Friday, February 29, 2008
Carl Zimmer's Science Tattoo Emporium
A visitor recently chimed in about a blog similar to Tattoosday, but with a more specialized slant. It is called Carl Zimmer's Science Tattoo Emporium, and it's pretty cool. Check it out when you get a chance. If you forget, I added it to the sidebar for future reference.
Monday, February 25, 2008
Diablo Shows Off Her Tattoo on Hollywood's Biggest Night
Ok, so this is out of the theme, in that I am in no way involved with the photography of this tattoo. But it is a big story and so I thought I'd throw out some ink news.
Diablo Cody won the Oscar for best original screenplay last night, and she made the New York Post front page, along with her pin-up tattoo.
But there's more to this than meets the eye...
Click here to read about Diablo Cody's tattoo "drama".
She actually just recently had "Jonny's Girl" covered up. Actually quite a fine job...you'd never know it's a cover-up.
A little plug, here's her book:
You can buy it here.
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Tattoos I Know: Paul's First Tattoo
One of my co-workers, Paul, has been and still is, one of my subject matter experts when it comes to the tattoo. As far as I am aware, he is the only one at my company with a full sleeve.
In addition, he has a leg done as well. I've been keeping him in the loop on Tattoosday matters since I started blogging about ink last summer. We have talked about featuring his work for a while now and, with the meat of winter sending shorts and sleeveless apparel into hiding, it seemed like a good time to get his Tattoosday feet wet.
So, we are starting with the beginning, the dragon on the inside of his right forearm:
Many people may not realize, but tattooing was illegal in New York City until 1997. (More on that here.) Paul's first tattoo dates from "the Dark Ages," circa 1983.
As Paul relates, when he was 16, he went with his father to a tattooist in Alphabet City in Manhattan. The artist lived in an attic apartment, and one had to a) make an appointment to see him and b) know the password to gain admittance.
So while a young Paul was watching his father get tattooed, he realized that he wanted one, too.
His father agreed, as long as he thought long and hard about it and paid for it himself.
He found a dragon design he liked and returned with the money at a later date.
He told the tattooer, whose name he remembers as Davita, that he wanted it on his chest, but the artist looked at his slight frame (at 16, Paul estimates, he weighed 140 or so) and refused, saying Paul wouldn't be able to take the pain.
So it went on his arm. And he remembers that he paid $30 for the piece.
There was no significance to the dragon, other than Paul liked the aesthetics of it and had always liked dragons. Paul's left arm and leg are done in a Japanese style. He also has another tattoo on his chest and one on his back, perhaps the subjects of later posts.
Thanks to Paul for joining us on Tattoosday!
Update: After this posted, Paul remembered why he had the dragon done on his inner arm. He recalls an episode of Kung Fu, starring David Carradine, in which the main character lifts a barrel that is very hot. As a result (and I am certainly oversimplifying), he has a dragon burned onto his inner forearm. To the sixteen-year old Paul, this was way cool, so he chose that particular tattoo in that particular location after being told by the tattoo artist that a chest tattoo was out of the question.
In addition, he has a leg done as well. I've been keeping him in the loop on Tattoosday matters since I started blogging about ink last summer. We have talked about featuring his work for a while now and, with the meat of winter sending shorts and sleeveless apparel into hiding, it seemed like a good time to get his Tattoosday feet wet.
So, we are starting with the beginning, the dragon on the inside of his right forearm:
Many people may not realize, but tattooing was illegal in New York City until 1997. (More on that here.) Paul's first tattoo dates from "the Dark Ages," circa 1983.
As Paul relates, when he was 16, he went with his father to a tattooist in Alphabet City in Manhattan. The artist lived in an attic apartment, and one had to a) make an appointment to see him and b) know the password to gain admittance.
So while a young Paul was watching his father get tattooed, he realized that he wanted one, too.
His father agreed, as long as he thought long and hard about it and paid for it himself.
He found a dragon design he liked and returned with the money at a later date.
He told the tattooer, whose name he remembers as Davita, that he wanted it on his chest, but the artist looked at his slight frame (at 16, Paul estimates, he weighed 140 or so) and refused, saying Paul wouldn't be able to take the pain.
So it went on his arm. And he remembers that he paid $30 for the piece.
There was no significance to the dragon, other than Paul liked the aesthetics of it and had always liked dragons. Paul's left arm and leg are done in a Japanese style. He also has another tattoo on his chest and one on his back, perhaps the subjects of later posts.
Thanks to Paul for joining us on Tattoosday!
Update: After this posted, Paul remembered why he had the dragon done on his inner arm. He recalls an episode of Kung Fu, starring David Carradine, in which the main character lifts a barrel that is very hot. As a result (and I am certainly oversimplifying), he has a dragon burned onto his inner forearm. To the sixteen-year old Paul, this was way cool, so he chose that particular tattoo in that particular location after being told by the tattoo artist that a chest tattoo was out of the question.
Thursday, February 14, 2008
The Henna Cone - Easy to use - Fine Lines - No hand cramps.
I was browsing to see see what sorts of henna kits are available for sale now (and of course to see where my page was in the engines) and I notice alot of kits offer the jaquard squeeze bottle, and some offer different tips.
I still use the plastic cone for henna, and the the cellophane cone for gilding. I make my own cones these days using 1 mil. plastic & a heat sealer. This way I can make the cone as wide or narrow as I prefer... and I know the seal will last. This method does create a seamed edge, but when filled with henna, twisted shut & sealed with a rubber band, I just turn the cone so that the seamed edge faces away from my client. The closeup photo below shows this.
I like it that I can roll the rubber band down the cone as I run low on henna. This helps me keep an even pressure on the paste, draw faster, cleaner lines and best of all... no hand cramps!
An extra advantage is that if I make too many cones, or just have a bit of great paste left over, I can wrap the henna cone in plastic wrap, tuck it into a freezer bag, freeze it, and then have henna for that "Oh I just need a quick design" moment that seems to happen in the summer.
Currently I offer two cones in each of my Artists Henna Kits. The cones are washable and reusable. I cut a very littel bit off the tip of one cone for finest lines, and cut more off the second cone to have the broad tip for tribal patterns & bold henna tattoo.
If you would like to see more photos of a henna artist at work.. visit this slide show from a Saturday at the Midnight Sun.
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Two Stars Shining on Nicole
A common Tattoosday ritual for me is to go to the bank at lunch and, time permitting, head over to the Manhattan Mall and make a circuit through the food court, before heading back to the office.
Needless to say, as any regular Tattoosday reader could tell you, pickings have been slim since the mercury dropped below 50 for the season.
Yet I am an optimist, and forever on the lookout for ink, as evidenced by last week's "Queen of Hearts" post.
However, my hopes were slim as I headed out at lunch and encountered a drizzle that the meteorologists hadn't forecasted until the evening. Nonetheless, I went to the bank on 6th Avenue and then visited the mall.
The location introduced me to Alex (here) and has had promising ink displays, discovered only when the weather drove me indoors. I passed out a flier or two in the food court earlier this winter, but to no avail. The one problem with the food court is inherent in its very nature. Most
denizens are eating, and I am reluctant to disrupt the meals of people, tattooed or otherwise.
On Tat-Tuesday, I made the food court pass, seeing nothing, and was on my way out when two
tattooed stars behind a young woman's ear caught my eye:
To be honest, I've never been bowled over by stars, but these were colorful, and it is January, and even the simplest tats can be fraught with meaning.
Nicole was sitting alone (another plus, on the approachability scale, as I tend to shy away from groups) and she had a coffee and Cinnabon on the table, as she played with her cell phone.
I approached and asked if I could talk to her about her stars and she gladly obliged.
Nicole and I discussed the two stars behind her right ear.
They have no significance, they are just decoration, "for the hell of it," done partially out of boredom.
So the next question is generally the "how many do you have" inquiry. Nicole reacted to the question like most people who have a ton of ink: uncertainty. My limited experience leads me to believe that, somewhere between twelve and eighteen, one loses count.
At that point the ink has taken on a life of its own, and the clusters, sometimes themed, sometimes not, become sleeves.
Such was Nicole's situation: under the winter coat and long pants blossomed an explosion of colorful ink. I did not see them, nor did I ask, but she catalogued a host of designs, "mostly girlie stuff," like stars, flowers, and hearts.
"About six years worth..." of accumulated ink.
Like most people, Nicole is loyal to one shop, New York Adorned (featured previously here and here on Tattoosday). The artist who inked the "baby pink" and "baby blue" stars was Bryan Randolph.
Thanks to Nicole and her two shining stars! Here's hoping she'll make a return to Tattoosday in the future!
Needless to say, as any regular Tattoosday reader could tell you, pickings have been slim since the mercury dropped below 50 for the season.
Yet I am an optimist, and forever on the lookout for ink, as evidenced by last week's "Queen of Hearts" post.
However, my hopes were slim as I headed out at lunch and encountered a drizzle that the meteorologists hadn't forecasted until the evening. Nonetheless, I went to the bank on 6th Avenue and then visited the mall.
The location introduced me to Alex (here) and has had promising ink displays, discovered only when the weather drove me indoors. I passed out a flier or two in the food court earlier this winter, but to no avail. The one problem with the food court is inherent in its very nature. Most
denizens are eating, and I am reluctant to disrupt the meals of people, tattooed or otherwise.
On Tat-Tuesday, I made the food court pass, seeing nothing, and was on my way out when two
tattooed stars behind a young woman's ear caught my eye:
To be honest, I've never been bowled over by stars, but these were colorful, and it is January, and even the simplest tats can be fraught with meaning.
Nicole was sitting alone (another plus, on the approachability scale, as I tend to shy away from groups) and she had a coffee and Cinnabon on the table, as she played with her cell phone.
I approached and asked if I could talk to her about her stars and she gladly obliged.
Nicole and I discussed the two stars behind her right ear.
They have no significance, they are just decoration, "for the hell of it," done partially out of boredom.
So the next question is generally the "how many do you have" inquiry. Nicole reacted to the question like most people who have a ton of ink: uncertainty. My limited experience leads me to believe that, somewhere between twelve and eighteen, one loses count.
At that point the ink has taken on a life of its own, and the clusters, sometimes themed, sometimes not, become sleeves.
Such was Nicole's situation: under the winter coat and long pants blossomed an explosion of colorful ink. I did not see them, nor did I ask, but she catalogued a host of designs, "mostly girlie stuff," like stars, flowers, and hearts.
"About six years worth..." of accumulated ink.
Like most people, Nicole is loyal to one shop, New York Adorned (featured previously here and here on Tattoosday). The artist who inked the "baby pink" and "baby blue" stars was Bryan Randolph.
Thanks to Nicole and her two shining stars! Here's hoping she'll make a return to Tattoosday in the future!
Monday, January 28, 2008
Eric's Memorial for his Grandmother
I spotted this memorial on Eric's forearm in a local Duane Reade drugstore:
This was Eric's first tattoo, inked about three years ago after his grandmother, Milagros, passed away.
He told me he was both "interested and nervous" when he had this done. He had no regrets, as it is a way for his grandmother to be with him, in spirit, forever.
This was inked at Hypnotic Designs, in Sunset Park. Their work has appeared previously on Tattoosday here. That is where the "Brooklyn Born 'N' Raised" tattoo was inked.
Thanks to Eric for sharing his memorial tattoo with us!
This was Eric's first tattoo, inked about three years ago after his grandmother, Milagros, passed away.
He told me he was both "interested and nervous" when he had this done. He had no regrets, as it is a way for his grandmother to be with him, in spirit, forever.
This was inked at Hypnotic Designs, in Sunset Park. Their work has appeared previously on Tattoosday here. That is where the "Brooklyn Born 'N' Raised" tattoo was inked.
Thanks to Eric for sharing his memorial tattoo with us!
Sunday, January 20, 2008
Some New Henna Pattern Books
Here is a lovely new widget from Amazon.com! It's a self starting slide show of books you might enjoy. If you place your mouse over an image.. you get more information. Click to buy. Enjoy!
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