Best Tatto Design

Thursday, September 8, 2011

A Devilish Start for Anthony

When I ran into Anthony last month in Penn Station, he was happy to share the beginning stage of what he envisions to be a full leg piece, that will run all the way up his limb:

Anthony explained that this Japanese demon:

"is by my good friend, Nate Osborne, of True Tattoo (3) in Ballston Spa, New York. Basically we were chatting one day and I said how I've always wanted something really traditional ...Japanese style and he hadn't done one lately and he said 'come on down to the shop' and so I did and he fit me right in ... this is all his design."

Thanks to Anthony for sharing this cool start to what will undoubtedly be an amazing leg sleeve, here on best-tatto-design!

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Wednesday, September 7, 2011

Joe is Armed with Words of Strength

Last month on 86th Street in Brooklyn, I met Joe, who shared this cool tattoo on his right bicep:

Joe credited Matt Van Cura, formerly of Lark Tattoo. Matt now works out of Da Vinci Tattoo in Watagh, New York.

Joe came in with an idea for this piece, armed only with the phrase "Increscunt animi virescit volnere virtus," and worked with Matt for a couple of hours as they pieced the art together. Be sure to click on the photo to get a larger view of the exceptional shading, line work and detail.

When I asked what the Latin translated to, Joe told me it meant "the spirit grows, strength is restored through wounding." A little research on my end revealed that the exact translation,"the spirits increase, vigor grows through a wound," is a quote attributed to the German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche from Die Götzen-Dämmerung (Twilight of the Idols).

Thanks to Joe for sharing this tattoo with us here on best-tatto-design!

Tuesday, September 6, 2011

Leigh's Skull with a Mouthful of Blossoms

Last month, I ran into Leigh, getting off the C train at 34th Street in Manhattan. She estimates she has 40% of her corporeal canvas covered, and she offered me this tattoo on her left forearm:

We've had a lot of sugar skulls here on best-tatto-design, but everyone is different and unique. This one, inked by Myles Karr at Three Kings Tattoo in Brooklyn, stands out from the bow at the top of the skull, and the open jaw full of cherry blossoms, both items not generally associated with the traditional sugar skull design.

"I'm always talking," Leigh told me, "and it's always positive, so I wanted something that would keep the mouth open." She collaborated with Myles on the piece, saying she wanted a skull, but didn't want a "cliche," and pointed out it's also "kind of a take on the Suicidal Tendencies skull."

Thanks to Leigh for sharing this great tatoo with us here on best-tatto-design!

Sunday, September 4, 2011

busy week!

The hurricane may have scared people away over the weekend, but they all seemed to come in this week... which is a good thing!

I got to see my friend Simon on Friday... got to work on the tiger I started about a month ago... the pics aren't the greatest but they're good for now until it's healed and I can get better pics. Took my time on this one... had alot of fun with the colors and shading and really stoked to get this one in my portfolio. Kudos to Simon!!!

After the Tiger this walked in! I hadn't done a hanya yet so what a perfect night to do one! got to play around more with these new red inks Bobby mixed... really pleased with them!

This came in earlier on in the day.... much easier tattooing this area second time around... the first time i tattooed this area was when I first got back from hawaii, and really struggled with it. after some time staying away from this area and working in other places, I felt more comfortable trying it again.

Cute lettering walk in earlier in the day.

This was another fun one! My roommate has been talking about strawberry/skullberries on her foot, so we decided to stay late one night and get it started! Can't wait to color this one in. Like I said before I really enjoy tattooing feet for some reason, and want to get better at them... not the greatest photos, but for now theyll do.

This koi walked into NJ earlier last week, he only wanted an outline for now since that was more in his budget for that day... He picked an awesome one from our Mosher reference file so I used that... I could have done the scales more perfect... the tail isn't the best.

This walked in the same day in NJ... he only wanted half of it colored which I thought was a little strange, however it's going on him so what he says goes.... I hope to see him again for the other half... got to work on my greywash and stone texture which was fun. I want to get more work like this....

Yesterday I worked at the portside shop and got two walkins... both tattoos went on the same guy! He came in earlier for the ambigram thing on his arm, then came back hours later for another one... score! Has some more fun with stone lettering on his leg and got to practice with the ambigram, never done one before.

Until next time.....

Southpaw in the Subway

A couple weeks ago, I met a woman on the West 4th Street subway platform after I noticed her last name inscribed on her back. This tattoo, however, I found particularly cool:

I don't have a lot of information regarding this tattoo, as the young lady took my card as her train rolled in and never got back to me.

Nonetheless, I wanted to share this "Southpaw" tattoo on her left arm. She is, as you might guess, a proud left-handed person.

I thank her for sharing this tattoo with us here on best-tatto-design!

Friday, September 2, 2011

Patricia Loves Summer

The Borders book store in Penn Plaza is closing in less than two weeks, which is sad on so many different levels. When its doors finally shut for good, we here at best-tatto-design will personally mourn the loss of one of our favorite spots to browse and, of course, spot ink. Over the years, this particular Borders has been a great location for meeting people and talking to them about their tattoos, as it is just a stone's throw from where I work.

Patricia is among the last people I have met there, having spotted her a couple weeks ago, and interviewed her about this tattoo on the back of her right arm and shoulder:

This tattoo was inked by Miss D'Jo at Lark Tattoo in Westbury, New York.

The artwork for this piece is based on the work of Alphonse Mucha's series of decorative panels depicting the Four Seasons. This was based on "Summer, 1896".

Miss D'Jo's work on this piece is extremely well done and true to this original artwork, which is Patricia's favorite of the four seasons.

It should be noted that I find it remarkable how often I see Mucha's work translated into tattoos. Clicking here will display all the previous works by Mucha that have appeared on best-tatto-design. Work from Lark Tattoo has appeared previously here, and this work showcases the last time work from Miss D'Jo blessed our site.

Thanks again to Patricia for sharing this lovely tattoo with us here on best-tatto-design!

Thursday, September 1, 2011

Two from Samanatha, Including a Tattoo for Bubbie

I met Samanatha last month in Penn Station and asked her about her many tattoos. She's 26, and has been getting inked since she was 18, and appears to be going at a steady clip, because she has a lot of great work.

She was kind enough to share two of her tattoos, both from her right arm. The first piece is this hamsa:

Samantha explained that she got this tattoo in memory of her grandmother, or "bubbie," as they're known among many Jewish grandchildren. Samanthha's bubbie passed away a few months ago. I asked her what she thought of her tattoos and she replied, "Well, being a Jewish bubbie, I don't think she was too excited about them, but I always asked her if, as long as she still loved me, then it was okay; and she always said, "ach, yeah."

This hamsa, a symbol often associated with luck and warding off the "evil eye," was inked by Josh Schlageter at Hand of Doom Tattoo in Buffalo.

Samantha also offered up this dragon tattoo:

She got this from Steve Boltz at Smith Street Tattoo Parlour in Brooklyn, explaining:

"It's called a spaulding dragon - it's old sailor flash ... I just wanted to go to one of the guys that could do one really, really well. Everybody in the tattoo community up in Buffalo that I know said, 'you gotta go to Steve Boltz', so I traveled down here to got see him."

Thanks to Samantha for sharing these cool tattoos with us here on best-tatto-design!

If you are reading this on another web site other than best-tatto-design, without attribution, please note that it has been copied without the author's permission and is in violation of copyright laws. Please feel free to visit http://best-tatto-design.blogspot.com and read our original content. Please let me know if you saw this elsewhere so I contact the webmaster of the offending site and advise them of this violation in their Terms of Use Agreement.