I CRASH DOWN

Ashly's backpiece

Here are some "step by step" pictures of a backpiece I just finished on Ashly.
I wanted to take a photo of every session, but it slipped my mind after most of the appointments, so it's not quite every step.

Each session was roughly two and a half to three hours each. A few shorter, a few longer depending on our moods and schedules.

Here's what we had to work with. Since she already had some work from various tattooers, I had kind of an awkward space to work with.

She wanted to cover up the geometric shapes in the top left, but make everything else look like it belongs with what we were adding.




My first basic sketch

First day, outline done







Finally done, but I wanted to wail until the background wasn't so fresh to take good pictures.



Finished and about 2 months healed!!
The whole process took about 8 months.

Thanks, Ashly!!

a few new tattoos

Justin's watertower from the Church Hill neighborhood, here in Richmond.


Sarah's panther....the picture is pretty bad since it's half healed/half fresh...but you get the idea!




Chis is a tattooer from Los Angeles that used to live here in RVA. He was in town for a visit and I managed to squeeze this lil' tattoo machine on his leg.

A whale's tale

Here is a little 'in progress' step by step of a tattoo I'm doing on Raena.

Each session has taken about three hours, give or take.



I'd say we're just past the halfway point right now.

The camera adds 100 pounds

My friends at Snacktruck Media made this little video for me!





Check them out at:
http://www.snacktruckmedia.com/
and
http://www.facebook.com/SNACKTRUCKmedia

Some new paintings

I've decided not to continue with the "in progress" artwork and painting stuff. Every blog I see these days is doing it, so it's taken all the interesting aspects of it away, in my opinion.

So, from now on, I guess it's just more self-serving promotion.
Come get tattooed by me!! Buy artwork!!

I originally planned to paint these on wooden planks with acrylics, and I got mostly finished with two of them before realizing that they looked like total junk, so I started over with liquid acrylics on paper.

These are all hanging the entire month of June at my favorite bar and restaurant in Richmond, 821 Cafe.

-...and when i die, i want to go to hell-

roughly 22 x 37"

liquid acrylic on paper

(detail of tarot cards)

-Don't you remember every shitty thing that you've ever done?"

Roughly 23 x 37"

liquid acrylic on paper

-I crash down-

roughly 23 x 37"

liquid acrylic on paper

Roughly 18 x 25"

liquid acrylic on paper.

Totally

Anyone who knows me also knows that THIS is my real art.

Vulture

Started this one today! Crouched vulure.......about 3 and a half hours.

Christmas in March

This one has been in the works for a long time.....finally got around to starting it this Sunday!
About 2 and a half hours so far.

a few things in progress...

A couple of projects currently in the works.

Sarah's Monsters



Tiffanie's peacock cover up.
Ashley's back....Lots of smoke and background left to go!(I didn't do her ribs or portrait on the upper right shoulder)


Nancy's half sleeve. Almost there! (the branch and a few of the blossoms were already there)

Aliens!

I've wanted to do an Aliens themed tattoo since I first started tattooing! Jeff Srsic did the top of her arm and I had the terribly difficult task of trying to "match up" with the style he did.
3 Sessions...about 12 hours total.
I'd love to do some more tattoos like this!!!


Initial sketch....

After the first session...3 hours, or so.....

finished......half healed/half fresh....

A few new things.....

I need to update more often! I have many, many things in progress at the moment, so i will be doing a huge update in a few months, as these tattoo projects get finished. I also have an artshow in June that I have been doing a lot of "in progress" photos for.

In the meantime, here are a few simpler things I have been doing, besides getting hit by cars on my scooter.


The first sketch (in greens) and line drawing for Spencer's day of the dead lady.



The end result (maybe 3 hours of tattooing)

SALVATION

A HUGEHUGEHUGE "thank you" to everyone who bought a salvation print from me when I was healing my wrecked hand from my car accident in November. I really appreciate the support.

Lady Face

It's been a while since I posted anything here, so let's do it!


I drew the initial sketch while bored at the Salt Lake City convention, thinking I could use it for something in the near future.

I wanted to do something with a really heavy Mucha look to it, but without taking something directly from his work. It's about 3x5" at this point.


Then, traced the sketch for this line drawing....evening out details, changing things here and there....

Then, I blew the line drawing up to be much larger. Then tape a million pieces of paper together. (at this point, it's maybe 14x18")

Taped that crap onto the watercolor paper.

Transfered on there. You can see here that I decided to change her facial features jut a bit to look more "eastern European" or something.....also, I wasn't pleased with the rose that I drew, so I took a different approach.

After the first night of painting....maybe 3 or 4 hours in.



after about 4 or 5 more hours.....The final product! 16x20"

some drawings and tattoos.

I was poking through some files earlier and found a few things that I thought might pertain to the original intent of this blog, which is showing some artistic progress kinda thing.

These are mostly old tattoos and paintings, coupled with part of my original sketches.


Virgin mary sketch


Finished stickers on candles.


If it's not right the first time, do it again!






Finished Bob Roberts worship painting.



Abby and I are comedians.










Sometimes, it takes so long to get it just right that you don't even want to do it anymore.


lettering is especially frustrating....



line drawing for the stencil.


color study...


finished, healed tattoo.





Not quite finished yet...

My first sketch for Ashley's neck tattoo.





my first couple of sketches for a commissioned painting of a wife and child.
Working on the layout here.

The first round of blacks and greys....

..and the finished painting.



Sketch.

Tat-jam.






first few ideas....


Finished work.



Not my usual style. Done for a benefit for a friend with cancer.


done in colored pencils.



bird friends.
2007, I think.