Revisiting Dan and Checking Out His New Half-Sleeve by Guido Baldini

One of the things we don't talk about a lot here on Tattoosday are the friendships I have developed over the years with people I meet on the street. I'd say less than 10% of the people I interview become friends with me, but it is great to see their collection grow over the years.

Dan is a prime example - I met him first in 2010, and he shared this piece, done by his cousin Guido Baldini.
A year later, he updated me with the additional work that was done to the tattoo here.

Just recently, Dan reached out to me and we were able to meet up in person for me to take a photo of the dragon half-sleeve that Guido did on him recently:

Here's some nice detail:

and

Dan told me he specifically asked Guido for the dragon to be blue, which is not generally a traditional color for Japanese dragons. The red roses, as well, are generally not associated with dragon tattoos. Yet Dan loves this non-traditional take on the classic Japanese dragon.

Check out more of Guido's amazing work at his new shop in Santa Fe, New Miexico at Lost Cowboy Tattoo here.

Thanks to Dan for sharing his latest work with us here on Tattoosday!

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If you are seeing this on another website other than Tattoosday, without attribution, please note that it has been copied without the author's permission and is in violation of copyright laws. Please feel free to visit http://tattoosday.blogspot.com and read our original content. Please let me know if you saw this elsewhere so I contact the webmaster of the offending site and advise them of this violation in their Terms of Use Agreement.

Chris and His Koi (at the NYC Tattoo Convention)

I'll be honest, koi tattoos are pretty popular, so I don't often post photos of them. But, every once in a while, I see an exceptional one, and feel compelled to share it here.

The photo above is of a stunning koi tattoo, courtesy of a guy named Chris, who I met last week at the NYC Tattoo Convention.

It's an exceptionally well-done piece, with the traditional Japanese carp, or koi, swimming upstream, along with a lotus flower at the bottom and cherry blossoms at the top. Note also the way water and movement is skillfully represented.

Chris credited Jeremy Miller from Screamin' Ink Tattoo in Fair Lawn, New Jersey. Note: this is a different Jeremy Miller than the one who competed on the first season of Ink Master.

I usually see something spectacular from the talented crew at Screamin' Ink every year at the convention, all of which can be seen in previous posts with their shop tagged here.

Thanks to Chris for sharing this great sleeve with us here on Tattoosday!

This entry is ©2013 Tattoosday.

If you are seeing this on another website other than Tattoosday, without attribution, please note that it has been copied without the author's permission and is in violation of copyright laws. Please feel free to visit http://tattoosday.blogspot.com and read our original content. Please let me know if you saw this elsewhere so I contact the webmaster of the offending site and advise them of this violation in their Terms of Use Agreement.

Tom Shares His Escher and Hokusai-Inspired Sleeves

Back in June, I rode my bike out to the Coney Island boardwalk and did a little inkspotting. One of the several tattooed individuals I met was Tom, who had some cool work to share.

It was his M.C. Escher-inspired sleeve that first caught my attention:

Among the designs from which Tom drew inspiration were Escher's "12 Birds"

and his "Lizard."

Tom credited his artist Haun Duong, located in Queens, with this work.

His other arm has a compilation of the works of the Japanese artist Katsushika Hokusai:

This is based primarily on his most recognizable work, The Great Wave of Kanagawa:

Tom told me that the koi fish represent the fact that he is a Pisces and that he has a twin sister. And there are additional elements from the Japanese master lower on the arm that represent him and his wife, along with three turtles (not pictured) which represent his kids. And inside the bicep:

The falcon and the snake represent the good and the bad within him.

Thanks to Tom for sharing his great work with us here on Tattoosday!

This entry is ©2012 Tattoosday.

If you are reading this on another website other than Tattoosday, without attribution, please note that it has been copied without the author's permission and is in violation of copyright laws. Please feel free to visit http://tattoosday.blogspot.com and read our original content. Please let me know if you saw this elsewhere so I contact the webmaster of the offending site and advise them of this violation in their Terms of Use Agreement.

A Devilish Start for Anthony

When I ran into Anthony last month in Penn Station, he was happy to share the beginning stage of what he envisions to be a full leg piece, that will run all the way up his limb:

Anthony explained that this Japanese demon:

"is by my good friend, Nate Osborne, of True Tattoo (3) in Ballston Spa, New York. Basically we were chatting one day and I said how I've always wanted something really traditional ...Japanese style and he hadn't done one lately and he said 'come on down to the shop' and so I did and he fit me right in ... this is all his design."

Thanks to Anthony for sharing this cool start to what will undoubtedly be an amazing leg sleeve, here on Tattoosday!


This entry is ©2011 Tattoosday.

If you are reading this on another web site other than Tattoosday, without attribution, please note that it has been copied without the author's permission and is in violation of copyright laws. Please feel free to visit http://tattoosday.blogspot.com and read our original content. Please let me know if you saw this elsewhere so I can contact the webmaster of the offending site and advise them of this violation in their Terms of Use Agreement.