Charles.M

My advice is to Print 10 of your favorites and walk into a few local shops, pitch what you want with your 10 references pieces from Peter Madsen and they will either be into it and take on your commission or not. Beware, though, not every tattooer is honest enough with himself to refuse a project because it is beyond his current technical or artistic skill set. So ask to see if they have done anything like it or not, if you are the test subject then keep that in mind and don't have your expectations too high as somebody works their personal learning curve into your skin. You might spark someone's imagination into being the next big thing in a style or you might be walking in as wallet only, so beware. 

Peter Madsen has a unique aesthetic blend of a lot of influences, so don't expect someone to emulate his thing easily, If Peter Madsen is your man then make it happen, if you just like his thing, then someone else might suffice for now, with enough flavor to do the trick, just do not have the unrealistic expectation to have some random dude or gal be able to manifest something genuine that Peter Madsen has been working on as an artist his whole life, keep in mind an artist's expression is an accumulation of their personal influences and aesthetic filter, their them filter (as it were), so it is deeply unique to them.

If you do not feel comfortable or confident with your local experience, then make your way to a Tattoo Convention with a wallet full of money and your ideas and reference and you will be sure to find something you like and get. There is enough Tattoo Conventions these days that one has to be within range, otherwise, deal with the local reality, or better yet save money to travel for your favorite Artist, I am sure they would appreciate the effort and it would be reflected in your collective ink.

It is noteworthy that a tattoo takes two people, the artist / applicator, and the receiver / canvas it is a cooperation between these two and more human than any other art out there. Each influences the other, and the outcome is a reflection of their cooperation, and meeting of the minds and bodies. So pick your partner wisely, it is well worth the effort.

3 minutes ago, a_beukeveld said:

The guy who made the first panther tattoo must be f*cking pissed.

That is funny...!

When I was at a Tattoo convention in Calgary, I met this guy with a full back Tattoo by Grime. It was awesome, but, he was super cautious of people with cameras around taking pictures of his back. The way he saw it, and explained it to me, was that it was his tattoo art designed for him by Grime and he did not want to see 10 bad copies of it appearing all over the internet. Trendy tattoos are one thing, then there is something else...thought I would share and read other peoples views on the subject. Thanks.

I guess one has accomplished something when their tattoo that they are known for (I noticed it) has made it's way to popular culture....then starts a trend. Did the cover model get the tattoo cause it was trendy or started the trend. Which came first the chicken or the egg?

6 minutes ago, oboogie said:

They aren't real.

agreed.

Another example is Mike Tyson's face-tattoo in 'The Hangover 2', but that was a comedy, specifically making fun of people who copy stars tattoos...the joke was pointing it out blatantly.

the above example, of Harley Quinn's character I provided, seemed to me to be something different, if it is a moot point, ok...

2 minutes ago, Dan said:

@Charles.M

I'm pretty sure  Margot Robbie doesn't have those real tattoos ,it's just for the movie.I think the only real one she has is a tiny anchor on her ankle.

and who  cares if other people have similar tattoos anyway ?  like was said,there are probably thousands of women who have that there.

 

Those Tattoos are fake for sure (only for the character the actress is portraying), what I am pointing out is that a real Tattoo model's Tattoo on her stomach has been imitated into a movie character's fake tattoos, (for the character), hence Art imitates life. Imagine meeting someone with a complete copy of your tattoos (whether real of fake), it would be like meeting a doubleganger. Maybe this is a trendy tattoo that I just missed and only was aware of it on that specific Tattoo model who kept appearing in Magazines, especially the covers, I mean that is one of her identifiable features, with all the hair and make up and costume stuff... I would not recognize her otherwise... 

Maybe this is naive or just hopeful, but I want to start an artist signature line of T-shirts,  designed by Tattoo Artists, I know this is not a new concept, but the niche will be that they are not shop T-shirts and not Sullen big productions from the larger companies (which are awesome). I would like to see simple clean designs, limited colors on Black shirts, made locally, of limited runs of 100 -300 shirts only, so that it actually matters that you have one of a limited supply (value added). Also limited run designs will mean that the art is constantly changing with fresh designs by the artists. There is a real opportunity for the Tattoo Scene to support local makers of things, like t-shirt makers and printers etc, instead of having things mass produced in China. Help your cousin Jim, you know what I mean. North America used to be a world producer, now we are consumer extraordinaires. This also gives a creative venue for tattooers who make awesome art which not so Tattoo-able sometimes, which can generate income for a rainy day fund when they are not tattooing (yes that happens). 

Here are 5 designs which I am considering for Black T-shirts (hence the black back-drop). 

What is your feedback? Why one or the other? If there is consensus, this thing can pop out in the real world and you are a part of it. How often do you get that opportunity?

I notice that Margot Robbie, the actress playing Harley Quinn'c character from the movie Suicide Squad had a tattoo on her abdomen, just above the pant line which read "Lucky You". 

Thing is that Tattoo is actually on a Popular Tattoo Model, I have seen her on the cover of several Tattoo Magazines, just flipped through a stack and did not see her, don't remember her name but other astute tattoo trivia - forum members will probably be able to find out. 

Here it is, just found her pics from the internet...

Point is, what do you think about it when Art imitates life like this?

Also this thread can hold other instances of such examples....

Getting an autographed version of a published tattoo related book makes it a collector's item and pushes legitimacy in the direction of tattoo. As tattoo grows up from the carny culture from 100 years ago (the good with the bad), and swings into a recognizable legitimate art form (which is legitimate to those who appreciate it anyway), more artistically accomplished artists pick up machines and current artists are challenged in meaningful ways to push boundaries and remain current. Healthy competition stirs creativity and where it goes nobody knows until we are there. Art is only limited to the creator's imaginations. As tattooing swings into its new phase, tattooers who are now accomplished and awesome, will be recognized for what they are anyway and appreciated by a broader audience. To me it is just sad that non tattooed people have a built in bias to dismiss the accomplishments of an artist if that artist is Tattooing (obviously not members of this forum). Take same art and stick on wall, then the bias is removed somehow and they can actually look at it. Otherwise, mention art, then tattoo and eyes glaze over, and dismissal ensues by general population.

This video is awesome, I had my hands tattooed by Kurt Wiscombe, at the Toronto convention, 10 years ago probably.. thanks for the heads up.

Trend or no trend, if you like something get it. I do.

Labels are not the thing, they are just labels. 

Collecting Tattoos is like collecting art for your walls, except it is pretty permanent. As you change as a person, your tattoos remain constant though your relationship to those tattoos may change over time, your original reason for getting it may fade but a new appreciation will develop. Getting tattoos is more than just in the moment art, they are a permanent human connection with the applicator, which no other art form contemplates or appreciates, in such a direct way...

I recommend to forget labels and just get a collection of tattoo art for you that makes you happy...that way you win in the endeavour, after all, you have to live with it.

Thank you for that Sam, I appreciate your input, I have spent the last few months researching, designing and publishing Reference books for Tattooers, I am quite current on the subject and if it is coming through, I am not surprised (it is part of me). I am taking a little break from that and deciding to participate in this forum, I think that perspective can be an asset to the group. As you can see by my posts, I am adding advice as I think it can be an addition to the threads, not just for the sake of posting. It is a holiday weekend here, so I have some time to post right now. Since you are posting publicly and not PMing me I must reply publicly. Please, everyone, know my intentions are sincere and I look forward to a long relationship with this forum's virtual inhabitants.      

Just picked up my copy of Marked in Ink: A Tattoo Coloring Book

On the back of the book it reads "Tattoo artist Megan Massacre invites adult coloring book fans into her whimsical world of sugar skulls, sailing ships, mermaids, owls, and more. Now you can add your own bold, vibrant colors to her signature edgy and artistic tattoo designs--and tear each perforated page out for display!"

About the Author (from the book)
"MEGAN MASSACRE is a tattoo artist, model, and reality TV star of TLC's NY Ink and tattoo cover-up series America's Worst Tattoos. Best known for her incredible attention to detail and vibrant use of color, Megan’s artwork has been exhibited at galleries both inside and outside of the tattoo world. Megan resides in New York, where she is a partner at Grit N Glory, the city's first rock ’n’ roll lifestyle boutique and tattoo studio. She enjoys traveling the world and hiking, and she is always aspiring to find that new, great challenge." 

Megan Massacre's Marked In Ink Coloring book features 40 tattoo inspired hand drawn images from the artist Megan Massacre, if you like her work then this is a good buckshot collection of it. .  Each page is one-sided, heavy stock paper to help prevent the bleed through of ink and suitable markers pens, colored pencils and crayons.. what have you.  Each page has a perforated edge for easy removal if desired which is nice feature to keep the rest of your book binding in one piece otherwise.

I am happy to see actual Tattooers doing tattoo coloring books, because the non-tattooer coloring books are generally awful, badly drawn collections of trendy images. There is a whole section of the bookstore now devoted to these adult coloring books on various themes, but the usually the artists they pick to do them are probably family or something, do not know how they go the job otherwise.

Anyway just picked it up yesterday, read a review in INKED about it and found a copy at the local books store, wanted to say congratulations on it!!! Way to go Megan for putting this out there.

Did you see this book or have a copy and what do you think?

I can see a coloring book contest being integrated into tattoo conventions in the future, lol.

At a convention in Toronto a few years back I was Tattooed by Steve Boltz from Smith St. Tattoo Parlour, Brooklyn, the shop is about 2 hours away(ish) from North Jersey but well worth the drive.

https://www.instagram.com/steveboltz/?hl=en

Great guy and I love the Tattoo, his work is consistently awesome. He did a free hand marker drawn coverup coffin theme on my chest.

Another circular blackwork pattern, so simple yet has the illusion of depth... before embellishments of dot-work or line work etc...

If you really want to play it safe, and dip your toe in all undecided like, get some photorealistic freckle tattoos ....in a place no one cares about.....the long game is you won't even need a cover up! Swishhhh!

Is tattooing an animal inhumane, or is it art? Animal Rights lobbyists exclaim in horror as animals receive decorative tattoos from their owners, claiming that animals can’t choose whether or not to not have the tattoos done.

Read the article and brace your-self to be confused, amazed, not sure how to feel ....

http://www.thenatureanimals.com/2010/03/animal-owners-tattoo-and-piercings.html

My mind is boggled by this.....WTF

Did not see this topic anywhere else, so here it goes.

The wall, to me is that phycological line you can cross where it is best to tap out of the Tattoo session, because you are out of the stuff it takes to continue, (out of gas so to speak) your endorphins are gone, your exhausted, hungry, tired, cranky, wondering what it is all about...that point is what I am talking about. Once crossed... you cannot get back to your happy place... If you keep going, you need to stop every 10 seconds, everyone is annoying everyone else and it becomes unproductive for everybody. No matter how tough you are, everyone hits the wall at some point, if you are getting big work, some even with small work.

As I said in another thread "If tattooing becomes painless someday, you will see a divide where it will be a qualifier if you had a painless tattoo or not because at this time and in conceivable history, pain has been part of the deal. Looking at a 10,000-year-old mummy's tattoo, you can think to yourself, shit that had to hurt... you get tattoo creds based upon the size and placement of the art, whether consciously or not by other tattooed people, it is part and parcel in the experience." 

I had a 9 hour long session on my arm and hit 'the wall'. First, 5 hours fine, stopped for lunch, got back at it, went another 3 hours, then I had to stop and throw up in the bathroom, lunch gone, kept going for 30 minutes stopped (arghhh..), going again then stopped after 5 minutes, then another 5 minutes and called it.  At this point, you could have touched my non-tattooed arm and my mind would have thought it hurt and I can't take it anymore, ...or my toe for that matter. That's it, out of gas....till next time.

I think we all can have this genuine experience, I have seen it countless times in others and it is nothing to be embarrassed about, though it is embarrassing anyway, it just happens. Tough as nails for hours, then all of a sudden not. Dang!. Then there are the obvious fakers who think they get bonus points for making a big deal about everything, that is not the topic.

Please share your 'The Wall' stories, if you have had long sessions, you know what I mean.

Best non-drug advice I can give is a relaxation breathing technique I use, which is to breath slowly and deeply, while starting with your toes, concentrate on relaxing your toes, then when that is done, relax your feet, then your ankles, then calves and so on till the top of your head, then reverse from top of head to toes, in a wave-like pattern, up and down, repeat, repeat. Your endorphins get released quicker and get to that happy place faster. I have used this technique while receiving some monster sessions and it works because it gives you something productive to focus on while relaxing your body so you are not clenching up and twitching like your having a seizure. Then there is 'the wall', which is the phycological line you can cross where it is best to tap out because you are out of the stuff it takes to continue, different topic though...

If tattooing becomes painless someday, you will see a divide where it will be a qualifier if you had a painless tattoo or not because at this time and in conceivable history pain has been part of the deal. Looking at a 10,000-year-old mummy's tattoo, you can think to yourself, shit that had to hurt... you get tattoo creds based upon the size and placement of the art, whether consciously or not by other tattooed people, it is part and parcel in the experience. 

Grime stated in an interview that you should pick the artist not the tattoo and it was great advice. 

So if you are already trying to find the right artist you are off to a good start. 

Once you find an artist you like, then the next step is to get something from them (obviously) . 

This is where common problem number 2 comes into play,  micro-managing your tattoo project. you can actually mess-up your own tattoo if you insist on getting art the way you think it should be done, instead of letting someone (the artist) who is likely trained (by education or experience) in art composition and technique to create the perfect design, in their personal style, custom done for you. 

If you like the Artist's work then you really probably like what the artist likes. An artist's personal style is often an amalgamation of the Artist's personal taste filter, basically not picking up elements that are disliked and picking up elements the artist is interested in. The next thing is to get something current from the artist. Ask them what they are hot to do right now and you will get the best work possible. Asking them to do a theme they were hammering away on two years ago, is something they probably do not want to do. Visual artists are creating a record of their development (into their past), so what they were drawing when they were 5 years old (let alone 5 years ago) is not what they are doing today. 

That being said, ask if they have a fresh sketch they want to do, and if you like it... get it, otherwise give em a loose concept and let them develop it to the best of their abilities. you will be amazed when you give em room to do their current magic. I got an oldschool snake through a skull, done by DAX (when he was at TCB in Toronto) on my arm that was random enough, following the above sketch book view request and I love it,... just saying. 

I think this is an angle no-one else addressed and hope it helps avoid a newbie blooper / future cover-up.

As you may or may no know, Edge Day is celebrated annually on October 17 since 1999. The inaugural event, originally called Edge Fest, was held in Boston, Massachusetts.

 I would like to shake the lastsparrowtattoo tree and see who falls out... lol.

Lets share our XXX, Straight Edge and or Edge Day related tattoos...unless I am alone in this, then dang!

I loaded three images to the gallery, more will come in time.

I also think your expectations of what tattoos are might be a bit distorted.

Also wait a while before getting more, until you settle a bit. 

My first 7 tattoos are all covered up because they were too small for what eventually became my ambitions.

One constant thing with small tattoos is that, since it is so small, little deviations seem to be magnified in our minds, if the tattoo is larger, you would not sweat small issues, because they would not be issues at all. tattooers are human, not printers, so there is always a human element to the application (both applicator error and client wiggling), you just may not have noticed it yet in other tattoos (the artist knows probably lol). 

Until they invent a tattoo printer, (which would suck in my opinion), there will always be artistic deviances, that are unique to that tattooer at that time and place,... point is, even if you get the same tattoo design by the same tattooer 3 years later it would look different because the artist is different, always evolving and changing. that is one of the wonderfully human parts of tattoo art.

Art critique aside..

If getting your own art design tattooed 'as is' on your body is what you want, then finding an Artist who can and will actually reproduce your art stroke for pencil stroke will be the hard part. Remember you are going to be the most critical of the application because it is your art. then be prepared to live out your days having the art criticized for being badly done. A pencil drawing is just that and tattoo art designed for body application is something else. 

I have reproduced pencil art (from people who are now dead), onto their living friends as a memorial to their RIP friend and most people just see a bad tattoo, no matter how meaningful and sincere the original intent.

Even a perfectly reproduced historically accurate cave drawing will just look like a bad tattoo to most people.

I won't reproduce people's drawings anymore, for the very reasons just explained...

If you are still a go, then finding the right applicator for your project is critical, you will have no problem finding 10 guys who will say they can do it... but really cannot do it properly, so ask to see if the have direct reproduction of pencil stroke tattoos, if you see pictures of their tattoos and it looks good enough for you then you found your guy/gal, if not then you are the test subject... and let me tell you it is time-consuming trying to accurately reproduce quickly drawn graphite lines or ink drawings on paper, I mean 2 to 3 times longer than reproducing a similar image actually designed to be a tattoo, tattooed onto somebody.. 

Hope this helps...

Blackwork to me is Black on negative space / or negative space on Black images without color/hue or gradient shading.

I  am working on some circular blackwork patterns, challenging but interesting and unlimited in possibilities.

1 hour ago, marley mission said:

@Charles.M just playing man - but listen - you're new to the forum and jumping in and giving medical advice about laser treatment - cmon brotha - you're opening yourself up for a little jab - anyway - its a great site - check out the interviews - check out the latest lowdown thread - laser...meh - not so much a big topic here my man

 

thank you for your mercy