Tattoo Crush

[David Flores]

Now I don't mean what tattooer you fanatsize about with their shirt off, or want to have babies with, or even maybe take out to a nice seafood dinner. I think we can all relate to seeing a tattoo someone has done and it either introduces us to that person, or suddenly puts that persons work in a new light. Then for the next couple weeks, months, or even years, they are the Michelangelo of tattooing and you wear out the imaginary like button on your iphone.

A couple years ago it was Richie Clarke, then I would say John Collins, then Virginia Elwood, now I would have to say it's Deno Jr, and I am not really sure who or what is going to catch my eye next.

We have tons of threads about best tattooers and giving tattooers credit and I guess in a way this is just another similar thread, but I guess in a way I feel different about it in the sense that we all can recognize good tattoo work, but in this case it's not even really that you think that person is technically the best tattooer out there, but it's something about their tattoos feels right at that moment in time, then you see someone else's tattoos and it starts all over again.

I mention Deno Jr, six months ago I was kind of over the whole stylized, real bare bones traditional stuff and that would be the farthest thing I would be seeking out, but their is just something about his tattoos that made me say fuck yeah.

If I am wrong then this thread can die, but if anyone else is out there like me let's hear them.

[slayer9019]

Maybe I got the premise of the thread wrong but I think I know what you are talking about. A tattooer that is just nailing every single tattoo, at least in your opinion, particuliarly after seeing one of the examples of their work.

I'll throw this in, even though I guess I have a bit of bias toward them since I almost get exclusively tattooed by him. Regino Gonzalez at Invisible NYC really kicked it up for me when I saw one piece in particular.

quickly followed by this

I am really glad I not only get to hit the like button over and over on instagram but I get to continue getting new work from him every 2 weeks or so. There are a lot of amazing artists out there turning out amazing tattoos, but for whatever reason I really dig his take on anything from Japanese to B/G to traditional, and have at least 1 tattoo in 2 styles from him.

Second would probably be Grime, when he did @Iwar's leg. That was intense and really got me looking at his work differently.

[Pugilist]

I have definitely been feeling this way looking at Virginia Elwood's work too, and more and more Robert Ryan. I hope to get tattoos from both of them eventually.

[David Flores]

@slayer9019 I think I could have explained it a little better. For me at least it's kind of when it kind of defines reason. When someone is doing essentially the same thing as other people, but for some reason the way they do it just does it for me, more than other people. Richie Clarke, John Collins, Virgina Elwood all have their own style but they are all styles a lot of people have or are very similar. I guess what I am getting at, is when I see what is essentially the same piece of flash I have seen tattooed a hundred time, but for some reason this one just seems more desirable than the last 99 times I saw it. It may not even be drawn different, but some sort of invisible force around the tattoo just makes me think it's the best thing since punk rock. Keep in mind all this is subjective, but for me Grime doesn't do that for me. I think his an amazing tattooer, and arguably one of the best, but I feel like every time I look at a Grime piece I feel like their was a lot of effort made to for me to know it was a Grime piece the first time I saw it, which is amazing because a lot of the time he pulls that off.

[Dennis]

I felt the same way after being introduced to Kore Flatmo's work. His skulls and roses really stood out to me and kind of set a standard by which I personally view other tattoos of the same nature. I do this with certain elements or images from different tattoo artists as well. Another example would be Shige's hannya masks, I love hannya mask tattoos in general but his really appeal to me.

[Dhopper]

I agree with you david flores about Deno jr., Robert Ryan, and Regino. I am just amazed by their tattoos. I don't agree with you on Grime though! Grime does do tattoos that you know he did by only him but he can do almost everything and never fails to either amazes or makes you respect his tattoos. Others that made me anticipatory are Stell, Coleman, grant Cobb, Lehi, Rubendall, and hooper( moving to Austin). I don't love every tattoo they do but they do make me say wow or that is shit!

Oh I also say for me, Jeff Cribb!

[Avery Taylor]

Scott Harrison and Tom Yak

[kylegrey]

Chris Dettmer , Nakamura Toshikazu and Richard Stell .

[Brock Varty]

I felt the same way after being introduced to Kore Flatmo's work. His skulls and roses really stood out to me and kind of set a standard by which I personally view other tattoos of the same nature. I do this with certain elements or images from different tattoo artists as well. Another example would be Shige's hannya masks, I love hannya mask tattoos in general but his really appeal to me.

Once I saw Kore's work, it took about two days to decide that half of my body would be getting tattooed by him. He is the standard I measure other tattooers and work by. Something about the way he lays out his work is super aggressive and super simple at the same time. It helps that I feel like he is an example of how people should act and conduct themselves, not only in tattooing, but in life.

Shige used to do it for me. I felt that way about Shige for a long time before I knew about Kore. When Shige started working with Jeff Gogue more, I started liking his work less. I feel like Shige has gotten to far out into neo-traditional Japanese for my taste.

[CultExciter]

Steve Byrne, Eli Quinters, and Daniel Trocchio.

Currently, these are my crushes/heroes. From the bold and bright effortless look of Steve and Eli, to the brilliant underrated style of Daniel. They get me stoked to get tattooed.

[eisen777]

Certainly the guys currently tattooing big work on me...Thomas Hooper, Chris O'donnell, Chad K. great people and I look forward to seeing each of them.

But id say right now Timothy Hoyer...cant find much online and most of the ones I have seen are in person. My wife had a consultation with him this past week for her sleeve and I am now saving a spot for him. Amazing painter as well.

[reverend1]

Once I saw Kore's work' date=' it took about two days to decide that half of my body would be getting tattooed by him. He is the standard I measure other tattooers and work by. Something about the way he lays out his work is super aggressive and super simple at the same time. It helps that I feel like he is an example of how people should act and conduct themselves, not only in tattooing, but in life.

Shige used to do it for me. I felt that way about Shige for a long time before I knew about Kore. When Shige started working with Jeff Gogue more, I started liking his work less. I feel like Shige has gotten to far out into neo-traditional Japanese for my taste.[/quote']

I couldn't agree more. A great tattoo and a even better man.

[TrixieFaux]

Tomas Garcia. Something so cool about his style. I don't think it really fits in w/what I have and what I am planning, but I love to admire it and...you never know.

[Dennis]

Shige used to do it for me. I felt that way about Shige for a long time before I knew about Kore. When Shige started working with Jeff Gogue more, I started liking his work less. I feel like Shige has gotten to far out into neo-traditional Japanese for my taste.

I agree with this as well. I remember when I first got into his work there was a huge influence from Filip Leu (whom I plan on getting large scale work from), but that has waned over the last 4-5 years or so.

[Graeme]

Plenty that I agree with here and I'm going to add Ron Henry Wells. What first really made me pay attention to him was this "open letter to tattooers everywhere" that he wrote last year about how, while acknowledging that there are some bad things going on in tattooing right now, that there are also a lot of genuinely fucking amazing things happening. Maybe for me a big part of the appeal was that I'd just started getting tattooed at that point and was super psyched on it (oh wait, I'm still super psyched on it) and it was rad reading someone who, for a change, was talking about all the great things happening in tattooing RIGHT NOW instead of lamenting how it was better in the old days.

His designs and tattoos regularly fucking kill it. I love that they're proper tattoos...skulls, daggers, torches, lady heads, ships, birds, etc...but with these little twists that I haven't seen elsewhere that just make them so fucking awesome. The negative space tattoos he's posted on IG blow my mind.

I have a couple of tattoos from him, will in all likelihood get more, and I'm stoked because me and @Pugilist are driving down to Congress Street at the end of the week to see him again.

[ian]

There are a lot of amazing, creative and innovative tattooers out there right now and I love so much of it.

Its especially great to have so much access to it all through Instagram right now but to answer the thread, no ones tattoos get me excited like Grime's do. I know there are plenty of people that may disagree but in my eyes, that guy can do no wrong. IMO, his work is second to none.

Another that's been continually blowing my mind with pretty much any style, but the Japanese stuff is becoming very creative is our own Stewart Robson. I personally love some of the less traditional Japanese stuff he's been doing lately but the guy can also kill it with the traditional Japanese stuff. I've seen photos of his more traditional stuff but seeing @Reyeslv back in person showed me on a whole other level.

[Scott R]

Another that's been continually blowing my mind with pretty much any style, but the Japanese stuff is becoming very creative is our own Stewart Robson. I personally love some of the less traditional Japanese stuff he's been doing lately but the guy can also kill it with the traditional Japanese stuff. I've seen photos of his more traditional stuff but seeing @Reyeslv back in person showed me on a whole other level.

I totally agree @Stewart Robson is doing some awesome tattoos. I have seen more than a handfull that made me cuss. Seeing him tattoo chain mail on @Reyeslv was awesome, it looks so good in person. It was sensory overload to see that plus look down and see beautiful tattoing done for me by Valerie.

[Brock Varty]

I agree with this as well. I remember when I first got into his work there was a huge influence from Filip Leu (whom I plan on getting large scale work from), but that has waned over the last 4-5 years or so.

I feel like him stepping further out from a more Filip influenced style is partly because he might have a need to feel like he is the only one who makes tattoos like he tattoos. He started getting more new school and more abstract and really imo got out of traditional Japanese mindset. I think it is because there are several tattooers who do similar stuff and his recent direction is an attempt to set himself apart.

While I don't care for some of Shige's newer work, I have nothing but respect for him. What he does is still among the best in the world and I feel like he may be one of the most influention Japanese style tattooers around. He belongs in the company of his mentor, Horiyoshi 3, etc. But, for the purposes of this thread/discussion, I really dont jive on his new stuff...

[dirbab]

Right now it'd be Paul Dobleman and Mark Cross for me.

[CABS]

Right now it'd be Paul Dobleman and Mark Cross for me.

Agreed on both. They both have a real distinct style. They're killing every tattoo they do at the moment. Hopefully I can get tattooed by both sometime in 2013.

[hogg]

Miyazo's work floors me damn near every time. Same for the elusive Chris Brand, who is influenced by him, and Drew Flores at State of Grace, who is influenced (and tattooed) by both Miyazo and Brand.

And I have to add @Stewart Robson to the mix, too. That Fudo Myo-o torso he's doing is one of the best tattoos I've ever seen; I am insanely jealous of it.

[kylegrey]

I'm tattoo promiscuous so add Greg Christian and Ivan Szazi ... o.k. a slut Wido de Marvel and Horitoshi I .

[David Flores]

I felt the same way after being introduced to Kore Flatmo's work. His skulls and roses really stood out to me and kind of set a standard by which I personally view other tattoos of the same nature. I do this with certain elements or images from different tattoo artists as well. Another example would be Shige's hannya masks, I love hannya mask tattoos in general but his really appeal to me.

I have become a big fan of Kore Flatmo, funny enough after seeing his interview here. I really enjoy the tattoos he does, I feel like they are representative of him, have a huge impact, and still manage to look like tattoos. Uh Oh I might be falling for Kore Flatmo, you heard it first here folks.

- - - Updated - - -

Steve Byrne, Eli Quinters, and Daniel Trocchio.

Currently, these are my crushes/heroes. From the bold and bright effortless look of Steve and Eli, to the brilliant underrated style of Daniel. They get me stoked to get tattooed.

It seems like every week or so Steve Byrne posts like twenty of the funnest, most colorful well done tattoos around. It's hard not to like his tattoos.

[Dhopper]

Miyazo's work floors me damn near every time. Same for the elusive Chris Brand, who is influenced by him, and Drew Flores at State of Grace, who is influenced (and tattooed) by both Miyazo and Brand.

And I have to add @Stewart Robson to the mix, too. That Fudo Myo-o torso he's doing is one of the best tattoos I've ever seen; I am insanely jealous of it.

Stewart is amazing! He makes me think I will endure the pain to get a big torso tattoo!

[eisen777]

Greg Christian does infact kick ass....same with Jason Scott