Sunday, October 31, 2010

Happy Halloween from Tattoosday!

Here at Tattoosday, we're celebrating Halloween by posting the spookiest tattoo seen in the last month or so. Well, maybe not the spookiest, but certainly the most holiday-related tattoo:


This was offered up by Robert, who I met in Borders Penn Plaza last month. And yes, your eyes are not deceiving you, that is Frankenstein driving a Chevy (that's the stick shift he's gripping). Robert credits Adel at Addiction NYC with this tattoo.

Thanks to Robert for helping us celebrate Halloween here on Tattoosday!

Saturday, October 30, 2010

Ashlee Channels Snow White

This work in progress is on Ashlee's arm:



The tattoo features Snow White at the top of the arm, with the witch's hand proffering an apple, wrapping around the arm:


Ashlee explained that the tattoo is commenting on how superficial the world is and how the idea of Beauty was the downfall of the title character, at least until she was rescued from her poison-induced slumber.

The tattoo is the work of Eric at King Pin Tattoos in Harker Heights, Texas. Work from Kingpin appeared previously in August 2008 on Tattoosday here.

Thanks to Ashlee for sharing her work with us here on Tattoosday!

Friday, October 29, 2010

Nesting Dolls and a Zombie, Courtesy of Kristin

Last month, I ran into Kristin at the Penn Plaza Borders store.

She has ten tattoos, but the piece on her shin was the first one I spotted:


These Russian nesting dolls represents the friendship Kristin has with her friend Kyle (thus, the merging of their names into "Kryle").

It was tattooed by Bret from Electric Tattoo in Pasadena, Maryland.

Kristin also shared another tattoo, one certainly more appropriate for our current season. Check out this amazing tattoo:


This cool zombie piece was inked by Kike Castillo at Timmy Tattoo in Huntington, New York.

Kristin says that Kike is one of her favorite artists and she is happy for him to provide her with great body art. "He needed someone," she told me, referring to this particular tattoo, and "I'm always game". Tattoo artists love clients that let them do their thing, and you can tell with this great piece of art.

Thanks to Kristin for sharing her cool tattoos with us here on Tattoosday!

Gallery Art Flags Body Painting

Gallery Art Brasil Flags Body Painting

Gallery Art Argentina Flags Body Painting

Gallery Art Swedia Flags Body Painting

Gallery Art America Flags Body Painting

Gallery Art England Flags Body Painting

Gallery Art Flags Body Painting

Gallery Art Brasil Flags Body Painting

Gallery Art Argentina Flags Body Painting

Gallery Art Swedia Flags Body Painting

Gallery Art America Flags Body Painting

Gallery Art England Flags Body Painting

Thursday, October 28, 2010

Amanda's Phoenix

Amanda has two tattoos, one of which she shared with me at the end of August in the Penn Plaza Borders store.

This is the tattoo she designed:


Amanda was inspired by the "compelling mythology of phoenixes" and had Bobby at Modern Age Tattoo in Nanuet, New York, translate the design into the final product.

The quote, in Latin, "post tenebras lux" means "After darkness, light". This mirrors the life cycle of the mythological phoenix who dies, bound in flame, only to be reborn from the ashes. Clicking here will display the vast array of phoenixes that have appeared on Tattoosday previously.

In other words, even when things appear their darkest, affirmation is just within reach.

Thanks to Amanda for sharing this cool tattoo with us here on Tattoosday!

Wednesday, October 27, 2010

Gary's Three Knuckles Speak Volumes

I spotted Gary standing at the top of some escalators in Penn Station. As I passed him, I noticed he had knuckle tattoos so I stopped to ask him about them:


Gary explained that they are Korean characters


that translate to "Soo Bahk Do," or "The Way of the Striking Hand".

Soo Bahk Do is a form of martial arts that originated in Korea.

This unassuming gentleman has studied the form for seventeen years and is a third degree black belt. Gary studied at East Winds Karate in Port St. John, Florida.

The tattoo was inked at a shop on Eight Avenue in Bayonne, New Jersey.

Thanks to Gary for sharing his "striking" tattoo with us here on Tattoosday!

Gallery Arts Face Body Painting

Gallery Arts Face Body Painting

Gallery Arts Face Body Painting

Gallery Arts Face Body Painting

Gallery Arts Face Body Painting

Gallery Arts Face Body Painting

Gallery Arts Face Body Painting

Gallery Arts Face Body Painting

Gallery Arts Face Body Painting

Gallery Arts Face Body Painting

Gallery Arts Face Body Painting

Gallery Arts Face Body Painting

Monday, October 25, 2010

Gallery Arts Football Body Painting

Gallery Arts Football Body Painting

Gallery Arts Football Body Painting

Gallery Arts Football Body Painting

Gallery Arts Football Body Painting

Gallery Arts Football Body Painting

Gallery Arts Football Body Painting

Gallery Arts Football Body Painting

Gallery Arts Football Body Painting

Gallery Arts Football Body Painting

Gallery Arts Football Body Painting

Gallery Arts Football Body Painting

The Tattoosday Book Review: Kat Von D's The Tattoo Chronicles

You can say a lot of things about Kat Von D. She is arguably one of the most well-known tattoo artists in the United States, if not the world. This fact, to old school tattoo enthusiasts, is not necessarily a good thing. She is the star of the hit "reality" series, L.A. Ink, has her own make-up line at Sephora, and on October 26, her second book, The Tattoo Chronicles, is being released by HarperCollins Design. And whether you love her or hate her, it's hard to argue the fact that this book, like its predecessor High Voltage Tattoo, is a lovely effort that looks and feels amazing.


Like her first book (reviewed last year on Tattoosday here), Kat Von D lets you into her world, with glossy detailed photos of her work and clients. But whereas her first book shows mostly her public persona, the new effort gives us an inside look at the inner thoughts and feelings of someone who is portrayed very much as a "character" on her television show.

It is L.A. Ink that has brought her fame, yet also the scorn and scrutiny of her detractors. The new book lets us peek behind the scenes and, if you didn't realize this already, the Kat Von D you see on the show is not the whole package. Through a diary/journal format, the reader is granted greater access to Kat's true emotions and feelings. We finally get to peek behind the character Kat Von D and meet the person.

It was on Page 44 where I first felt the facade truly come down. She talks about getting booed in the shop by "fans" who resent that she won't drop what she's doing to pose for photos for them, and there is the matter of the stalker who freaked everyone out in the shop. Granted, these are consequences nowadays for success of her order, but you certainly believe that such consequences were not anticipated when she headed down the road to fame.

It is also fascinating to read Kat's frustration with the onset of another season of L.A. Ink. If you're looking for validation that the only thing real on the show is the tattoos, it's here. I was reminded of Charles Bukowski's strong aversion to poetry readings. He despised them, yet they were often necessary as sources of income. The spectacle often outshone the poems. Similarly, L.A. Ink's forced drama often swallows up the tattoos, yet the drama drives ratings, which lets the series continue to showcase tattoos, which is why many of us tune in in the first place.

Whereas I found her journal entries fascinating, as I am sure most readers who are fans of the show will as well, there are still pages and pages of photographs featuring her work (drawings, sketches, and of course, tattoos) that are breath-taking in their beauty.

Viewers of the show  know that this book has been in the making for a while and it has found its way into plot points as well. Fans will also note that the author's relationship with Nikki Sixx, bassist for Mötley Crüe, runs throughout the volume (as it has in the reality series). However, 2010 has been a tumultuous year for the couple, having broken up, and then, quite recently, reportedly gotten back together. All that said, it's very interesting to read about the relationship with a future perspective.

Or, it isn't. If you're not interested in Kat's "personal" life, then perhaps you should pass on this book. I can see her detractors poring over the text, looking for evidence that reinforces their negative image of the artist, one that has been honed by the one-dimensional portrayal of her reality show and the tabloids.

For fans however, and the followers of Kat Von D's career, The Tattoo Chronicles, will be a treat, to be savored, an all-access pass to a window of her life, with a stunning visual guidebook to pore over, with evidence enough to back up her on-air claim of being so busy all the time.

My one criticism would be that we don't see enough of her tattoos, which is really what she is all about. I mean, sure it's interesting to see a full-page shot of her stuffed albino squirrels, but is it really necessary? I would have rather seen more art that she created, rather than collected.

However, in the end, I was delighted with the book. It really adds dimensions to one of the more dynamic celebrities in the tattoo industry. I doubt that it will turn detractors into fans, or fans into detractors, but it certainly provides those who admire Kat Von D for her art, a little more validation that she is a talented, complicated individual that can not only create amazing body art, but knows how to wow us with her pen, as well.

Sunday, October 24, 2010

Missy's Initials, Illustrated by Gorey

I met Missy on the corner of 23rd and 7th back in the beginning of September and she shared her two tattoos, on both biceps.Her right arm bears this piece:


and her left shoulder hosts this cool image:


These images may seem familiar, because they are based on Edward Gorey's Alphabet.

Missy has the two pieces representing her initials, M and N. The right arm represents "M": 


And the left arm represents the "N" for her last initial:


Missy got these tattoos in Santa Cruz about ten years ago.

Thanks to Missy for sharing her cool Gorey tattoos with us here on Tattoosday!


Saturday, October 23, 2010

Renault Zoe


Renault Zoe

This second iteration of the Zoë concept was a Paris surprise. Although it is billed as a concept, according to design manager Geoff Gardner, the design seen here closely represents the production version of a Modus-sized 5-seater ZE model that's planned to go on sale in 2012. 
Although the overall profile is fairly conventional, there's softness in the surfacing that's fresh and gives a friendly, non-threatening character. There's also enough new detailing to make it interesting. For instance, the way the shoulder line sharpens as it runs rearwards into the tail lamp, the scallop in the lower door, and an interesting C-pillar treatment where the concave sweep of the rear window is echoed in the DLO. The front demonstrates the new Renault DRG and a lower grille that has mesmerizing concentric rings. Headlamps feature seven square LEDs, surrounded by a blue ring that switches to white or to orange when the indicator is activated. What's more, there are little marker lamps to provide some animation for the ‘whisker' lines in the front and rear bumper. "The Zoë is a little like a mouse, with small eyes and a sweet little nose, plus a sloping rear, not unlike the old Renault 4CV" admits Gardner, although other designers we spoke to thought it reminded them of a ‘soft' Alfa Romeo.
The white and gray interior continues the soft theme of the exterior with flowing lines and use of blue chrome inserts to frame the IP and door pads. The pebble-like shapes of the seats and the small center console (housing a plant on the showcar) create an ambience of calm, helped by the use of backlighting on some surfaces. Again, the detail design appeals - a lime green dot pattern is used on the IP and air vents, while printed circuit motifs are used on the pedals and floor carpet.
<!--531316af458e49d18f42e13af27b8c7e-->