Eye Candy

 Amanda Ruby 

 Dan Trocchio 

 Frankie Carracioli 

 Grez 

 Jason McAfee 

 Javier Ocho Placas 

 Juan Puente 

 Peter Lagergren  1

 Peter Lagergren 2

 Scott Campbell

 Seth Wood 1

Seth Wood 2

Louis Molly

Without a doubt, one of the things that I love the most about tattoo and the culture of tattoo is its tolerance for all people, from all walks of life.  Black, white, male, female, gay, straight – you name it, everyone is represented to some degree.  It’s a really inclusive environment that always holds true to the concept of whatever you like – it’s your business and your body.  Brilliant.

In keeping with that lovely aspect of tattoo culture, I’d thought I’d include an interview done by the fine folks at Gay Star News with tattoo artist extraordinaire, Louis Molloy.  The man responsible for 85% of football superstar David Beckham’s tattoos dishes out the goods on what makes a good tattoo, his own tattoos and a few other little odds and ends in this short but sweet interview.

Louis Molloy has been working as a tattoo artist for over three decades, inking some of the world’s most famous people, including soccer star David Beckham and British Olympic and Tour de France champion cyclist Bradley Wiggins.

He told us what trends are cool, why you shouldn’t always follow in celebrity’s footsteps and some tattoos you should never get.

How did you get started as a tattoo artist?

A common question that is difficult for me to answer. I got into tattooing properly when I was 14 and opened my studio when I was 18 and that was in 1981.

Do you ever tattoo yourself?

I have tattooed myself and I think all tattoo artists do it at some point, but it is very difficult to do.

How many tattoos do you have?

I have two full sleeves and my entire chest is tattooed. I also have some work on my legs that I did myself many years ago.

What process do you normally follow with a client? Do most people come to you with a clear idea of what they want or do they look to you to design something for them?

Most people come with a concept from which the design is then worked up but some people have no idea except that they want to be tattooed. These are nightmare clients!

Do you ever have to persuade people that the tattoo that they’ve got their heart set on may not actually be a good choice?

If I don’t agree with a client’s choice or think they are making a mistake, I will point this out and sometimes even refuse to do the work. Partners’ names are the classic example of a tattoo you shouldn’t get, for obvious reasons.

Have you ever refused to create a tattoo that someone has asked you to do?

Yes, often.

What makes a great tattoo?

Difficult to answer as it’s in the eye of the beholder but the lines should be crisp and neat, shading finely graduated and colors should be bright and even.

What are some of the most common mistakes people make when getting a tattoo?

Biggest mistake most people make is that they assume all tattooists are equal and they are definitely not. For every good tattooist there are 10 bad ones so do your homework beforehand.

The other classic mistake is not properly looking after a tattoo once you have it. I always recommend clients apply Forever Ink Balm to help protect and recover newly tattooed skin and longer term that they use Forever Ink Shield, an everyday moisturizer with an SPF 45 and a unique ink lock technology to keep tattoos looking vibrant. Nothing is worse than a faded, sun-damaged tattoo – and I have seen plenty of them.

What are some of the current trends we’re seeing in the types of tattoos people are getting?

Religious inspired imagery is very popular at the moment.

Why do people want tattoos?

Many, many answers to this but I think its mostly as a personal way of individualizing one’s self.

Is getting a tattoo painful? Are there parts of the body that are more painful than others?

All tattoos hurt but it is a manageable pain. Boney areas will hut most!

Are there any tattoo trends or styles that are specific to gay men or lesbians?

No. Tattooing is one of the only industries where gender and sexuality cross all boundaries and equality reigns.

You’ve tattooed David Beckham – which of his tattoos are you responsible for?

I have done around 85% of David’s tattoos.

Did Beckham know what he wanted or were you able to have some input into the final creation?

I worked to verbal briefs given to me from him.

Does working on celebrities add to the pressure of creating the tattoo? If you make a mistake the world will be judging it?

Celeb or not, all people are equal in my studio. I am not fazed by celebrity however I recently tattooed Sir Bradley Wiggins and I was excited to work on him as I am a keen cyclist myself but I was not nervous.

Do the tattoos celebrities get influence the types of tattoos that the rest of us aspire to?

The best thing to come from celebs being tattooed is the fact they have helped tattooing become more socially acceptable.

There are many celebs who have influenced trends, but not all good! Cheryl Cole had a tattoo done on her hand a few years ago and this inspired many copycats and I think there will be many regrets with that one.

Tattoo Mafia

If you’ve never heard of the Yakuza, then you probably don’t know much about Japanese tattoo.  Not that the Yakuza and Japanese tattoo go hand in hand, but the Yakuza has played and still does play a large role in the way that tattoos are viewed and utilised in Japan.  It’s a very interesting sub-culture and one that should be studied by anyone within even a minor interest in Japanese tattoo culture.

So check out this documentary on the Yakuza and their tattoos.  It’s a good place to start for anyone wanting a bit of background info on the subject.

The Magic of Tattoo

As I’ve noted on here several times before, Asia in particular is a hotbed of tattoo activity.  Despite there being (for the most part) vastly different approaches to the aesthetic, the opinion of and the general process of tattoo, Asian cultures all have very widespread and diverse appreciation for tattoo as a culture and artistic endeavour.  One of the more interesting aspects of tattoo found in Asia is the so-called “magic” tattoos – tattoos that are said to bring their bearer everything from luck to courage and strength to invisibility.  Whatever your take on the probability of such tattoos actually working is not really important.  The ritual and belief in these representations of culture is all that truly matters.  In addition to the ritual significance of the tattoos, they are intricately designed and hand poked, often by monks.  What’s more, there are even massive festivals that celebrate these unique tattoos in Thailand, in which thousands of people attend and a select few retain the honour of being tattooed.

For those of you out there with a potential interest in this aspect of tattoo but with no cash or time to actually travel to Thailand, no worries.  A new book on the topic called Thai Magic Tattoos: The Art and Influence of Sak Yant might be just the thing you’re looking for.  The book catalogues the various Thai religious aspects of these spiritual tattoos with plenty of photos and explanation that will aid even the most ardent information seeker get what they’re looking for.  If you’re interested in a review of the book itself, check it out here.  And for those of you who do seek out this book but still want more, the Wat Bang Phra holds its massive tattoo festival in Thailand every March.  Might be worth the trip.

Fuck Yeah Quality Tattoos

 Carlos Torres, California

 Hand Owl - Chil Victor

 "He who makes a beast of himself gets rid of the pain of being a man." - Mike Devries

 The Kurt Locker - Nikko Hurtado

 Nick Baxter chest piece

 Catolicism by Nick Baxter

 O’Hare (get it?) - Nick Chaboya

 By Mulysa Mayhem @Good Mojo Tattoos 

 by Charles Spataro at Siren Studios

 Petit Poids

 Emily Rose Murray 

 Chris Nieves

 Vincent Brun Bodkin Tattoo 

 Eye Reflection by Stefano Alcantara

 tattoo start magazine

Tattoo done by Carlos Rojas.

Bad Call

Right, okay, back once again to the topic of bad tattoos.  I’m not sure why I’ve been thinking about this lately, but fortunately, there is no shortage of news out there on exactly this topic.  The most recent example of a bad tattoo is courtesy of 22-year-old Brit John Forsyth.  So enamoured with the top 40 hit ‘Wake Me Up’ by Swedish pop star Avicii, he decided that it would be a great idea to get the lyrics to said song tattooed down his side.  According to Forsyth, the lyrics tell the story of his life.  Fair enough, maybe they do.  If it makes the guy happy, then great.  The sad truth of the matter is that the lyrics to ‘Wake Me Up’ are standard generic pop lyrics.  They undoubtedly tell the story of Forsyth’s life just as they do a billion other people.  There’s no real story here, it’s just a collection of vague platitudes that seem to really speak to you when you’re Forsyth’s age.  And that’s fine, but I mean at age 22 you haven’t really done anything.  So to take up the entire right side of your body with the story of your life is kind of a joke.  Again, it’s his body, I just wouldn’t recommend this sort of tattoo to anyone.

Incase you’re curious, here’s what John has to say about the tattoo and his reasons for getting it.

What prompted you to get a tattoo this large? Were you drunk when you had it done?

It was just a decision I made, I was sober when I had it done. I thought about it for a few weeks.

Do you have a girlfriend? What does she think about it?

I don’t have a girlfriend at the minute, but all the girls I know they all like it. They all think it’s sick.

Did it hurt a lot getting it done?

Yeah, most painful tattoo I’ve had. It took four and a half hours, all in one sitting.

What responses are you getting? Do you have any Twitter haters?

 I’ve had about over a thousand retweets. But yeah, I’ve gotten messages from people saying: It’s shit, eat shit and all that. Saying you’re gonna regret it. But I don’t care what they think, because I’m not going to regret it. It’s my choice.

What would you say to Avicii if you met him? Would you show him the tattoo?

Obviously I’d show him. I’d probably ask him if I could have a picture with him. Maybe offer a beer. Just be like I am with anyone I first met when I’m doing my job. How’s it going, what’s your name and all that. Well, obviously I know his name…

Someone on Twitter said some words are misspelled. Is that the case?

Yeah, actually there are a couple of words that are misspelled. But I’m going to get that sorted out. It’s cause it was such a big piece. In “caught” it hasn’t got the line going through the “t”. It’s a five minute job.

Any wise words for the people out there?

Everyone should just do what they want. Live life to the most every day. Literally I just do what I want everyday. I don’t think about what could happen in ten years time, because I don’t know if I’ll be here. I live life to the max. Most nights of the week I go out and get completely off my ass. It’s part of the job. Everyone that works here gets drunk every night. It’s a lifestyle.

And there you have it.  If you’ve never heard the song in question, check it out below.

Oh and FYI, John?  Getting drunk every night isn’t “a lifestyle”.  It’s called being 22. 

MAINE!

I’m always looking to hear about different scenes in different cities.  I tend to travel a lot and while I travel, I’m always on the look out for new and different tattoo studios and if I can, to meet new and different artists.  I’m really hoping that this year I’ll be able to get to a very specific – and as of right now – secret location in order to get tattooed by a tattooist whom I have a lot of respect for.  I’m keeping my fingers crossed and seeing how this year pans out.
Anyway, as I was saying, I love to learn about different scenes, yeah.  Some of you might cringe over the use of the words “tattoo scene”, but I don’t give a rat’s ass if you do.  Cities have scenes, like it or not.  If I go and check out the tattoo studios in London, England, it’s going to be a completely different experience from checking out the studios in L.A. or Seoul.  Different people, different styles, different attitudes, different ink.  That my friends, is a scene.

Now, maybe I’m naive and uninformed on what’s going on in America, but according to this article in The Maine Sunday Telegram, Maine is actually quite the little tattoo spot.  I’m going to be honest and say that until now, I’d never even considered Maine as a place where there could be a lot going on in terms of tattoo.  But I guess I was wrong.  One of the great things about Maine’s tattoo scene is that all the studios are licensed and regulated.  This is always a touchy subject, but I happen to be all for regulation.  At present time the officials in charge of the inspections are only there to concern themselves with hygiene, but hopefully as time goes on these jobs will be filled by people who are really invested in the tattoo industry and who appreciated it for the art form that it is.
At any rate, I recommend checking out the article on Maine and discovers some of the interesting facts about the place and its relationship with tattoo.  It’s particularly cool that such a high percentage of tattooists in Maine are women.  It’s nice to see a variety of genders and races within any particular scene.  Keep up the good work, Maine and I hope to get down and see you all one day soon.