorb the new intruder being there. Maybe each of us deal with this diferently, and one way is to feel a little sad/afrai/nostalgic etc.

Agreed! My tattoos are more precious to me than almost any materialistic item in my life. The "can't be stolen, broken or lost" aspect makes a strong selling point. I lose and break shit all the time.

It's refreshing to hear that some one has this same experience! I cried after my first one, I wouldn't say it was sadness or happiness, just a mix of emotions and exhaustion and what not. It's hard to ignore the permanency of a tattoo and some times the idea is still slightly startling. With every one since I feel a little pang of "wow, what did I do to myself?" ---not that I don't regret it, it's just a strange feeling. Although, I think these emotions will become less and less the more tattoos I get (I have only 5 now). Once you're more covered, it's probably not such a big deal.

My wife and I each have three tattoos and have gone through some similar feelings to varying degrees after each one. Just as a disclaimer, we both love our work, it is amazing, no regrets, exactly what we wanted, etc.
Does anyone else feel slightly depressed after getting tattooed? My wife has cried after two of hers (she loves them both) just because her body has been forever changed and she tends to respond more emotionally than I do. I've definitely felt minor pangs of sadness - kind of like a low-level grief that happens after any climactic event.
I started an half sleeve yesterday, had months to think about it before starting, etc, and I love the work. Its just this strange wistful/longing feeling that takes a couple of days to go away! Can you all relate?
I'll toss up some pics as the tattoo progresses.

well i can understand.
its a bit shocking to think that what you got tattooed is now on you forever. On your body forever. More people should realize this before they go and get a tattoo they never really wanted

I have this feeling too, i think its a normal thing, like you have to adapt to a new change in your body and your brain has to absorb the new intruder being there. Maybe each of us deal with this diferently, and one way is to feel a little sad/afrai/nostalgic etc.

Cool mate the devils in the details , the Serratus Anterior on that bad boy is spot on I wonder if Regino came up looking at comic books ?

Someone recommended that I post up my latest tattoo on this forum so here goes. I am almost done with my half sleeve from Horitomo. Although a phoenix is colorful, I'm a big fan of black/grey tattoos so that's what I went with. I was on his waiting list for 2 years before I stepped foot into State of Grace in San Jose, Ca. (I fly from Dallas and do back to back sessions). He is one of the few people I know in the U.S. that does tebori so after 28 hours this is what I have. I took this picture straight from his instagram.

Got these two from Chad and Greg Christian whilst they have been here in Sydney

5th session on my back by Victor Portugal. Did 7h 30m and my god did it hurt!!!
Tomorrow the bare bit in the middle. We won't be finishing the shell now till August as its far too sore :)

A lot of people do great tigers, but none of them do them better then Tim Lehi.

You know, I'm inclined to agree with you.

I guess I'll pop this threads cherry :D
Done by Jeff Gogue, Off the Map Tattoo in Grants Pass, OR. Done at SFO Convention...

Done by Jondix of Barcelona, Spain at SFO COnvention...