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Death Tattoo inspired by The Sandman

This lil ink blotch was probably around ten years in the making. It has been in my mind in some form for at least that long. About a year ago I decided to put things into motion and finally commit to getting it done.

I had originally intended to do the art myself but my once upon a time talent has over many years of neglect and un-use eroded away like a sand castle at high tide. I spent a few days doing very rough sketches and jotting down notes in the margins trying to get all the info from lo those many years onto the paper so I could hand it off to another more capable illustrator to bring to life.

I then put together a very short list of artists who had worked on The Sandman that I thought would be right for the job. I settled on Richard Case (remembered most for his classic run on Doom Patrol) for many reasons including a) He’s a super nice guy. b) He’s a fellow NCer. c) He worked on one of my fav arcs of Sandman. d) His style is very similar to where my own style was headed. and e) His art looked like it would translate well to being tattooed.

Rich took my sketches and notes and did an amazing job. There was very little that I asked him to change from his earliest sketches. I took his finished art and laid out the text in a graphics program myself.

Last but not least was the search for a Tattoo artist that I thought was good enough to do the work. No hacks for me, only true artists. My first choice fell through. He’s a busy, busy man. I settled on Sarah Peacock of Artfuel.inc studios in Wilmington, NC a lovely and talented British lady. She did a marvelous job, especially in helping me add a touch of color to the piece which I really wanted.

Eventually it will be a half sleeve but I’m still working on what I want as the background. Then I will book more time with Sarah. There is loads of symbolism packed into the design including a Blue Jay perched on the cross that is in memory of my Dad whose name was Jay. When Mom passes a Bumble Bee will be added to honor her, her name is Bea.

It’s all about the yin and yang of life and death, light and dark and how they balance and define each other. The Gaelic on the base of the cross is roughly translated as “My heart is within you”. All comments are welcome and appreciated.

Thanx.

Ivory

Design: Ivory, Richard Case
Tattoo Artist: Sarah Peacock, Artfuel.inc studios, Wilmington, NC

Is that the coolest buffalo-on-a-bike tattoo you’ve ever seen, or what?!?

My new tattoo based on my buffalo-on-a-bike design, which is also uploaded a few pictures back. Why a buffalo on a bike? Do you really have to ask?

I’ve had this design idea in my head for at least a year. I had a guy I know draw a slightly different version of it a while ago, but this version I made myself by combining a buffalo silhouette that I found on the interweb with the bike symbol from a bike path sign. I had to stretch the buffalo’s legs a bit to fit them onto the pedals (buffalo aren’t exactly easy to anthropomorphise), and I angled the buffalo’s tail back with the wind, and then angled the front legs to rest them on the handlebars. It was fun. And now it’s permanently tattooed on my left shoulder.

I got it done at Shamus McInky’s in South Buffalo. The tattoo below it is from 1993.

-Thomas - Bike Blog

Lizzie’s Forearm Star Tattoos

I had the black stars tattoo added to my arm shortly after my 19th birthday in response to contacting and meeting my birth parents. The top black star represents my mum and dad who have raised me, the other 2 stars represent my birth mother and my birth father.

I’ve spent nearly 2 years getting to know them both and the siblings that I have from each of them and decided that the tattoo needed to be finished with the addition of those siblings. Each outline represents a different one. The top one being my adopted brother who I have grown up with. I chose to get his star at the top because he is the closest connection to who I am. When our parents are dead and gone he will be the person I turn to in order to help me remember them.

The four stars at the bottom represent my half brother Perry (from my birth father) my half sister Hannah (from my birth mother) and my 2 other half sisters Dana and Molly (also from my birth father)

Although my star tattoo isn’t much to look at I do get a lot of questions about it and it has an important meaning to me.

Airy’s Relaxing Fun Tattoo

What inspired me to get my tattoo?

I have a grand sense of adventure and love of the childhood feelings of curiosity. I believe in trying to live life for that little sparkle of amazement and the smile and sense of magic that comes from it. Too many people try to take life and many things in it much more seriously than they deserve to be taken. I went to art school for some time and I came out with the artistic philosophy that “relaxed and fun” are the only things that mattered to me. People need to all mellow out. Relax! Smile! Drop all the silly ways we’ve learned to skew the world over the years and remember how simple and wonderful it was when you were a kid.
Dinosaurs! Rhar!

What about the specific elements in the tattoo? Why did I choose what I did?

Dinosaurs embody the sense of youthful adventure and I’ve always had them peeking around in things I do. A dinosaur lounging around listening to wonderful music on a wonderful sunny day out in nature? It makes me smile. Having a thing on you forever that will make you smile when you see it? Priceless.

Kitty cat in the tree? My mom was the cat lady in town and so I’ve always had a bond with them. Quick. Think about a kitten and not smile a little! See.

Flying turtle? Character I’ve used for many years now and have been developing children’s book ideas for.
Butterfly? C’mon. I’m a guy. A straight guy. I wanted a little purple sparkly butterfly on my arm. You figure it out.

I got this tattoo (my first) from Jon at Uptown Tattoo in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Voted one of the best in the Twin Cities and I have to say it deserves it. Cool, relaxed, and talented folks there that will help you with whatever you need. Rock on.

- Airy

Design by: Airy

Inked by Jon at Uptown tattoo - Minneapolis, Minnesota

Jackie’s Roisin Dubh Tattoo

My Roisin Dubh tattoo has a many layered meaning.

My father’s family is Irish, and my mother is South Korean. Roisin Dubh means “Black Rose” in Gaelic. I look more asian than Irish so it confuses most people to see an asian girl with Gaelic on her. They think it spells out my name. I’ve actually had people argue with me about my heritage. Which I find quite funny, because my last name is obviously Irish. I figure I’m quite dark for an Irish girl.

My birth month is June, so my birth flower is the rose. My tattoos with flowers have roses in them, so this just ties into the rest. This is also the only tattoo I have right now that is visible when I’m wearing my regular work clothes. (I work in a hospital.) Since it’s so well done, I haven’t had any complaints about it. And it’s usually the older people who absolutely love it. They seem to love the fact that I’m Irish.

And the last reason…I adore the band Flogging Molly. They have a song called “To Youth (My Sweet Roisin Dubh). It’s the song I love the best out of all their songs, so I got this to pay tribute to the band. Plus, no one who isn’t a Flogging Molly fan knows what it means, so it kind of helps me to find other fans. I’ve also shown it to the band member I met and he loved it.

John at Smiling Buddha Tattoo shop did this one. They are based in Savannah and Statesboro, Georgia. He works at the Savannah shop. I love his work and all the artists there are great. I’ve gotten all my tattoos except one done there. If you’re ever in the Savannah, GA area, go see them. They are some of the best artists I’ve ever met.

-Jackie

Inked by John at Smiling Buddha - Savannah, GA