Tag Archives: tattoo

When a lot of people think about forearm tattoos, they think about sleeves, but your forearms have more tattoo options than just being a part of sleeve designs. The very first picture in this gallery actually shows off an incredibly creative way to utilize your forearms in tandem. Your forearms have a lot of premium tattoo real estate to work with and it’s one of the less sensitive parts to get tattooed too, with easy post-tattoo care and management. They’re also easily concealed under a suit jacket, making them great for the workplace! (Your coworkers never have to know you have them.) If this gallery doesn’t make you want your own forearm tattoos, we don’t know what will.  Read More »

Hey, I heard you like tattoos, so we put tattoos on your tattoos! Okay, maybe that reference is a little dated, but these tattoos certainly aren’t. A lot of people, and apparently animals, simply look better with tattoos. Tattoos gives them character, accentuate their muscles and curves, and – most importantly – look really badass. See! Disney princesses aren’t the only characters that look better with tattoos. For everyone who loves tattoos as much as we do, we’ve put together this tattoo-ception gallery all about tattoos sporting other tattoos. We love it, and we’re sure you will too.  Read More »

A person’s tattoo is a representation of their personality, beliefs, and values. As people evolve and transition into a better version of their former selves, a suitable tattoo must be inked accordingly. In order to get a tattoo that is truly unique and states your individuality, let go of all the notions you’ve formed regarding body art. In order to get the right tattoo, lock into the inspiration that’s driving you through life. Whether you wish to mark an achievement, a major event in your life, or honor a close friend or family member, the sentimental value behind a tattoo is what makes it meaningful to you. There can be multiple things going on in your mind that may require careful consideration. Should you feel even the slightest hesitation in your decision, think again. Your commitment to this decision should come before everything else. While many things can be done if you aren’t as thrilled about a tattoo when you first get it, such as cover up tats or laser removal, one should never enter a studio with short-lived or questionable tattoo ideas. While some tattoos do represent current trends and fashion statements, from music to sports teams, you should think long and hard about what speaks and resonates with you because fashion and trends have a habit of dying out. Here are a few things you should take into consideration before locking in your decision to get a tattoo. Your Personality A lot of people often opt to get tattoos ...Read More »

The Grim Reaper. The Angel of Death. The Hooded One… Whatever you may call him, the reaper is a symbol that represents death and passing into a new world. He’s the guide that takes us from this plane to the next. Most of us surely have known the grim reaper image, it is considered as one of the deadly symbols in the history of symbolic art. Most people can recognize the grim look and the razor-sharp scythe that are permanent traits of the reaper.Read More »

Who doesn’t like a tattoo of a sexy pair of lips?  Lips are a focal part of an expression and almost always noticed as an important part of a woman’s sexuality. We think these are some of the most luscious lip tattoos around, what do you think?        Read More »

Bob Tyrell is an American Tattoo Artist based in Warren, Michigan. He was born in Detroit and began tattooing in his early 30’s. He is most known for his black and grey work in hyperrealism and Rock and Roll subject matter. He tattooed Kid Rock’s back and boasts a 8 month long waiting list.. He has been featured in LA Ink and London Ink.Read More »

There isn’t a more powerful way to identify one’s love for their nation than with a patriotic tattoo. It’s a meaningful way for an individual to symbolize their devotion, national pride, and sense of patriotism towards their country. The main element of patriotic tattoos is usually a flag of the person’s country, or the flag colors, accompanied by a ferocious looking national animal. The Motivation behind Patriotic Tattoos Showing No-Nonsense Patriotism Some people who have undying love for their country of origin or residence often wish to express their devotion in a public manner. The statement that an individual with a patriotic tattoo communicates to the world is often that they will not bear it if others bad mouth about their country and its people. Appreciating the Country’s Saviors Another motivation behind patriotic tattoos, along with showing your devotion, is appreciating and respecting the men and women who put their lives on the line and sacrificed themselves for their homeland and its people. Those who wish to honor the memory of loved ones lost in war can get a patriotic tattoo to keep their memories alive and carry it around with them for the rest of their lives. Showing Support A patriotic tattoo doesn’t necessarily have to be a country’s flag. Showing support to a group or organization that works for the benefit of the country is also considered a patriotic tattoo. The logo can be tattooed to show your unquestionable support for the cause. It all depends on the ...Read More »

All art is subjective. Where one person sees a blue canvas with a line going through it, another sees an insightful critique on postmodernism. This subjectivity heightens every art form and style, from abstract to altermodern, allowing for each thousand word picture to convey multiple messages that speak volumes to a variety of people. That’s why people all over the world appreciate art, and what better way is there to appreciate your favorite art style than to get a tattoo utilizing it? We here at tattoo magazine tend to show galleries that learn more towards realistic imagery because most people like to get tattoos of their interests and passions, but the gallery below is dedicated to the abstract and uniquely artistic. From renditions of Van Gogh’s famous painting, “The Starry Night”, to unique abstract works, the tattoos below show their wearer’s love of traditional art while showing a tattoo artist’s classically trained abilities. Anyone who says tattooing isn’t art clearly hasn’t seen any of these tattoos. They require a deft hand, intense concentration and artistic ability that rivals, if not surpasses, that of traditional artists. Some of the greatest tattoo artists in the world spend thousands upon thousands of hours practicing their art and perfecting their technique. They don’t get a second chance to erase and start again. They have one opportunity to perfectly encapsulate a client’s vision. How anyone could call tattooing anything but art is mind-boggling. If you have friends or family members who can’t seem to wrap ...Read More »

Kaiyu Huang a.k.a. Normal Carrey, who was born in Shanghai creates some pretty amazing esoteric artwork that are stunning tattoos.  He currently lives and works in New York City, and is a student at Parsons the New School.  Normal started tattooing in 2013 and oddly enough had no tattoos himself when he started.  His unique brand of asthetic tattoo art features statuesque portraits and is comprised of geometric elements.  Normal is slowly but surely creating a name for himself with his unique designs that truly are a departure from the tattoo norm. We think they are amazing and would love to hear your thoughts!  Read More »

It’s tattoos like the ones featured below that give the industry and tattoo enthusiasts all over the world a bad name. Arguing about the artistry of the craft and meaningfulness of tattooing is difficult when you’re faced with tattoos as bad as these. “But TAM,” you say, “don’t aspiring tattoo artists have to learn on someone? Shouldn’t I be a good friend and let my BFF practice on me?” HELL NO! There are plenty of ways for aspiring tattoo artists, which are professionally known as apprentices, to practice their craft. Nowadays you can order practice skin, and if you don’t have the money for it then you can do what the tattoo artists of old used to do and use produce like grapefruits or ask around for pig skin at grocery stores and butcher shops. Pig skin is incredibly close to human skin, making it perfect for practicing line work and shading – the fundamentals of tattooing. Of course, a tattoo artist can only do so much with a bad design. If you give them a poor design, you’re sure to get a poor tattoo. “But TAM,” you say again, “what if some of these tattoos were the results of drunken nights out like in The Hangover?” Drunkenly stumbling into a tattoo shop and leaving with a poor life decision is a myth. No tattoo artist worth their salt will tattoo someone who’s drunk. It’s highly unprofessional, not to mention potentially dangerous for the tattoo artist in question. With that ...Read More »

On September 8th, 2010, I was diagnosed with breast cancer, what followed was a flurry of appointments, needles, pain, sadness and laughter. I had a full mastectomy and reconstructive surgery using tissue from my back, resulting in scars across my breast, under my arm and across my back, followed by chemotherapy and radiotherapy. I’d always wanted to have a tattoo of significant size that was unique and meant something special to me. I didn’t necessarily want the tattoo to cover all of my scarring, but rather to celebrate the fight I’d won while commemorating the family and friends I’ve lost to cancer. The theme was to be poppies and sunflowers, poppies to represent family and sunflowers because to me they signify happiness. I wanted something realistic and spent hours researching images and styles of tattoos to get the design just right. I then spent an equal amount of time researching tattoo artists in my area, looking for a talented artist and studio where I’d feel comfortable. I wound up choosing Shane Sunday of Alternative Ink and planned a visit to the studio to enquire about prices and availability. Geoff Blair, Shane’s apprentice at the time, immediately made me feel welcome. He explained the procedure and I booked an appointment with Shane that caused the next couple of months to feel like I was waiting for Christmas. Upon arriving for my first sitting, with my thoroughly researched images and design ideas in hand, I sat nervously waiting whilst everything was set ...Read More »

Take my love, take my land Take me where I cannot stand I don’t care, I’m still free You can’t take the sky from me. Take me out to the black Tell them I ain’t comin’ back Burn the land and boil the sea You can’t take the sky from me.   Can you be a fan of all things space-like and not at least know the theme song to Firefly? If you don’t know about the greatest prematurely cancelled show to ever grace television audiences, look it up. Anyone who loves the space tattoos featured in the following gallery are sure to love Josh Whedon’s Firefly series, and the subsequent feature film called Serenity. The tattoos featured below perfectly capture the wonder and awe that the vast unknown of space represents. The combination of light and dark coupled with the majesty of celestial bodies and wondrous celestial events make the possibility for space tattoos as endless as space itself. You’ll probably never seen the same space tattoo design on two different people even if you were to attend a space tattoo enthusiast convention with a crowd of thousands. Space tattoos also tend to go hand-in-hand with time, like the hourglass tattoo featured towards the latter part of this gallery. Spacetime is an important and popular concept in both real world physics and sci-fi genres, which is why time is often prominently featured in space tattoos. We hope you thoroughly enjoy the space gallery featured below and that it inspires ...Read More »

There’s something hauntingly beautiful about old nautical imagery. Wooden ships creaking quietly through the night, ominous lighthouses rhythmically cutting through fog, the rare and unknown that toils away in the depths below a constantly rocking surface. There’s a reason people still get tattoo designs focused around the sailor imagery of yesteryear. These images call to our base nature of wonder and exploration. The sea stands as the final frontier and the platform by which the last frontier was made possible. Pilgrims and immigrants braved the open oceanic waters in search of a better home, a place of paradise. While they may not have found the warm welcoming they sought, they did find a land full of discovery with unique untold riches. Tattoos like the ones featured in the gallery below speak to the adventurer trapped inside a mundane, largely claimed and discovered world. The thirst to brave the unknown and revere its treasures – not those of gold or silver, but of the unknown and undiscovered. Of course, you don’t have to be an adventurer to appreciate the artistry behind these nautical tattoos, but its purveyors of the open waters that ten to get such tattoos. The ships you see below wouldn’t be done justice sitting trapped in a bottle for all of eternity. Do you feel the call of the deep blue? The call of the unknown? If so then maybe you should get a similar nautical tattoo of your own. Perhaps a ship of your own design? Or ...Read More »

UV Tattoos or blacklight tattoos are made with a special ink that is visible under ultraviolet light. Depending on the type of ink or style, some can be nearly invisible in normal light (non-UV environment).   The safety of UV Tattoo ink has been and will continue to be under heavy scrutiny from the tattooed community.  There have been many claims of reaction to the ink, which can range from minor irritation to dermatitis.Read More »

The month of April is the fourth month of the year, and is derived from the Latin word Aperire, meaning to open. April can also mean many things to different people such as the changing of seasons, or the Aries Ram sign of the Zodiac. The months of the year are often a symbolic tattoo that people get to show different characteristics of their personality. In the Zodiac April is either the sign Aries (if you were born on April 1-20th) or Taurus (if you were born after the 20th of April through the end of the month). Zodiac representative tattoos can get very creative, these Aries tattoos range from the symbol of the ram, to a star map of the constellation itself.Read More »