Woman head in spider web design

[jadore]

Mine might be a stupid question,

But I'm getting in less then a month an old school woman head surrounded by a spiderweb and a spider on my leg. I know this is a classic tattoo, but I'm wondering who created it first and where could I find example of it? I tried to look up for old school woman + spider web but couldn't find similar examples, all I found was a spider with a woman-head. Do you have any example of this design? thanks.

[Dan]

so you have an artist to do this work ? sounds like you have an appointment already ?  doesn't the artist have a drawing for you to approve of the tattoo you are getting in less than a month ?  or,uh,what am I missing here ?

Edited June 3, 2016 by Dan

[jadore]

I already have the appoinment and he did a quick sketch on paper just to see the size and the general composition, I already discussed with him the tattoo. Mine is more a cultural reference: who invented this design and where could I find images of this design. The only image similar to this is a tattoo I found by Olivia Dawn.

[oboogie]

My artist did this on someone:

Edited June 3, 2016 by oboogie

[jadore]

3 minutes ago, oboogie said:

<iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fphoto.php%3Ffbid%3D1071258166263983%26set%3Da.1022439551145845.1073741826.100001394307876%26type%3D3&width=500" width="500" height="503" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowTransparency="true"></iframe>

Yes, I was looking for something like this, I will add the spider hanging from the spiderweb and two flowers to balance the composition and make it look a little bit less, let's say "creepy". I'm really looking forward to this!

[Dan]

24 minutes ago, jadore said:

I already have the appoinment and he did a quick sketch on paper just to see the size and the general composition, I already discussed with him the tattoo. Mine is more a cultural reference: who invented this design and where could I find images of this design. The only image similar to this is a tattoo I found by Olivia Dawn.

well I don't think you will find a "cultural reference: who invented this design" of it,the only thing I think you will find is examples of what other artists have drawn up & done in a tattoo,I don't think there is a "cultural reference",that's like asking for a "cultural reference" of a swallow or anchor tattoo,it's just art IMO.

Edited June 3, 2016 by Dan

[oboogie]

2 minutes ago, jadore said:

Yes, I was looking for something like this, I will add the spider hanging from the spiderweb and two flowers to balance the composition and make it look a little bit less, let's say "creepy". I'm really looking forward to this!

Be sure to post photos! :-)

He was doing a book of flash with the cartoon artist who does Please Keep Warm. My Prison Tat Jesus was part of the same series.

[lape]

My friend has one pretty much like that done by someone at Idle Hands in SF. I'm pretty sure it's a classic design but I don't know who it's from originally.

[jadore]

13 hours ago, Dan said:

well I don't think you will find a "cultural reference: who invented this design" of it,the only thing I think you will find is examples of what other artists have drawn up & done in a tattoo,I don't think there is a "cultural reference",that's like asking for a "cultural reference" of a swallow or anchor tattoo,it's just art IMO.

Yeah, I know I can't find a cultural reference, but I was meaning, do you know if one of the famous old school tattoo masters have this particular design in their flash sheets? Like let's say if you see some design you can tell is from Sailor Jerry or Amund Dietzel, I was asking if in this sense, this design can be attributed to someone in particular!

[marley mission]

@jadore not a stupid question at all

listen to ed hardy discuss the origins of the iconic crawling panther

https://youtu.be/dbhzMC2tjRU

[jadore]

32 minutes ago, marley mission said:

@jadore not a stupid question at all

listen to ed hardy discuss the origins of the iconic crawling panther

https://youtu.be/dbhzMC2tjRU

Thanks, yeah one aspect I like most of tattoos is thei transformation and transmission troughout ages and meanings.

[byzantine]

@jadore probably jensen or grimm - try searching their flash 

Edited June 4, 2016 by byzantine
spelling mistake

[Cork]

On 6/3/2016 at 6:41 PM, Dan said:

so you have an artist to do this work ? sounds like you have an appointment already ?  doesn't the artist have a drawing for you to approve of the tattoo you are getting in less than a month ?  or,uh,what am I missing here ?

It's not uncommon to show up on the day of and not know what you're getting.

[oboogie]

On 6/4/2016 at 6:31 PM, Cork said:

It's not uncommon to show up on the day of and not know what you're getting.

I trust my artist. I don't know exactly what I'm getting until I turn up on the day. Never been disappointed.

[HettyKet]

The classic girl head / web images were surely inspired by the circus sideshow spider ladies? Here.  I don't know who drew the first flash though, or when. It's often not possible to track these things right back.

But, you can see ladies / cherubs (not sure which) on web, although not enclosed by it, on the feet and ankles of Stella Grassman. All her work was done by her husband Deafy. Photo is from the 1920s. 

If you're after something a little less 'dark' than variations on the classic design  often are, and are wanting to add flowers too, you might want to consider something along the lines of this lovely by Virginia Elwood.  Ladyroses are a classic in themselves, of course, the combination of the two works really well, I think. 

 

That said. I prefer to hand over a bit of reference and let my tattooer get on with the drawing, rather than give too much specific direction about composition though. Am not a fan of giving other tattooers work as reference, but I can see why you want to. Have you had your consultation yet? 

Never had drawings in advance of the day myself either, BTW. He'd be happy to make changes if it wasn't 'right', for sure. Hasn't be necessary yet mind.

 

In other news, this, is image absolutely dying to be turned into a tattoo. 

(from either Punch, or the London Charivari, November 1867)

Edit - Agree that it's not a stupid question, @jadore. Not at all.

Edited June 27, 2016 by HettyKet

[HettyKet]

Ooh look, there's this from this article. 

Titled: "Sweetheart-and-spiderweb" back piece popular with English officers during the Boer War. From Portland Sunday Oregonian, January 7, 1900, p. 16

[El Dolmago]

Great Image,

Glennie at the Pearl told me (as she was doing my butterfly-ladyhead that many of those iconic turn-of the century images (like ladyheads) were copied from popular advertisements - your lady head could be from a matchbook cover!

Edited June 30, 2016 by El Dolmago

[jadore]

Thank you for your great responses,

At the end I got this woman by Dane Soos, I took the hanging spider off in order to have more space for a future tattoo:

[HettyKet]

She's just perfect!