Sarah Channels Emma Goldman

I recently had the intense displeasure of discovering that my camera had broken. For someone whose spare time is spent taking pictures of other people's tattoos, this was a harrowing experience, especially since my BlackBerry's camera is flash-less and takes good pictures under only specific lighting conditions.

So what's a poor inkspotter to do? Pass out his card and hope for the best.

And despite dozens of cards distributed to many people with cool tattoos, the only one who has really come through for me is Sarah, who I met last Friday on the subway platform at West Fourth Street, as I waited for the D train to Brooklyn.

Possessor of several tattoos, the one of Sarah's I spotted was on her inner left forearm. My photo was blurry and, as the D pulled into West Fourth, she handed me her card so I could follow-up with her. Thankfully, she is a woman of her word, and sent me this photo yesterday:

Since Sarah is a writer and journalist, I'll let her do the talking. You can check out her work at  her website ohyouprettythings.net and/or read her blog at champagnecandy.tumblr.com. Sarah explains:

It says "It's not my revolution if I can't dance to it"

The tattoo is my most recent, and it's a paraphrase of a possibly-apocryphal Emma Goldman quotation. It's a line that spoke to me the first time I heard it. I'm a political journalist and a feminist activist, and Goldman's always been someone I looked up to. Also, I became a political person through music, and dancing and music have a particular significance for me.


It was done by Ryoko at Brooklyn Tattoo [who we most recently saw inked Julie Powell's tattoo here] and she's super-awesome...

As a lover of type tattoos, I had inquired about the font used and Sarah did not disappoint: "the font is Garton and the words revolution and dance are in Miama".

Thanks to Sarah for sharing her tattoo with us here on Tattoosday!

Ganesh Waits for the A Train

Actually, Kerry was waiting on the platform for the uptown A Train when I walked by at 34th Street.

How could I not stop and ask her about this tattoo:

This absolutely stunning depiction of the Hindu deity Ganesh took between eight and nine hours to complete.

Guy Ursitti at Thicker Than Water is the tattooist responsible for this work of art, the newest (at the time I met her) of Kerry's approximately fifty tattoos.

The detail in the tattoo is absolutely incredible.

Work from Thicker Than Water has appeared previously on Tattoosday here.

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

Sean Shares a Host of Traditional Tattoos

I ran into Sean at the Foodtown in my neighborhood and when I stopped to talk to him about his tattoos (he has nine), I ended up with photos of several pieces, all of which reside on his left arm.

Most of the designs are traditional tattoo subjects, all of which were inked by Eli Quinters at Smith Street Tattoo Parlour in  Brooklyn. Work from Smith Street Tattoo has appeared previously on Tattoosday here.

First up is this amazing lighthouse:

Sean explained that this tattoo is for his mother, as this tattoo is based on her "favorite lighthouse," the Fastnet Lighthouse on the most southerly point on the coast of Ireland.

Then there is this owl tattoo:

This was done for no other reason that Sean has always liked owls. If you love owl tattoos, be sure to head over to this site.

Then there is the elephant tattoo:

He has this piece because "elephants never forget".

I know we posted a sugar skull yesterday, but here's another one:

This was all Eli's design. Sean gave him free reign and likes the fact that it is unusual in that there are not a lot of colors in it, like one sees in most sugar skull tattoos. For all that have appeared on Tattoosday previously, check this link.

There is also the traditional female figure, not modeled after anyone in particular, just done in a traditional style:

And Sean's last tattoo is this bat:

He told Eli that he "wanted something spooky" that included the moon. Quinters free-handed this piece, starting with a white Sharpie and then finished with a darker Sharpie before finishing the tattoo.

What's neat about all of Sean's tattoos is that they flow nicely together, as readers can see elements of many of the tattoos on the borders of the photos of specific designs.

Thanks to Sean for sharing these amazing tattoos by Eli Quinters with us here on Tattoosday!

Miami Ink Angel Tattoo

Miami Ink Angel Tattoo | Assuming that you have selected the angel tattoo as your first or next tattoo, now the most difficult part begins. How to find the lots of angel tattoo sketches? Finding the extraordinary sketches of angel tattoo design is not easy. Your best bet is internet.

Internet is very powerful medium if used properly. Easiest way to find the angel tattoo design is using the search engine like Yahoo, Google, MSN etc.

Writing the common term like “angel tattoo design” or “free angel tattoo design” in search box of any search engine will reveal millions of websites. If you have time and patience then open each one and find out whether they have your dream angel tattoo design.

There is one easy way to find your dream angel tattoo design online for people like me. Instead of wasting your time on browsing lots of website that offers free designs, if you become the member of tattoo design gallery then you not only save your time but in the long run you will save money too.

Finding the good membership site is not easy. Since, it is not possible to see the sketches of membership site unless you become the member. My advice is before spending any money on any membership site you must read review of it. Since there are many tattoo design membership sites that are outright scam.

Another way to find good angel tattoo design on line is to post the question in to the general forums like yahoo answers or particular tattoo forums. It is always good to know how others find their tattoo design. You can also browse the archives of these forums to find many reviews and information regarding angel tattoo designs.

Help answer the question about angel tattoo
Does anyone know where I can find a picture of a specific angel tattoo?
I saw this picture months ago online, but cannot find it again. It is a picture of a small angel tattoo, on someone's hip. The tattoo is black, and is very simple, almost a sketch, with very little detail (no facial features, etc). The angel is throwing her arms back, and kneeling. If anyone knows where to find this tattoo, I would love the link. Thanks!

Sugar Skull Sunday - One From Ryan

Since I seem to capture more sugar skulls than any other design, why not reserve a day just for these decorative symbols which, at their roots, have deep religious significance?

Two weeks ago, I met Ryan, who has ten tattoos.

Of that lot, he offered up this design on his left bicep, which Charlie Foos created for him at FlyRite Studios in Brooklyn.

Charlie Foos is now at Read Street Tattoo Parlour in Baltimore.

Aside from the traditional nature of the sugar skull tattoo, Ryan also loves Mexico and this design recalls that beautiful and diverse culture south of the border.

Thanks to Ryan for sharing this decorative tattoo with us on Tattoosday!

Work from Charlie Foos has appeared previously on Tattoosday here.
Tattoosday posts tagged FlyRite Studios are here.
Tattoosday posts tagged Reade Street Tattoo Parlour are here.

The Best Girl Full Body Tattoo

Many girls are passionate about getting art inked on their body and there is a wide range of different designs available to a girl. Tattoos for girls represent fashion, style, and girls get them to look and feel beautiful, sexy, and feminine.

Believe it or not, but tattoos for women was not excepted about 40 years ago. However, tattoos for women is widely excepted these days. There are so many tattoo designs in a wide variety of styles, colors and characters available for girls that it can be a challenge finding your best one.
Most girls are attracted to full body tattoos, particularly on the back. Girl full body tattoos are popular among those girls that want to draw attention with their art. As tattoos become more popular women are getting much larger ones than before.Some of the most popular tattoos girls use to cover their body include designs such as the tribal, dragonfly, dolphin, Celtic, zodiac, and butterfly. Out of all these designs the best girl full body tattoo design has to be flower pattern tattoos which is used by many women to cover up their whole back, leg, side, and other areas. Some of the most attractive flower tattoo designs include roses, daisies, lilies, sunflower, and cherry blossoms.The Best Girl Full Body Tattoo

Getting a full body tattoo is one of the most important decisions you can make because these tattoos are permanent. These tattoos are a statement of who you are to the world and tells how you want to be perceived by everyone.

Over 4,000 original and quality tattoo designs to choose from. Get more photos and ideas for full body tattoos and much more with this---> Click Here. With a gallery so huge you will never have to worry about searching or finding an original tattoo again.

Katie's Tattoos: A Tribute and a Memorial

I met Katie on 34th Street one afternoon when I stopped to ask her about her foot tattoo:

This tribute piece on her left foot is for her cousin, whose initials are JMS. The letters sit astride the ribbon designating awareness for the disease Multiple Sclerosis (MS). The two feet represent the fact that she helps raise awareness in the fight against MS by participating in an MS Walk each year.

For more information on MS, visit the National Multiple Sclerosis Society's website here.

Katie also shared with me these wings on the back of her neck:

The initials "MCF" refer to her brother Mark, who was killed with a friend a few years back when a train struck them. This memorial piece ensures that her brother is always with her.

Katie's tattoos were inked by Spencer at Fat Kat Tattoos in Keyport, New Jersey. Work from  Fat Kat has appeared previously on Tattoosday here.

Thanks to Katie for sharing two of her four tattoos with us here on Tattoosday!

Full Body Tattoo Transformation

Full Body Tattoo

The history of full-body tattoos in Western culture straddles the lines between circus sideshows and the lifestyles of the eccentric and individualistic. Sometimes the tattooed transformation is accompanied by tales of wild fantasy and sometimes they are explained as simply the actions of someone just trying to be their true self.

One of the first full-bodied tattooed people was The Great Omi. Originally, The Great Omi was a regular British citizen named Horace Ridler. After serving in the British Army during World War I, Ridler decided to make his living in show business. He opted to become what came to be called a “made” freak, and had himself tattooed all over to become a sideshow attraction. This was around 1922, and apparently Ridler’s plan worked somewhat. After a few years he sought out London tattooist George Burchett, one of the greatest tattooists of that era. A redesign of Ridler’s skin art was commissioned, and Burchett tattooed Ridler all over with wide black stripes. These not only patterned Ridler’s entire skin surface evenly like an animal marking, but it covered up the earlier, crude tattooing. It was at this time that Ridler began using the title The Great Omi and achieved true success.
There are several notable people who have worked to achieve full body art transformation in the present day. Tom Leppard is a man who has his entire body tattooed with leopard spots, enough that he is listed in the Guinness Books of World Records as the World’s Most Tattooed Man. Stalking Cat of Washington State is known for his feline split upper lip and facial whiskers, which are really long pieces of jewelry worn in multiple cheek piercings. These compliment his tattoos of cat-like markings and cat eye contact lenses very well in his quest to tranform himself into his totem animal.
The Lizard Man has been working on himself for more than a decade. He has full body tattooing of combining tribal patterns and scales, and bumpy implants in his forehead. He also had his tongue split and has his teeth filed to points. He travels and performs as a sideshow one man ten-in-one, including such acts as sword swallowing and fire eating alongside more modern feats such as swinging weights off of body piercings and gavage.
Sideshow performer The Enigma is a man tattooed to look like a living blue puzzle. He came up with this concept after a few years of being a geek in a traveling modern freak show. In addition to his tattoos, the Enigma also has large lip and ear piercings, body piercings and horn implants on his forehead. Helping him with this transformation is his tattooist wife Katzen. She put the outline of the puzzle pieces on him initially. Both she and other artists have been doing the fill work over the years. At the Amsterdam Tattoo Convention in 1995, the Enigma set a world record by having 22 different tattoo artist work on him simultaneously. Now THAT’S endurance.... Katzen herself has full body tattoos of stylized tiger stripes and performs with her husband as well as her tattoo artist work.

Leyna's Balloon Keeps Her Grounded

Leyna was leaving the Borders at 2 Penn Plaza when I spotted one of her tattoos and asked about it.

This was the tattoo in question:

It is located on the back of her left leg, on the calf.

The design was inspired by the cover art from the Modest Mouse record We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank.

Leyna thought the anchor was cool, and she feels it is a good representation of herself in her 20's.

The tattoo was inked by Derik Snell at Hand of Glory Tattoo in Brooklyn. He liked the design because he had never tattooed a hot air balloon before. Work from Hand of Glory has appeared previously on Tattoosday here.

Another one of Leyna's tattoos  caught my eyes, as well:

This two-word snippet, "ecstatic and insatiate" is an excerpt from Allen Ginsberg's Howl. I'd speak more about it, but it appeared first on the most awesome blog, Contrariwise. I'd direct you over here to read what Leyna had to say about this tattoo, and encourage you to linger about and check out the seemingly endless array of literary ink.

Thanks again to Leyna for sharing her tattoos with us here on Tattoosday!

Chris Returns with a New Tattoo Putting a Face on Addiction

Earlier this month, I posted about Chris's tattoos (here) and how they represented his battle with addiction.

This past weekend, Chris sent me a follow-up, showing me a new tattoo he had just had inked. It's certainly worth sharing here, as it is not only impressive work, but it continues addressing his struggle with addiction.

Check it out:

Chris explains:

"Just yesterday [June 18, 2010] Ii had an absolutely incredible piece done on my left shoulder. I work at The Painted Bird Tattoo and the newly-opened Boston Tattoo Company (same owners) ... To help celebrate the grand opening weekend of the Boston Tattoo Company, we were fortunate enough to bring in a very talented artist (not to mention one of the nicest most genuine people I've ever met), named Christian Perez. I was able to get an appointment with him and he channeled exactly what I wanted into my skin.

I talked to him prior to his visit and told him that it seemed like every tattoo I thought about getting lately was all dark imagery which I attribute to the disease of addiction which still lives inside me. I wanted to bring all the evil, sickness, and wickedness of my past life to the surface, give it form so I can "see" my demon, if you will. This was the result ... you should think about making trip to Boston sometime. Lots of great artists and great work around here. Also, as of July, Christian will be tattooing out of Hope Gallery in New Haven, CT."

Thanks to Chris for following up with us and sending in this photo of his new tattoo. Former contributors are always welcome to submit their new work for us all to see and enjoy here on Tattoosday.

Eagle Tribal Tattoos

eagle tribal tattoos for men
Tribal eagle tattoos have become more popular lately and this in part is due to the symbol of the eagle itself. Both patriotic and graceful, the eagle represents our yearning to fly and our love of country. But when choosing this type of tattoo there are some big factors you should consider before proceeding with body art that can be costly and permanent. If you have done what so many others before you have done, which is to use Google images to find free eagle artwork, then you may run the risk of copying something that someone else already has on their body. And you are getting this ink to be different, right?

I would highly recommend that you research some pay tattoo galleries so that you can avoid the unnecessary duplication. You are on the path to spend a large amount of time and money on your art so why not invest the necessary initial cost to provide with you ink that will always be a source of pride, not disappointment. The added plus of having a great network of other tattoo enthusiasts is something to consider as well.

Maybe some tattoo artist may comment on your eagle artwork and inspire you in ways you had not thought of yet. Having access to a regularly updated gallery of tattoo designs will only work in your favor. And a good pay gallery will maintain an updated list of local tattoo artists that are known as reliable and clean. Make your investment in your body art something to be proud of.

How to Express Your Individuality With Lower Back Tattoos

i dont think lower back tattoos look good on guys. i see that as a female thing. the tattoo you picked out is really neat. i would suggest getting it maybe on your shoulder blade or something, but not on your lower back!


Getting lower back tattoos has become a right of passage for many young people in contemporary society. However, there are also a lot of people living in traditional societies who use tattoos as a means to beautify their bodies and to make a particular statement. Very often,lower back tattoos are used as a means of identification of a particular clan or tribe.

In today's modern societies many people still want to be part of a group. As the art of tattoo crept back into the societies of the world it did symbolize a unique kind of individualism and it still does. The placement of lower back tattoos means they don't have to be on display all the time.

There are so many tattoo designs that any person who is interested in getting inked will be spoiled for choice. Not only are there very traditional designs that go back centuries but modern tattooists are constantly coming up with new creations to suit a new generation of tattoo lovers. Lower back tattoos are much in demand by women. However, there's no reason to stop a man opting for that area of the body.

The choice of design for these tattoos is so individual that it's hard to say what is best. There are those who want a design they have already admired on someone else. Then there are those who want their tattoo to be one of a kind. If this is the case then make sure you explain exactly what you want from the artist. He or she can come up with an original creation for your skin only.

Women and men have so many different kinds of personalities that it contributes to the uniqueness of their tattoos. There are many men who choose lower back tattoos that are larger and of a different subject than what most women want. However, there are men who are courageous enough to let their softer side show and include a bird or a flower in their tattoos. In the same way, there are women who want a scorpion or dagger in their tattoo.

When you choose to get lower back tattoos you are becoming part of a very ancient tradition. It is believed that the oldest form of tattooing may have included ash as a colorant. The artist would have used rudimentary utensils to form a pattern. To the modern person this may seem extreme because the method today is so much gentler and quicker.

Lower back tattoos do beautify the body but they are also made memorable by the unique person who wears it. These designs can be anything you want them to be. If you want to be cheeky or you want to be feminine or you want to be just plain sexy then lower back tattoos can send a message. You can be as daring or as subtle as you choose.

If you have decided you like and want lower back tattoos the process needn't take forever. All you have to do is start looking through designs, combining designs or thinking of an original design. The end result is beautiful lower back tattoos that enhance your body.

Star Tattoo For Men

So, you finally decided that the star tattoos for men the kind of design you want. But does that represent a star? Are there different types of models are available or only the five-pointed star that we are so used in the drawing as a child? For more information on the Tribal tattoos for men find in google search with keyword Tribal tattoos for men

Since these objects in the sky lights, a dark and heavy night, they also symbolize a certain light in the period of darkness in our lives. He represents the Divine shines through each and every one of us. They are a symbol of hope and truth. And since it's basically coming out mostly at night, the essence of the stars for a fight at a time of darkness and overcome this time.

star tattoo for men

The importance of a particular design, which depends mainly on the number of points and sometimes the form of his tips. Three of the most popular designs are the stars of the Pentagram or five-pointed star, the Nautical Star and the hexagram, or as the Star of David or the six-pointed star known.

How to Find the Right Flame Tribal Tattoos Three Steps to Find Your Flame Tribal Tattoos Fast

Head Tribal Flame Tattoos

Finding the right tattoos designs can be really hard, especially when it comes to flame tribal tattoos. We are talking about a design that has infinite possibilities, so if your interested in flame tribal tattoos for your next tattoo, then follow these steps and you will have many amazing designs to chose from.
Snack Arm Tribal Flame Tattoos

First, go look at a few free websites for some ideas of where to put your tattoo and what kind of designs there are. Take note that this is to get a first idea, but do not get any flame tribal tattoos designs from those free websites. They are of poor quality and will make your tattoo artist's job much harder, he might even make mistakes. The end result could suffer.Arm Flame Tribal Tattoos

Foot Flame Tribal Tattoos

you can look at some websites that sell individual tattoos to get a better idea of designs out there. In my experience those websites are not very good either, they try to impress you by releasing a huge number of low quality designs. For example on one of those sites there could be hundreds of flame tribal tattoos. They would of course all be of low quality and you would waste a lot of time looking at all of those tribal flame tattoos. So instead just look quickly to have a second idea.
Skull Tribal TattoosSkull Flame Tribal Tattoos

Final step is to go in a professional tattoo directory. For a small one time fee you get access to their very big collection of tattoos, all professionally designed. You will be blown away by the quality of the tribal flame tattoos over there and you are sure to find quite a few designs that you will like. Remember, the goal is to get a tattoo that you won't regret and spending a bit more money is well worth it.

Still not sure what tattoo directory would be the best for you? Then go to Tattoo Directories Review, where you will find the reviews of the top three directories. You will find the best flame tribal tattoos with one of those directories.