Who do you think deserves some recognition?

[Stewart Robson]

Ian Flower and Aaron Hewitt are some of the best tattooers in the UK/Europe right now.

Ian: New Skool Tattoos

Aaron: Aaron Hewitt – CULT CLASSIC TATTOO

Nobody ever talks about these guys and I get puzzled looks when I mention their names. I love looking at their work.

[Ursula]

I think Scott McEwan who just left ownership of TCB Tattoo in Toronto to move back home to New Zealand is pretty amazing. I don't know where he's working in NZ but he's somewhere!

Here's a link to the TCB website that has photos TCB Tattoos

Actually, everyone who works there deserves a little recognition because they're all great

[CaptCanada]

I have waited to long add my tattooer to this thread. He lives here in Japan but travels to Mannheim, and Philadelphia (well before philly, had a problem at the airport that he is working on) regularly. Traditional tebori artist, good guy, and fun to talk to. Bunshin Horitoshi

[Ursula]

I've heard of him, I hadn't seen a lot of his work though. It's really really nice

[blessedmatter]

Sailor Eddie Jr in Philadelphia. He's been tattooing for thirty years and is apart of a really rich history in tattooing. His family employed Paul Rogers and he worked with Dan Higgs and Dave Gibson. I got a shark from him last week and it's awesome.

[MsRad]

Sailor Eddie Jr in Philadelphia. He's been tattooing for thirty years and is apart of a really rich history in tattooing. His family employed Paul Rogers and he worked with Dan Higgs and Dave Gibson. I got a shark from him last week and it's awesome.

you should post a picture of it in the shark week thread!

[blessedmatter]

Done and done.

[kylegrey]

My man mostly has a profile in the U.S. but has come back to Glastonbury region - Matin Robson at Exclusive Tattoo.

EXCLUSIVE TATTOOS | Facebook

[hogg]

I have waited to long add my tattooer to this thread. He lives here in Japan but travels to Mannheim, and Philadelphia (well before philly, had a problem at the airport that he is working on) regularly. Traditional tebori artist, good guy, and fun to talk to. Bunshin Horitoshi

Very cool! I'd love to hear how you decided on him or how you came to find him. My guess is that you've got some great stories about it.

[Raskolnikov]

I know he won't be to everyone's tastes, but I do adore the work of Guy Le Tatooer, who works out of a studio in Toulouse, France (and who also does some guest spots in Berlin on occasion). I rarely see him mentioned, which is a blessing in terms of not having a long wait to be seen for work, but it does surprise me as I think he is a master of what he specialises in.

He seems to do mainly animal tattoos, and predominantly b&g. I adore his etching/woodcut/illustrative style, and the mix of detailed anatomical style work with some very expertly creative pointilism. I suppose he could be compared with Duncan X, but I would say he is more refined and his material less dark and influenced by old-school than Mr X.

GUY LE TATOOER

Guy le tatooer

Old Nevermore: Guy le Tatooer

I hope to be going to either Berlin or Toulouse in November to get some work done.

[Ursula]

Raskolnikov I really like the work in the first link, not the style of stuff that i've been getting but it's still really nice. Kind of like Thomas Hooper in a way.

[ChrisM]

I have waited to long add my tattooer to this thread. He lives here in Japan but travels to Mannheim, and Philadelphia (well before philly, had a problem at the airport that he is working on) regularly. Traditional tebori artist, good guy, and fun to talk to. Bunshin Horitoshi

Where does he work when he comes to Philly Capt? Cool to see some Philly love in this thread with Sailor Eddie, Jr. Had never heard of him until now. Speaking of Philly, what about Gus at Olde City? He does some really wacky stuff.

[Raskolnikov]

Yes, it definitely evokes Thomas Hooper too, although not too much, and he clearly has his very own clearly defined style. I often find myself, like you, seeing work that I think is incredibly wonderful but could not imagine getting myself. Over the years I have marvelled at the work of Berit Uhlhorn in Germany and Musa working out of Tribo in Prague, but never thought it would suit me. I have done a complete 180 degree on that in the past few months, and I am focussed on getting work by both. Can't see myself ever getting any bio-mech work though, as much as I respect the ability and imagination required to do it well.

[Ursula]

I'm not saying I wouldn't get that style of tattooing, it's just not something I have done yet. I love Thomas' work and your guy's stuff is really nice too, I'd get tattooed by either of them no problem!

Capt - I hadn't heard of Sailor Eddie Jr. but now that I know I'd get tattooed by him any day

Some other people who's stuff I really like is Mike Bruce and Mike Woods both from Inksmith, they've got a habit of great tattooers named Mike, it's to bad only one of them is known by most!

[Stewart Robson]

Personally that scratchy, graphic stuff gets too much attention as it is. I like it less than colour realism.

I don't think it belongs in tattooing, a way for an artist to express themselves on somebody else's body. I know the people ask for it and pay for it, but part of a tattooer's job it to stop people getting ugly shit they will want covered when they grow up and see real tattoos done properly. Actually, I apply that to anything that doesn't look like a tattoo. "how clever, it doesn't look like a tattoo"

I know this makes me sound like a dick, but I've seen it time and time again. I've even made some of the same mistakes myself, getting bold graphic crap that I thought made me special and clever. It didn't. It just ruined the space for a proper tattoo.

I think what Hooper does is capture the same urge to be bold and different but he executes it with an amazing eye for design and respect for the body, not to mention his work is filtered through his knowledge of tattooing as a whole.

Horses for courses I guess....

[Stewart Robson]

Holy shit! Curse my human typing fingers and forgetful brain.

Any discussion about who needs more recognition should include Mike the Athens. Mike The Athens - Mahashakti

His stuff always blows me away.

[jade1955]

Geometric black & grey isn't really my thing but Tomas Tomas turns out some pretty amazing work. Apologies if he's already had a mention.

[Raskolnikov]

Tomas Tomas is unbelievably good.

[Ursula]

I'm not really into that back piece, but that doesn't make it shitty or anything.

Stewart - I think Thomas' stuff is pretty amazing. The Guy Le Tattooer stuff isn't as good but I still like some of it. I wouldn't get anything big from either of them but I wouldn't mind something small.

[Stewart Robson]

Stewart - I think Thomas' stuff is pretty amazing. The Guy Le Tattooer stuff isn't as good but I still like some of it.

Yeah, I like Thomas Hooper's stuff a lot. I'm usually very impressed with Tomas Tomas too.

I was talking about the other stuff that looks like streaks of paint with typewriter font and the occasional anatomical heart. There's a couple of people in eastern Europe doing it, maybe someone in France and some guys and girls in Latin America.

I only said something because it was kinda mentioned in the same post as Thomas Hooper. I think Thomas is one of the bravest and most technically skilled tattooers working today and his sense of design and application boggles my mind sometimes. I could go on for hours about why I'm impressed by his work but it would make me feel weird next time I see him.

[Ursula]

Ah yes i know what you mean, I generally don't like any of that shit either.

[Raskolnikov]

Yeah, I like Thomas Hooper's stuff a lot. I'm usually very impressed with Tomas Tomas too.

I was talking about the other stuff that looks like streaks of paint with typewriter font and the occasional anatomical heart. There's a couple of people in eastern Europe doing it, maybe someone in France and some guys and girls in Latin America.

I only said something because it was kinda mentioned in the same post as Thomas Hooper. I think Thomas is one of the bravest and most technically skilled tattooers working today and his sense of design and application boggles my mind sometimes. I could go on for hours about why I'm impressed by his work but it would make me feel weird next time I see him.

Oh, you were talking about of work such as Berit Uhlhorn in Germany and Musa working out of Tribo in Prague that I mentioned in context of work I have come around to? That's interesting because I've never thought of them as not looking like tattoos, other than I think they don't look explicitly like traditional or neo-traditional. Also, I imagine there are people getting both modern and neo-traditional work for a variety of bad reasons, but I imagine trying to look cool and clever must be up there as the most common bad reason for all styles.

I like to see people like Berit, who also does extensive work in hospitals with cosmetic tattooing (such as nipple tattoos on women who have had mastectomies, or skin shading on people who have had invasive surgery), pushing tattooing art in a way that shows true artistry, rather than scratching away doing other people's flash.

My personal view is that Guy is doing something more interesting than Hooper, though I respect them both massively, of course. It's definitely personal.

[Stewart Robson]

Just because people get crappy traditional tattoos doesn't mean that solidly tattooed pseudo graphic 'art' should be tattooed.

From looking at the sites you linked to Berit Uhlhorn's work is nothing like Musa's. The only similarity is the acidental looking placement with irregular negative space.

I like to see people like Berit, who also does extensive work in hospitals with cosmetic tattooing.... or skin shading on people... pushing tattooing art in a way that shows true artistry, rather than scratching away doing other people's flash.

Your condescending, lofty tone about tattooing flash and 'artistry' rings hollow without the experience to know that fixing a skin tone simply won't work. While helping the self esteem of post-surgery patients is commendable, it doesn't make it art.

There are things that make a tattoo look like a tattoo, regardless of style. Bending those rules is inventive while breaking them is a disservice to the wearers body. It was never my intention to shout you down, I just didn't like genuine innovative tattooing, within the rules that make tattooing work be mentioned alongside pseudo graphic art on skin. Even as an illustrative style, it's dated and most of the innovators of that style within illustrators have moved on.

I know this thread is about opinions and Guy's work looks nice but it wouldn't exist without Duncan X and Hooper.

[Gregor]

I dont like all that stenciley paint smearey stuff (buena vista tattoo club ?) stuff myself , seems very faddy , plus all the arseyness yoiu hear about them not giving you much input in the design seems a bit elite , maybe because the designs are so random/abstract ?

[MsRad]

the work by Musa looks really horrible.

oh and was Tomas Tomas around before Hooper? i feel really stupid asking, but i only do because Hooper has said he is heavily influenced/inspired by him. i wonder the same about Jondix, but since i learened about Jondix at the same time as Hooper, i don't really know either of their histories, and his blog doesn't seem to have anything about it. i guess it doesn't really matter, i was just curious.