Too bad there's no ocean in Minneapolis....

Three day weekends?
Maybe for you guys.
I only had ONE day away from my home away from home.
Meryl and I went into the shop today to start her chestpiece.
And man, kids, she did awesome.
Even before Ryan and Rebecca showed up to cheer her on.
We didn't finish,
but after four hours,
we were (she was) done.

"some little language such as lovers use"
It's a Virginia Woolf quote,
taken from The Waves.

It'll be healed in time for our East Coast visit in June,
so we'll be able to swim in the ocean.
And we'll finish it as soon as we get back into town.



I finished a couple of drawings this weekend for some big projects.
I have a bunch more to do,
but not everyone gets three days off.
It's going to be two weeks of some late nights
before we head out east.

American Selebrity Tattoo

American Selebrity Tattoo

American Selebrity Tattoo

Japanese Tattoos Art 1 | TATTOOS FOR MEN

Japanese hand Tattoos

japanese Body tattoos

Koi Fish Tattoos | TATTOOS FOR MEN

Koi Fish Tattoos

Japanese Tattoos,Safety Tattoos | TATTOOS FOR MEN

Japanese Tattoos,Safety Tattoos

Traditional Japan Tattoo | TATTOOS FOR MEN

Traditional Japan Tattoo

Japanese tattoo Art 2 | TATTOOS FOR MEN

Japanese tattoo Art 2

tribal tattoo symbols

tribal tattoo symbols

Japanese Tattoos Art 3 | TATTOOS FOR MEN

Japanese Tattoos Art 3

Irezumi Japanese Tattoos | TATTOOS FOR MEN

Irezumi Japanese Tattoos

Japanese tattoos Builder | TATTOOS FOR MEN

Japanese tattoos Builder

Japanese dragon Tattoos - Dragon | TATTOOS FOR MEN

Japanese dragon Tattoos - Dragon

Japanese Tattoos - Celtic Tattoos | TATTOOS FOR MEN

Japanese Tattoos - Celtic Tattoos

Samantha

Photography by : Mumtaz Maricar
Digital Enhancement : Diamond Fangs

Dragon Fly Tattoos - Japanese Tattoos | TATTOOS FOR MEN

Dragon Fly Tattoos - Japanese Tattoos

Japanese Tattoos - Tattoo Yakuza | TATTOOS FOR MEN

Foo Dog Tattoo - Japanese Tattoos

Traditional Japanese Tattoos

Tattoo Furo2

Japanese tattoos and tattoo lettering are steeped in tradition, symbolism and mysticism. From their roots as religious symbols to their usage as signs of the Yakuza, to their current day popularity in the West, Japanese tattoos are unique to both the wearer and the artist. Find out about the different types of Japanese tattoos and tattoo lettering, before you decide to get one yourself.

The Japanese Tattoos 12 | TATTOOS FOR MEN

Koi Fish Tattoos

Japan Tattoos

Yakuza Tattoo 1 - Japanese Tattoos | TATTOOS FOR MEN

Yakuza Tattoo 1 - Japanese Tattoos

Yakuza Tattoo 2- Japanese Tattoos | TATTOOS FOR MEN

Yakuza Tattoo 2- Japanese Tattoos

Yakuza Tattoo 3- Japanese Tattoos | TATTOOS FOR MEN

Yakuza Tattoo 3- Japanese Tattoos

Yakuza Tattoo 4- Japanese Tattoos | TATTOOS FOR MEN

Yakuza Tattoo 4- Japanese Tattoos

Yakuza Tattoo 5- Japanese Tattoos | TATTOOS FOR MEN

Yakuza Tattoo 5- Japanese Tattoos

Japanese Character Tattoos | TATTOOS FOR MEN

Japanese Character Tattoos

Say you want Japanese symbols characters for tattoos that you want to be printed on your body. I mean, how else can you hide the fact that you had your ex-lover's name inked on your wrist but still not seem like a demented and stalker ex boyfriend, right? Or more so, how else can you have your mother's name printed on you is a "cooler" more hip way?

Thing is, the danger in having Japanese style tattoos is that since you have no idea how the language goes, you are not assured on how the characters should be. I mean, the odds of choosing a symbol that you fancy that may mean something positive but you end up getting it printed on you inverted are very high as that is one horror story I have heard about Japanese character tats.

Japanese Character Tattoos

Another boo-boo that may occur is that you use an online translation site that converts a word for you to Japanese. Anything free online is usually BS so it is highly likely as well that your translation could go wrong.

And if you do go to a Japanese restaurant and ask a waiter to translate things for you, he may not be able to understand what you really mean and give you a translation so far off, you wish you'd just stuck with the online translator.

Japanese Tattooing | TATTOOS FOR MEN

'Nine Tattooed Dragon

Beautiful japanese Tattoos

As we know one of the places where tattooing is heavily practiced as a beautiful art form and with the greatest skills level is Japan. Interestingly, the practice of labeling criminals using tattoos was also practiced in many other countries, notable in neighboring areas as we collectively known as China today. Members of outcast groups were also marked with stigmatizing tattoos.

One of the most popular outlaw characters in the novel is Shishin or the 'Nine Tattooed Dragon' who bore extensive full-body tattoos. Soon Japanese from all social levels started to tattoo ornate designs (irezumi) on their bodies that depict heroic figures, gods, mythical creatures and other traditional and popular images. Presently in modern day Japan the art of tattooing is still slightly stigmatized though it remains a highly regarded art form.

Totem cat tattoo design

Download

A totem-like cat tattoo design. Girls must like it.

Man Hands

'Mr Coyote, what strange hands you have!'
'The better to do Cat's Cradle with, my dear.'


This guys is tucked between a face shooting laser beams from it's eyes,
and a bone lettered stomach rocker.
Yup, right smack on the ribs.
Marshall sat like a rock for it,
and put up with a million questions from me
about the world of music promotion and art collectives.



The shop was weirdly just ours,
since Todd and Ben aren't in the shop the rest of this week,
and part of next week, too.
Today's a Not-Casual-Friday,
so luckily Adam M will be at the shop helping me out,
and holding it down (with a tie on).

Things are about to get even busier.
The trip out east is only 3 weeks away,
and I have too much to do in that little bit of time.
We're hitting 5 states, doing a tattoo guest spot,
attending a wedding and a high school graduation.
We'll be there at the same time as Dark Dark Dark,
so getting to one of their shows in NYC seems like a necessity.

Have a good long weekend if you have one of those kind of jobs....

Japanese Sleeve Tattoos | TATTOOS FOR MEN

Japanese Sleeve Tattoos - The Coolest Japanese Tattoo Designs For Men

Often guys get skulls, flames and sexy pinup girls as a sleeve tattoo design. However, recently there has been more and more men interested in Japanese sleeve tattoos. This is great because the Japanese have a long history of full body tattoos and therefore they are very advanced in their sleeve tattoos. These designs are cool and they make a great tattoo design for men also. Here are some ideas to help you get started on your own full sleeve tattoo design.

Koi Fish

Koi fish are an ever popular theme for sleeve tattoo designs. The beautiful oranges of the koi fish and the blue water background lend themselves to the perfect tattoo design for a sleeve. By wrapping the fish around the front of the arm the fish looks dimensional and really pops out and comes to life. Thus it makes a cool looking tattoo with a lot of life. However, more then that the Koi tattoo represent strength, power and individuality. It represents the struggle of going through life and striving to be better. You see the Japanese myth is that the koi fish try to swim upstream. Not all of them make it but the ones that make it to the golden bridge become dragons and fly off into the sky. Dragons
Of course there is always the dragon. This is only second to the koi fish because dragons have been so common place. However, a powerful fierce dragon in red or black makes for the ideal tattoo design for men. It looks rough and tumble and ready to throw down or just breathe fire on a person. The dragon is a very mystical and mythical beast that is filled with all kinds of magic and great lore. The symbolism is of course of power and strength.

Samurai

Samurai and gods are always very popular in traditional Japanese sleeve tattoos. These designs of course feature either fierce samurai in the heat of battle of gods fighting off evil spirits. Either way you end up with a way cool dude tattoo. What can be more guy then a man swinging a huge katana sword and slaying a dragon or a demon. The reason the Samurai is so popular in Japanese tattooing and traditional arts is that the samurai is seen to embed everything that is important to the Japanese male. The samurai carries the Japanese culture as well as being a strong and fierce warrior in battle yet is always mindful and follows the code of bushido. This is what every Japanese male wants to be deep down.

Hannya Masks

The Hannya mask was originally used in Kabuki plays in Tokyo. However, the masks were such beautiful yet haunting piece of artwork that they became stand alone pieces of art. Many Japanese would collect and display them in their house and they believe it would ward off evil spirits. The Hannya masked represents a scorned women that has been overcome by her rage that she has turned into an evil demon. These are also very popular in traditional Japanese tattoos and tattoo in the West. It is hard to make a full sleeve of one mask but it can easily be combined with other Japanese designs and symbols.

Japanese Tattoo Design 11 | TATTOOS FOR MEN

Japanese Tattoo Design 11

100 Demons Hapanese Tattoos | TATTOOS FOR MEN

100 Demons Hapanese Tattoos

Chinese and Japanese Tribal Dragon Tattoos | TATTOOS FOR MEN

Chinese Tribal Dragon Tattoo

Dragon tattoos are one of the most popular designs all over the world. Dragon tattoos come in two popular forms: the Chinese or Japanese dragon of the east with its long, snake-like body and the European dragon of the west with its powerful wings and long neck. The European dragon usually symbolizes power and fear, a depiction of evil where as the Chinese dragon usually symbolizes unity and conformity, a depiction of good.

You can find many different designs of dragon tattoos in different forms and colors. Most often, the eastern dragons are the ones being used as a basis for the designs for the tribal dragon tattoos. Japanese dragons have only three claws where as the Chinese dragons have five. Though, some in today's society, eastern dragons that are being created into tribal dragon tattoos is being depicted as a symbol of fear and power; a contrast to the real symbolism of the eastern dragons.

Japanese tribal Dragon Tattoo

Japanese Tattoo Fash | TATTOOS FOR MEN

Japanese Tattoo Fash

Luxury Machine Tattoos

Luxury Machine Tattoos

Luxury Machine Tattoos

Luxury Machine Tattoos