Tattoo Prodigies

This past Saturday, I visited a local tattoo convention. It sucked ass, as expected, with a few minor exceptions. I didn't expect to find any particularly amazing artists, considering I've never seen any really good tattoos in Santa Maria! The punk crowd here is drawn to the 1950's greaser look, giving traditional tattoo artists good business on the central coast. I met Josh Duffy, an artist for Mike Devrie's studio in Northridge, CA. That homie is killing it to say the least. He specializes in black and grey shades, but did a sick pair of "avatar eyes" in full color on someone at the convention. I am stoked I met him and chatted his ear off.
I picked up a copy of "Tattoo Prodigies" from Duffy. This large hardbound book is well worth $100 for the glossy photos, amazing interviews, and display of impressive work by artists making progress in the traditional tattoo styles. It's a good timeline of the ever evolving tattoo industry, as well as a window into the future. I'm very impressed with how well the book was put together, it's one the best collection of artists and work I have seen. I thought of a few artists who were snubbed from the book, but there's always a second edition to look forward to. Overall, it's a mind blowing collection, a well balanced mix of photos from the guys and gals who have been killing it in the industry for years. The mere tip of the iceberg includes Guys Aitchison, Robert Hernandez, and Corey Kruger. Included are newcomers Nikko Hurtado, Adrian Dominic, and Nick Baxter with a promising look in what's to come for the future of the industry. I strong encourage any enthusiast to invest in this book, you will not be disappointed.

You can buy Tattoo Prodigies here:
www.mdtattoos.com
Proton Press

Pleased

Me and Marcus finished our big three day appointment with a bang! The piece is about seventy percent finished! I'm speechless with the results, and he exceeded my expectations as expected. Marcus Lenhard is something special. He just really gets into Tattooing and Life. The dude really has his head in the right place. Its gonna be sad leaving here. I'm super grateful he let me stay at his house, Stink up his bathroom, and meet all his rad friends. We had a blast to say the least. I'm gonna miss the Lux Altera compound.
We finished the first of two large appointments today. Our plan is to do an entire Sleeve in two Multi-day sessions. Today was the last day of session one. he Tattooed me for nine awesome hours Today. The day started off rough, and I was unsure I was gonna make it today without tapping out(Means I'm about to die from pain overload). We had already put in twenty one hours of work before the day started. That's way beyond what me and Adrian did. I still have major jet lag, and have not been sleeping for shit. Maybe four or five hours a night. that makes for a very painful tattoo experience. So the first two hours of today I was super depressed and talked with Marcus about maybe saying F*** it. After he talked me into continuing on. I seemed to liven up and feel amazing....I GOT THE RUSH. The stuff I live for now. It hit like a mack truck of awesome. I just felt good, and we charged on. We finished beyond what our original goal was.
Marcus is super pleased, and I'm sure he knows I'm even more pleased. we started one of the most progressive biomech pieces I have ever seen. Without a doubt I'm sure that the tattoo community is gonna shit...! No lie you haven't seen a biomech tattoo like this in your life I promise. I hope Marcus gets great success from everything he applies himself in and Im sure he will. I can't wait until he comes to the states to finish up our project. Its gonna be grand!

Half sleeve

Finished up a twelve hours of tattooing today. worked on some super knarly places on the arm(Elbow cave and Elbow,) it just sucked. I survived it though, It feels great to know that you lasted through out some crazy awful pain. In two days we tattooed for roughly around twenty one hours. Pretty sweet if you ask me. Marcus say he is impressed as well. After all that I just have to say is wow... I have a half sleeve completely finished. After two days the piece is fifty percent finished(rough estimate.) Marcus has been working the skin really well, and does really good job helping me get through rough spots mentally. The tattoo is truly amazing. He did everything that I asked, and some. His little creative touches really added to the reality and dimension in my skin. After it all I felt really beat up and terrible. As soon as I look at the piece in the mirror my attitude changes. I feel so amazing its just so good. Its a true emotional joy seeing the results. Grateful for everything

and it starts...

Day one is over. Started today gray lined the whole entire piece. Tattooed and finished about half of my forearm entirely! Roughly eight or nine hours of tattooing. The stuff Marcus has done is quite amazing. I can't put in words how happy I am with the results. Once again my expectations have been exceeded. The tattoo is very symmetrical with the other Bio Mechanical piece from Adrian. Its just a good fit with my other arm. I have decided that I'm not going to post the piece online until its entirely done. I don't need to prove anything I know this tattoo is absolutely amazing. So if you wanna see it your gonna have to come and visit me in San Luis Obispo. Tomorrow is going to be the knarly stuff. Lots of detail in the elbow area and we will be tattooing that entirely. Should make for an interesting tattoo day. I'm sure my new friend Bactine will be my savior when it get's rough. I feel so lucky get tattooed by Marcus. The time here is special to me, and this is another life changing event I know it.

Amsterdam

I'm here and its fantastic. The flight was ten hours it wasn't terrible by any stretch. It was hard to sleep on the plane because peeps are always moving around. KLM is a great airline. Always offering water or juice and its weird. Europeans drink alcohol with every single meal pretty much beer or wine. So the flight attend seemed sort baffled that I said water plz...?
Marcus picked me up and went to Amsterdam and walked around for 2 or 3 hours. Amsterdam does sorta have a weed culture, I didnt think that it was that bad? It was sort funny seeing stores advertise mushrooms. Also I did notice peeps walking around blazed out of there minds..ha ha. But, I have seen Vegas way worse.
After that I made to the Lux Altera compound. Marcus is letting me stay here and it is so nice! His Apartment is totally furnished with IKEA. Which is awesome, makes me wanna go back the states and furnish my apartment with IKEA. I love this place Europeans are so neat. Nothing is sloppy it almost seems futuristic?
Marcus Let me sit and watch him design the whole entire piece that he is tattooing on me. I will say this man is Knarly. The Piece is designed completely digital in Photoshop. Yeah, man This dude is on the cutting edge. The piece is kinda like a rough 2d digital rendering, looks so amazing. I feel very lucky to be here and fortunate to be tattooed by Marcus. I feel like a kid on Christmas eve. I know my experience here with everything will be nothing short of amazing.

Rambling about ink

Today I'm starting an amazing journey, I'm traveling to a foreign country all to get a tattoo. It hasn't even been a year since I received my first tattoo. Also My first tattoo is massive compared to other first tattoos. To say the least I love this shit! I love Bio-mechanical I don't know what it is, but simply to say it just looks cool. To me its more than that and now its turned into something so more. I never imagined how I decided to ink my body could change so much. More importantly I've been opened to a whole new world of an appreciation for art. Physically I fill invincible I guess that is a side effect from all the pain that I have forced my self to mentally endure. I feel alive in my life. I'm super excited for tomorrow and what tomorrow may bring. so if your wondering why travel all the way to the Netherlands for a tattoo. Why the F*** not!

I'm for really goin this time!

Because of financial reason I had to postpone my trip to the Netherlands. Now I'm finally going to Europe, and I'm so excited. I have been planning this little tattoo sesh with Markus since October, and I'm sure he is just as anxious as I am. So I'm sure some of you are like WTF? So if you don't know I'm telling you. We are gonna blast(tattoo) my whole entire left arm! That's if I can deal with the knarlyness of getting grinded on for three full eight hour plus days. after that we should be almost 60% percent finished with the piece(thats the rough estimate I was given.)

So with that I'm starting my pre-tattoo training. I know it sounds silly but it really helps you deal with some of the bullshit. The physical pain, emotional pain(its all part of dealing with pain.), Swelling, Healing, etc. These are all things that are unpleasant during the getting a tattoo process. So the training is very similar to an athlete. "Rule number one... Cardio!!" Eating good, Lots Omega's, Antioxidants, Vitamin C, and being very hydrated. It's all stuff that help you emotional and physically deal with the pain.

I have been part of a two day plus tattoo sesh, and their where differently some lows for that, but the high after was amazing. The way I felt after all the pain changed my life forever. I credit that to the pre-tattoo training. In some sorta sick way I'm chasing that high. I'm sure everything will go well. I'm not worried I have 100 percent confidence in Markus he is an amazing tattooer. His works is great, and will fit nicely with my planned collection.