Robot Tattoo by Tommy Ryan

I got my robot tattoo finished a couple of weeks ago, and for once I had the patience to let it heal before I posted photos online. You may have seen the original post where I showed you the robot when he had no background. Pretty much the morning after I got him done I decided he needed some kind of sketchbook style background on him, to make him look like he was ripped out of a notebook of drawings. Since he is a little guy that I've been doodling for years it seemed a far more fitting tattoo for me rather than just a plain robot.

I'm delighted with how it turned out, with the contrast of the messiness of the doodles, and the straightness of the copybook lines. I had a bit of a fight with Tommy Ryan about putting the lines through the robot, but it wouldn't have looked like a paper drawing if they stopped at the edge, I'm glad I won the fight in the end. I plan to get a matching robot on my other arm in the same style, and I'll definitely go back to Tommy again. For more info on booking Tommy for a piece please go to Bullman's Tattoo Studio facebook page.

This is the mock up I did on photoshop before taking the plunge, it was a good way to gauge how to balance the doodle aspect of the piece with the existing tattoo. As I've said before I really like to plan my tattoos a lot, it is there forever after all. 

On a bit of a shameful side note I chickened out of showing my parents when I was visiting during the really hot weather recently. I sat there in 30 degree heat wearing a long sleeved cardigan. I realise the ridiculousness of of my cowardice, but I just didn't want to face the hissy fit from my mother (yes I am 31 years of age!).

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My New Robot Tattoo

I'm not one of those people who gets impulsive tattoos, all the ones I have I think about for months or years before hand. But I broke my regular habit and allowed my self a somewhat speedy decision on a tattoo yesterday. I saw on Living Social that they were doing a special in Bullman's Tattoo Studio, an hour session for only €49(50% discount). I've been wanting to get a new piece for ages, and approached an amazing guy in Dublin to get my upper sleeve done recently. I'm rather fiscally challenged at the moment so don't have the €800 I was quoted for the piece. So this voucher seemed like a good way to get something small done in the meantime. 

Reference Photos

For a while I had the idea of having matching pieces on my inner lower arms, but never really thought much about what to put there. I also for a few months had been thinking of getting a cute robot tattoo, but again hadn't spent much time dwelling on it either. My childhood friend came to visit this week, I suggested that we go into Bullman's and get tattooed together, liking a bonding shoe shopping trip just with more permanent results. 

Work by Tommy Ryan

You may have noticed from my own work that I'm a bit obsessed with little sad robots, they seem so hopeful and hard working, but filled with pathos because 'they'll never be a real boy'. I love drawing them, but was afraid to design my own tattoo in case I grew tired of my own work. I gave my friend Tommy my two sheets of reference photos( ok, ok so it wasn't that impulsive a tattoo!) and he did up some drawings. I liked the drawings he did, but I didn't love them, and there was an awkward moment that I nearly didn't say anything so I wouldn't offend him(a very Irish thing to do). Thankfully I shook off this really stupid notion and remembered that it would be on my skin for the rest of my life. I bit the bullet and did my own sketch right there in the shop, there were certain elements that I really wanted like the over sized heart, tilted head, and sad face. I worked in some elements of his drawing into mine and I really like the merged design. 

Work by Tommy Ryan

I think Tommy really got a kick out of doing the piece, and it was so nice to be tattooed by a friend. It's weird, I hate going to the hair dressers because they talk to you all the time, but I love going to tattoo shops and having the laugh, maybe because they are wittier folk. It was also great to have Donna there too, we've been friends since we were 12, so it was a good moment to share. Although she does have a freakishly high pain threshold so that she could nearly sleep during a tattoo, I was rather jealous!

Work by Tommy Ryan

I plan on getting another robot in the same position on my other arm soon, I like the balance of having matching tattoos. I was also thinking that I might like a sheet of ripped paper to be tattooed on as a background for him, the idea that he is really one of my drawings, like he was ripped out of my sketchbook. I'll print out the photo and do some drawings to see what it would look like first though, and maybe run the idea past Tommy for his professional opinion too.

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Researching Irish Based Tattoo Artists

I've been  getting the itch again to get a new tattoo. This time I want to get a stack of books on my upper arm. I always do loads of research before I choose a tattoo artist, checking out their website and facebook pages. I'm really happy with the one I got last year, but I like seeing what different artists can do, so I've been looking around Ireland to see who is doing good work. If you are planning on getting a tattoo don't just listen to peoples recommendations, I had people recommended and when I looked at their work it was awful. Pick the artist that suits what you are going to get, there is no point going to a tribal expert when what you want is a portrait tattoo.

The three tattoos above are by artist Robert Witczuk, who is originally Polish but traveled to Ireland after getting a Masters in Fine Art. He now works in Tat24You in Co.Meath. I'm in love with the converse runner one, and would love it in red!

Marcin Soski is also Polish, he works in Zulu Tattoo in Dublin. I was blown away by his drawing work, and then when I saw the colour work on the Bacchus piece above I decided to email the shop. It turns out that they would like an face to face chat rather that go over the details via email, which is a bit frustrating as they are in Dublin.

Norbert Halasz is Hungarian but he is currently working in Dublin Ink, it was my friend Donna who recommended that I check them out, she had heard very good things. 

As impressed as I am with all the amazing artists that i found working in Ireland I'm still gutted that I probably can't afford to go to Berlin to get a piece done by Peter Aurisch, I love the texture and comparative simplicity of his work. Maybe down the line when I'm rich I'll head over. I even tried emailing him a couple of times to get an idea of costs but i got no reply.

I've also been drooling over the work of Xoil, but he is based in France. You can see that the style of the last two artists is totally different from anything else that I've shown. I can't seem to find anyone based here working in that loose collage style. If you know of anyone or have suggestions please leave them in the comments below.

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The Girl With The Crafty Tattoos

I bit the bullet and I got my tattoo on Monday. As I mentioned last week I had a voucher for Bullman's Studio because I wanted Ulrich Hueber to do it, but it turns out that he is setting up his own place and doesn't work there anymore. He was really sound and slotted me in for a last minute appointment, which is better that I had less time to get nervous about it, considering what a wimp I am. As with my last tattoo I did lots of research on photos of the objects, drawing styles and tattoos of similar subjects. It turns out very few people get tattoos of pencil sharpeners!! I sent the below images on to Uli with a general description of the composition that I wanted and he came up with this beautiful design.

I'm so ecstatic with the result, the detail is above any beyond what I thought could be done in that space, it has millimeter marks and numbers on the ruler for feck sake!! Each time I look at it I'm convinced that the brush is my favourite bit, then I change to the pencil, and the pen...and so on. When it's all healed I'll get a proper photo of my two crafty tattoos together; the tools of my trade on my shoulders.

It took somewhere between and hour and a half and two hours, I'm happy that I didn't cry like a girl, but somewhere near the end I started to lose it a bit and I wanted to run away, but thankfully I held it together and didn't make an ass of myself. I have total respect for people who can do 6 hour sittings and get whole back pieces done. Either they are super human or they have no nerves. A friend of mine swears she really isn't bothered by getting tattooed, she can chat away easily and reads a book when she 'gets bored'. I'm obviously made of weaker stuff, but I love tattoos so I'm gonna keep getting them.

The images I gave to Uli as reference

I decided on the artist by doing a fair bit of research online. Facebook is really handy for that as most studios have tonnes of photos of previous work catagorised by artist. I had heard lots of good things about Uli but from the comfort of my own home I was able to look through hundreds of pictures and decide who's work suited what I wanted. There is no point in picking someone who is amazing at portraits if you want an abstract piece. Most artists specialise in an area and I looked for someone who did photo real object and had a strong level of drawing. Here are some examples of his previous work.

Uli has been working in Bullmans Studio for years but this week he is opening his own shop which will be called 'High on Ink'. I'm so impressed with myself that I figured out how to make a Google street view map preview that I'm posting the directions to his new place here. Ignore the fact that it says it's 39 Thomas St, it's not it's 31. It's on the top floor over Players and Dr.John's(my friend's new bar, which is pretty fantastic by the way!)

Uli is in the process of setting up his new website for the shop, I'll update this post with links as soon as the site is live.


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Tattoo Envy

As you all know I'm addicted to Pinterest, on one of my boards I have a collection of yummy tattoos. I'm hoping to book in for my own tattoo in the next few weeks. I have the voucher already so I don't need to worry about the cost, and I also have the idea all worked out. But I'm just a weakling when it comes to pain so I've been putting it off, pathetic I know!!

Here are some of the tats I've been drooling over lately....

I love the old style of these flowers

I love that this looks like a college and not the cliche tattoo style

So delicate and beautiful

This is by Peter Aurische...I love his drawing style it's amazing

There is a weird part of me that wants a Pin-Up tattoo

I love the tattoo but I hate the placement

A pencil will be featured in my new tattoo

I love this but I think the text ruins it

I have no idea what the caption reads but I like the door

I hate when people say,'What will you look like when you're older?'....I think they look beautiful

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Crafty Tattoo

I bit the bullet today and I eventually went and got the tattoo I've wanted for ages. Let me just preface this by saying I'm a super wimp and I have zero pain threshold. It was the memory of that stabby needle that kept on putting me off. What eventually made me overcome my fear of the pain is that Don (the guy who did my tattoo) is leaving Limerick, and I really wanted him to do it.

So off I toddled today with the below array of photos, and I explained exactly what I wanted. My logic on not drawing it myself is that within a month I would start seeing flaws (which I do with all my work), and that's the last thing I wanted with something so permenant! It did an amazing job with the design, I love the look of the scissors and the flow of the thread. In case you are wondering, it's on my right shoulder.

I got a large tattoo on my back when I was 18, a nice tribal piece, but the design is not personal at all. I knew that I would eventually want another one, but I definitly wanted something more personal this time. What better way to mark this time in my life than to depict what I eat,sleep and breath every day!

Thanks to Don for his amazing work!

Post Christmas post

So how was your Christmas? Mine was suitably full of food, presents, and christmas cheer, sprinkled with family and love. It's been such a long time since I've been home, September-eek I'm such a bad daughter, it was lovely to see my family again. All the kids look so grown up, my dad looked really well, and everyone seemed so excited that we were together for a happy reason after the crappy year we've all been through. Santa brought me some lovely things, some great books, and easily the most comfortable pajamas I have ever worn(and am wearing right now). I think the biggest surprise was my present from John. He got me a voucher for Danny Bulmans tattoo studio!I already have a large tattoo on my back that for years I have been saying I would finish and bring all the way up to my shoulders. Now that I have the funds I'm half excited/half aprehensive, which is odd cos I'm always black and white about everything. I think it's cos I'm such a wuss when it comes to pain. Either way it was a very thoughtful present.

In other news, keep an eye on my etsy shop over the next week as I now have time to update it after all the holiday madness. I also have to get it looking extra fantastical for all those hits I'll get from being on RTE this coming Monday. In case you don't already have it pencilled in, this Monday 5th Jan I will be on RTE1 on Nationwide at 7pm.