Saturday, August 29, 2009

Capricorn Tattoos

Capricorn tattoos are represented by a very unique looking symbol that is named the "Seagoat". People born between December 22 and January 19 are surely to find this tattoo design quite appealing.

This would be a considerably good choice for a first tattoo, and to help you decide, we have listed some nice pictures of Capricorn tattoo designs to choose from.







Friday, August 28, 2009

Gregory's Defenders of the Faith Tattoo

Gregory walked by me on Seventh Avenue in front of Madison Square Garden and I saw a familiar icon from my youth:


As a huge fan of Judas Priest in the 1980's, I recognized the basis for this tattoo immediately: the cover art for the 1984 album Defenders of the Faith.


Gregory has four tattoos and is a fan of Japanese-style art. This album and its predecessor, Screaming for Vengeance, boasted cover art that had a distinct Japanese influence.

He worked with the artist, C-Jay at Rising Dragon in Manhattan, to modify the design slightly, removing the tank treads and other militaristic elements from the original design.


Thanks to Gregory for sharing his amazing tattoo with us here on Tattoosday!

Thursday, August 27, 2009

Cat Tattoos

Cat tattoos are an excellent choice of design, they are more common among women as they have a feminine quality to their appearance.

Even if they are more common with girls, who wouldn't want a tattoo of they're favorite furry little cat, especially a fallen kitten, as a sign of remembrance.

Checkout this picture gallery of cool cat tattoo design ideas.







Wednesday, August 26, 2009

Merci Celebrates Female Empowerment with a Classic Image

I spotted Merci in Penn Station with this familiar icon on her calf:


The tattoo is based on this famous poster from World War II:


This image is identified with the character of Rosie the Riveter, and was introduced by Westinghouse to rally the home fires in support of the troops abroad. The image has transformed, through time, to take on a greater meaning, that of female empowerment.

This tattoo, one of three that Merci has, was created by Chris Dilworth at Tough Luck Tattoo in Lewes, Delaware.

Thanks to Merci for sharing her amazing tattoo with us here on Tattoosday!

Tattoos I Know: Avital's Ink

It seems odd and yet is not beyond comprehension that, at the last two bat mitzvahs I have attended, I came home with tattoo pictures.

The first time (documented here) was a pleasant surprise. On Saturday, August 8, however, I had no expectations, as it was my daughter's bat mitzvah.

However, much to my amazement, I noticed that one of my sister's closest friends, Avital, has two small tattoos. I was more surprised, considering that Avital is a cantor, and that whereas tattooed Jews are not as rare as they used to be, an inked cantor is still an unusual sight.

Granted, her two tattoos don't jump out at you. The om on her right ankle:


and the slender "b+" on her right wrist


are discreet enough to be overlooked by a discriminating eye, and yet these two small tattoos are large with meaning.

Avital gave me a synopsis the day I took the photos, summing up that the "b+" was a personal message to herself to always "be positive," and that it is her blood type, but she has since offered up a lengthier, more thorough explanation, which I'll share here:

" [The b+], though it is very small (1/2") represents many important parts of my life: past, present and future. When my college friend, Erica died in December from Leukemia, I was devastated. Throughout her illness, she managed to have good spirits and enjoy time with her friends and family. Her battle against cancer put life in perspective for me. I have struggled with depression most of my adult life, and when she died, I made the conscious decision to turn my life around, completely. The morning after her death, my father was diagnosed with Glioblastoma, an aggressive brain cancer. Double whammy. My sister and I had both been contemplating a tattoo for several years, but Jewish guilt always managed to turn me away. After several hours in the ER with our father, we ventured down to Kingdom [Tattoos] and got our matching b+ tattoos. It's incredible how much strength I find from this little symbol on my wrist.

And Avital added:

"And the B in the b+ tattoo is a flat. in music. since I'm a musician. I can't believe I forgot that part! flats are most commonly associated with minor, "sad" keys. so, there is a bit of sadness in the tattoo. too."

As for the om, she elaborates:

"One of the major changes I made in my life after E died was a regular Yoga practice. An unfortunate encounter with a sharp blade left a 1" scar on my inner right ankle. After about 3 months of drawing an OM over the scar with a sharpie (so tedious!) I decided to make it permanent. The OM, like my b+, centers me, calms me, and reminds me of the simpler, more important things in life."

Much thanks to Avital for sharing her tattoos and the powerful stories behind them here with us on Tattoosday.

Tuesday, August 25, 2009

Ben Commemorates the Cat and the Tree

Ben recalls wandering off one day when he was four years old. He was up in Wells, Maine with his family and no one knew where he'd gone.

Fortunately for Ben, someone did know: the family cat. A la Lassie, the feline led his parents straight to Ben, who was sitting under a tree, munching on blueberries.

To this day, Ben regards this as a crucial moment in his life when he was saved by the cat.

He collaborated with Brendan Rowe at Pins and Needles Tattoo in Portland, Maine to come up with a commemorative tattoo to honor this animal:


Brendan is now working out of Unbreakable Tattoo is Studio City, California.

The tree nearby on his left forearm, was inked, in part, to complement the cat:


It is, however, also a nod to Gustav Klimt's "Tree of Life".
Not an imitation, but a variation.

Thanks to Ben for sharing these tattoos with us here on Tattoosday!

Monday, August 24, 2009

Liza's Inuit Owl

Liza had been researching a design she wanted for her next tattoo and had found the one she wanted.

On Christmas Eve, she walked in to Halo Tattoo in Syracuse, New York and met Chris Chisholm who, as you'd imagine, didn't have a full schedule on December 24, and he inked this wonderful tattoo on her upper right arm:


This is, of course, an owl, whose design origins come from the Inuit culture.

Owls are symbolic as guardians and are therefore highly popular tattoo designs. Owls have appeared previously on Tattoosday here. But if you really like owls, check out our friends over at
http://owltattoos.blogspot.com.

Work from Halo has appeared previously on Tattoosday here.

Thanks to Liza for sharing her amazing owl tattoo with us here on Tattoosday!

Sunday, August 23, 2009

Tattoo-After Care

Tattoo-After Care


The highest risk of unprofessional and non-hygienically treatment carried out represents the transfer agent of the various diseases that can be transmitted by blood: the virus of hepatitis B, C and HIV. American blood bank is in principle not to accept blood donors, which have been in the last year made tattoo anywhere on the body.
Permanent tattoo is very difficult to remove. The techniques are expensive and very demanding, in addition, after the operation remains scars and maybe trails of tattoos. There are several methods of disposal tattoos.

Tattoo-After Care


Permanent paintings body is dangerous
The desire for voicing should not compromise your health and interfere with the invasive body. Although tattooing has also extended massive, that is difficult to find the individual who has not this “body ornament” and it is never thought that this game with the body can be very dangerous. Experts have highlighted seven reasons why it is better to avoid tattoos.

Tattoo-After Care

Tuck's Bridget


I met Tuck near Borders on Penn Plaza and she talked to me about this unusual tattoo on her right shoulder:


The piece was tattooed by Didi, a Brazilian tattoo artist working out of Angelic Hell Tattoo World in London.

Tuck didn't know the source of the artwork, but did work with the artist to modify the design to fit her body.

The changes were subtle, having the tattooed girl she refers to as Bridget standing, as opposed to crouching. They also altered the movement within the piece.


This is one of five tattoos that Tuck has, not counting additional stars and characters that are also part of her body's canvas.

Thanks to Tuck for sharing "Bridget" with us here on Tattoosday!

Saturday, August 22, 2009

Nick's Rocking Leg Tattoos (Van Halen and Aerosmith)

At the end of July, while searching for Green Day tattoos, I met, perhaps, the ultimate Van Halen fan.

Nick was hanging out at the side of Madison Square Garden, talking with a friend, and I spotted several rock-themed tattoos on his legs.

Nick has seven tattoos and let me photograph three of them. His outer right calf has this Eddie Van Halen piece:


This was done by a visiting artist at one of the Tattoo Lou's locations on Long Island. Work from Tattoo Lou's has appeared on Tattoosday previously here.

The better of the two Van Halen pieces (in my opinion), on his inner right calf, is this one, inked by Thom at Tattoo Frenzy, in Lindenhurst, New York.


The detail on the guitar is incredible:


Nick says, with certainty, that he has seen Van Halen in concert 394 times (as of July 2009).

He also shared this other tattoo, from his left leg:


This piece is based on the cover art from Aerosmith's Just Push Play album:


Thanks to Nick for sharing his rocking tattoos with us here on Tattoosday!

Jordan's Lush Tattoo Takes Him Back in Time

I ran into Jordan at the laundromat and we chatted about his tattoo:


He was living working in Champaign, Illinois and, on his lunch break, wandered into New Life Tattoos.

The shop had flash with the Seven Deadly Sins and Lust was easily changed to his nickname "Lush".

The drawing, he said, "looked like me with a shaved head, screaming".

This piece on his left forearm represents a different time and place from his past.

Thanks to Jordan for sharing his tattoo with us here on Tattoosday!

1/2 Done But Complete

It was a Hellraiser Pinhead tattoo that first prompted me to approach Travis, but that was not what I ended up discussing with him.

Rather, he offered up this interesting piece on his left leg:


The design depicts a man trying to break through bars, to force his way out of prison.

If something looks off about this, it is because it does not appear as it was originally envisioned by Travis or the artist.

The artist was Travis' brother-in-law, but something unexpected happened halfway through the process.

Travis' sister got divorced, and the brother-in-law tattoo artist was no longer in their life.

Initially, he wanted to find another artist to finish the piece but, as time passed, he decided that he liked it that way, that the initial tattoo's meaning became charged with additional symbolism.

Thanks to Travis for sharing this cool tattoo with us here at Tattoosday!

Friday, August 21, 2009

Barbed Wire Tattoos

Without a doubt, one of the most common tattoos around today.

The barbed wire tattoo design is usually seen around the biceps of men and around the ankle area of women.

Pretty simple and quick tattoo process for these styles.