Arts And Entertainment: January 2012

Sunday, January 29, 2012

A Spot of Hawaiian Ink on the New York City Subway

Earlier this week, I posted about my experience on Ink Master, getting a tribal tattoo that was inspired by my upbringing in Hawai'i. Do note that I have not referred to this as a Hawaiian tribal piece, which is a whole different thing altogether.

Just to illustrate, one of my "leftover" posts from 2011 is this tattoo:

This was a real treat for me, spotting an authentic Hawaiian tattoo, in New York City of all places.

Looking back to last June, I had just attended a networking event at Bowlmor Lanes in Times Square and was headed home to Brooklyn. On the 8th Avenue subway platform at 42nd Street, I spotted a bunch of folks with t-shirts bearing Hawaiian names. I got to chatting with them. Turns out they were affiliated with Na Keiki O Ka Mo'i, an outrigger canoe club from Wai'anae, Hawai'i, and they were in town to compete in the 2011 Liberty World Outrigger Competition.

I was shocked. Outrigger canoes in the East River? I've lived in New York for almost 15 years and never knew that this existed in the Big Apple!

There was a whole lot of local folks from Hawai'i on the platform, and when an express and local train pulled in simultaneously, chaos erupted as the visitors scattered into both downtown trains.

I sat down on an "A" train next to a handful of the group and struck up a conversation with a few people. I spoke with one guy, in particular, named Sam "Kamu" Kapoi. Go figure, the talk turned to tattoos and Sam stretched out his left leg to show me his ink.

Sam and I have kept in touch, so I was able to get some additional information on this piece.

Sam is a filmmaker and was accompanying the group as they competed in New York.

The art of Hawaiian tattoo has deep roots in the culture of the islands, and every aspect of a tattoo has personal meaning that is often held very privately by the tattooed individual. You just don't go up to someone with a Hawaiian tattoo and ask, "So what does it mean?"

Sam said it himself in a message to me, "the tattoo itself ... is my family design, very sacred." He credited his artist as Keone Nunes, who specializes in traditional Hawaiian tattoos and uses the tapping method.

Here's a nice clip on YouTube with Mr. Nunes discussing the art of kakau:

The juxtaposition of this illustration compared to my own experience getting a tribal piece on a tattoo reality show is stark. Whereas I love my new tattoo, I in no way hold it in the same high regard as the traditional art of kakau in Hawai'i. I feel honored to have been lucky to come across an example, by chance, in New York.

A big mahalo nui loa to Sam for sharing his traditional Hawaiian ink with us here on Tattoosday.

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Wednesday, January 25, 2012

Tattoosday Goes Tribal on Ink Master

What’s the hardest thing about being an ink-blogger and getting a tattoo on a televised competition show? Keeping my mouth shut for almost six months about the experience.

This is the tattoo that I received back in August in the course of my stint as a "human canvas" on the set of Spike TV's Ink Master.

What you didn't see on the show (if you watched last night) was the consulting session in which I sat down with the artist and hashed out the ideas and concepts that I wanted represented in this tribal piece that ultimately ended up on my left thigh.

The two main elements are the honu, or Hawaiian sea turtle, and the hibiscus, which is the state flower of Hawai'i. Having grown up in the Aloha State, I wanted something that represented my childhood home.

The end result far exceeded my expectations. I want to again thank Heather Sinn, my artist, for giving me an exceptional tattoo under less than ideal conditions.

I also want to share a little bit more about how I lucked into being tattooed by such a wonderfully talented artist.

The episode that aired last night was dubbed “Botched Head Tattoo” by the network. Fortunately, mine was not the botched head tattoo, although I have stayed in touch with the human canvas who chose to have his scalp inked and can say, with 100% confidence, the only thing botched about it was that it wasn’t completed in the five-hour time limit. The artist, Bili Vëgas, ultimately finished the piece at his shop in New York, and Ryan, who shared one of his other tattoos with us here on Tattoosday back in August, is very happy with the end result.

Photo Courtesy of

Bili Vëgas @ www.bilivegas.com

Back in July, I wrote here about Ink Master’s call for candidates looking for a cover-up. Shortly after posting the piece, I sent in my own idea for a tattoo for the show, thinking it was a long shot.

Within the hour, I got a response asking if I could come in and discuss the idea in person. Fortunately, I was off that day, and I went into Manhattan and met with production staff, discussing what I wanted in terms of a memorial piece for my step-father, who passed away in April 2010. This discussion also included a mention of my almost having been tattooed with a Hawaiian tribal memorial band.

Things moved quickly from there and after a series of phone calls, my original idea was scrapped and I was confirmed to be a human canvas on an episode dedicated to tribal tattoos. I am not generally a fan of tribal ink, but I thought that if I could get something with a Hawaiian influence, I would be cool with that. Having grown up in Honolulu, and with family still in the islands, it made sense to get something along those lines. I was concerned, however, whether whoever was tattooing me would approach the challenge with an understanding and respect for the culture of Hawai’i.

On the designated day, I met at the rendez-vous point with three other human canvases near Times Square to be transported to the set by shuttle. The studio was set up at an old church building in Newark. We were shown to a holding room with five other canvases and, as is typical in television production, we waited.

We didn’t know who the judges were until moments before being led to the set, which was quite impressive, as is evident on the show. I was initially happy to pick the skull with artist Heather Sinn’s name on it and, after our consult, during which I threw idea after idea at her about what would be ideal in the tattoo, I was excited to see what she would come up with overnight.

On the shuttle from Manhattan to the set the next day, we all chatted about our artists and talked about how we thought it would go. Ryan, who was about to have his head inked, was chowing down on a big bowl of red jell-o, a trick some tattoo artists recommend to minimize bleeding (the gelatin aids with blood coagulation). We were also still abuzz about the one canvas who was dismissed because of his psoriasis. The guy had been a veritable comedian in the holding room, and his absence was surprising.

After getting miked up and led to the set, we met with the artists in their work rooms and saw our designs for the first time. I was blown away by what Heather came up with, especially having looked at her online portfolio the night before, and noticed that she wasn’t an artist that did a lot of tribal work.

There was one glaring concern that I did have, however. Heather was not a happy camper. This was episode 2, so they had just started production, and one show was already in the tank. Mind you, they don’t wait a week between episodes, they are often shot in succession, and the hours are long and grueling, even to artists who spend hours on delicately maneuvering a vibrating machine doing meticulous work on a canvas that moves.

Heather did not hide this sentiment from me, the client, and I was concerned, especially since the challenge was rigorously timed, and had dropped from 6 hours to 5 hours after the initial cover-up challenge of episode 1.

She assured me that she was going to do her best under the not-so-ideal circumstances. I would direct readers to this interview that recently ran with Heather in the LA Weekly. She wears her emotions on her sleeve and does not back down from her feelings.

Heather told me she would not be very talkative when she was doing the initial line work as she was not accustomed to this type of tattoo. Fine by me. The cameras were around us constantly and Heather was very concerned that she would not have the time to finish the piece. She also expressed to me that she was not very fond of any of the judges. After seeing the flash challenge that preceded our meeting, I can see why.

When all was said and done, however, she powered through it and knocked it out with time to spare. The result left me with an awesome tattoo, and I have nothing but praise for her craftsmanship.

As for the show itself, so much footage went unused, including scenes in which the human canvases saw their tattoos for the first time in a full-length mirror, met with the judges, and did candid interviews with the producers.

I can say that, despite all the tattoo flaws picked out by the judges in the show, none of the canvases on my episode were disappointed with the final result of their sessions with the Ink Master artists. And, as much as I would like to bemoan the massive amount of "canvas" footage on the cutting room floor, ultimately the artists were being judged on the quality of their work, not on the stories behind their clients' tattoos, or their feelings about the final product.

I think that this is one of the compelling aspects about Ink Master that makes the show so interesting from a technical standpoint. Sure, there's the reality show drama involving the artists' personalities, but the show seems committed, more than most of the other "reality" shows out there, to celebrating the tattoos for art's sake.

I'm not on any more episodes, but I'll keep watching.

Sunday, January 22, 2012

Wesley Shares Two Significant Blossoms

I met Wesley in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, earlier this month, and she shared these two tattoos from her forearms:

These two flowers are (pictured from left to right) a Cherokee Rose, which is the state flower of Georgia, and a Nile, or Egyptian Lotus.

Wesley explained that the Cherokee Rose is generally white in color, but white flowers don't generally translate well to white skin. Fortunately, they can occasionally grow pink, so that's the shade she chose for the tattoo.

Wesley explained the whole process of these tattoos in detail:

"I was born in Macon, Georgia and my dad's from Georgia and the whole myth is that when the Cherokees were driven out ... by the white people, they cried ... The Trail of Tears ...and the flowers that sprang up where their tears [fell] were the Cherokee Rose. And [the flower on the left arm] is a Nile Lotus ... an Egyptian lotus, you see it a a lot on the sarcophagi ... Egyptian tombs, and it's about death and rebirth.... I got them ... in 2005 ...in Seattle by a guy ... Ian at Lucky Devil Tattoo in Capitol Hill, Seattle ... it was a year almost since I had been diagnosed and treated for cancer and it was sort of my celebration of 'I'm okay' and I had some whole elaborate - I was going to have insects on the inside of my wrist and flowers on the outside, and there was a possibility of a snake, there was a whole big thing and ... the great thing about this artist was that he was like, 'here, let me do a temporary version of what that would look like,' and I was like, 'that would look really cluttered and ridiculous' ... and I realized that I really wanted them to be something I could see and I was more attuned to the flowers ... I wanted something that was close to home from my past and then something that was from another culture from farther away - there's the birth thing and the death thing. Yeah."

Thanks to Wesley for sharing her beautiful tattoos with us here on Tattoosday!

Saturday, January 21, 2012

Tattoos in America

Personal identity is a huge facet of every culture. Sometimes you're supposed to suppress it, and other times it is extolled as the greatest of virtues. One way of marking this externally has, for centuries, been tattooing. While nowadays tattoos are almost singularly designed to express personal identity, in its beginnings it was also a way to mark cultural identity. Polynesians and other cultures have been practicing a signature style of tattoos since the first sharp piece of wood was tipped with ink and jabbed into someone's skin. As the wound healed the color stayed, and this became a way of marking people not only as themselves, but also as part of a larger community; someone privileged to be a part of their unique peoples.

For whatever reason, the United States seem to think that it is immune to this phenomenon; that tattoos over here are only an expression of personal identity and are in no way used to separate people out. Tattoos still have a stigma in United States culture as a sign of a hoodlum or miscreant, or if not this powerful, someone who at the very least is a member of the counter-culture. To be fair, the United States is not alone in this; Japanese people still have great fear of tattoos because of the dreaded Yakuza, an organized crime syndicate that covers themselves, often head to toe, in intricately designed tattoos. Many Japanese bath-houses will still not permit people sporting tattoos, for fear that they may be connected with the notorious criminals. While the United States may be slightly more tempered to the usage of tattoos than Japan, we still show a great deal of anxiety over the issue. A visible tattoo can easily bar someone from a high paying job, even if there is nothing obscene or suggestive about it; even if, as many people contend, it is a work of art.

This is ironic in that our country prides itself so heavily on being independent, owing to our rebellious roots back in 1776. However, for whatever reason, we see tattoos as people trying to escape our society, eschew our social norms. What America needs to realize is that people with tattoos are not looking to escape society, simply to carve their own niche in it. Tattoos are a way to identify with other people of your same interests and beliefs, which may not be as un-American and rebellious for rebellion's sake as some people may think. For example, one time-honored tradition of tattooing can be found in America's military. Popeye the Sailor did not sport anchor tattoos because cartoonists were secretly trying to convince kids to go out and rebel, it was a choice of historical accuracy. Every division of the armed forces is inundated with symbols and phrases that portray their beliefs, and thus having them tattooed on you shows your own dedication to this cause. Are they trying to escape everyone else by doing this? Of course not, they are merely showing solidarity within their own social group, while also trying to show that they are individuals.

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Tips On Choosing The Right Tattoo

Do you know what to be looking for when you are in the market for a new tattoo? First of all you need to understand that the decision you make is permanent so make sure it is the right one. Many people like butterflies, the symbol of the cross of Christianity, the grim reaper, and others. By and large, a tattoo is permanent. You will have it no matter how hard you wash it and your body will always have that design so make sure it is perfect. Getting a tattoo of a woman's/man's name might not be such a good idea. What if you break up with her or she turns into somebody you didn't think she was. You'll kick yourself forever for something like that. It's best to stick with designs.

There are a lot of things that you can choose when getting a new tattoo and because of this it might be a good idea to get a book about tattoos and their designs so that you can make your decision a lot easier and faster. The great thing about a book is that you can skip to the category that you want and this will make everything go a lot smoother than you would ever imagine.

Some of the designs are very intricate and will require many hours to complete, return visits, and an exceptional amount of patience on your part. Other designs can be somewhat less involving, requiring only a few hours of your time. Almost always, the more intricate the design and the more time it takes to complete, the higher the price tag. Expect to pay anywhere from $50 to a few hundred as a ballpark figure.

In some cultures tattoos are a right of passage. They are so incredibly painful that warriors in places like Africa and other wild areas of the world have their tribesman make tattoos on many areas of their body just to prove they can endure the pain. That way, when going on hunting expeditions or other forms of dangerous undertakings, they are fearless and full of confidence. If they can withstand the pain of thousands of cuts to their skin, followed by the smearing of ink to make a tattoo, then they should be fit and ready for battles of any kind.

The last thing that I want to you to understand is that tattoos in America are nothing like this and they don't hurt as much. Getting a tattoo does cause a little discomfort but nothing that bad so don't worry about only getting half the tattoo done. Just know that getting a tattoo should be a good day in your life and there shouldn't be anything making you want to change your mind about the design or tattoo that you plan on getting.

Cheap Tattoo Kits Are Available on the Internet

If you are brave enough, or you were blessed with a great deal of artistic ability, you might want to consider becoming a tattoo artist. Today, believe it or not, there are websites that sell very cheap tattoo kits that will help you get started. After all, there are not too many booming industry anymore, and tattoos happen to be one of them

Over the past thirty years or so, tattoos have gone from the extreme to the mainstream. Today, people from all walks of life and professions are getting tattoos. Somebody has to create the artwork and apply the tattoos, and it might as well be you.

Most tattoo artists make very good livings doing something that they would do for free, they enjoy it so much. However, it does take a while to get your name known and to build up a following. But, after it happens, you will end up with more clients than you know what to do with.

If you are wondering how to get into the profession, there are websites today that selling tattoo artists training manuals. If you do not have any experience at all in this field, that would be a great place to start. Another way a great deal of people have got their starts as tattoo artists is by hanging out at the local tattoo parlor and learning everything possible from the more established artists that already work there.

In fact, many of these shops will take on apprentices for this very purpose. All it really takes is a little imagination and willpower to become a full fledge tattoo artist who brings home a very nice monthly income.

One of the first things that you should do, is to acquire your very own tattoo kit. They are not that expensive at all, and once you have it you will be able to start practicing on your friends and family. Of course, they have to be very good friends to let somebody put the first tattoo that they have ever done on them. But then again, everybody has to start someplace, and there always has to be a first with everything that you do.

After you get your tattoo kit and start applying them, more than likely it will start to wear out and breakdown. Not to worry though, there are websites on the internet today that supple tattoo machine parts which will allow you to fix anything that goes wrong with one of them.

In the world today, there are dreamers, and there are people that make things happen. If you believe deep in your heart that you possess the necessary artistic skills to become a great tattoo artist, then you should go for it.

Where to Pick Your Next Tattoo Design From

If we take a look around, we see almost everyone with a tattoo these days. Most of the people have more than one design tattooed strategically placed on their bodies. Some look very attractive while some don't appeal at all. The reason why some designs are eye-catching is that the person sporting that tattoo has chosen it with care. They select a design that suits their personality and matches their cultural and religious affinity. In other words, they pick a design that suits them.

When it comes to picking a tattoo design, most people wonder where to start from. There are various options for tattoo enthusiasts to check the designs and make a final choice. Let's discuss them below.

The first option is to check the latest edition of any tattoo design magazine for the kind of designs that you like. While going through the magazine, keep in mind that some designs might look good on paper but you may not like them tattooed on your skin.

The second option is to check the web. There are many tattoo websites that display numerous designs in one or more categories. If you like a particular website or their designs keep checking for any discounts on first tattoo or free trials offered from time to time. Just be prepared that there are a lot of outrageous tattoos on the market, and some of the more outrageous ones may look amazing, but they may not really reflect your true self. Also consider your profession while selecting a tattoo design to make sure that a particular tattoo design will be acceptable in your workplace.

There are talented tattoo designers associated with websites who offer to create custom tattoo designs based on your ideas and personal preferences. Though they charge relatively more but if you compare it with the fact that a tattoo is going to remain etched on your body for the rest of your life, it's worth the investment.

If you don't have a specific design in mind, take some time and look at all the designs that are available. There are traditional styles that have a black outline and beautiful colors inside the spaces to create a remarkable masterpiece. There are also many abstract designs that blend outlines and colors as well as others that have the colors blended together without separations. In addition, there are ancient hieroglyphics and Sanskrit words that also reflect an emotion or personal view. But, make sure that the work is written precisely so that the word is tattooed accurately because a small imperfect mark could make it a totally different word.

It would also be a good idea to go to one of the tattoo parlors and talk with the artists to get some ideas and recommendations. Take a look at all the different designs available with them including animals, flowers, mythical characters including dragons and fairies, as well as faces, places, cars, and so much more.

As you select the design, think about the placement of the tattoo. Determine exactly where you wish to get the design tattooed. Keep in mind that some places are more painful than others. For instance; the most painful location for men to have a tattoo tends to be the chest, spine, and abdomen, and for women the ankles, ribcage, and spine are also the most painful. The least painful areas for men are the back and arm, and for women are the shoulder, thigh and abdomen.

Friday, January 20, 2012

Will Is Well-Armed for the Opera

Occasionally, one of my posts will fall through the cracks and I only discover it by chance.

For example, earlier this week I was passing through K-Mart in Penn Station when it struck me: the guy I had met several months earlier in there never ended up on the site! How did that happen? I'm still scratching my head over that one, because how could I forget this tattoo?

Will explained to me that he has the signatures of twenty-seven female opera singers that have, in some way, touched his life. The photo above is only a fragment of the whole array, which covers his left arm and runs down the side of his chest.

"I'm a big opera fan ...[it's] just a form of music and expression that has always meant a lot to me," Will told me. He explained how he had waited for two hours for a singer to emerge from a venue after a performance, but she never came out. That missed autograph opportunity gave him the idea to recreate the signatures of an array of great singers on his flesh.

Among the names visible in the photo above are Maria Callas and Grace Bumbry.

The signatures were inked by Dave Wallin at Eight of Swords Tattoo in Brooklyn.

Thanks to Will for sharing his operatic arm with us here on Tattoosday!

Wednesday, January 18, 2012

Benefits of Hosting a Tattoo Design Contest

A tattoo design contest is by far the easiest and the best way to showcase the finest talent in the tattoo industry across the globe. It becomes easy to make up one's mind to host or participate in a contest if you know how it works and what benefits it offers. These contests benefit both contest holder as well as the participants.

While the contest holder gets to select from among a variety of custom tattoo designs, the designers get an opportunity to come up with their creative geniuses. The artists are paid well for their best designs that are selected by the client. The client or the contest holder finds a design that matches a hundred percent with their personal preferences.

The winning design in a contest becomes the property of the client after he has paid the prize money predetermined at the time of launching the contest. Most of the people create an online contest to get a custom tattoo designed and later get it tattooed on their body. Some people may even get into selling or re-selling of the winning designs to third parties at comparatively higher prices, gradually converting into a profitable business venture.

A lot of people are of the opinion that the tattoo designers do not benefit as much from the contest as the contest host. However, this is not true. Any artist who has the expertise and is able to form a rapport with the client to understand his or her personality, taste, tattoo obsession and requirements in a design is sure to be a success.

A contest winner at a tattoo design contest joins the elite group of artists and gets into contact with fellow designers. His designs are viewed by thousands of tattoo enthusiasts which gives them a lot of recognition. When clients come into direct contact with the designers, they recommend their favorite artists to friends and acquaintances for creating more personalized designs.

On one hand, a tattoo design contest allows the host to get a design of his choice at a very competitive price; it also offers the designer to learn and become a part of the growing tattoo industry. For example, some designers cater to exclusive clients who buy unique tattoo designs and get them patented. Designers of these designs are paid exorbitant amounts as they spend a lot of time and effort to create these designs and often work with a team.

Tattoo designs contests bring into light the talent and skill of experienced as well as budding tattoo artists, thus giving them recognition and more work. Moreover, an online contest invites designers from world over, so the designs also reflect cultural diversity which makes it interesting as well as difficult for the contest host to select one out of many great designs.

A majority of tattoo design contests are open to the idea of giving live demonstrations of tattoo piercing. The purpose of doing this is to allow the prospective clients or buyers to see how different/ good a particular design will look when inked on the skin. Usually, the people who volunteer to have these designs tattooed on their body are young people who may not be able to afford a tattoo as this is a good way of having one, free of cost.

Follow Right Aftercare for Tattoo Tips

Getting a tattoo can be a great way to mark an occasion or a moment that people can remember just when they look at it. A tattoo is a piece of art that will remain sculpted on a person's body for the rest of their lives. Hence, it's important be extra careful in selecting a tattoo design when creating it. Once the tattoo is completed, it's important to take good care of it. Aftercare for tattoos is a method that involves procedures for maintaining tattoos after they are completed. This procedure ensures that the tattoo that is created, maintains its design and colors for a lifetime.

Before getting a tattoo, one must be sure why do they want one? Does it mark an occasion or does it symbolize something in their lives or maybe is it just for the sake of getting one made? If these questions are answered, then the next step would be to select a design. The tattoo artist can also help in picking one. It's also important to pick a tattoo artist with a good reputation. Good artists offer good solutions for aftercare for tattoos. It's not just about designing tattoos but also taking care of it.

Tattoo artists usually make their client feel comfortable to prepare them for the tattoo making process. They usually talk to the client about how they would go about making the tattoos and whether the tattoo would take one session or multiple sessions. They offer right tips on aftercare for tattoos. To make the tattoos, artists today use nitrile gloves and sterilized equipment. This ensures that the client does not get infected. Tattoo machines are available in various forms today, from two needle to five needle setup, depending on the shading that has to be done. After the tattoo is made, it is covered in some form of bandage or covering, as the skin is sore. The covering has to come off within an hour so that the skin can breathe and heal. After removing the bandage, the tattoo needs to be washed using only warm water and anti bacterial soap. After it's washed, a soft cloth should be used to damp it. An ointment can be used to keep the tattooed area cool and help it heal. Too much ointment can cause the tattoo or the skin to suffocate.

After care for tattoos include protecting the skin from the sun and extreme cold. The heat of the sun can cause skin tanning and thereby creating soreness. However, extreme cold temperature is helpful in healing the skin, but it can cause a frost bite. Some more traditional forms of ointment are also helpful in healing the skin, for example cold fermentation. People sometimes think that creating a tattoo is the end of the process. The point is that getting a tattoo made and then maintaining it is a lifelong process. It's a beautiful piece of art and it needs to be taken care of properly.

5 Bad Tattoo Mistakes

Getting a tattoo is not a decision you should go into lightly as it will be with you until you die or get it painfully removed. So please do your research first. These are the top 5 mistakes that many people have made and have regretted it ever since.

1. Getting a name of a boyfriend or girlfriend:
I too have fallen into this trap it felt so real and perfect at the time I got the tattoo and was dutifully warned by the tattooist that it was not a good idea but alas I said go ahead. Little did I know that in as little as one years time I would be heart broken and single.

2. Being Impulsive:
Yes tattoos are fun and they can be quick and you can get a little adrenalin rush for getting some new ink, but you will get an even better effect if you plan the tattoo and it has real meaning for you. I wanted to get one tattoo every year and would go into a tattoo shop and pick something from the tattoo flash art as a matter of impulsive "must have" all of these impulsive tattoos have now been covered - take for example the superman emblem (because Bon Jovi had one) on my foot - yeah great idea -turns out it wasn't.

3. Getting it Cheap:
Oh boy! Instead of thinking how cheap you can get it done instead think of how long this tattoo will be with you. It is really important to look at the tattooists portfolio and see if it is of a quality that you would be happy to wear. Shop around for the best tattooist you can find or go to a tattoo convention where you will see the best of the best in action so you can see what to expect.

4. Anything in a foreign Language:
Too many websites and tattooists have catalogues of language translations. It's a good idea to research this thoroughly before getting tattooed especially if you plan on going to the country that the language is from. You never know what it might mean - so be careful. It could end up very embarrassing.

5. Too small or too big:
Trying to get the Sistine Chapel tattooed on the back of your hand just isn't going to work, much the same as a tiny tattoo on a huge guy would just look silly. The tattoo needs to be incorporated with your anatomy and size and scale makes a big difference. You may have to ask the tattooist to enlarge or reduce your design a number of time before you are happy. When the tattooist puts the stencil on your body check that you are happy with the way it looks when you move, as the design can distort incredibly on some parts of the body and this needs to be taken into consideration.

Tuesday, January 17, 2012

Ink Master Premieres Tonight!

Regular readers of Tattoosday may recall this post, last July, when I mentioned that a production company was looking for volunteers to get tattoos on a new reality tattoo competition series.

That was six months ago and the first installment of that project, Ink Master, is scheduled to debut tonight on Spike TV, at 10:00 PM (and 11:00) EST.

I strongly encourage people to watch, as I’ve seen the line-up of artists competing, and know for a fact that they are a talented crew.

Unlike New York Ink, which seems to have evolved very quickly into a faux-drama in a tattoo shop that just happens to have great tattooers, the focus of this show is about creating body art in a reality-competition setting.

That’s not to say there won’t be interpersonal conflicts - even shows like Master Chef and Project Runway have their share of drama. But, I am optimistic that this series will not disappoint.

Check out the trailer below:

SPIKE

Official Ink Master Series Trailer

And here’s a bit of a tease ..... I know with 100% certainty that at least three of the volunteers on a couple of the episodes have appeared previously as subjects on Tattoosday. I’m looking forward to not only seeing who wins each week, but as USA Today put it, “who on earth decides to get inked as part of a reality competition?”

This won’t be the last you hear about Ink Master on Tattoosday. Trust me.

Sunday, January 15, 2012

Meister's Memorial Sparrows

Last month, I was leaving the Muhlenberg branch of the New York Public Library when I spotted a woman with two birds on the backs of her calves:

These two sparrows belong to Meister, who is also known as The Nervous Cook.

I love how these are not your typical tattoo sparrows, but are more lifelike than the traditional bird flash that is much more common.

She explained that these, two of her eight tattoos, are memorial tattoos, that she has "for three people that I lost, roughly around the same time." Meister elaborated:

"A best friend of mine passed away in a scuba accident - she's the female sparrow [on the left calf] ...

...and then two good friends of mine died within two weeks of each other ... totally just a a devastating series of unfortunate accidents."

These, along with most of her other work, were tattooed by Myles Karr, who works out of Three Kings Tattoo in Brooklyn. Meister indicated that these sparrows were done a while back, when Myles still worked out of the now-defunct 334 Bowery Tattoo. Work from Myles has appeared previously on Tattoosday here.

Thanks to Meister for sharing her beautiful sparrows with us here on Tattoosday! Be sure to visit her over at The Nervous Cook.

Friday, January 13, 2012

Tattoosday Loves Friday the 13th!

How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.....

My lovely bride is a Friday the 13th baby, so it's a lucky day for me, in general.

As for Tattoosday, my visit stats have already been robust since December, but this week they have shattered the records, with yesterday being the best ever. My sitemeter points out that folks are visiting our old Friday the 13th posts in droves this month, which is fine by me, but I thought I'd link them here for fun.

Our first Friday the 13th adventure was in 2009, on Melanie's birthday, as documented here.

And, in 2010, we got the readers involved, and started here, and documented my first (and so far, only) Friday the 13th tattoo here. And followed up with another one for Melanie here.

There was only one such day last year, back in May, and we missed it, but this year we're starting early and, I just realized, thanks to the Leap Year, there are two additional Friday the 13th observances in 2012!

We're planning on getting inked today at Hand of Glory in Brooklyn, and there are plenty of other options, as well, including Dare Devil in Manhattan and Three Kings in Williamsburg.

If you know anywhere else, in New York City and elsewhere, please post in the comments section so our readers can find a place to go.

Check back tomorrow or see when our Twitter page may light up for more details later today.

Have a safe and lucky 13th!

Wednesday, January 11, 2012

Little Darling's Ink: Pinups for Pitbulls

Last spring, I met Deirdre, aka Little Darling, as she was leaving Penn Station to cross Seventh Avenue.

I snapped these pictures of her upper right arm:

Deirdre explained that she is the president and founder of a non-profit organization called Pinups for Pitbulls.

The two pups pictured are portraits of two of her dogs, as interpreted by skin artist Jon Clue.

Little Darling invites people to check out her company's website PinupsForPitbulls.org if you are interested in supporting the ongoing effort to help fulfill their mission of working "to educate the public about the history and temperament of the American Pit Bull Terrier and pit bull type dogs [and] to raise awareness about Breed Specific Legislation and Breed-Specific abuse."

One of the ways that Little Darling and her company strive to "reestablish the defamed reputation of pit bull type dogs as America's premier companion animal, war hero, and therapy dog," is through fundraisers and the sale of Pinups for Pitbulls merchandise, such as their annual calendar. Many of these products can be purchased through Amazon (see link below).

Other Pinups for Pitbulls Merchandise can be found by clicking the hyperlink in this sentence.

Thanks to Deirdre for sharing her tattoos with us here on Tattoosday, and for waiting so patiently for this post to appear.

Tuesday, January 10, 2012

Meghann's Ink Inspired by Nikki McClure

This past November, I met Meghann in Penn Station and spotted this tattoo on her arm:

Meghann explained that this work is based on a paper-cut by an artist from Olympia, Washington named Nikki McClure.

There's no real deep meaning behind this. Meghann is just appreciates the art for art's sake: "I just liked the design a lot. I really like [McClure's] work."

The tattoo was done by Sam Gosson at Oddball Studios in Portland, Oregon.

Thanks to Meghann for sharing this cool work with us here on Tattoosday!

Monday, January 9, 2012

Cecelia's Trio of Bats, or, The Girl with the Dragonlance Tattoo

Back in October, I met Cecelia on the D train in Brooklyn, and she shared these tattoos on her left forearm:

Those three bats, named, from top to bottom, Ralph, Roberto, and John, were a birthday present from her friend Dan. Roberto, in the middle, was named after a fruit bat that appears in a couple of books by Christopher Moore (namely, Island of the Sequined Love Nun and The Stupidest Angel).

The bats were inked by Steve Kane, owner and artist at A List Industry Tattoo, in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn.

Cecelia also told me about another tattoo she had, but it was not one she could show me on the train, as it wasn't the day of the No Pants Subway Ride.

Fortunately, she did send us a cell phone photo later with this piece on her left thigh:

She explained:

"This tattoo was inspired by a Dragonlance book, The Dragons of Winter Night. Started in '95 by an artist from Buffalo, it was finished 10 yrs later by Seven O'Brien @ Tattoo Mania [Staten Island]. He is now at another shop. He came up with the fantastic background and border."

Thanks to Cecelia for sharing her trio of bats and her dragon tattoo with us here on Tattoosday!

Saturday, January 7, 2012

Cleaning Out My Inbox: January Edition

One of my New Year's resolutions is to share more of what gets sent to me from various parties looking to promote their tattoo-related projects. What follows are a few items that have been lingering in my inbox, and may be of interest to our readers:

This is "Pencil and Ink: A Film About Justin Klein":

Pencil & Ink : a film about Justin Klein from DannyGregory on Vimeo.

Justin Klein is a New York-based tattoo artist. You can see some of his work here on his Facebook gallery.

~~~

Occasionally I get e-mails introducing me to new shops, or at least shops that are new to me. Suzanne Sawyer is co-owner of Relentless Ink Custom Tattoo in Newburgh, New York. She writes:

"...Thought Id let you know about a newish (March of 2011) local tattoo studio in Orange County, NY, that my husband and I own. Not sure how you get your inspiration for the blog posts and I notice you do write several! Just wanted to point you over to http://www.facebook.com/RelentlessInkTattoo. We have several artists, a couple of whom have been published in tattoo mags or become Featured Artists on sites like Ink Army (Check out owner and my hubby Hal Sawyer & also Jack Hammah) and do tattoo conventions all over, soon Hal and Keith Zahra will be working Tattoolapalooza in Miami."

Tattoolapalooza, actually, is going on this weekend.

~~~

Alexei Nunes, a scriptwriter and producer for Mellow9 Productions, reently pointed me to a video of their interview with well-known Tattoo Artist, Lou Molloy, as part of there "9 Scoop" Interview Series. Check it out here:

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I received a heads up from NOWNESS.com, which is presenting an exclusive extract from filmmaker Ryan Hope’s documentary Skin. The film follows five skin-art collectors on their journey to be tattooed with designs created by major contemporary artists like Damien Hirst, Jeff Koons and Richard Prince. Check it out here.

~~~

And finally, a fan named Shannon messaged me:

You might dig these videos - photorealistic animated tattoo adventures!
The making-of video is pretty cool too.
http://www.joshuafrankel.net/Kabar.html

~~~

Thanks for checking these out, and have a great weekend!

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