Tattoos I Know: Anna's Culinary Ink

Several months ago, one of my co-workers, Anna, wanted to commemorate the completion of her externship from culinary school.

It was funny, because at the time, she didn't realize I wrote Tattoosday and then discovered the site through googling. She stumbled upon this post that featured a chef's knife.

Anna liked the idea of using a knife, but wanted a whisk too. She spotted this piece and met with Vinny Romanelli at Red Rocket Tattoo in Manhattan, giving him the several source images she had found and explaining what she wanted.

He designed this for her and then completed the tattoo for her in about twenty minutes. She had him stick with black and gray and wanted him to emphasize the shading. This is the end result, positioned just above her ankle:


Other work from Red Rocket has appeared on Tattoosday here.

Thanks again to Anna for sharing her culinary ink with us here on Tattoosday!

Scorpio Tribal Tattoos Pictures

Scorpio Tribal Tattoos Pictures

Lower Back Tattoos Flowers Tattoo

Lower Back Tattoos Flowers Tattoo

Unique Butterfly Tattoo Today

A lot of people are flocking to the tattoo parlors these days to get inked. Why do people get inked in the first place? Some say it is for recognition, other for attention, & yet some people need to follow the crowd. No matter what your reason is for getting inked, be sure you actually browse through a reputable gallery of designs before you select on what you need. You cannot erase a design you don't like so think carefully. If you need to check out tons of butterfly tattoos,
Humans have had their bodies inked for thousands of years so this is not something new at all. Designs have been used as a way of expressing personal religious belief, signification of a tribe or group, cultural status, punishment, or out of love. There's been mummies found from 5,200 years ago that have tattoos on them.

The earliest known examples that plenty of people site for tattoos were on plenty of female mummies which date back to about 2000 BC. As stated though, there was a recent discovery along the Austrian border which found a mummy that dates back about 5,200 years & this mummy also has patterns designed on it. So these "inks" go way back!

On top of this, in 1948, a 2,400 year elderly body was found in the frozen ice of Siberia. This ancient male was covered in tattoos on his limbs & torso, representing ancient mythical animals & beliefs. So as you see, tattoos, whether they be butterfly tattoos or otherwise, are a sizable role in society - both past & present.

Body adornment was the main form & reason for tattoos in the ancient world. Today, symbols like butterfly tattoos are merely a form of joy or are done because the person wants that look. In ancient times, women used to have a sure arrangement of dots across their stomach, to symbolize some sort of stature in society.

Uppoer Back Butterfly Designs

Uppoer Back Butterfly Designs

Lower Back Butterfly Tattoo Gallery

Japnese Koi Fish Tattoo Pictures 2010

Japnese Koi Fish Tattoo Pictures

Japnese Koi Fish Tattoo Pictures

New Gallery Butterfly Tattoo

New Gallery Butterfly Tattoo

Neal's Foo Dog

This winter has been an especially cold one here in New York and, as any loyal reader can confirm, I haven't reported on many tattoos that I have glimpsed in the city.

However, last night at the grocery store around the corner, I met Neal, who let me take a quick snapshot of his foo dog on the left side of his neck:


Foo dogs are traditional Asian-style tattoo designs, and have various meanings and interpretations. Click here to see some other posts on the site that have featured foo dog designs.

Neal told me that this was inked by Koji at Studio Engima on Avenue U in Brooklyn many years ago. Work from Studio Engima has appeared previously on Tattoosday here.

Thanks to Neal for sharing his foo dog with us here on Tattoosday!

Full back tattoo design

Among all the body art categories, full back tattoos are among the most impressive and the most hard-core. They always draw your attention the second you see them - especially with vivid colors like this flash.

Tattoos I Know: Paul's Love, Over His Heart

On this Valentine's Day, I'm sharing a tattoo that my friend Paul had recently done. He showed me when I was taking the latest set of photos on the cover-up her is working on.

He pulled down the top of his shirt to reveal this simple message:


Paul's message to his wife is simple, but it is what is not spoken that is most remarklable. Paul always swore up and down that he would never ink a woman's name on his body. When he showed me this, I was surprised, but love can make us express ourselves in such ways, especially when we love getting tattooed.

Paul had this done by Pierre at Fort Apache Tattoo Studio, just around the corner from where we work in Manhattan.

Happy Valentine's Day from Tattoosday to Paul and Ana. Stay tunde, as there may be more Valentine's ink on the horizon!

Arm tattoo

A wonderful piece of free tattoo flash from Andy Shou - a brilliant Taiwan tattoo artist.

Chinese character tattoo

It is really cool to have some Chinese characters inked on your back, especially with the relief effect. These characters are hard to recognize though - I only identified the last one, which means Buddha.

Armory tattoo design

This free tattoo flash shows an interesting idea - get an arm armor inked on the arm. Some people are inclined to have the needs to be protected, or at least the feel of being protected. This art piece is perfect for them

Dragon tattoo design

For a long time I have only posted Chinese dragon tattoo, finally here is a western dragon. Which dragon is better? It is hard to say. I know one thing for sure - western dragon is on the dark side.

Bird Tattoos

Birds, real and mythical, have long been among the most popular of all the tattoo designs and symbols for centuries. All over the world, birds have been chosen to represent the widest range of human emotions and every country and culture has stories and myths were birds play central roles, so it’s no wonder they are a central feature in many tattoos. Bird tattoos can have countless meanings depending on the birds depicted. The birds depicted in the picture are swallows and are a favorite among sea faring people and is one of the centerpieces of the maritime tradition. Other bird tattoos that are associated with the maritime tradition include parrots and blue birds. Both of those birds signify good luck to those who travel the sea. Outside the sea faring tradition birds are more commonly associated with the feminine. In parts of rural Africa, ‘Hen’ refers to a motherly woman, while dove is the young girl. In Great Britain and the United States, chick and bird are synonyms for girlfriend, while old crow refers to the nagging old woman. Of course, their are exceptions to every rule, even in the tradition of bird tattoos. Eagles are often associated with great courage and are definitely a masculine symbol and what would Japanese tattooing be without the phoenix.

Bird tattoos can be seen in every culture throughout the world. And the symbolism expressed by the tattoos are often dependent on the society and the type of bird depicted. In North America, both Ravens and Crows are seen as tricksters and shape shifters among various native American tribes. They are birds often associated with Shamans and Medicine Men. Tribes usually associated themselves with certain birds and would proudly wear the clans bird tattoos. Among the Haida of the Pacific Northwest, the people identify themselves as belonging to either the Eagle or the Raven Clan. And for the Haida, Raven was the creator of the world, stealing the sun from where it was hidden in a box and allowing it to shine. Among the peoples of the Iroquoi Federation, there are both Heron and Snipe Clans. Another popular bird was the dove which signified peace and is usually adopted by members of the Christian faiths. In France, the rooster is associated with the proud heritage of that country and the sparrow and parrot are almost synonymous with many sea faring cultures and people. But, bird tattoos do not mean the same thing to different cultures and can often have dual meanings even in the same culture. Ravens, for instance are seen in the West as both symbols of good luck and harbingers of evil.

lovers tattoo design flash

Another example of lovers tattoo. This tattoo piece integrates all the love elements - heart and angel wing (maybe guardian angel). The only thing weird is that although it is perfect for a girl but a little girly for a guy.

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FANTASY AND FAIRY TATTOO DESIGN

FANTASY AND FAIRY TATTOO DESIGN

girls fantasy tatto

Rosary Tattoos

Depicted in the picture is the perfect example of a rosary tattoo. It’s a wonderful way to express your faith or show your devotion to your church. But, how much do we really know about the rosary? I would venture that most people, even those who get rosary tattoos, know very little about this religious symbol. The Rosary is the tradition filled essence of Christian devotion in which vocal and mental prayer unite the whole person in effective and purposeful meditation on the central mysteries of Christian belief. The Rosary thus joins the human race to God through Mary whom God chose from all time for the specific purposes of mother and intercessor. Each bead in the rosary is prayed upon until the entire series is completed. It is a practice that started in the middle ages and continues to be practiced today. So, if your one of the faithful or you simple want to show your devotion to your religion then a rosary tattoo might be just what your looking for. The rosary tattoo can also be utilized to memorialize a person who has passed away as well. Try adding in lettering or other religious symbols to further personalize it to your specific needs and ideals.

Here’s a person with one of those rosary tattoos that appears almost as if the person was wearing a real rosary on their arm. After all that is what you would think if you saw this one from just a ten or so feet away. At first glance you would assume it was a real rosary and only with a closer look would your realize that his person was actually wearing nothing more than some ink on their skin.

This is one of rosary tattoos that has what would be the beads of the rosary wrapped around this persons arm two times which really gives the illusion of it being a real rosary holding up its cross. But the cross is just a bit out of place, being a Celtic type of iron cross it is not one you would usually see on a rosary but I certainly imagine it could be. I know very little about organized religion so I can’t answer those things. What I do know is seeing that type of cross on a rosary is uncommon, that’s all. Is you ever think of getting one of these rosary tattoos just pick one that matches a rosary you would carry and you can’t go wrong.

Markjames' Knuckles

Last week I posted this great owl tattoo belonging to Markjames, a Pennsylvania-based tattoo artist.

Prior to sharing it, however, I also snapped his knuckles:


When I asked what this meant, he said "just a feeling". What is particularly cool about these knuckles are the traditional anchor and horseshoe standing in for the letters "T" and "U", respectively.

These were inked by Russell Kelley at Silk City Tattoo in Hawthorne, New Jersey. Work from the shop has appeared multiple times before and can all be seen under Silk City's Tattoosday label here.

Thanks again to Markjames for sharing his work with us here on Tattoosday!

Lovers tattoo design

In this free lover tattoo flash, the girl has an angel wing tattoo while the boy has a demon wing - forbidden love, hah?

Tattoos I Know: Paul, Part 5 or, The Great Cover-Up of 2008, continued...

In December 2008, we posted about our friend Paul getting some cover-up work done on his upper right arm. Revisit the report here.

We checked in with Paul again this past November to see the progress (here). And, just last Friday, he updated us again on the latest efforts by Horisei, who has one more session before this cover-up is done:


Horisei tattoos out of the Chelsea Tattoo Company, formerly the home of Rising Dragon.

Thanks again to Paul for sharing. I'm guessing we'll see the finished product later in 2010!

Star tattoo

This free star tattoo shows a really cool idea. The star on the left is like a passage to another space and a skull is entering our world through it. The lightening sign on the left of the tattoo is like the one in the Harry Potter.

Two Tattoos From John: One for Superstition, One for Courage

Last Friday, I met John, who was in Penn Station in a t-shirt and shorts, certainly brave, considering the cold temperature outside.

He has four tattoos, and shared two with us. First, a four-leaf clover on his right elbow, which he got because he is superstitious:


And this Latin phrase "sine metu," which means "Without Fear" on his left forearm:


Both tattoos were inked by Eric Barrett, who currently works at Orange Tattoo Company in Annapolis, Maryland. Please note, I previously attributed this to a different artists named Eric in Annapolis. My apologies for the mix-up.

Thanks to John for sharing his tattoos with us here on Tattoosday!

Lil Wayne Tattoos

Lil Wayne’s tattoos have always been a topic of great debate among his many fans, he has so many of them that it would be very difficult to describe them all in the space here. Since this is the case I am going to focus on the most obvious ones, the ones which are found on his face and mouth. One of his most controversial tattoos are the teardrops underneath his eyes. Now, in prison, teardrops usually mean that you have murdered someone. But, I think there is a different reason for this Lil Wayne tattoo. I think they represent three of his close friends who have died. Since he has two tear drops below one of his eyes and one tear below the other eye they probably relate to two separate instances when his loved ones died. Other Lil Wayne tattoos on his face include designs which are placed on his eye lids which together read "Fear God". He also has a letter "C" tattooed right in between his eyebrows, some people say that it stands for Carter which is his last name, right above that "C" there is a cross that indicates that he believes in God.

Basketball Tattoos

Sport tattoos have always enjoyed a certain amount of popularity. Whether the sport is baseball, hockey or soccer fans have always wanted to represent the game they love so much. And the styles and options available to the common sports fan are almost unlimited. Take this basketball tattoo for instance. The bearer has decided to represent the sport by having a basketball and hoop design inked into his skin. A nice touch to this basketball tattoo is the the slogan "NBA” imprinted on the ball. I like the design but I think that it could use a little splash of color. I would have at least had the ball shaded a nice bright orange or brown. Other basketball tattoos that could have been done include the portraits of individual ball players, specific team names and I have even seen a large tattoo of a basketball court. So, if your a fan of the sport then you might want to dream up a unique basketball tattoo of your own. Then you can proudly represent the game that you love and let every one know that you are a die hard fan. Imagine yourself going to your next game and showing off that beautiful basketball tattoo.

If your a sports fan you know how important it is support your favorite team. And it’s even more important for you to support the game itself. Whether it’s baseball, hockey or football that your a fan of then a well placed tattoo can show your loyalty to the sport. Take the basketball tattoo in the picture. It’s a wonderful design of a star with a basketball in the center of it. It’s well designed and shows that the bearer is a true fan of the sport. But, what really impresses me is the coloring of the basketball. Very genuine and it makes it look even more like a basketball. The bearer of this basketball tattoo can also add other elements to this design to make it pop even more. They could consider adding a basketball hoop, the name of their favorite team or even the numbers of their favorite ball players jersey. The options here are only limited by one’s own imagination. So, if your a fan of basketball and want to show your dedication to the game then you might want to consider getting a basketball tattoo. It’s something that can be worked into most tattoo design motifs.

Celtic Cross Tattoo

The art of the celtic cross tattoo dates back thousands of years when the early Celts showed an amazing talent for metal working and craftsmanship of all kinds. The celtic cross tattoo is usually made up of several of what are called celtic knots, which are never-ending loops and circles which are meant to symbolize the cycles of reincarnation and death. The never-ending loops and circles also stood for the physical as well as the spiritual and represented the permanence of love, life and very often faith.

The typical theory of people from North America is that they will wear a celtic cross tattoo as a way of remembering their descent, but I say that for the most part that is probably not true. Most people who get a tattoo are younger people and they do it because they like the way the tattoo looks and not for anything having to do with their lineage. Maybe when they get older they will claim that, but when they were young and got the celtic cross tattoo, I think they were simply being impulsive, with no hidden meaning what so ever. There are lots of very cool designs of Celtic Crosses out there so shop carefully before choosing yours.

This tattoo almost has a tribal feeling with the geometic designs they used, look at the patterns repeat themselves until you have a very complex design. I like the feeling this celtic cross tattoo presents when you look at it. I like the spiral effects the design gives off when viewed up close. You will notice on this celtic cross tattoo it has a some what religious feeling about it. The cross and the jewels remind me of a crown symbol of sorts. If you notice the weaving of the curls it makes this celtic cross tattoo look like it is for the common man and not of royalty. I believe this style of celtic goes back to the 8th or 9th century when celtic designs were used very often through out most of old europe.

I have a celtic cross tattoo on the back of my right leg. I have always felt anything celtic gave off the feeling of love and admiration to another. I like this tattoo a lot, probably better than the one I have on my leg. I might have to do another on my other leg and try to use some of this design to better it this time around.

Fairy tattoo design

In contrast to the previous one, this is a typical girl's tattoo - fairy, lower back.

Eagle tattoo design

It is really rare for a girl to have a eagle tattoo. Since the piercing process is painful and the stereotype for tattoo is not so girly, feminine tattoos are always small, pink, cute. This free eagle tattoo is exactly the opposite - it is big and tough.

Wing Tattoos

Wing Tattoos

I usually like wing tattoos a lot but I am not sure how I feel about this set of them. Apparently on the back of a guy, which is a little strange, these wings seems to be formed by what appears to be long and thin root type of material rather than be made up of wings covered with feathers which one would normally expect to see. I have never seen a set of wing tattoos just like this before and while I do find them interesting I don’t really like the design very much. I prefer the traditional looking wings.

These are meant to be angel wings of some type I am sure but I do not know what type that may be. This strikes me as something that would come out of the woods or the trees or something like that. I am not at all sure and I am not going to guess. All I can say is that they look earthy. If anybody out there know what these are meant to be I would love to hear from you. Really.

Wing Tattoos

There are many different styles and types of wing tattoos and this is a picture of one that you do not see very often. It’s a much smaller one than what is popular now and only takes up a small part of the back of ones shoulder. I can only guess as to its meaning and to the meaning of the intertwined rings in the middle of these wings. The wings are probably meant to be angel wings and that typically stands for a supernatural being who is looking over us and looking out for us. It can also stand fro grace and beauty and possibly the whimsical ability to fly away whenever the world get to be too much. We’d all be flying away if that were possible, wouldn’t we?

As far as the rings go your guess is as good as mine. Perhaps they are meant to stand for a bonding of sorts. A joining of two souls if you will. Or perhaps the connection between two hearts. Something having to do with love and a relationship I would think. As far as wing tattoos go this much smaller on could be a good alternative for someone who wants one that doesn’t cover the better part of their back.