Usher in the Year of the Tiger with a New Tattoo!

2010 Looks to be a great year and I am looking forward to ringing in the new decade on January 2nd by visiting a new tattoo shop of the Lower East Side called Thicker Than Water Tattoo Studios.

From Noon to 10:00 PM, artists in the shop, which just opened on December 1, 2009, will be inking Year of the Tiger tattoo specials for $50.00 apiece. It's first-come, first-served, folks, so don't show up too late.

In case you were wondering what kind of tattoo this deal will get you, we here at Tattoosday were thrilled to get a sneak peak of the flash from which customers can choose, and got the blessing from Shon Lindauer, designer, tattooer and shop manager, to share the designs with our readers:



So, come on down to Thicker Than Water and start the new decade with an appropriate Tiger tattoo to ring in the year!

Japanese Girls "Geisha Tattoo on Back Body"

This image shows a woman with a sexy japanese geisha tattoo with the classic image. Japanese Tattoo Design in combination with sunflower image and lotus flowers, there are also images of the crescent moon is yellow. Picture this tattoo design with big size and put on the back body. There are also pictures Japanese flag with the symbol of the rising sun.

Mixed Ethnic Calf

Image name: Mixed Ethnic Calf

Comments: This calf was drawn freehand and tattooed with patterns from different tribal cultures.

All I Want for Christmas is a Tattoo with Teeth

On Christmas Eve afternoon, I was passing through Penn Station, I spotted Lindsay, a woman with what appeared to be a sleeve that had a water-inspired design.

It wasn't until after I approached her and asked if she wanted to contribute to Tattoosday that I saw, as she rolled up her sleeve, what awesome work she had done on her left arm:


Lindsay said that, like all of her 14 or 15 tattoos, none of them have "deep meaning". She just goes with whatever she describes as an "intense urge" at the time she's getting the tattoo.

The sleeve above started with her taking photos with stylings to the artist, saying she wanted a bloody shark. This was the first part of the tattoo:


She then expanded it with this segment of shark


which is certainly reminiscient of the movie poster for Jaws.


This piece was created in four sittings lasting 3-4 hours each, by John Reardon at Saved Tattoo (which was the shop responsible for yesterday's post, too).

Work from John Reardon has appeared here on Tattoosday previously. Work from Saved appearing on the site can be seen here. Reardon is also the author of The Complete Idiot's Guide to Getting a Tattoo.

Thanks to Lindsay for taking the time to share her incredible shark sleeve with us here on Tattoosday!

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!!

PERMANENT by Riot Productions

PERMANENT @ Infusion
2nd Jan 2010

A union of steel and flesh, the art of ink and skin – PERMANENT will dispel the taboos surrounding the world of counter-culture in Singapore.

Join us for a New Year party like you’ve never seen before at the aptly-named Infusion, and prepare to experience a mesmerising night of art where the skin becomes the canvas. With live tattooing and piercing exhibitions and sessions from four of the foremost tattoo studios in Singapore, as well as professional skin airbrushing, Henna painting, and a mind-blowing graffiti showcase, we promise an evening that will be permanently seared into your mind.

Location: 16A Dempsey Road, Infusion
Doors Open: 9.30pm
Door Tickets: $18
Presale Tickets: $16
Each ticket entitles to 1 free drink and 1 airbrush tattoo
For Presale Tickets please contact Kenneth Sim @ 9691 0569

Participating Tattoo/Art Studios:
1) Immortal Tattoos
2) Primitive Art Piercing & Tattoo Studio
3) Visual Orgasm
4) Art Inflict
5) Attic Gothic Lolita Punk
6) Path (Body Art & Special Effects)

Event is gonna be a tattoo exhibition/new year party.
Activities going on are the following:
1) Live Tattooing from all studios
2) Live Piercing (Walk-in)
3) Airbrush
4) Henna
5) Body painting showcase
6) Body Piercing showcase
7) Graffiti showcase
8) Live spinning by DJ Nel of Riot Productions

*send your questions to info@riot.sg

Polynesian inspired leg tattoo on Calf

Image name: Polynesian inspired leg tattoo
Comments: Polynesian inspired leg tattoo melding many different ethnic patterns into modern blackwork.

Polynesian inspired leg tattoo, backview

Image name: Polynesian inspired leg tattoo, backview
Comments: This is the backview of the Polynesian tattoo inspired leg work.

Henna inspired half-sleeve front view

Image name: Henna inspired half-sleeve front view

Comments: This half sleeve is inspired by traditional henna designs of Morocco and India.

Max's Spin on a Traditional Gypsy Tattoo

I was passing through Penn Station late yesterday when I spotted Max, who offered up this fascinating tattoo:


At first glance it looks like the traditional gypsy piece, but if you look closely at the back of the gypsy's head, you can see Max added an element that extended the design up and around his right arm:



That is a deer skull that the gypsy woman is wearing, complete with a set of antlers.

When I asked Max about this he acknowledged that the tattoo, in concept, had started as just the old-style gypsy profile but, growing up in Maryland, he said that there were deer everywhere around his home, and that this was a nod to his former home state.

Perhaps reading too much into it, I asked him if he was taking a symbol of home and tying it to the nomadic image of the gypsy to illustrate a dichotomy between the two contrasting lifestyles. He nodded and said he hadn't thought of it in those terms before, but it seemed to make a little sense if you looked at it like that.

This is one of nine tattoos Max has. The piece in question was designed by Paul Bosch at Saved Tattoo in Brooklyn. Max came to Paul with the concept and left it to the artist to design the tattoo. Work from Saved has appeared previously on Tattoosday here.

Thanks to Max for sharing this fascinating spin on the traditional gypsy tattoo with us here on Tattoosday!

Dragon Tattoo on Heavy Arm

Japanese Phoenix Tattoo

Combination phoenix Tattoo with Star Tattoo, Who wants to Burned!

Dotwork Forearm

Image name: Dotwork Forearm

Comments: This forearm tattoo was drawn freehand and tattooed using the pointilism technique.

Woman, Deconstructed

With winter upon us, I have been tempted to bemoan the scarcity of visible ink on the streets (or subways) of New York.

But Mother Nature giveth, as well, by depositing the powdery white stuff and causing delays that held up commuters in Penn Station.

One such soul was Kaeti, a visual artist passing through NYC on her way from Philadelphia.

This pheomenal tattoo jumped out from her corporeal canvas on Tat-tuesday, catching my eye as I walked by:


Kaeti originally thought she was going to get a sleeve inspired by the work of Salvador Dali, but the scale and concept didn't converge in a final design.

She went to the artist, Andrew Johnson-Lally, at Body Graphics on South 4th Street in Philadelphia. She described for him the general concept behind what she wanted, something along the lines of a representation of a female figure, deconstructed. Kaeti also is very influenced by stitching, so she brought along examples of work she had, which included stitched sculpture and sketches. Andrew drew something up based on these styles that she liked, with her ultimately yielding creative freedom to the artist.


To me, she was describing a collaborative effort, which many tattooists and their clients create. Another example of her influence on the end drawing is the empty eyes, which Kaeti said was similar to a lot of the work she herself was doing around the time of the tattoo being inked.


The whole piece took about 3 and a half hours to complete. Initially she told me that when the tattoo was initially completed, she thought that it was finished. Like many people with large tattoos, however, Kaeti is tooling with the idea of expanding the work to include background, which might involve wrapping around her arm and making it a "true" sleeve.

Incidentally, work from Body Graphics has appeared previously on Tattoosday here.

I want to thank Kaeti for taking the time to speak with me in a crowded Penn Station, and for sharing her fascinating tattoo with us here on Tattoosday!

Girls with Japanese Dragon Tattoo on Back Body

3 Sexy Girls with Japanese Dragon Tattoo, like a Yakuza Girl... hehehehe.....

Two More Tattoos from Josh

Well, more than six months have passed since I posted Josh's amazing Verrazano Bridge tattoo, and I almost forgot he sent me some additional shots, including the clock from the old Penn Station on his inner bicep, which is interconnected with the bridge piece:


This is a fairly accurate homage to this bygone historical monument seen at the top of the photo below:


Josh, being in the military, also has this back piece:


This tattoo consists of a pair of variations on the caduceus, surrounding the insignias of the 44th and 30th Medical Brigades - the two units he was assigned to in Iraq.















Thanks again to Josh for sending along these pictures and if you haven't seen the Verrazano tattoo linked at the top of the post, you must go check it out.

Hori Toshi

Hori Toshi is one of the greatest hand tattooing masters of all times. So do not miss this rare opportunity to see this master working in traditional Japanese style on the East Coast! Japanese tattoo is called “irezumi” or “horimono” in Japanese. In Japan, tattoo is usually considered to be a symbol of a yakuza and tends to be perceived negatively by people. For example, many public bath facilities in Japan inhibit customers who have tattoos from entering. Traditional Japanese tattoo covers arms, shoulders, and the back. In recent years, it’s becoming popular for Japanese young people to get contemporary tattoos.

The traditional show on the Tattoo

The Times reported that “The traditional show on the Tattoo” was very much in evidence as middle-aged rockers of both sexes mingled with a new, younger breed of heavy metal fans, but amid the throng of Motorhead and Anthrax T-shirts were dozens of stylishly dressed young women, many of them sporting large, but beautifully crafted, Oriental tattoos. The trend for bold statements rather than cute little hearts and butterflies appears to be growing as one in eight Britons are now estimated to carry this particular form of adornment.

Amazing Japanese Tattoos With Image Japanese Tattoo Designs For Japanese Female Tattoo And Japanese Male Tattoo With Japanese Phoenix Tattoo Pictures

The phoenix incorporates notions of life, rebirth and renewal. If you are contemplating a phoenix bird tattoo you need to take these values into account. Also, a phoenix bird of fire tattoo must be of sufficient size to make an impact. This is a magnificent bird and deserves respect - size is important. You simply can't represent the idea of eternal life with a small tattoo!

With so many tattoo designs around it can be somewhat bewildering trying to figure out which one is right for you. There are many factors to take into account but, essentially, the most important factor is decoding the meaning behind the tattoo design. Ask yourself, "What does this design represent?" It's true that some tattoos are loads of fun and don't really have any significance - nothing wrong with that! But a phoenix tattoo doesn't really fall into that category. A phoenix tattoo design has a definite purpose and significance which you need to know about before going ahead and getting this tattoo design inked.

So who or what is the phoenix? Well, this mythological bird is extremely mystical and enigmatic. Because of this, it is a very popular motif in tattoo artwork around the world. This bird's origins are believed to lie in the ancient country of Ethiopia in Africa. The bird's name is connected with 'fire' and the color 'red.'

Amazing Japanese Tattoos With Image Japanese Tattoo Designs For Japanese Female Tattoo And Japanese Male Tattoo With Japanese Phoenix Tattoo Picture 1

Amazing Japanese Tattoos With Image Japanese Tattoo Designs For Japanese Female Tattoo And Japanese Male Tattoo With Japanese Phoenix Tattoo Picture 2

Amazing Japanese Tattoos With Image Japanese Tattoo Designs For Japanese Female Tattoo And Japanese Male Tattoo With Japanese Phoenix Tattoo Picture 3

Amazing Japanese Tattoos With Image Japanese Tattoo Designs For Japanese Female Tattoo And Japanese Male Tattoo With Japanese Phoenix Tattoo Picture 4

Amazing Japanese Tattoos With Image Japanese Tattoo Designs For Japanese Female Tattoo And Japanese Male Tattoo With Japanese Phoenix Tattoo Picture 5

Amazing Japanese Tattoos With Image Japanese Tattoo Designs For Japanese Female Tattoo And Japanese Male Tattoo With Japanese Phoenix Tattoo Picture 6

Amazing Japanese Tattoos With Image Japanese Tattoo Designs For Japanese Female Tattoo And Japanese Male Tattoo With Japanese Phoenix Tattoo Picture 7

Amazing Japanese Tattoos With Image Japanese Tattoo Designs For Japanese Female Tattoo And Japanese Male Tattoo With Japanese Phoenix Tattoo Picture 8

Amazing Japanese Tattoos With Image Japanese Tattoo Designs For Japanese Female Tattoo And Japanese Male Tattoo With Japanese Phoenix Tattoo Picture 9

Amazing Japanese Tattoos With Image Japanese Tattoo Designs For Japanese Female Tattoo And Japanese Male Tattoo With Japanese Phoenix Tattoo Picture 10

Tattoorism: Aaron and Brandi Share Their Ink

We here at Tattoosday love our fans. However, sometimes when someone sends us a submission from abroad, we may be slow to post it. Brandi and Aaron's submissions are the extreme case in point.

Brandi e-mailed me back in April. Yes, as in that part of the calendar six months ago.

Oh, I had grand plan for the post, planning to unveil it to coincide with a cinematic release, or a DVD release, but I could never get the timing just right.

In the better late than never category, let me introduce you to a couple of tattoos that have been patiently waiting for their moment in the Tattoosday sun.

I'll start with Brandi's tattoo, which is on the front of her right shoulder:



Brandi explains:

"This tattoo is one I got on my 25th birthday but it had been 7 years in the making. I lived in Seattle, WA for 10 years (currently in Texas) and have always loved snowflakes so for my birthday I decided to get this tattoo in memory of my life in Seattle."

The second tattoo is from Aaron. Just to show you how long it has been, when they first sent the photo in April, Aaron was her boyfriend. In a follow-up e-mail a few weeks ago, Brandi called him her fiance, so congratulations are in order as well!

Here's Aaron's tattoo:



Yes, that is the crest of Gryffindor, the crest of one of the four "houses" at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardy in the the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling.

Brandi explains:

This tattoo is the first installment of a sleeve project Aaron is in the process of that was started after I suggested to him he get it. He is a HUGE Harry Potter fan and I thought what better way to express his love for HP. The rest of the sleeve will be black and white illustrations from each book and I couldn't love him more for expressing his inner "dork."

I also am a fan of the series and have also share the qualities of dorkitude from time to time, so how could I not share this cool tattoo with our readers?

Both tattoos were inked at Epic Tattoos in Fort Worth, Texas. Nick Clark did Brandi's snowflake and Rudy Perez inked Aaron's Gryffindor piece.

Thanks to both Aaron and Brandi for sharing their work with us here on Tattoosday and for waiting so patiently for me to get around to posting their tattoos!

Jack Shares His Love for Graphic Novels

I had somewhere to be and a few minutes before I had to be there.

At the intersection of Clark and Henry Streets in Brooklyn Heights, I saw a guy stride into a corner bodega. Something told me to peek in. I did. And there, on the back of his right arm was a cool-looking tattoo.

So when he exited the store I introduced myself and we walked twenty yards to a well-lit frame shop to talk about his work.

His name is Jack and he works as a framer but is also a painter and fine artist. Feel free to check out his website here. His work is quite good.

He shared two tattoos with us, the first being the one on the main section of his back upper arm:


Jack is a fan of graphic novels and this piece is based on a panel from the a Hellboy book (Volume 6: Strange Places) by Mike Mignola.


The words in the upper corner of the panel are "I will cast off my afflictions...". The tattoo was done by Erick Diaz at Asylum Tattoo in Williamsburg, Brooklyn.

A Hellboy tattoo has appeared previously on the blog here. You may remember the name of Erick Diaz and Asylum Studios based on an appearance on Tattoosday previously from this amazing back piece.

Getting back to Jack, when he pulled up his sleeve, I saw this tattoo above the Hellboy design:


This art is based on the work from another graphic novelist, Anders Nilsen. The piece in question is from the award-winning Dogs and Water.


Jack credits this tattoo to an artist named Jasmine Morrell, aka Jazzy J, who he referred to as a "kitchen surgeon". In other words, this is an example of a home-inked piece, more commonly known as a kitchen table tattoo. Not to say that she is not a professional. In fact, Jack informs me that she is an artist at Atomic Tattoo in Austin, Texas.

Both pieces reflect Jack's love of graphic novels. He adds "I have 4 tattoos, all from comics, the earliest was a back piece from Winsor McKay's Little Nemo in Slumberland." Perhaps we'll see that here in the future!

Thanks to Jack for sharing his amazing tattoos with us here on Tattoosday!

Amazing Japanese Tattoos With Image Japanese Tattoo Designs For Male Tattoo With Japanese Tattoo On The Full Back Body Picture Gallery

At the beginning of the Meiji period the Japanese government, wanting to protect its image and make a good impression on the West, outlawed tattoos, and irezumi took on connotations of criminality. Nevertheless, fascinated foreigners went to Japan seeking the skills of tattoo artists, and traditional tattooing continued underground.

Tattooing was legalized by the occupation forces in 1945, but has retained its image of criminality. For many years, traditional Japanese tattoos were associated with the yakuza, Japan's notorious mafia, and many businesses in Japan (such as public baths, fitness centers and hot springs) still ban customers with tattoos.

Tattooing and other forms of body decoration and body modification, as in much of the western world, are gaining in popularity in Japan. However, Japanese young people who choose to get tattooed are most often choosing "one point" designs -- small designs that can be completed in one sitting -- usually in the American or tribal styles. More recently, however sanskrit Siddham script tattoos are becoming more and more fashionable.

Traditional irezumi is still done by specialist tattooists, but it is painful, time-consuming and expensive: a typical traditional body suit (covering the arms, back, upper legs and chest, but leaving an untattooed space down the center of the body) can take one to five years of weekly visits to complete and cost in excess of US$30,000.

Amazing Japanese Tattoos With Image Japanese Tattoo Designs For Male Tattoo With Japanese Tattoo On The Full Back Body Picture 1

Amazing Japanese Tattoos With Image Japanese Tattoo Designs For Male Tattoo With Japanese Tattoo On The Full Back Body Picture 2

Amazing Japanese Tattoos With Image Japanese Tattoo Designs For Male Tattoo With Japanese Tattoo On The Full Back Body Picture 3

Amazing Japanese Tattoos With Image Japanese Tattoo Designs For Male Tattoo With Japanese Tattoo On The Full Back Body Picture 4

Amazing Japanese Tattoos With Image Japanese Tattoo Designs For Male Tattoo With Japanese Tattoo On The Full Back Body Picture 5

Amazing Japanese Tattoos With Image Japanese Tattoo Designs For Male Tattoo With Japanese Tattoo On The Full Back Body Picture 6

Amazing Japanese Tattoos With Image Japanese Tattoo Designs For Male Tattoo With Japanese Tattoo On The Full Back Body Picture 7

Amazing Japanese Tattoos With Image Japanese Tattoo Designs For Male Tattoo With Japanese Tattoo On The Full Back Body Picture 8

Amazing Japanese Tattoos With Image Japanese Tattoo Designs For Male Tattoo With Japanese Tattoo On The Full Back Body Picture 9

Amazing Japanese Tattoos With Image Japanese Tattoo Designs For Male Tattoo With Japanese Tattoo On The Full Back Body Picture 10