Gun

This is a gun and some roses that I did for my mentor.  I  gave it to her after she finished my tattoo and she loved it.  She has a fascination with guns, haha.  First I penciled this drawing, and then I painted it.  I wanted it to look old, so I took a tea bag and seeped it in a little bit of hot water and painted the background with it.  I painted the leaves of the roses with green tea, and the roses with this weird berry tea in my kitchen.  I painted the gun with some black tea.  I also used grey water color paint with some of the tea to make shadows.  I don't usually paint with tea, (well actually, I've never done that before) but I was feeling experimental.  I really liked how this one turned out. 

Almost Inked

So today I went down to the shop again for my tattoo consultation.  A consultation is basically where you meet with the artist who is going to be doing your tattoo, and you basically tell them what you want done.  You show them pictures, tell them your ideas and tell them where you want the tattoo on your body. The artist takes notes, draws little sketches, and helps you work out all the details. 
       I'm super excited that my mentor is going to be the one doing my tattoo.  She's just so awesome, and her work is so great.  I gave her some pictures and drawings that I had, talked to her about where I wanted it on my body and how big.  It's going to be a very awesome tattoo. 
       I paid for it up front, (I preferred that, now I don't have to worry about the money part again!) and we booked the date of the tattoo.  She's going to contact me once she has some things drawn up, and then I'll go in again before the actual tattoo date and take a look at them, and we will put a stencil on my body, just so I can see what the tattoo will actually look like on me.

       I'm very excited for this tattoo, and also a little bit nervous.  Even though I've watched 4 tattoos being done, I still haven't experienced it myself.  I'm not really nervous for the pain part, even though the part of my body I want tattooed is said to hurt very much.  I'm just nervous because this piece of art is going to stay on my body for the rest of my life.  That's a long time.  People have told me that I'll regret it because I'm still so young, other people have said that I shouldn't get it because I'll be old one day and it won't look as good.  I really don't think I'm going to regret it, because I feel that once it's on my body, it will always have meaning to me, and it will always be special.  Even when I'm older and it maybe doesn't look that good, it will still represent that time in my life when I got it, who I was when I got it, and the meaning of the tattoo will still be there.

Ink

My mom brought me home this book called "Ink - The Not-Just-Skin-Deep Guide to Getting a Tattoo" by Terisa Green.  It didn't have that much to do with my project, but I am planning on getting a tattoo, and she and I thought that this book would be helpful. 
       It was actually a really interesting book.  It was written very well, and very easy to read. The author has a great sense of humor.  Something I found interesting was that the author wasn't a tattoo artist herself, just someone who was super curious about the subject.

       The book has eight great chapters on anything someone would need to know about getting a tattoo. The first chapter is sort of an introduction, and it talks about the main three questions people ask when they see someone with a tattoo, or just tattoos in general. The questions include "Is it real?", "Is it permanent?", and "Did it hurt?".
       The second chapter is all about finding the right design for you. The author includes a little paragraph of just about every "type" of tattoo in this chapter.  Things like Animals, Horror, Insect, Japanese, Lettering, Maritime, New School, Old School, Portrait, Tribal, and Zodiac. There are 40 of them in all.
       The third chapter is all about finding your artist and shop.  The author talks about researching the artist and shop. How you should find many pictures of the artists previous work, and how you should make sure the shop you're going to has a good reputation.  The easiest way to do this is through word-of-mouth.
       The fourth chapter is all about the science of tattooing; how the gun works, how deep the needle goes into the skin, and the healing process.
       Chapter five talks about all the things you can expect from the moment you walk into a tattoo shop until the moment you leave.  It talks about the way your artist should treat you, and the steps that happen leading up to and after you actually getting your tattoo.
       The sixth chapter talks all about how your tattoo will change over time, and what you can do to make sure it stays in the best condition possible.  The first three weeks of having a tattoo are the most critical, because how you take care of your tattoo in those three weeks determines how your tattoo will look for the rest of your life. 
       The seventh chapter talks about ways you can change your tattoo, things like laser removal and cover ups.
        The final chapter is a summery chapter, and discusses you and your tattoo.  It talks about getting a job while you have tattoos, and living the rest of your life having a tattoo.

       Overall, this book was great.  It didn't change my mind about getting a tattoo, but it gave me some really great things to think about, and I actually learned a lot. I found the chapters four and six the most interesting.  I was really interested to learn about how the gun works and how the ink stays in your skin.  The sixth chapter was great too, because I know that a lot of tattoos end up looking gross over the years because of where they have been placed or how the person took care of them. This book prepared me more for getting my tattoo, and I recommend it to anyone who is looking to get a tattoo.

"Snake With Tiger Lilies"

Completed on October 10th, 2013

Doing this piece was really fun.  First I sketched it with pencil.  I then used water color paint.  It was kind of tricky, because the water color paint covered up the pencil lines, which made it hard to ink afterwards because I couldn't see some of the lines.  I like how I painted the snake in a really loose style, but the ink is very tight and detailed.  The only thing I don't like about this piece is the snake's belly underneath the top right tiger lily. It doesn't really match up with how a snakes belly would actually be.

"Time Is An Illusion"

Completed on September 29th, 2013

This piece took me about 5 hours to complete.  It started with a pencil sketch, which I inked over afterwards.  I then colored it with pencil crayons.  I think the color on this piece worked out really well. I don't like the way the top of the stop watch turned out though, the two sides don't match.  The word "Time" is also not centred on the banner, which bugs me.

Salutations,

and welcome to my blog!

     I've wanted to be a Tattoo Artist ever since I was little.  I've been drawing since I could hold a pencil. I've always been fascinated with tattoos, it was probably my father who sparked this interest.  He has several tattoos, and is quite the artist himself.  The idea of becoming a Tattoo Artist was always in the back of my head, but it wasn't until last year when I went and watched my father get a tattoo, that I realized this was a career I wanted to pursue.

     I believe that tattoos are a way of expressing yourself. They can show different stages of your life, what you've been through, and what you believe in.  I also believe that tattoos are something that need to be well thought out, because they will be there forever. 

     On this blog, I will document my discoveries about myself and the Tattooing Industry.  I'm hoping to progress in my knowledge of getting into the industry and my knowledge of the industry itself. I'm also hoping to progress artistically. I'll be posting what I learn, from other people and myself.  I'll also be posting some of my art and be reflecting on it.  I'm also hoping to be posting pictures of my first tattoo within the next few months. :)