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smiling.politely

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Everything posted by smiling.politely

  1. smiling.politely
    Short time lapse video I made of a painting a few nights ago... decided to try to do a rose to fill up a scrap piece of Arches, with no pre-drawing or sketch of any kind. Also, I forgot my real webcam, so it's 240p. To top it all off, a bad Instagram photo... I need to be a better documentarian.
  2. smiling.politely
    Not really related to the show itself, but I saw this comment on the YouTube video about Chris O'Donnell that was the precursor to Tattoo Age... I sighed very, very deeply upon reading it. "his color saturation isn't the greatest, ive been watching too much ink master."
  3. smiling.politely
    Photo heavy post... I'll include the captions from the Life article where appropriate. Not going to post the whole Irezumi book because there's lots of images, and there's something magical about flipping through that thing... some things are best discovered through some digging. These are by far the coolest shots from it, though. The tattooer they cover is called Apache Harry. There's a shot of his travel kit and flash set up on the first page. He has a sign reading "Tattoos Removed Without Scars. Apache Harry. #22 Bowery NYC." "For decorating 'Six Ring' Dutch and other clients, tattooist Apache Harry makes $3,000 a year." "Front view of Michael Brandmaier. His 300 designs by Apache Harry are worth $400." "Rear view of Michael Brandmaier. It took four years to tattoo him all over." " 'Professor' Wagner is responsible for this girl's condition." Irezumi, 1966.
  4. smiling.politely
    A few new acquisitions I can photograph tonight and post later... much like the old Life magazine with the "Jap gamblers" I posted images of awhile back, I have a 1936 issue with a two page spread covering some American style tattoos. I think there's a lady with a Charlie Wagner suit in it. Also, I got a copy of Irezumi by Ichiro Morita and Donald Ritchie... don't ask what that took. I'll try to get some from that one up as well.
  5. smiling.politely
    @Graeme I definitely am excited... I wish the convention would just start today. Really... I can't wait one minute more to get to Texas.
  6. smiling.politely
    Aaaaaaaaaand I booked an appointment with Civ for the West Texas Tattoo Convention in a month. Steve Byrne hand and Civ elbow filler on the same arm. Probably going to see about a dagger on my shoulders from someone as well, depending on budget and who has time. Stoked.
  7. smiling.politely
    and if you do continue to use ointment or lotion try out using far less. rather than leaving a big shiny layer put on a tiny amount and rub it all the way in. a good rule of thumb is if it's shiny, there's generally too much stuff on it.
  8. smiling.politely
    even better, post up examples of his sterilization set up and supply of varying disinfectants... far more important than what the tattoos look like.
  9. smiling.politely
    @Dbeatdano You know the old saying, "If the horses won't drink, drown them in the water." Something like that.
  10. smiling.politely
    Small Paul just did a Hyottoko mask with a huge amount of white packed into it, and I believe Valerie Vargas did a rose that was packed solid white recently. As long as the expectation isn't for a lifelong snow white tattoo, it's not the worst thing in the world.
  11. smiling.politely
    Not one on myself, but one I put on a good friend recently. He came home for New Year's to surprise his family, and drove three hours to surprise my fiancée before she went home to Ireland. I was the only one who knew of his plans, and thankfully he avoided all the snow issues. Inside of the knee/thigh... or the No Fun Zone.
  12. smiling.politely
    Working on my front piece every other week for the next month and a half (hooray for day off tattoos), then headed to the West Texas Tattoo Convention to get my right hand tattooed by Steve Byrne. Also, depending on budget and peoples' availability, I may try and get a Japanese flavored dagger through my neck, or some kind of small Japanese mask filler in one of those awkward spots you sometimes get around the elbows.
  13. smiling.politely
    First try with One Shot from a month or so ago... Going to have to try it out more when it's warm enough to sit on the balcony, or I can put a fume vent in my apartment.
  14. smiling.politely
    Haven't finished these just yet, but bad Instagram photos of a few new sheets I started a week or two back...
  15. smiling.politely
    @MadeIndelible, thanks for thinking of me in any capacity. Not sure if I'm killing it yet... Hope to be maiming it in the next few years! In terms of someone killing it, my friend Stewart O'Keefe of Bullman's Tattoo in Limerick, Ireland is fantastic. He was destroying lettering before he even started tattooing. I was very happy to get one from him over the summer while visiting my fiancee, although I don't seem to have a decent photo anywhere. Instagram
  16. smiling.politely
    We've done a few at our shop... the first one was in the summer of 2012, and we had a decent volume of people, about half new and half repeat clients. Several of the new folks have since been back a few times, one of them every few months to add palm sized pieces here and there. The second one was this last October, and we were barely busier than a normal Friday. But, of the two of us doing them, there were only two or three people that weren't regular clients, and they came with someone who was. The first one was mainly to get new people in the door, and the second one was more to try and thank our customer base. In those goals, we seemed to be decently successful. That being said, we don't intend to do them every Friday the 13th, because we'd prefer doing it as an occasional fun sort of thing, rather than a gimmick.
  17. smiling.politely
    A few new ones... just have Instagram photos, unfortunately. The rose and mini-bodysuit are 5"x7", the Rock of Ages is 11"x14".
  18. smiling.politely
    When I first started, I was tattooing a friend of mine, Jimmy, every week for about 8 months. His mother's reactions were always the polite negativity that has been mentioned here, until she saw that it was making him very happy, and he felt a sense of belonging somewhere. Eventually, his brother Joey started coming in with his wife as well. Their mom also had some of the older stereotypes, and between beginning to appreciate the art and craft side of it, and watching Joey's old house tattoos get blasted over, and seeing what we were all like at the shop, she came around. In my family, no one really approves on dad's side, but don't say much to your face (aside from my grandpa to my dad once or twice). On mom's side, it's a bit more white trash, so they're all down, but they have tended to lean towards house tattoos. That being said, a few cousins from that side, as well as my uncle, have come in and it's been my honor to tattoo them. Hopefully, I can convert a few more here and there.
  19. smiling.politely
    Agreed... I'm thinking of soaking one in green soap to see if it works. It probably won't work, but why not...
  20. smiling.politely
    In our state, we have a yearly inspector visit to make sure we're keeping up to code. The last time she came through, she had a trainee with her to start splitting up the state between a few people. The new one thought the same thing. It was also her first time in a tattoo shop. At least they're getting people who are well acquainted with the process to take care of that stuff.
  21. smiling.politely
    Tattooing out of a home 20 or 30 years ago is different than tattooing out of a home now. In many places back then, it was illegal, and if it was legal, there wasn't much to choose from. With thousands upon thousands times as many shops these days, the old "There's no one around" excuse is moot. An hour's drive is no big deal. Put your equipment away and research, rather than either do poor tattoos, or even if you do decent tattoos with poor habits you'll have to unlearn later, if things come together for you.
  22. smiling.politely
    I've got a few, some of them only semi-intentional. One of my hetero-lifemates, Raul, and I have a set of Fear and Loathing referencing shin daggers we started, which i have yet to complete. Waiting to go visit him in Arizona and possibly get Aaron Coleman to do his take on the lizard dagger on me. My fiancee and I have a few... Welsh "true love" tattoos from Jordan Teear, Sailor Jerry flash to commemorate his 101st birthday from Wal Lira, and another lil background piece. My friend/co-worker Jimmy and I have matching sailor skulls from Dobleman flash. And a few of my small town friends and I have tattoos for our hometown of 120 people, Fall River, KS. I only seem to have photos of the shin daggers on hand, though. This was also the first tattoo I got from the gentleman who eventually gave me a job, and granted me the honor of learning to tattoo.
  23. smiling.politely
    Found a few old printmaking pieces from college while moving... a 3'x4' woodcut and a all the stages of a few 8"x10" multi-plate etchings. Also, tried woodburning on a mini-skateboard the other day... looking forward to learning the process.
  24. smiling.politely
    Has anyone covered up a UV tattoo and seen any ill effects in the end result? Had a client come in wanting to cover one her cousin did (house tats!) when it finishes healing, but my coworker who talked to her wasn't sure if it would still show through under UV light, and/or have any other ill/negative effects. Feel free to message me, or even just delete this if it's treading too far into trade info.
  25. smiling.politely
    Finished this guy today. Added a vajra bell and a key to finish it off before background. Probably going to get prints made, when I can find a suitable printer.
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