Paper, Fabric, Skin

Monday night, after driving Adam to the airport, Casey and I met up with Ben and Kyle at the weekly model session.
3/4 of Identity Tattoo accounted for.
This week was much better, and I think everyone was productive.
Here's the last pose we stayed for.
20 minutes.



The shirts have been giving me a few problems along the way.
I coat the screens with emulsion in my home closet, then smuggle them wrapped in blankets to the shop.
I also have no patience.
This usually means success rarely happens on the first try.

But this morning I was able to burn the screen for the girls shirts, and blew through them in between appointments.
Most of them are black ink on slate grey American Apparrel shirts.
Sizes from Small to XL. (these sizes are more normal than my last run from AA)
$14
A birdhouse with antlers.
Acorns and oak leaves.
Click on it, it gets bigger.
I'll have one modeled soon.


Rachel got the first shirt, literally right off the press.
She arrived while I was finishing up the last few.
And she got a very similarly themed, autumnal love thigh piece.

Sharpie marker drawing time.


Finished, a few hours later.


It was a busy day at Identity, between tattooing and screen printing.
I'm trying to fit in a full week into two days, since Thursday I drive to Ohio.
Ashtabula.
Here I come.

Lotus Om

Adult Baby Jesus

Laura sent me this ridiculous and awesome Jesus tattoo. As you guys might know, I am kind of obsessed with Zombie Jesus tattoos. This one isn't Zombie Jesus, it's Adult Baby Jesus. I looked around for similar tattoos and could find NOTHING. This tattoo is in a category of it's own!

Kissena

Casey arrived from the Pacific Northwest late Thursday night.
She claimed and moved into the guest room for the foreseeable future.
I am now outnumbered by DePasquales.

Meryl and I switched some things around and made a new guest room upstairs, which was good, because Adam arrived the very next day for a weekend visit.

It's been a busy couple days.



Adam got this memorial portrait for the sweetest dog I've ever met.
Here's a photo of me and Kissena from a bunch of years ago back in Cromwell, CT.
I'm really looking sharp, eh?



More to come.
We're only halfway through my weekend.

Great Water Landing - Photos of US Airways

There are plenty of photos on the news, but these are upclose. Taken from the tugboat that worked this crash.

















If I'm every in a "water landing" I want this pilot, wouldn't you?

Photo Gallery-Website Update

I've starting putzing around with HTML on my website, shawnhebrank.com

Certain things like the merch section never really went anywhere.
So I'm adding a gallery of the stuff I've made and sold over the years instead,
and could use your help.
If you have photos of you wearing any of the shirts I've made, stickers stuck in fabulous places, or stuff like that, send them over.
Just got this one from Michelle today.
!!!



There's not really a theme.
Sexy, ugly, dead, bored, whatever.
This isn't to say I'll use ALL of them, but I'll take a bunch and throw them up there soon.

Immortal Tattoos, Tattoo

Ladies and Gentlemen, I present you.....

What more can I say about my friend, Terence, getting my Studio's name tattooed? Immortal Tattoos being Immortalized !!

To the haters who post comments on some forum about my art-work and work hygiene, why not come face to face and tell me about it? Are you too scared? I am calling you out... Come out, come out, wherever you are....Fucking Faggot !

I am not running away. I am coming out openly. You haters are the ones, hiding in a lonely place. So, lets not waste each others time. My studio's address is on the right hand column. So do drop by and tell me FACE to FACE, how much you hate it or how much I suck at what I do. See ya soon ! Well, maybe I won't. - You guys probably hiding under your mummy's skirt... Oh well...

Until next time folks... Love ya all !!

One Lone Birdhouse

While working on printing new shirts, I stumbled upon the unfinished birdhouses I had started sometime between Thanksgiving and New Years.
I had thought I would have a city of these things by now,
but there were just pieces of started ones.
So I powered up the nail gun and finished this one off.
It's headed to the Maynard House in Northampton, where I got the idea while chatting with Miss Amy B about her tattoo.
It may end up being the only one.
There's lot of things to do.

Beginning of a back-piece...

your early morning crap: presidental tattoo

It's a little late to be early morning crap, but I wanted to stick with a theme. Here's a tattoo to commemorate this historic date. A god awful tattoo of our 40th president, Ronald Reagan.

If you have an awful tattoo, feel free to contact alice@vivalavinyl.org and she'll try to get to it.

Today was a pretty awesome day.

Dr Martin Luther King, Jr.
The man had a way with words.
And he got some shit done.
America could have used him being around a lot longer, but we should be grateful here was even here at all.
Happy 80th, dude.

On a completely different note, but a whole 'nother reason to be thankful, today was Mr. George W. Bush's last day in office.
He was never my president, but tomorrow he won't be anyone's.
I'm guessing he knows he's lucky Obama won.
Everyone's so excited and hopeful, they aren't really paying attention to W sneaking out the back door.
Go, dude.
Run.
And don't look back.

Most of us at Identity Tattoo were going start attending a weekly live model art session in the Seward neighborhood. It's every Monday, 7-9:30, and only $5 a session? I'm there, every week I'm in town.
Well, I repped Identity Tattoo by myself tonight.
And, man, I was rusty.
By the time this 25 minute pose came along, I was doing a little better, but I think the first few weeks will be a rough reintroduction to life drawing.



Meryl and I met up with a few friends Saturday night at Ann's for an Ugly Sweater party.
Now, usually only vegans care about vegans.
Not Ann.
She made vegan cupcakes just for Meryl and I (the only vegans attending).
And EVERYTHING that was vegan being served at the party was labeled vegan.
That's some serious hosting skills.
But even though Unique Thrift had this ugly woman's xmas sweater in my exact size, I didn't win.
The photo is blurry because Rachel was so cold she couldn't hold the camera steady.
(shoulda worn a sweater!)



Tomorrow is back to work.
On the way to the shop, I'm getting the new girls shirts image printed onto a transparency.
I'll burn the screen tomorrow.
Expect some new threads posted soon.

your early morning crap: frat dolphin

This dolphin is member of a fraternity and obviously is into some major kush here. Wicked tribal, brah. He spends his day in his shitty recliner likely watching Old School with his other dolphin brahs. They all have tribal tattoos and love beer bongs.

This falls under the "it's so ridiculous it's awesome" category. Let's just call the AKH part awful, but the dolphin kinda awesome. I give you, your early morning crap...


If you have an awful tattoo, feel free to contact alice@vivalavinyl.org and she'll try to get to it.

How to Get the Perfect Kanji Tattoo You Truly Deserve?

Kanji was originated from Chinese Characters.

Kanji is the term for Chinese characters that are used in the Japanese language. There are two different types of characters that are used in written Japanese: kana, which includes the types of writing known as hiragana and katakana, and kanji. All written Japanese evolved from written Chinese, and were modified to create the different sounds of the Japanese language. Kanji in Japanese are typically characters from the Chinese language that have been adapted to mean Japanese words. The meanings in Chinese and Japanese can be the same but pronounced differently, or they may have entirely different meanings. Some kanji were developed in Japan and are not seen in the Chinese language at all. Still other kanji are written in different forms but have the same meaning.

Japanese Kanji Tattoos VS Chinese Symbol Tattoos.

The Kanji Tattoos you have seen in the tattoo parlor or anywhere else are actually Chinese Symbol Tattoos, when you are planning to get a Kanji Tattoo, Choosing Chinese Symbol Tattoos instead of Japanese Kanji Tattoos, Why? Japanese Kanji only have hundreds of writing symbols which evolved from written Chinese Symbols, You can not get whatever you want to express by using Japanese Kanji. Whereas, Chinese Symbols have about 4000 year history and there are 47,035 Chinese symbols in Chinese Kangxi Dictionary. Put it simple, You can get whatever you want to express in Chinese symbols.

How to Get a perfect Kanji Tattoo you truly deserve?

My Name is Yingying, I am a Chinese tattoo artist, and have been helping the western people get their Kanji tattoos for three years. Kanji have a complex beauty as well as individual meanings. People who get Kanji tattoos are often drawn to this. Unfortunately, the flip-side is that there are a lot of Kanji tattoo Mistakes. I have personally seen such elementary mistakes as Kanji being tattooed backward and meant something else other than intended. My goal is to help people explore the beauty and complexity of Kanji safe in the knowledge that they are dealing with the professional. Why many western people make mistakes with their kanji tattoos, the main reason is because they made no preparation before inking and just walked into a tattoo parlor without knowing what they would get. And then their Chinese tattoos became the permanent source to embarrass them. Yes, they can get their tattoo removed, but removing unwanted tattoos is a very expensive, lengthy and painful ordeal! You are wise to research your best possible options before going through with it.

First: you need to find a pro to do the translation, instead of anyone who speaks Chinese. The Chinese symbol (Kanji) has a time span of 4000 years and a geography span across countries like China, Japan, Korea and Taiwan. It simply takes knowledge and expertise to do the translation well.

Second: the Chinese Symbols need to be custom designed by writing them into Chinese calligraphy. Your body deserves Chinese calligraphy art, NOT kanji writing! Chinese calligraphy is not just Chinese kanji writing, neither just writing well. It is an art that can display spirits. People can feel the mood, feeling, thought from the calligraphy. Having a Chinese calligraphy tattoo is a love and a respect of yourself. Moreover, Custom designed kanji Tattoos also include stencil outline. Most people don't realize that every tattoo design has a matching stencil. To apply tattoos on the skin, the tattoo artist needs both a good clear reference of the actual design, and well drawn stencils (line drawings) as the "blueprint" for the actual tattoo. When inking, your tattoo artist will use stencil outlines to trace the artwork onto your body. Stencil outlines are vital for inking kanji as it can prevent tattooists from making mistakes while inking.

Something I thought interesting. Any comments?

your early morning crap: lion!

Roar... this sucks!



If you have an awful tattoo, feel free to contact alice@vivalavinyl.org and she'll try to get to it.

Om Buddha

Some random work done of an OM with face of Buddha inside...

The Mid-January Chill

It LOOKS so pretty, but don't be fooled.
It's so cold outside.
(It's so cold outside, it's cold inside.)
Today so far has hit a low of -21, and that's without any "windchill factor".
It feels like -39?
C'mon...



I have a busy day lined up.
3 tattoos, back to back.
(if all cars start)

Somewhere in my day I'll be inking the new (girls) shirt design I created yesterday.
Burning screens in the very near future.
Finished products coming soon....

Bad straightedge tattoos volume one: text

I have a confession to make. I secretly love bad straightedge tattoos (maybe because I am straightedge? probably because they are just goofy). I actually secretly love all bad tattoos, that's why I do this blog. But I have a special soft spot in my heart for three x's that are stick-and-poked into someone's ankle. Many people get them, many people regret them later, but they are still awesome. These abominations, however, are not so awesome. Behold: the bad straightedge tattoos, volume one.


Bad font, bad linework, bad coloring, bad placement, just a generally bad idea.


Ditto! Only worse.


Why did he decide to put the text in a pool of water? I don't understand!


And finally- starship troopers straight edge dude. I have to admit this is actually pretty awesome, because I too love science fiction and not drinking. I hope this guy had a sense of humor about what he was doing, because that instantly turns this questionable tattoo into a hilarious and rad one.

If you have any regrettable edge tattoos (or any other kind of regrettable tattoo, for that matter) feel free to email me: alice@vivalavinyl.org.

your early morning crap: wizard!

I know how much Alice just loves wizard tattoos. Here's one to get your day going.


If you have an awful tattoo, feel free to contact alice@vivalavinyl.org and she'll try to get to it.

Haitus

Its been a long time since I updated anything in here... My apologies to the loyal readers !! I have been very busy lately and never had any time to upload...

Wishing you all a belated Happy New Year !! Singapore's First Tattoo Convention was great and I will be uploading new works and pictures soon.

Hang in there boys and gals !!

It is never good... the "taz tattoo"

If there is ever a terrible god damn tattoo that people get, it's that piece of garbage "Taz" tattoo. For some reason or another the Warner Bros. Tasmanian devil has become one of the more well known shitstorms of ink pounded into the skin of the willing. I am unsure if it's some need to feel as if the person getting the tattoo is "wild and crazy" or some true love for the actual character. Nonetheless it is almost always an awful tattoo and unfortunately tends to be a "first" choice for a lot of people. All my searching on the internet found so many people saying that their Taz tattoo was their first and how much they loved it. I think it falls under the cheap flash art that on a dare someone finally gets to impress others. Now we look further into the lexicon of tattoo art and discover together this craptastic series of tattoos.

I love how Taz takes on so many different roles and attitudes in these pictures. He is wild, crazy but hard working. Either way, they are all just awful.

Staying Busy, Staying Warm

Protect those EARS, kids.
Unless you thought the jelly doughnut I was rocking on the side of my head last month was hot.

Dangerous wind chills may approach -35F.
A high of -1.
That's the best we can hope for today.

I, however, am using the obscenely bad weather to get done all those things it's hard to find time for when people will leave their houses voluntarily.

New stickers are being made, and some are already on their way.
Five and a half inches of the Truth:



I have 75 blank shirts, both guys and girls, just waiting to be screenprinted.
Those will be getting done this week and traveling with me to Ohio when I go in two weeks.
As I was sorting through the screen printing stuff, I came across a box of Never Quiet, Never Soft shirts that Albie Rock and I put together when he was out here almost a year ago.
There's only 3 girls shirts left, and they are for the tiniest of females, sizes small and medium in American Apparel. But there's a few dudes shirts still hanging out.
I thought for months that I was out of all of these, so it was an exciting find.
I have a few sizes left.
$15 gets it sent to your door, along with a bunch of stickers.
If you wait, I'll be out of them for real.



New shirts, old shirts.
Just put them all on, cause it's cold out there.