Tagged tattoo shop

Sakura Sakura

Synonymous of Japanese symbol and flower that best represents it’s country and beauty. Strangely, even back in Tokyo it was mostly requested by western woman rather the local girls.

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日本でもこのタイプの柄を選ぶ女性はほぼ外国人がメインでした。やはり皆ない物ねだりなのか。。。基本的に肩甲骨に桜の木を彫る場合、上の写真の様に上から桜が垂れてくるようにデザインするのが定番だ。俺は勝手にそうだと思いスケッチをしたのだが。。。

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Usually when the Sakura (Cherry Blossom) tree is placed on the shoulder blade, it is commonly designed to come from top to bottom. I find out that she wanted the other way around.
しかし、彼女がリクエストしていたのは逆で、下から上に伸びていくようにと言うことだった。前回書いた通りコミュニケーションに苦戦している俺ではいるけど、こういった場面でもちょっと間抜けではあるかもしれないがまた新たな発見があったりする。ではなぜそんな面倒な事をしているのだろうかと思うのは皆さん当然かもしれません。
あえてカッコつけずに言わせてもらうが言葉が通じる国では僕は仕事はしたくなかった。
理由は簡単。チャレンジする事、好奇心や発見の喜びが半分になってしまうのではないかと思ったからだ。
いくら俺みたいに四ヵ国語喋れても、それらが全く役に立たないとは言わないが、ゼロから言葉や風習に触れる事で作品にもそれらがいずれは反映されるのではないかと思いながらお客さんとこういった”失敗”も楽しみながら向き合っている。

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After the “incident”, we made another quick sketch and re-designed properly on paper.
That’s usually how I work with most of my tattoos. Be it small or big. I always do a simple sketch straight on the skin to check for size, placement and the design itself.
Specially now that my communication skills are a bit limited, I find this way to be the one’s to get the comfort and credit from the customer.
I totally understand the fear and insecurity when customers first walk in to the strange world of tattooing. It will be done right? Does the guy can reproduce my ideas? And so on.
Specially when is a dude like me handling the task, can be a challenging experience.
But again, tattooing is a visual art. So, before the talk the talk; I personally think the walk the walk style is the most suitable for this art form.
Action speaks more than words.

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そして仕切り直し。紙に最終的に描いたものを肌にトレーシングする。僕はいつもこうして段階を踏みながらデザインを進めていく。どんなサイズであろうが、お客さんもイメージしやすいし一緒に作り上げて行く達成感がある。

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Today we stop here. One more session to complete and at last, but not least; check to see if more will need to be added.
本日はここまで。また次回仕上げる時に新たに桜をチョイと足すかもしれない。こうして次回の予約までに色々と考えるのも楽しみの一つ。

finished
http://hannyaheadtattoo.com/2013/08/07/sakura-japanische-kirschblute/

Shooting around 3

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Giving continuation from the previous project, it’s one more session left to finish his sleeve tattoo.
In the photos is quite hard to tell, but he have very long arms.
That makes interesting to balance small details combining with large “windows” or “blades” as I call these vertical squares dividing his arm.
I hope the final result can capture that feeling

あと一回で仕上げる予定。前回の写真も見ていただければ、彼の腕は大変長いです。背丈も1m90cm~2mはあると思うんで、こういったポリネシアンスタイルをベースにしたトライバルを彫る場合、細かい部分と彼の腕の長さに合わせた一つ一つのパーツのバランスを組み合わせる事にとてもやりがいを感じます。
出来上がりが楽しみです

finished
http://hannyaheadtattoo.com/2013/08/28/shooting-around-4/

Meet & greet 3

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The world spins around
and sometimes we do end where we started
Footprints and marks are left untouched
in the heart’s memory book
Fresh and not rust, it comes out
nor as a ghost of the howling past
It’s just a shadow with wings
flying around our heads
Like bats that mirrors
the dark side of the moon
Walk past through the tunnels
the very one’s of doom
s2

タトゥーは何時でも再会
彫り終わっても別れではない

Meet & Greet 2

Like the last Meet & Greet post, is always a great pleasure to see old friends again.
Thorsten had being in touch and had gotten few tattoos by me through the time.
I had the honor to add one more piece, that is more than one piece itself.
Ribs are a truly painful spot. Do not attempt if you fear harm.

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このおじさんは不良です。不良と言っても、三人のお子さんの良きパパ。今だから話せる話もたくさん持っているだろうし、今だからこうして二人で話せるんだろうなと思う時多々(笑
こういう人は顔にはもちろん”生き様”(この言葉使いたくなかったなぁ~。。。でも他にみつかんない)が出ているが、やはりプラスアルファ、タトゥーがかなりの割合でその”顔”を良く表している。
ここではちょっと書けない柄とそれにまつわる意味が全身に彫られていて純粋にカッコイイ―!とベタなコメントになってしまうが、それ以外の言葉がまたみつからん。。。
以前も書いたように、覚悟持って何か(タトゥー、ファッション含め)背負うってのはやっぱカッケ―よな。。。それが出来るから子供達の自慢のパパなんだろうな

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Ich glaube es erst wenn Ich es sehe

“To see is to believe”

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Thanx to my friend Dirk to make this happen…

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Just getting away from some cliche color schemes, as mainly in the horns. I used blue and purple, instead of the typical brown-deer-like-effect commonly seen on Hannya masks and dragons.

Sorry, but nobody ever said that Hannya or dragon horns were made or inspired on deer.
To see is to believe.
Mudafukas that believe on what they “see” out there, are blinded by the ignorance and half-assed knowledge of “believers”.
Clean your glasses bro..
今回3時間で残りを仕上げて、本来角の色に変化を付け、青と紫で仕上げてみた。
一般的に角は鹿の様な色と形をしているんだが誰かがそれを決めたわけでもないんであえて自分の好きな色に変更。
ルールは壊すために出来ている
ファック・ザ・ポリス

The second chance

Cover ups are always a challenge. And I personally love those challenges.

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カバーアップは何時でもチャレンジであり、個人的にはヤリガイがある仕事。古い作品を”消す”事に抵抗を持っているアーティストも確かにいるが、僕はとりあえずお客さんの”悩み”を消しているつもりでカバーアップに取組んでいる。
誰しも気に入らない物と一緒に過ごすのは嫌だろうし、それを綺麗に生まれ変わらせたらどれだけ幸せだろう。
その幸せな表情を見たいがためにカバーアップをやっている

Light upon us

These photos were taken in December of 2010.
Strangely, this photos came out a bit “darker” than the previous one’s. Not because of her dyed hair, make-up or dark clothes and dark background…
I mean dark as they were predicting what would happen few months later on March 2011.
All the knitting girls went back to their homeland. A vacuum were formed not just in my shop back them, but in the entire country.
By no means I’m saying that this photos bring me bad/ sad memories.
I’m just saying that photos are a such powerful tool sometimes. Recalling memories. Bringing back origins and re-questioning why tattoos…

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Now, emotions are putted aside and we can recollect the facts occurred.
Why tattoos?
Because we are human beings.
Tattoos states that. We are human beings.
And tattoos are a light, brightening our path. With hopes that we will knot these ends again.
https://www.facebook.com/GiantsOfLeisure

Knit the Knot

Did I mentioned that I love photography? I mean, not exactly photography as an artistic genre. But I love to take photos. As I mentioned in a early post, photography is by no means a minor thing for me.
I might not be good as I wish, but say that photos are an a extension of my art.
Perhaps, the last recall of my memories. To bring back the origins of my tattoos.

I met Kate in my former shop Tattoo-Church in Tokyo.
She just waved by, and firstly choose a discrete small tattoo inside her arm. It was an Andy Warhol inspired painting.
It was a strange design of people jumping from buildings titled “Suicide” (a silkscreen made by the man, dated in 1963)
From them on she added more to her collection, and at the same time introduced me to a “gang” of expat girls living in Tokyo.
They would come, get tattooed, chit chat girls talk on Mondays at the shop. Guess Mondays were their day off or something.
Funny was not the girl’s talk, that i guess guys are also curious to know what woman gossip between them. Well, say that they just say what we guess what they say…
But funny for me was the situation itself. The other girls waiting for their turn or just there to give some “spiritual help” to the one laying on the bench, would be for example knitting while waiting.
They had those “waves” and “booms” from time to time, and one of these were knitting.

I mean, who da hell gonna knit in a tattoo shop? Guess not even in a hospital I had seen woman knitting (read old one’s) while waiting for their turn…
Even strange as it sounds, in other way you can take it as how laid back was the atmosphere in the shop.
We had our common trust, so they were free to feel home.
Be it knitting, drinking coffee or just waving by for a chat.

So, I have good memories of those Mondays. It reminds me the warmness of a knit sweater, even if I don’t have one…

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The photos above were took in 2009, and are from a self published book. I will write about this book in a future post. Other photos I took of Kate later, will be posted tomorrow.
Perhaps you can knit while waiting