Tattoo Archives
01:04 PM
 Last week, we posted another Sullen contest to win a special edition tee designed by Boog for the Sullen Art Collective's upcoming Spring 2012 line. All y'all needed to do was either Tweet at us or post in our Needles & Sins Syndicate Group on Facebook with your shirt size. Really, these contests are getting too easy.
I put all the names into Randomized.com & the internet gods picked ... Joey Romano. Congrats, Joey! Sullen will be sending your shirt once it drops. But we still have a special deal for all of you. You'll get a discount on any Sullen purchase by putting in this code at checkout: NEEDLESANDSINS. The promotion runs until Feb. 29th Tons more contests to come!  |
Tattoo TAGS: Boog Contest Sullen Clothing |
04:15 PM
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Behind the Needle 3 from Papercut Pictures on Vimeo. Filmed at the London Tattoo Convention this past year, Zeitgeist Magazine's "Behind the Needle" series, produced by Alice Snape, features noted artists talking about their art and inspiration, and musing on the state of tattooing, often while tattooing clients at the show. In this fourth installment, Alice & Papercut Pictures interviewed Zele of Zagreb Tattoo, Jason Donahue of Idle Hand, and Alex Binnie of IntoYou. These artists, from very different backgrounds, discuss their individual tattoo styles and also address the good and bad of the "tattoo fad." [Zele remarks, "Tattooing has become a victim of its own popularity."] In all of the interviews, the passion for the craft is most evident. I particularly enjoyed hearing Alex Binnie's thoughts on tattooing being a beautiful private contract between the client and tattooist -- an art that is outside the exploitative nature of the gallery fine art system. No fad can say that. Watch the full video above or catch it on Zeitgeist. Also check the previous episodes:
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06:54 PM
 There are many wonderful blogs written by tattooists that not only exhibit the latest works but share their thoughts on the works and the industry in general. Some even offer their own philosophies, offering a glimpse into the artists' personalities. One blog that has the complete package is Tattoo Zen by Jason Lambert of Black Cat Tattoos in Pittsburgh, PA.
Jason's latest post, "10 bits of advice for beginning tattooers," is particularly a great read and one that can be enjoyed by those who are not learning to tattoo as many of the lessons can be applied beyond the industry -- and are even applicable to our personal lives. I also dig reading Jason's online portfolio to get the stories behind some of the tattoos, like the Momataro Japanese folk tale shown below. Beyond the stories, Jason's portfolio is interesting (especially the before and after shots), strong and diverse. Check it.   |
Tattoo TAGS: Black Cat Tattoo Jason Lambert Tattoo Zen |
12:20 PM
  The label "anatomical art" is often assumed to be tattoo art on skin, but in a fun twist, Repop Mfg and thirteen renowned tattoo artists are changing the meaning by creating collectible art pieces, which can be purchased as easily as a US Senator. These beautiful limited edition "hands" are real leather printed and sewn by hand in the US; then stuffed and mounted on a wood base and numbered. Curated by Takahiro Horitaka Kitamura, each piece in the collection embodies the signature style of the artists chosen for the project. In addition to Horitaka, the artists include Steve Byrne, Colin Baker, Thomas Hooper, Chris Trevino, Chris Brand, Tim Hendricks, Horiken, Dan Wysuph, Chuey Quintanar, Chad Koeplinger, Chris Yvon, and Scott Sylvia. On February 1st, the hands will be made available for purchase by Repop Mfg. but be quick to click "checkout" as it's a limited run of 100/100. 
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05:33 PM
 We have a another freebie for ya, courtesy of Sullen Clothing: a special edition tee from the Sullen Art Collective designed by legendary lettering and black & grey guru Boog. The shirt, which is part of their upcoming Spring 2012 line, hasn't dropped yet but the winner of the contest will be one of the first to sport Boog's signature artistic style. To get a behind the scenes look at Boog works his lettering, check the video below where he, Big Sleeps and Ryan Smith have a drawing session at Sullen headquarters. As usual, here's how we're gonna play this: one winner will be selected randomly from those who comment -- with their t-shirt size -- on this post in our Needles & Sins Syndicate Group on Facebook or hitting up @NeedlesandSins on Twitter. In one week, on Feb. 2nd, we'll put all the names of the commenters into Randomized.com and the internet gods will offer up the chosen one. When the shirt is ready to launch, Sullen will mail your prize. Easy breezy. If you want to grab some other Sullen goodness, you'll get a discount off of any purchase by putting in this code at checkout: NEEDLESANDSINS. The promotion runs until Feb. 29th |
Tattoo TAGS: Boog Contest Sullen Clothing |
10:55 AM
  In one week, my worldly possessions will be transplanted into a new home. Granted, that new home is only five blocks away from the one I'm typing in now but that doesn't make these boxes any lighter. For many, the heavy lifting is furniture or Bigfoot Garden Yetis. But for me, it's my big-ass books. Please don't make me carry them all.As an incentive, from today until February 1st, I'm reducing the price of my author copies to reduce any potential back problems. Here's the offer: * Black & Grey Tattoo 3 Volume Box Set: All 3 books in sleeve and carrying case are now $320 including shipping in the US (a great deal as shipping this 20lb box is pretty pricey). * Black & Grey Tattoo individual volumes: Each book -- Traditional Black & Grey, Dark/Horror, & Portraits -- is now $120 each including shipping in the US. * Color Tattoo Art: Cartoon. Comics. Pin-Up. Manga. New School: Now available for $130 including shipping in the US (retails for $199). For US orders, you can hit up our Needles & Sins Bookstore, or contact me at marisa at needlesandsins.com. For orders outside the US, email me for shipping info. Again, this offer ends February 1st and as supplies last. I'll even write a love note in the books if ya want. Because I do love you. xo  |
Tattoo TAGS: Black & Grey Tattoo Art Buy My Books Color Tattoo Art Sale |
12:17 PM
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The fabulous Hope Blog posted this clip from Portlandia, which begs the all important question: Is a bad tattoo on someone you like a relationship "deal breaker"? In the case of an Eddie-Vedder-playing-tambourines tattoo ... yes, it is. |
Tattoo TAGS: bad tattoo deal breaker Eddie Vedder Hope Blog Portlandia |
12:46 PM
 Tattoo by El BaraA surge of independent videos featuring tattooists around the world have made their way across social media, and really, I think it's a good thing. The films offer a close-up look at the process of creation in addition to animated portfolios of the finished tattoos, and often we get a sense of the studio vibe as well. All this goodness can be found in Ronink Films' video on True Love Tattoo in Madrid, Spain. The 8-minute production may be long for some looking for quick sketch-to-ink action, but I enjoyed sitting back with my coffee and watching all the details that go into putting on a solid tattoo. The artists at True Love -- El Bara, Know & xGastx -- are particularly regarded for their traditional & neo-traditional work, and in the video, you can see them employing time-old tattoo tenets with skill. My favorite clips are of the neck tattoo, which you can see being worked midway in the film. And stay till the end for a fun way of rolling credits. See more of their work on Facebook.  Tattoo by xgastx Tattoo by Know
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Tattoo TAGS: artist spotlight El Bara Know Madrid Ronink Films Spain True Love Tattoo video xGastx |
02:15 PM
 As a follow up to our mention of tattoo anthropologist Dr. Lars Krutak in the earlier post, I wanted to let you know that Sacred Gallery in NYC is hosting the photographic exhibit Shamanic Skin: The Art of Magical Tattooing, which features thirty selected works from Lars' portfolio. The opening is Saturday, February 4th from 7 to 10PM and runs until February 29th.Here's more:In 1777, the word 'tattoo' was defined as 'an indelible mark or figure fixed upon the body by insertion of pigment under the skin or by the production of scars.' For thousands of years before that date, however, indigenous peoples practiced various forms of tattooing and scarification not only to beautify themselves or mark significant life achievements, but also to please or seek protection from particular spirits which inhabited their world.For a copy of the show catalog, email Kevin@SacredGalleryNYC.com. Lars' books "The Tattooing Arts of Tribal Women" (2007) and "Kalinga Tattoo: Ancient and Modern Expressions of the Tribal" (2010) will be available for signing at the opening as well. Sacred Gallery is located at 424 Broadway 2nd Fl (between Canal and Howard) in NYC. |
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01:29 PM
 There's an interesting article in The Hindu called "Tweaking Traditions," which looks at how the ancient tribal art of tattooing among the women of the Gond and Kolam tribes is fading as the younger generations "adopt modernity" and follow clothing fashions rather than decorate themselves permanently. Reporter and photographer S. Harpal Singh says, "Traditionally, Gond and Kolam women wore meagre clothes which left a good part of their body exposed to sun. Much of bare skin used to be covered with tattoos, or 'kohkana' in Gondi, which gave the individual a decent look." Singh then quotes expert Guruji Ravinder Sharma: "Tattooing on the back, waist, arms and face was done during infancy of the girl child. The practice continues to this day but the size of the tattoo is much smaller." Tattooing was also practiced for curing illness according to the article; for example, severe headaches were treated with tattoos on the temples and forehead. While the article is a quick and easy read, it inspired me to look into India's tattooing traditions, and naturally, I came upon a more in-depth discussion by our favorite tattoo anthropologist Lar Krutak on The Vanishing Tattoo. Read Lars' "India: Land of Eternal Ink" for a history lesson along with images of some beautiful tribal art. |
Tattoo TAGS: Gondi people India Kolam Lars Krutak Tattoo The Hindu Tribes |
