Saturday, July 31, 2010

Kristen's Trilogy of Knots

The 34th Street Platform for the A Train has been very kind to us here at Tattoosday, even more so this summer than in years' past.

Take Kristen, for example. She generously offered up this small portion of her corporeal canvas:


Estimating that she is at least a quarter covered by ink, this "trilogy of knots" was the artist's response to Kristen's request to attach the cobwebs on her elbow to the end of her wrist.

The artist, identified only as "Batman" near Canal and Broadway, was also asked to incorporate a Celtic pattern, as well.

The final result was to Kristen's liking and we here at Tattoosday thank her for sharing the tattoo with all of our readers!

Friday, July 30, 2010

Happy Bloggiversary to Me!

Three years ago today, Tattoosday was born.

On July 31, 2007, I put up a post on BillyBlog, featuring a tattoo on a co-worker named Sephora.

The idea was to post a weekly tattoo on Tuesday, and use this is a vehicle to expand my horizons a bit; meet interesting people and learn about tattoos.

There was one problem. I enjoyed it too much. There weren't enough Tuesdays in the week. I was impatient and wanted to post right away, not wait until Tuesday. And so, as Kurt Vonnegut would say, it goes....

So a month later I threw the previous months post up on the stand-alone blog, Tattoosday. And BillyBlog faded.

It's still there, but Tattoosday is my passion and I couldn't have even imagined, back in 2007, how easy it would become for me to talk to strangers about their ink.

The once-a-week project produced forty-five separate interactions in July, we have a 30-day backlog of material, and this past week we registered our 650,000th hit. Not too shabby.

Go see the original post here to see how far we've come.

And a hearty thanks to all our contributors, all our fans, and all the tattooists out there creating wonderful, interesting, portable art. Without all of you, Tattoosday would have been a blip of an idea, and nothing more.

Nick Remembers Billy, I Remember Siki

My first tattoo was modified from a piece of flash at Body Art Studios by an artist who goes by the moniker "Siki". Shortly thereafter, Siki left the shop and went on his way.

My friend Pete knows who he is but, until recently, I hadn't met anyone with ink from Siki, other than myself.

Then, I met Nick on the R train one day after work and, while discussing his many tattoos (he "lost count after 45," they've all connected) , I heard him talking about Siki.

So today's tattoo is by Siki and was, like my lynx, modified from an old piece of flash. Although he adapted it a lot more fully and developed a more unique tattoo.


Siki and Nick had a mutual friend named Billy, who Nick would often go with to get tattooed. When he passed away, they added Billy's name to the bottom of the tattoo as a tribute to their departed friend.

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

Thursday, July 29, 2010

Buddhist Tattoos

Buddhist tattoos are clearly very appealing in terms of style and artwork, however the designs themselves represent a timeless culture which are dedicated to their philosophy and practices of buddhism.

Buddhist tattoos are most commonly designed as the seated buddha with his hands in the form the mudra (dharmachakra) which symbolizes the setting into motion of the wheel of teaching the dharma.

Have a look through this buddhist tattoo gallery and you just might find the perfect buddhist tattoo design you've been searching for.



Most buddhist tattoos represent a very peaceful and tranquil environment.



Buddhist tattoo are often seen alongside flower designs, specially the lotus flower.



Many buddhist cultures believe that tattoo artwork is a sacred practice and monks often double as tattoo artists.

Jessica's Feather for her Mother

I met Jessica on the express platform at 34th Street earlier this month.

She shared this gorgeous peacock feather tattooed on the upper right section of her back:


The piece is an homage to her mother, who loves everything peacock, and has countless items, like bracelets and other jewelery, that emulate the vivid colors of these beautiful birds.

She credits this tattoo to an artist known only as Allison.

Thanks to Jessica for sharing this wonderful tattoo with us here on Tattoosday!

Superhero Tattoos - Hulk Tattoo Design

Superhero Tattoos - Hulk Tattoo Design
Superhero Tattoos - Hulk Tattoo Design

Superhero tattoos - Superman Tattoo Design

Superhero Tattoo - Batman Tattoo Design

Cool Tribal Tattoos on Back and Arms For Men

Tribal Tattoo on Male Back

Celtic Tribal Tattoos for Men

 FAMOUS TATTOO QUOTES

Show me a man with a tattoo and I'll show you a man with an interesting past. Jack London - 1883


"As for the primitive, I hark back to it because we are still very primitive. How many thousands of years of culture, think you, have rubbed and polished at our raw edges? One probably; at the best, no more than two. And that takes us back to screaming savagery, when, gross of body and deed, we drank blood from the skulls of our enemies, and hailed as highest paradise the orgies and carnage of Valhalla." - JACK LONDON

"The universality of tattooing is a curious subject for speculation"
Captain James Cook - 1779


"With the Haidas, however, every mark has its meaning ?" - James Swan, Tattoo Marks of the Haida, 1878.

Superhero Tattoos - Batman Tattoo Design

Superhero Tattoos - Batman Tattoo Design
Superhero Tattoos - Batman Tattoo Design


Peacock Tattoo Design on Girls Arm

Female Arm Sleeves Tattoo Design

Tattooed Girl - Back Tattoo and Arm Sleeves Tattoo

Sexy Girl Arm Sleeves Tattoo Design

Full Arm Sleeves tattoo Design on Girls

Superhero Tattoos - Hulk Tattoo Design

 FAMOUS TATTOO QUOTES:

"Not one great country can be named, from the polar regions in the north to New Zealand in the south, in which the aborigines do not tattoo themselves." Charles Darwin, The Descent of Man, 1871


In Tahiti, not all Europeans responded with the enthusiasm that had been exhibited by the British Admiralty's Captain James Cook, his Science Officer and Botanist, Sir Joseph Banks - who received a traditional Polynesian tattoo - and dozens of the ordinary sailors and seamen aboard Cook's ships. Missionaries who arrived in Tahiti at the end of the 18th century, turned tattooing from a standard practice into an embarrassing and punishable act of Paganism. King Pomare II was converted to Christianity in 1812 and he immediately put force behind a severe, regulated code that had been laid out by the missionaries. The death certificate for traditional tattoos was essentially signed in 1823 with the passage in the code that stated: "No one shall be tattooed and this practice should be completely abolished. This is an old and bad habit. Men or women who get tattooed will be judged and punished... The punishment for men will be work on ten measures of road for the first tattoo and 20 measures for the second tattoo... The punishment for women will be to make two big coats; one for the king and the other for the governor."

Superhero Tattoos - Superman Tattoo Design on Arms

Superhero Tattoos - Superman Tattoo Design on Arms
Superhero Tattoos - Superman Tattoo Design on Arms


King Kobra Snake Tattoo Sleeves Design

Dragon Arm Sleeve Tattoo Design

Dragon Tattoo design on Arms and Chest

Asian Sexy Arm Tattoo Design

Buddha Tattoo - Religious Tattoo

Superhero Tattoos - Hulk Tattoo Design

 FAMOUS TATTOO QUOTES:

Anthropometamorphosis, Man Transformed or, the Artificial Changeling, Historically Presented, a Puritan diatribe published in 1653, railed against disfigurement of the body in pursuit of "ridiculous beauty," "filthy fineness" and "loathsome loveliness." John Bulwer


"In all ages, far back into prehistory, we find human beings have painted and adorned themselves." H.G. Wells

 "There is no perfect beauty that hath not strangeness in the proportion."
Sir Francis Bacon - London, 1639


"I'll tell you this, lad: A tattoo says more of a fellow looking at it than it can do of the man who's got it on his back." - Sarah Hall -- The Electric Michelangelo

Beautiful Flower Tattoo on Sexy Girl Back

Beautiful Flower Tattoo on Sexy Girl Back
Beautiful Flower Tattoo on Sexy Girl Back


Flower Tattoo Ideas for Girl Feet

Rose Flower Tattoo on Sexy Girls Side Body

Japanese Flower Tattoo Design on Abdomen

Lower Back Flower tattoo Design for Girls

Honey Bee Flower Tattoo Abdomen tattoo Design

 FAMOUS TATTOO QUOTES:

"It's only his outside; a man can be honest in any sort of skin."
- Herman Melville -- Moby-Dick


Everybody wants to see the pictures, and yet nobody wants to see them.
Ray Bradbury -- The Illustrated Man

 "But to become a freak one needs a strong character and unusual determination."
George Burchett - Memoirs of a Tattooist, 1956


Traditionally, body art has served to attract the opposite sex, boost self-esteem, ward off or invoke spirits, indicate social position or marital status, identify with a particular age or gender group or mark a rite of passage, such as puberty or marriage. It's this sort of strictly prescribed, highly ritualistic decoration that Carol Beckwith and Angela Fisher depict in their book, African Ceremonies. "We've tried to show how body art is relevant to every stage of development, from birth to death," says Angela Fisher.

Buddha Tattoo - Religious Tattoo

buddha tattoo religious tattoo
Religious tattoo, Buddha tattoo design on arm sleeves.


Cool Tribal Tattoos on Back and Arms For Men

Tribal Arm Sleeves and Back Tattoo For Men

Heart Tattoo on Female Upper Arm

Cool Tribal Tattoo Ideas For Men

Modern Japanese Girl Tattoo on Hand

 FAMOUS TATTOO QUOTES:

Primitive tribes were certainly convinced that the spirit, having escaped from the body at death, retained a replica of its earthly tenement. They therefore used tattoo marks as a means of identification in the next world and a passport to future happiness. (Ronald Scutt, Art, Sex and Symbol, 1974, p. 63)


"I wanted some decoration. See, the one on my wrist is for everybody; the one on my tit is for me and my friends. Just a little treat for the boys, like icing on the cake." - Janis Joplin

 A great tattoo is a statement, not a style. And getting it is a journey, not a destination. - Vince Hemingson


The world is divided into two kinds of people: those who have tattoos, and those who are afraid of people with tattoos. -- Author Unknown

INTERESTING TATTOO IDEAS:
Realistic 3D Black Widow Spider Tattoo
Dog Tattoo With Crown - Loyalty Comes Free
Carpe Diem Ambigram Tattoo Design
Biomechanical Alien Tattoo Design on Hand
Anchor Birds and Waves Tattoo Design on Sidebody
Black ink Tattoo of Angel with Cross
Animated Tasmanian Devil Taz Tattoo on Arms
Jungle Animals back Tattoo Designs
Armband tattoo of Musical Notes and Guitar
Asian Style Koi Fish Tattoo Design on back
Aztec Style Sun Symbol Tattoo Design
Barbed Wire Legband Tattoo Design
Evil Teddy Bear Tattoo
Motorcycle racing Biker Tattoo Design on back
Biomechanical Armsleeves Tattoo Design
Black and Grey Flower Tattoo Design for Girls Sidebody tattoo
Bull Rider Tattoo Design on Leg
Ladybug Flowers and Leaf Tattoo on Foot
Car Tattoo Design - Hot Wheels
Cute Black Ink Cat Tattoo
Grim Reaper Death Tattoo on Back - The weak shall inherit nothing
 Monster Demon Head Tattoo with Flames
Full Color Dragonfly and Flower Tattoo Design
Tattoo of Dagger Stabbing a Heart
Heart and Crown Tattoo Design on Wrist
Crazy Clown Tattoo Design with Money Tattoo
Chinese Character for Love - Neck Tattoo Design
Four Leaf Clover Tattoo with Celtic Design
Black and Grey Cherub Angel Tattoo on Arms
Bow and Cherry Tattoo on back of Neck
Beautiful Celtic Deer Tattoo Design

Wednesday, July 28, 2010

Bird Tattoos

Bird tattoos are truly a lovely choice of tattoo design, most birds are symbolic of harmony, peace and gentleness, while other more fierce birds such as the eagle is often recognized as a symbol of courage and strength. Plus crows and ravens are sometimes associated with with the dark a macabre side of life.

Here we have a picture gallery of an array of beautiful bird tattoos which might just help you come up with some ideas for your very own bird tattoo design.



Bird tattoos are some of the most colorful designs in the world of animal artwork.



Bird tattoos are often combined with other designs such as stars and hearts.



Tribal bird tattoos seem to be gaining in popularity among animal/tattoo lovers.

Michelle's Tattoo Takes Your Breath Away

Michelle has a lot of ink, twenty-one tattoos, all told, but when I stopped her in Penn Station, she chose to share this one with us:


Boldly planted on her upper right arm, Michelle explained that she paraphrased and pared down a longer quotation to read, more simply, "Live for the moments that take your breath away". I believe she was referring to the saying, "Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away."

The flowers in the photo are cherry blossoms that were done in blue, rather than the traditional pink because, as Michelle tells it, she's "not really a pink kind of girl".


This tattoo was inked by Fat Tony at Hobo's Tattoo Shop in Portsmouth, New Hampshire.

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

Tuesday, July 27, 2010

Bear Tattoos

Bear tattoos are commonly depicted in two different manners, one being fierce and ready to strike with an open mouth, and secondly as a more endearing and lovable bear design. No matter what style of bear tattoo you decide upon, there is no doubt that bear tattoos in general are some of the most beautiful and breathtaking of all designs, if you are a bear lover of course.

Enjoy a quick look through this outstanding collection of top quality bear tattoos for both men and women alike.



Adding a little color to your bear tattoo can really bring the design to life.



These bear tattoo pictures above are less traditional, but equally as exciting and clever.



Growling bear head tattoos are perhaps the most commonly seen variety of bear artwork, and for good reason. These bear head tattoos are beautifully frightening!

Timmy's Sophisticated Owl

Earlier this month, Melanie and I took advantage of having my sister's car while she was out of the country and we made an unusual shopping trip to the Fairway Market in the Red Hook section of Brooklyn.

There was a gentleman in the produce section with a lot of tattoos, and Melanie pointed out one to me that she thought was cool, this owl on his calf:


Turns out that the guy was Timmy from Timmy Tattoo, an artist whose name rang a distant bell. Work by Timmy appeared in one of Tattoosday's earliest posts, when I met Jackie,an FIT student whose tattoos appeared here.

Timmy's owl was inked by Garrett Ostrowski of Garrett's Tattoos.

Thanks to Timmy for sharing one of his many tattoos with us here on Tattoosday!

Monday, July 26, 2010

Black Light Tattoos

And just when you thought tattoo artwork couldn't get anymore creative, you now have the option of getting black light tattoos which are virtually invisible to the naked eye, under ordinary lighting. How cool is that?

Black light tattoos or "UV tattoos" are made with a special ink that can only be seen under a black light. You can also mix and match black light ink with normal tattoo ink to create a super double your pleasure tattoo design.

Have a look at this psychedelic picture gallery of black light UV tattoos.


Black light tattoos are a relatively new form of artwork and is currently most popular among clubbers and ravers.



Checkout some of these cool before and after black light tattoos under natural light.



Since black light tattoos are invisible under natural light, small amounts of scarring may be seen at the tattoo location.