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Romance & Worship

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  1. Like
    Romance & Worship got a reaction from havetsherre in Who do you think deserves some recognition?   
    i have a feeling i am really behind the ball on this one, but i'm still schooling myself on european tattooers and i just discovered Stizzo, an italian artist. it looks as though he owns and works out of his own shop called Best of Times, in milan. i'm sure anyone who works the milan convention is probably familiar with him. i really enjoy his use of black, it's beautiful and it really gets me. you can check his stuff out on facebook under Stizzo Tattoo. seeing that he has over 4,000 friends on facebook, i assume his work is no secret. but i had never heard his name or seen his work in books, magazines or on the web before. here some samples...
  2. Like
    Romance & Worship got a reaction from The Tig in Tattoo silhouette and negative space   
    i like the outline if it works with the design. i think stewart robson at frith st. tattoo did a fine job on this one...
    i totally think mario is right too, cut out everything that doesn't need to be there. i always find that the tattoos that make a big impact, are simpler and less involved. filler can definitely look cool, when done right. but i prefer the negative space between tattoos, i also think it gives each piece a stronger impact and it adds more of a storyboard effect to the body, which i think reads better. stuart cripwell at spider murphy's executed this perfectly...
  3. Like
    Romance & Worship got a reaction from bongsau in Eagle Tattoo Designs   
    i was taking a peek at ross nagle's wordpress just now, such killer stuff...
    he posted this eagle that is on his own neck, done by tim hendricks. i thought it needed to be shared here, 'cause it's really cool.
    hope you don't mind the stolen material ross?! thanks dude!
  4. Like
    Romance & Worship got a reaction from peterpoose in Tattoo silhouette and negative space   
    i like the outline if it works with the design. i think stewart robson at frith st. tattoo did a fine job on this one...
    i totally think mario is right too, cut out everything that doesn't need to be there. i always find that the tattoos that make a big impact, are simpler and less involved. filler can definitely look cool, when done right. but i prefer the negative space between tattoos, i also think it gives each piece a stronger impact and it adds more of a storyboard effect to the body, which i think reads better. stuart cripwell at spider murphy's executed this perfectly...
  5. Like
    Romance & Worship got a reaction from Tesseracts in Tattoo silhouette and negative space   
    i like the outline if it works with the design. i think stewart robson at frith st. tattoo did a fine job on this one...
    i totally think mario is right too, cut out everything that doesn't need to be there. i always find that the tattoos that make a big impact, are simpler and less involved. filler can definitely look cool, when done right. but i prefer the negative space between tattoos, i also think it gives each piece a stronger impact and it adds more of a storyboard effect to the body, which i think reads better. stuart cripwell at spider murphy's executed this perfectly...
  6. Like
    Romance & Worship got a reaction from Our Endless Days in Who do you think deserves some recognition?   
    i have a feeling i am really behind the ball on this one, but i'm still schooling myself on european tattooers and i just discovered Stizzo, an italian artist. it looks as though he owns and works out of his own shop called Best of Times, in milan. i'm sure anyone who works the milan convention is probably familiar with him. i really enjoy his use of black, it's beautiful and it really gets me. you can check his stuff out on facebook under Stizzo Tattoo. seeing that he has over 4,000 friends on facebook, i assume his work is no secret. but i had never heard his name or seen his work in books, magazines or on the web before. here some samples...
  7. Like
    Romance & Worship reacted to Tight-Lines in T - $hirt designs?   
    Himsa was on prosthetic records. That brings it back.
    This is all I have to contribute.
  8. Like
    Romance & Worship reacted to Kev in T - $hirt designs?   
    I charge about $120 for tshirt designs; that gets you the original 8.5 x 11 line work/art and the layered .PSD file for the printer.
  9. Like
    Romance & Worship reacted to Kev in Career advice for a newbie?   
    Sounds good- be sure and start a Facebook page for your tattooing and load up your albums with portfolio stuff. Then go out and make friends with all the tattooers you like, and make friends with their friends. Post links to art stuff you dig (like Last Sparrow ;), Tattoo Age, other shops and artists), but also other things you might be interested in- people like seeing variety. A good example is Bailey Hunter Robinson's The Fabled White Buffalo Co. -its a Tumblr that has pics of his art, but also cool things he finds inspirational. Once you do that, you can link your Facebook to your Twitter so all you have to do it post from Facebook and it tweets to your feed on Twitter.
  10. Like
    Romance & Worship got a reaction from missStark in Career advice for a newbie?   
    hello ladies and germs.
    my name is g. and i am in a bit of a quandary about the future of my tattoo career. i am curious to know what some of you(tattooers especially), may think about my situation and if you care to share your advice with me? i have been on this site long enough to know that this is not the place for another "help with an apprenticeship" story. but i feel this may be a lil' different. so if you have a minute, please let me plead my case. and sorry in advance for the long post.
    so, today marks my 1 year anniversary as an apprentice at a shop here in california. i am very excited about this and very proud of the work and time that i have been able to put in up to this point. when i signed on with the shop, there was no real agreement about anything. they kinda said, "well, we'll see how you do and see if you work out." kind of deal. but if i did work out, they mentioned they would like me to stick around as long as possible, and not just learn from them and take off. within the year, i think i have been able to prove my worth and pull my weight with these guys, and even if they don't show it, i think they have come to respect me for all of my hard work and positive attitude through it all. not that i expect it.
    within a couple of weeks of being there, i was quick to realize that the shop had virtually no business walking through the door and the folks working there didn't have much of a personal clientele either. also, the shop was very outdated in their methods and basically, kind of falling apart and it felt as though the shop was at risk of closing it's doors any day, and this is still the case today. please don't get me wrong, i still felt very fortunate to be there and in that situation, these guys straight took me in off the street for god's sake! and i am still very grateful for that. we all have to start somewhere, and i appreciate that big time. these were just my first observations.
    so, i started tattooing my friends at the shop 4 months into my apprenticeship, and continued to bring in as many people as i could up until june, at which point they said i could start taking the easy walk-ins. the month before, there was a mass exodus at the shop and i was the only one there, other than the shop manager. i really felt like the other folks had really taken a shine to me, and were kind enough to teach me what they knew and i was stoked! i really felt like i was learning. since they've been gone my education seems to have come to a halt. although, i get along with the manager pretty well, i feel like he doesn't really care much to keep teaching me.
    we have since hired a new person, and i am at the bottom of the rotation at the counter for walk-ins. they asked me to make cards and the whole deal. although i feel like i am getting somewhere, my problem is this;
    there is no business at the shop. and they want me to be tattooing as much as possible, as do i. days go by most weeks without seeing a single walk in and everyone is pulling zeros. and if someone does come in for a tattoo, i'm definitely not getting it. i'm not learning anything most days or progressing with my work at all. i'm completely stagnant. i feel really stuck, and i feel like i am being judged for it. it's hard for a newbie to build up a clientele with no business. i'm doing all that i can, i hand out my card to friends and family, random tattooed people on the train and grocery store, etc. get my stuff on facebook, etc.
    the real issue is this; if i was a single bachelor just doing my thing, you wouldn't hear a peep from me, and i would keep truckin' along over there. but i have a child and an amazing wife who has been supporting our family solely, by her self for the past 2 years while i have been persueing this path. we are both starting to feel like that she cannot continue to this for much longer, and it is time that i start carrying some weight in this family, generate SOME income and lighten her load a bit. she has goals and aspirations for this life and family too, ya know? as a man, father, and husband, i can not tell you how hard and stressful this issue has been for me, it weighs heavily on my mind and health and was the cause of nasty anxiety attack a few months back.
    i feel like at this point i need to act and advocate for myself and my career. and most importantly, my family. i don't want to break my commitment with the shop so soon, but i feel like i have to in order to get anywhere in this business, or life for that matter. i truly feel and fear i have no future there. i love tattooing with all my heart and i'm not just trying to make a quick buck with shitty tattoos. i had the fullest intentions of doing this right, with respect towards those who taught me, and i have. but i do need to make a living, and i have a very serious passion to learn as much as i can to be the best tattooist i can be. i also realize at this point of my career, i'm not going to be "rolling in the dough." that's not what i ask, how could i? i just need lunch money and something to contribute to my family and rent each month.
    i am confident that my tattoos show promise, originality and tradition. even though, i still have soooo much more to learn, and i know we never stop learning as artists or beings. as well, i know a good deal of people in the industry who have been very supportive of my pursuit which has really kept me going. i've got some good people in my corner, and i think there might be some opportunities out there for me if i explore them. should i?
    i think i've got a plan for myself, but i would be stoked to gather some advice from some tattooers and people who are familiar with the ins and outs of the profession. it's complicated for me. i don't want to be disrespectful or burn bridges. but i also know for a fact that some of the big hitters out there wouldn't be where they are now, without taking risks and doing what they had to do.
    a big thank you for listening.
    sincerely,
    g.
  11. Like
    Romance & Worship reacted to gougetheeyes in Career advice for a newbie?   
    Whew, nice to see you posting again dude. Also, nice to see a post that's thoughtful and possibly the only apprentice/career-related post in recent memory that's legit. Sounds like you've got a good head on your shoulders and that you already know what you need to do. I can't speak from a tattooer's perspective, but from someone who's worked in two shops with plenty of issues, it sounds like you're on the right track.. if you gotta leave, you gotta leave. This "mass exodus" -- seems like everyone who was teaching you basically left? Hopefully some folks can give you some advice on here.. Good luck dude, and I'd be willing to bet you land on your feet.
  12. Like
    Romance & Worship reacted to kylegrey in Career advice for a newbie?   
    Agree with the above but I remember you posting some of your stuff and you really seemed to have a good
    grasp of tattoo design , get out and back on track I'm sure many places will see you as an asset .
  13. Like
    Romance & Worship reacted to CultExciter in Career advice for a newbie?   
    I think you have summed up things quite astutely, and that hold on your current situation is more beneficial than any advice anyone could give you. You know what you want, and you are focusing your energy on it. Nothing is stronger than the will to survive. I hope some of the tattooers on LST who aren't too busy (well, they always are) are able to give you solid advice.
  14. Like
    Romance & Worship reacted to Kev in Career advice for a newbie?   
    Let me preface this by saying I'm an artist, not a tattoo artist...
    How are your self-promotion skills, g.? Do you have an Instagram/ blog/FB/Twitter that you update constantly? Cards are kind of the old school way of doing- people want to pull you up on their phone- give them that ability. The reason I ask should be apparent. As an artist, you have to view yourself as a brand and a business in terms of income generation. It's the reason a lot of mediocre artists get noticed and greats get slept on. Let's get real- I know about 90% of the tattoo artists I do because of MARKETING- whether that's the web or print. The 10% I know from word of mouth are still out there on the web and in print. When you mention a mass exodus of artists, I'm assuming they're still in the same city, which means people in that town are getting tattooed. You have to figure out how to get those people interested in your work and what you have to offer. And start using your real name and website in your signature- it back links to your portfolio in search engines. ;)
  15. Like
    Romance & Worship got a reaction from jacobhh in Career advice for a newbie?   
    hello ladies and germs.
    my name is g. and i am in a bit of a quandary about the future of my tattoo career. i am curious to know what some of you(tattooers especially), may think about my situation and if you care to share your advice with me? i have been on this site long enough to know that this is not the place for another "help with an apprenticeship" story. but i feel this may be a lil' different. so if you have a minute, please let me plead my case. and sorry in advance for the long post.
    so, today marks my 1 year anniversary as an apprentice at a shop here in california. i am very excited about this and very proud of the work and time that i have been able to put in up to this point. when i signed on with the shop, there was no real agreement about anything. they kinda said, "well, we'll see how you do and see if you work out." kind of deal. but if i did work out, they mentioned they would like me to stick around as long as possible, and not just learn from them and take off. within the year, i think i have been able to prove my worth and pull my weight with these guys, and even if they don't show it, i think they have come to respect me for all of my hard work and positive attitude through it all. not that i expect it.
    within a couple of weeks of being there, i was quick to realize that the shop had virtually no business walking through the door and the folks working there didn't have much of a personal clientele either. also, the shop was very outdated in their methods and basically, kind of falling apart and it felt as though the shop was at risk of closing it's doors any day, and this is still the case today. please don't get me wrong, i still felt very fortunate to be there and in that situation, these guys straight took me in off the street for god's sake! and i am still very grateful for that. we all have to start somewhere, and i appreciate that big time. these were just my first observations.
    so, i started tattooing my friends at the shop 4 months into my apprenticeship, and continued to bring in as many people as i could up until june, at which point they said i could start taking the easy walk-ins. the month before, there was a mass exodus at the shop and i was the only one there, other than the shop manager. i really felt like the other folks had really taken a shine to me, and were kind enough to teach me what they knew and i was stoked! i really felt like i was learning. since they've been gone my education seems to have come to a halt. although, i get along with the manager pretty well, i feel like he doesn't really care much to keep teaching me.
    we have since hired a new person, and i am at the bottom of the rotation at the counter for walk-ins. they asked me to make cards and the whole deal. although i feel like i am getting somewhere, my problem is this;
    there is no business at the shop. and they want me to be tattooing as much as possible, as do i. days go by most weeks without seeing a single walk in and everyone is pulling zeros. and if someone does come in for a tattoo, i'm definitely not getting it. i'm not learning anything most days or progressing with my work at all. i'm completely stagnant. i feel really stuck, and i feel like i am being judged for it. it's hard for a newbie to build up a clientele with no business. i'm doing all that i can, i hand out my card to friends and family, random tattooed people on the train and grocery store, etc. get my stuff on facebook, etc.
    the real issue is this; if i was a single bachelor just doing my thing, you wouldn't hear a peep from me, and i would keep truckin' along over there. but i have a child and an amazing wife who has been supporting our family solely, by her self for the past 2 years while i have been persueing this path. we are both starting to feel like that she cannot continue to this for much longer, and it is time that i start carrying some weight in this family, generate SOME income and lighten her load a bit. she has goals and aspirations for this life and family too, ya know? as a man, father, and husband, i can not tell you how hard and stressful this issue has been for me, it weighs heavily on my mind and health and was the cause of nasty anxiety attack a few months back.
    i feel like at this point i need to act and advocate for myself and my career. and most importantly, my family. i don't want to break my commitment with the shop so soon, but i feel like i have to in order to get anywhere in this business, or life for that matter. i truly feel and fear i have no future there. i love tattooing with all my heart and i'm not just trying to make a quick buck with shitty tattoos. i had the fullest intentions of doing this right, with respect towards those who taught me, and i have. but i do need to make a living, and i have a very serious passion to learn as much as i can to be the best tattooist i can be. i also realize at this point of my career, i'm not going to be "rolling in the dough." that's not what i ask, how could i? i just need lunch money and something to contribute to my family and rent each month.
    i am confident that my tattoos show promise, originality and tradition. even though, i still have soooo much more to learn, and i know we never stop learning as artists or beings. as well, i know a good deal of people in the industry who have been very supportive of my pursuit which has really kept me going. i've got some good people in my corner, and i think there might be some opportunities out there for me if i explore them. should i?
    i think i've got a plan for myself, but i would be stoked to gather some advice from some tattooers and people who are familiar with the ins and outs of the profession. it's complicated for me. i don't want to be disrespectful or burn bridges. but i also know for a fact that some of the big hitters out there wouldn't be where they are now, without taking risks and doing what they had to do.
    a big thank you for listening.
    sincerely,
    g.
  16. Like
    Romance & Worship got a reaction from MadeIndelible in Eagle Tattoo Designs   
    matt howse, at spider murphy's in san rafael, did this eagle and snake for me. i also really like this eagle and all seeing eye done by grez, which is not on me.
    valerie vargas, stizzo, chad koeplinger, theo mindell, matt howse, owen jensen, and norman keith collins do and did some of my faves!
  17. Like
    Romance & Worship reacted to Ursula in Tom Gabel is actually a woman on the inside.   
    @Hunter Morrow
    what you do to yourself every morning in the shower would probably gross me out but WHO CARES.
    HOW IN THE SWEET FUCK CAN YOU CARE ABOUT THE DICK OF SOMEONE YOU WILL NEVER MEET!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
    Weird bugs gross me out, so I just ignore them and pretend they aren't there. Or I take a minute to realize nothing bad will come of that weird florida bug I've never seen before creeping on my front door and just let it do it's thing, dick or no dick.
  18. Like
    Romance & Worship got a reaction from Lynn Leslie in Knuckle Tattoos - Best you've seen or your current fav?   
    i met a girl at work yesterday that had a banana, a bushel of grapes, a pineapple and an orange tattooed on each of the 4 fingers of her left hand. she called a fruit punch! it blew my mind, and i also wonder of the blood in my mouth would taste good if she hit me in the face?
  19. Like
    Romance & Worship got a reaction from chrislj54 in Eagle Tattoo Designs   
    i was taking a peek at ross nagle's wordpress just now, such killer stuff...
    he posted this eagle that is on his own neck, done by tim hendricks. i thought it needed to be shared here, 'cause it's really cool.
    hope you don't mind the stolen material ross?! thanks dude!
  20. Like
    Romance & Worship reacted to kylegrey in Let's introduce the new social retard   
    For some reason I see Tim Lehi in your future .
  21. Like
    Romance & Worship reacted to hogg in Kilby Family (Hooper/Frith Street-related)   
    I just read a fantastic interview with Glen Kilby on Sang Bleu. His sons Jordan and Caleb are clients of Thomas Hooper's and have identical tattoos. Turns out that it's a bit of a tradition in the Kilby family. Glen also sports a gorgeous backpiece from @Valerie Vargas as well as work from @Tim Hendricks and Emiliano Liberatori.
    Interview with Mr. Kilby
  22. Like
    Romance & Worship got a reaction from wtjon06 in Eagle Tattoo Designs   
    i was taking a peek at ross nagle's wordpress just now, such killer stuff...
    he posted this eagle that is on his own neck, done by tim hendricks. i thought it needed to be shared here, 'cause it's really cool.
    hope you don't mind the stolen material ross?! thanks dude!
  23. Like
    Romance & Worship reacted to ScottDees in "Tattoo what you want", misleading or true?   
    1) I do enjoy freedom when designing a tattoo, but I have learned over the years to pry into the clients thoughts as deep as possible before putting pencil to paper. It's easy to spot a client who is willing to give me total freedom, but if I see an ounce of "control freak" in a client I spend the time consulting their ideas until I feel like we are on the same page.(even a walk-in)
    2) I would redraw a design as many times as took to please the client. I have had many clients that simply wasn't happy until the design looks like a they drew it them self in 8th grade. Once it reaches this point I respectfully decline to do the tattoo.
    I will add this. My rule is, I will do anything to please the client, but I draw the line when I have to send something out the door I'm not proud of.
  24. Like
    Romance & Worship reacted to hogg in "Tattoo what you want", misleading or true?   
    I like to give the artist a rough idea of what I want. I can't draw, so I leave that up to them. And I agree that seeing the stencil for the first time is half the fun. When Tim Lehi unfolded the huge drawing for my tigers, I went wide-eyed.
    I don't believe in dragons, but they sure do make awesome tattoos. Along the same lines, I'd still like a Rock of Ages and maybe a curly-bearded Jesus at some point.
  25. Like
    Romance & Worship reacted to Iwar in "Tattoo what you want", misleading or true?   
    Great thread!
    1) I like to be as vague as possible. Seing the stencil for the first time is half the fun for me.
    2) The only situation I see myself asking the artist to change the design is if he/she has included some symbolism that I can`t relate to. We`ve already talked about swastikas in a different thread ;) I`m atheist so I probably won´t have any religious imagery tattooed, despite how much I adore the look of it.
    I usually decide on design after I know who I`m able to book in with. I have no idea what I want to get tattooed next, but if suddenly, say Chad Koeplinger is doing a guestspot in town I wouldn`t have much problem coming up with something on the spot.
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