GOOGLE ASU TATTOO: 2012

Wednesday, May 2, 2012

Blue Butterfly Tattoo

Blue Butterfly Tattoo

Another butterfly tattoo - this one is colorful.

Buddha God Tattoo

A new tattoo from Andy Shou, as exquisite as usual. The halo and smoke around the Buddha strengthen the 3D effect.

Why Tattoo Popularity?

Why The Popularity?

Why the rise in popularity? How did they start and who are the original tattoo artists that brought these bold, bright tattoo designs to us?

If you follow tattooing back to the first part of the century, you will find a few incredibly talented, wonderfully colorful characters. Top among these fine characters is "Sailor Jerry". Story goes, Sailor Jerry began his career traveling around the country on freight trains and tattooing the drifters. He joined the Navy at 19 and sailed the Pacific. If you look at Sailor Jerry's artwork, you can see the influence of Southeast Asia. Sailor Jerry's images have bold deep outlines, bold blocks of color, and large, oversized images.

Old School Tattoo Designs include imagery of stars, hearts and daggers. There are anchors, and nautical themes. What we now would say is "pirate imagery" are all found in Old School Tattoos. Beautiful, busty pin-up girls, suggestive women, skeletons, and skulls. Hearts with daggers through them and roses with massive thorns and ribbons, in bold bright colors with deep outlining. Everything that we now would consider "vintage" is included in the imagery of Old School Tattoos. They have almost a whimsical and animated quality.

Two of Sailor Jerry's students, Ed Hardy and Mike Malone have been extremely influential in keeping interest in, and reviving the Old School Tattoo Designs. Ed Hardy and Mike Malone both use the bold patterns and the bright colors typical in Old School Tattoos. Images are outlined and you can see the Asian influence in the design.

When Sailor Jerry died, he left instructions that one of his students, Ed Hardy or Mike Malone, could buy his tattoo shop in Hawaii. Mike Malone took the offer and with the purchase of the shop, he also got all of Sailor Jerry's artwork. That artwork, or "flash" can now be seen on tattoo shop walls all across America.

Don Ed Hardy, on the other hand, exploded his popularity and brought Old School Tattoo designs to the main stream by licensing his artwork to Christian Audigier. Ed Hardy Designs was formed and Christian Audigier began incorporating the artwork into fashion. This was the first time tattoo design and tattoo artwork has made it to the runways of Paris, New York and Italy. Ed Hardy artwork and tattoo design could now be seen on Rock Stars and Celebrities alike. The Beautiful Old School Tattoo Designs were now part of mainstream culture and highly sought after.

Maybe another reason for the rise in popularity of Old School Tattoos is the simple fact that we have a fascination with "vintage" What's old is new. This happens in fashion all the time. How many times have you heard people say, "I had those gym shoes in 7th grade", or "That blouse is in my moms attic". From brands like Puma, Nike, P.F. Flyers to Levi, there is always a vintage look or design just around the corner. Old School Tattoos are the "vintage" of the tattoo world. They are also the brightest, most colorful, quirky, kitschy and whimsical tattoo designs. If you are looking for a "vintage" look in your tattoo design, beautiful busty pin-up girls, colorful funky skulls, pierced hearts, fat roses with ribbon sayings, check out the Old School Tattoos. And here is a piece of advice from the infamous Lyle Tuttle: "Don't put anyone's name on your tattoo. They are not going to be around forever. Just put "Sweetheart" and call them ALL "Sweetheart"."

Beautiful Girl Flower Tattoos

Girls Flower Tattoos

Best Tattoos Design:
Beautiful Girls Flower Tattoos

if you talk about beauty, don't forget to talk about flowers, because flowers is the symbol of beauty. also in tattoos world, flowers is also becomes a symbol of beauty tattoos. Flower tattoos design will make everyone who uses it will be looked very beautiful, especially a girl. here are pictures of flower tattoos designs.

color fairy with butterflies tattoos

This is a color tattoo which using great colorful so Sweet fairy with dragonflies and butterflies tattoos designs

Russian Prison Tattoo - The Truth

Russian Prison Tattoos - The Brutal Truth

Russian Criminal Tattoo Encyclopaedia Volume I

Russian Criminal Tattoo Encyclopaedia Volume III

Russian Criminal Tattoo Encyclopedia Volume II

butterflys tattoos

Russian Prison Tattoos

Most people associate Russian Mafia Tattoos with David Cronenberg's award winning film "Eastern Promises" in which Viggo Mortensen portrayed an ex-con turned driver for a Russian Mafia Boss, who works his way up the chain of command only to find out there's even more corruption and deception than what he experienced within the prison walls.

His story merely skims the surface...

In reality, the history behind Russia's criminal underground was spawned from a generation of men who, due to the economical collapse of the Soviet Union, were left with nothing - turning to crime for a means of survival. As communism fell and the safety net was removed, many of the desperate ended up in Russian prison camp system, also known as the Soviet gulag, which to this day is known as one of the most infamous and hellish prison systems in history. It was within these camps that a new breed of professional criminal was born. A criminal network based on discipline, tradition and more importantly, rank.

Russian Mafia Tattoos are more than a statement...

As these networks of seasoned Russian criminals began to establish themselves from both sides of the prison walls, they would tattoo religious and neo-nazi symbols all over their bodies as a form of recognition amongst their fellow peers, but also as a means of living with their sins. It was not unheard of for Russian Mafia Tattoos to be forcefully inked on an individual whom was deemed to be untrustworthy, or an individual who was a child molester or rapist - which went against the strong religious undertones of that time.

Common symbols and their meanings...

To the naked eye most of these tattoos represent religious imagery, such as cathedrals or monasteries, but as the Russian Mafia began to migrate to New York, Philadelphia, and Florida between the 1970's and 1990's, the American authorities and secret services began to decipher the code which lies beneath these markings of worship. They realized that not only was there a system behind Russian Mafia Tattoos, but these criminals would literally use these symbols as a business card to whom the other was, and more importantly, what sins they've committed.

Cathedral or Church - Depending on the number of towers a particular tattoo has, it usually refers to the number of years, or amount of times that individual has been incarcerated.

Cobweb - Usually designated for someone who has committed murder.

Cat or Cats - If there is a tattoo of a single cat, this means that the individual was a thief before being imprisoned. If there are multiple cats this means that the individual was part of a gang of thieves.

Stars - This seems to be the most recognized tattoo in the mainstream media. If the owner has stars on each of his knees, this mean's he will never bow down or never be brought to his knees. Stars on the shoulders are usually awarded when a particular individual has reached a criminal status or high ranking within the network - such as a Captain. Different types of stars mean different things as well.

What's even more frightening, and sad, is that in modern day Russia it is estimated that 70% of the upper echelon of society, politics and law enforcement is controlled by the Russian Mafia families and criminal networks. It is said that the same percentage of banks are also ran by the mob in Russia. The fall of communism turned a once powerful and formidable competitor into a country so corrupt that it's highest offices are products of crime. It's common amongst society for people to associate criminal organizations with the Italian Mafia, but the reality is that if you ask anyone who knows anything on this topic they will tell you that compared to the Russian Mafia, Italian crime families are like pre-school - there is no comparison.