ibradley

On ‎3‎/‎2‎/‎2011 at 5:52 AM, Petri Aspvik said:

Great reply Patrick! About the "borrowing". It's funny. For me it is also about the fact that the designs are so simplistic that I am actually more able to be myself (this is in thinking and in thought) when the design just IS. I don't have to think about the deeper connection (like the Rory and Leo backpieces represent whales tale and that has a meaning. If I remember correctly) because it just enhances my body. It's the same reason I want to get the Ensō circle tattooed on me, because it represents nothing but the moment. Breathing in, breathing out. And here is the kicker. At the same time I sort of CREATE my own deep tribal desing, or what ever you want to call it. I give the tattooing life. As did all the old tribes and such.

Modern Primitives

Interesting that you mentioned the whale tail design. I've heard that same connection before, but it seems to be a topic of debate around these parts.

A limited palette definitely adds a vintage feel (not that your artwork doesn't already have that). Thank you for the insight man! I'll definitely look into that Zeis book for information and inspiration.

It's almost a year old, but here is a picture of my latest flash sheet to share!

Awesome topic!! 

Many of the images we consider traditional are rooted in military tradition. Before the days of cyberspace and social media, having a military client base meant that your tattoos would be traveling the globe and reaching a much larger audience than if you just serviced a local clientele. Good examples would be artists such as Sailor Jerry and Ernie Sutton.

As far as style goes, the old saying, "bold will hold," kind of sums up the qualities that give a tattoo that traditional look. Older tattooers had a limited palette also, so there are some colors that don't quite look right in a traditional tattoo.

@briankelly puts out some awesome flash along those lines... perhaps he can add a thing or two to the discussion?

We all have our influences, but where do you draw the line between being influenced by someone and straight-up ripping off other artists' work?

Expert opinion, my man... Well said.

Expand your horizons, brutha man... If it's that serious, why not travel to get it done?

Here you go!!!

I think that artists are going to bitch about any form of regulation in the industry. I used to bitch about getting tested for syphillis every year to renew my health certificate!

We had the same situation here... There was only one tattoo artist around when the rules were written. This guy wasn't able to capitalize like Paulo Fernando did with his ink, but he was able to jack up the price for starting a new shop. Can you blame him? Like it or not, there is a business side to things. He did however give good advice to the health department.

I'm sure there was other reasoning behind the ink regulations in Brazil... It's probably just a matter of reaching out to manufacturers and them to foot the bill. Mario Barth seems to have this thing for world domination, so why not start there?? Brazil seems like a big enough market to be appealing to any manufacturer.

The only ones I mess with are the guys who are there to buy supplies... I usually have them wait in the corner until _________ comes in. Some fictitious character, of course.

Thanks for all the interesting feedback! I understand the whole thing about self-expression, but this place stresses customer service. The easy identification of staff helps the whole process in my opinion. A lot of questions never get asked because we don't know who to ask. I'm not a big name in tattooing by any means, so I'm sure the uniform benefits me.

Of all the considerations I made when I started looking for a new job, dress code really wasn't high on the list.

Check with the supplier and ask for an MSDS (Material Safety Data Sheet).. A lot of suppliers have them right on their websites for downloading.

I now work in a shop where the staff all wear uniforms... Not like a Taco Bell uniform or anything, but a shop t-shirt, black shorts and black shoes. Not bad really, but this is the first time, I've worked at a place with a uniform policy.

Has anyone ever been to a place like this? Whether or not you have, what are your thoughts on uniforms in a studio environment?

I got a tattoo from this kid named Bahn (sp?) at St. Martin's Tattoo on Khao Sahn Road in BKK. Magical, magical place.. It's a skeleton key and the perfect souvenir to remember the trip by.

I think what makes the visual impact is contrast... Whether it be negative space or super brights right up against black.

There's more than one way to do it, right? Whether you go for a simple but powerful look, or a complex piece that you notice something new every time you look at it, you can't say that it's wrong... It's just different.

Some acrylic action on canvas.. No particular reason, but very happy with the way it turned out.

Probably super far from most of you, but if you're in the area, it is definitely worth checking out!

EL DRAKO TATTOO - www.eldrakotattoo.com -

Last weekend in October.

It helps sell tattoos to the casual collector... Kind of like having a big "NOT PERMANENT!" sign on the wall.

Obviously you're looking at this from a business perspective. Laser removal is a booming business, but permanence is one of the aspect that draws me to the art. How would you feel if a client burned one of your tattoos out of his/her skin?

Check out Rob Kelly at Blackout Tattoo.

hkblackout.blogspot.com

Will there be a monthly contest this month??

Make sure your nose is clean! It's easy to become self-conscious when someone is staring up your nose.

I see a tattoo there that comes from around my parts! Where did you get that dolphin tattoo on the back of your leg?!

Hell yeah! Get the F@c# out of my studio!

The longest I've sat was about 8 hours. I've also done a 7 hour session where I could have gone longer, but my budget ran out!

The longest I've tattooed is a killer 12 hour session, followed by a quick nap before I opened up the shop again. I was younger back then... Not that I had more stamina, I just tattooed a lot slower!

You know I've been talking about drawing small at first for quite some time now, but nobody seems to believe me! Finally I've run into someone who agrees!

16 years is a long time man! Welcome!