Famous flash designs and realism, possible?

[peterpoose]

Hi Chaps,

I am trying to plan something original for my other sleeve and I felt like I wanted to try and use famous, common, traditional flash images but in a realism style from 5 different artists.

Nikko Hurtado will be doing the main top arm piece as I want my mothers portrait but i cant think of a traditional piece that could incorporate her portrait. Maybe a locket or something but I haven't seen anything like this in traditional. This is the only part that I am adamant that I want (the picture of my mum)

I am no expert with traditional even though I grew up with loads of it, so I am hoping you guys could possibly suggest some that could work as realism. This could all be a bad idea lol

I know the panther is a real famous one but I just don't think that would be able to be done in realism and not look like its traditional, plus I already have a panther :)

The following is just ideas from my limited knowledge.

I would like a cobweb on my elbow but done as a 3d with water droplets etc.

Other pieces I think are famous and could work are Anchor, Ship, Dagger through heart, fighting cockerel, Devil with Pitch fork, snake and dagger.

Thats really where I have got to.

Do you guys think this could work or is it a terrible idea?

What other images would you suggest?

Cheers guys :)

[knucklehead211]

Dagger through skull with snake and a banner, eagle as well. You could go with a more traditional girl head portrait of your mom too.

[Graeme]

I like the idea a lot. Are you planning on having the tattoos stand alone or will you have some background tying them together?

For designs, I'd suggest looking in books. There are so many good ones out there: the Sailor Jerry books, that Zeis book (the Scott Harrison page in there is something else), the Flash From the Bowery book, the Dietzel and Burchett books, Flash From the Past/Revisited...there's so much out there. Lucky's Tattoo Museum has a bunch of flash you can look at online to give you inspiration. There's so much neat stuff out there and there's probably a lot more variety and diversity in classic flash than most of us imagine.

I think the biggest challenge with this idea would be doing traditional tattoos in a realistic style while still keeping the feel of traditional tattoos. If that's what you're going for. There's a bit in that Brian Bruno and Mike Rennie interview that really sticks out where Brian is talking about advice that Ed Hardy gave him about drawing: if you're drawing a tiger, you don't want to replicate a photo of it, you want to draw it how it makes you feel. I think that idea basically encapsulates one of the main differences between realism and traditional (loosely defined here) tattoos, and I wonder how bridging the gap between the two will work. Sometimes the most exciting things that happen in tattoos come from pushing boundaries and trying things to see how they'll work, so yeah, I love the idea.

[peterpoose]

I like the idea a lot. Are you planning on having the tattoos stand alone or will you have some background tying them together?

For designs, I'd suggest looking in books. There are so many good ones out there: the Sailor Jerry books, that Zeis book (the Scott Harrison page in there is something else), the Flash From the Bowery book, the Dietzel and Burchett books, Flash From the Past/Revisited...there's so much out there. Lucky's Tattoo Museum has a bunch of flash you can look at online to give you inspiration. There's so much neat stuff out there and there's probably a lot more variety and diversity in classic flash than most of us imagine.

I think the biggest challenge with this idea would be doing traditional tattoos in a realistic style while still keeping the feel of traditional tattoos. If that's what you're going for. There's a bit in that Brian Bruno and Mike Rennie interview that really sticks out where Brian is talking about advice that Ed Hardy gave him about drawing: if you're drawing a tiger, you don't want to replicate a photo of it, you want to draw it how it makes you feel. I think that idea basically encapsulates one of the main differences between realism and traditional (loosely defined here) tattoos, and I wonder how bridging the gap between the two will work. Sometimes the most exciting things that happen in tattoos come from pushing boundaries and trying things to see how they'll work, so yeah, I love the idea.

Thanks guys,

Yes this is exactly the feel I would like to get. I would like a background to tie it all in. I am not totally sure that this idea will work as well as it does in my head as the two types of art are so different, so to get the mix and the right feel maybe really hard to do. I will od course speak to my artists and see for a final decision on whether it can be achieved.

I mean if I do some of the flash as in traditional i realism then is it really traditional? It will just be a realism piece, so maybe this is not such a doable idea :(

[Graeme]

Actually, what about looking to Thomas Woodruff for inspiration here? I don't know why I didn't think of him earlier, but there are some of his paintings in the Art From The Heart Tattootime and he does these really great, refined oil paintings of traditional tattoo themes and imagery and while they don't look like tattoos they get the feel of them right. I could see those working well for you.

[SStu]

The traditional heart and Mom tattoo (the one with the banner) could be reworked so that the portrait filled the heart . . .

[exume]

Mom of no mans land?

[HettyKet]

The classic Bert Grimm butterfly lady head might be a nice basis for the portrait of your mum. The whole project sounds really interesting, I can imagine it working really well. For what that's worth.

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Thanks guys,

Yes this is exactly the feel I would like to get. I would like a background to tie it all in. I am not totally sure that this idea will work as well as it does in my head as the two types of art are so different, so to get the mix and the right feel maybe really hard to do. I will od course speak to my artists and see for a final decision on whether it can be achieved.

I mean if I do some of the flash as in traditional i realism then is it really traditional? It will just be a realism piece, so maybe this is not such a doable idea :(

I can't help wondering if the use negative space as opposed to background might (potentially) have quite a role to play in creating the feel you're after - the rhythm and rhyme of the thing, if you will.

[tay943]

Jody Dawber does some really nice traditional/neo traditional locket tattoos, and I've seen some good realistic lockets done too. Here are a few from her I've got saved on my phone from her instragram...

[peterpoose]

The classic Bert Grimm butterfly lady head might be a nice basis for the portrait of your mum. The whole project sounds really interesting, I can imagine it working really well. For what that's worth.

- - - Updated - - -

I can't help wondering if the use negative space as opposed to background might (potentially) have quite a role to play in creating the feel you're after - the rhythm and rhyme of the thing, if you will.

I have not seen that piece of traditional before and that would certainly work, thank you!

- - - Updated - - -

Actually, what about looking to Thomas Woodruff for inspiration here? I don't know why I didn't think of him earlier, but there are some of his paintings in the Art From The Heart Tattootime and he does these really great, refined oil paintings of traditional tattoo themes and imagery and while they don't look like tattoos they get the feel of them right. I could see those working well for you.

Wow!

I am loving his artwork, right up my street. Only thing is and probably a big thing with this idea is I want BnG and I know this would work so much better with colour....

- - - Updated - - -

Jody Dawber does some really nice traditional/neo traditional locket tattoos, and I've seen some good realistic lockets done too. Here are a few from her I've got saved on my phone from her instragram...

Thanks mate, yes those are the sort of lockets I had in mind but with a more detailed cover of the locket maybe on one side, like opened.

[Patrick Bateman]

Props @peterpoose for getting to get work from Nikko. I got an appointment with Rich Pineda this coming October.

Back to your tattoo though.

Maybe I'm not understanding but you want to tie in aspects of traditional to the sleeve he is going to do on you? And are you having Nikko do that portion as well I assume?

[peterpoose]

Props @peterpoose for getting to get work from Nikko. I got an appointment with Rich Pineda this coming October.

Back to your tattoo though.

Maybe I'm not understanding but you want to tie in aspects of traditional to the sleeve he is going to do on you? And are you having Nikko do that portion as well I assume?

Nikko like all the other artists would all do the same traditional type tattoos in realism. Nikko is doing my mums portrait at the top of my arm and I thought of something around it like from famous flash or traditional work, like the butterfly posted earlier or a mirror or locket? Not sure really, it all looks great in my head lol

It was just an idea to try something new but it may not ever get to being tattooed, as it just might not work. Thinking about fillers also. I love the traditional little stars or dots but I dont think they would fit in well with realism pieces.

I guess I have to speak with the artists and decide if it would work.

At the moment I am thinking it will just look like realism pieces and not have any hint of the traditional side, which is hard to capture in realism I suppose?

Not sure I am making any sense to you guys either lol

[Patrick Bateman]

@peterpoose

Honestly, I would suggest just go to a Barnes and Nobles or Library and look at some art books or tattoo magazines.

Get some ideas because you never know what may inspire an idea.

[peterpoose]

@peterpoose

Honestly, I would suggest just go to a Barnes and Nobles or Library and look at some art books or tattoo magazines.

Get some ideas because you never know what may inspire an idea.

Yep I do research every day non stop on pictures etc even when not looking for ideas for tattoos lol