Artist Spotlight! 2

        In today's artist spotlight we will be talking about Ami James. Born in Israel to a native Israeli mother and a Jewish converted American father, Ami was drawn to tattooing at a young age. It is said that because ADD was a big problem for him he needed something to get his mind away from it. Even though his father left when he was four year old Ami was still inspired by his fathers love of painting and the tattoos his father had. James moved to the United States at age 11 or 12, living with his father's parents before moving to Miami at the age of 12. He moved back to Israel in his teens and completed his military service in the Israel Defense Force as a sniper. At the age of 15 he got his first tattoo, an experience which made him determined to become a tattoo artist himself. In 1992, he started his apprenticeship with tattoo artist Lou at Tattoos By Lou. Later, after he left that tattoo shop, he started his own with his friend Chris Nunez. Located in Miami, Love Hate Tattoos became popular fast and his shop even became a TV series named Miami Ink. Around 2011-2012 Ami left Miami and went to New York to start a new shop and a new series called New York Ink which centered around his shop, Wooster Street Social Club. Recently it has been announced that Ami and some of his co-workers from Wooster Street Social Club and Love Hate Tattoos are moving to London, UK to film a new show centered around his new shop Love Hate Social Club.

 

        
         Honestly as much as Kat Von D was a hero to me when it came to tattoos, Ami was the first. I remember sitting in my bed watching Miami Ink with my parents and seeing this awesome guys do some kick butt tattoos. Its always been my dream to be apprenticed by him even though I know it will never happen.

The Invisible Tattoo

           Today we're going to be talking about blacklight tattoos. Blacklight tattoos or UV tattoos are tattoos made with a special ink that is visible under an ultraviolet light (blacklight). Depending on the ink, they can be nearly invisible in non-UV environments, therefore they are a popular consideration for people seeking a more hidden tattoo. These tattoos are especially popular in people such as ravers or clubbers.
Although the tattoos are sometimes considered invisible in normal light, scarring from the tattoo in the application process may remain, and might still show. A blacklight tattoo becomes visible under blacklight, when it glows in colors ranging from white to purple, depending on the ink chosen. Colored ink is also available, where the ink is visible in normal light (as with a regular tattoo) but the ink will glow vividly under UV light. However, some blacklight inks are not as bright under normal light as normal tattoo ink and are considered not as vibrant.
          As with anything put inside our bodies, blacklight ink can have some effects in people. If you have an allergy to a certain ingredient in the blacklight you may have to seek medical attention. There is also a chance that the ink may just have a bad reaction to the skin because of improper care or the sensativity of the skin.
         Other than that I think that blacklight tattoos are an excellent option if you are seeking body art but things such as your occupation or what you family might think of you holds you back. They also look super cool and are a great eye catcher to people who have never seen such a thing.

Tattoo Do's and Don't's

        This weeks blog is on what tattoos you should get and what tattoos are just a big N.O. I'm gonna start off with tattoo don't's. The biggest one out there is DO NOT get a tattoo of you boyfriend/girlfriend or spouse's name/face! Stupid teenagers who are in love think that this is the person of there dreams and that there name should be forever on there body. But then 3 weeks later they split up for good and now they're stuck with the name of the person they probably hate the most. Unfortunately this stuff even happens to happily married coupled. They are married for a few years so they think that nothing could go wrong now. Sadly, the majority of our society gets a divorce.
         Another N.O is don't get a tattoo that your gonna regret in the future. Kids who turn 18 can't wait for there first tattoo and usually end up getting something stupid like a pot leaf on there neck. Little do they know that that there grand kids are gonna see that pot leaf and wonder what kind of a grandparent you really are.
         One more N.O  is do not get a different language tattooed on your body unless you are 100% sure that you know what it says. Countless times I've seen people who come in with a Japanese sign they think says love and it really means chicken or something.

          Now time for the DO's. The best tattoo's you should get and probably the only ones you should get are tattoo's that legitimately mean something to you. Perhaps you have a grandparent that has passed on and you want something to commemorate him with. One time we had a girl come in and had us mix the ashes of her dead father into the tattoo ink and had us tattoo her. Maybe it could even be a passion you have or a day you want to remember forever. Never care about what people think about your tattoo because it means something to you.
           Another DO is if you do end up getting something stupid like a flower or something, please get it in an inconspicuous area like your back or foot. Even though they are becoming more accepted in today's society, a lot of companies still have a problem with the public display of tattoos. If you plan on having a high paying job or a job at all your going to want to hide that pot leaf so people don't get the wrong idea.

           Hopefully if you read this it will give you a better idea and hopefully change your mind on what tattoo's to get.

Artist Spotlight!

          This months artist spotlight is given to one of my favorite artists in the industry. Her name is Kat Von D. When I was younger and watched Miami Ink I swore to myself that I would become a great tattoo artist just like her.

          Born to missionary parents in Mexico, she moved to Los Angeles California around age 4. She was a bit of a black sheep in her family. At age 14 she got her first tattoo and at age 16 she ran away from home to pursue her dream of becoming a tattoo artist. Although some would say that was a stupid idea (getting rid of an education to pursue a dream that could crash and burn), she worked hard and eventually was able to get a spot on the famous show Miami Ink. But after 4 seasons she and the owner Ami James had a fight and she left Miami Ink. But because she had a fighter spirit she opened up her own shop in LA and started a series call LA Ink. To this day she still works there with her awsome staff.

           Kat is well known for her out-of-this world portrait tattoos and has been featured in a variety of tattoo magazines. She will always be one of the top artists in my book.

Needles are Dangerous!

         Today's post is mainly about the dangers of getting a tattoo. Whether you know it or not, you can get serious infections or even HIV from getting a tattoo. Now a days tattoo artist are required to go through classes that teach the importance of cleanliness and keeping people safe. Then again there are classes that teach people not to do drugs and people still go out and do drugs. Anyways what I'm trying to say is that there is a good chance that you will go to an artist who is on a budget or just doesn't care. He'll use the same needle for several customers which is bad for obvious reasons. Even the small things like not disinfecting his work area or wearing gloves while tattooing is a pretty good sign that you should get out of there fast!
         Now of course sickness isn't the only danger. Tattoo artists get a bad rap for being punks, druggies, freaks, etc., but sadly there are a lot of artists that get high, shoot heroine, or smoke crack before they do a tattoo (they think it helps them tattoo better). WRONG! If you have an artist that does drugs before he does a piece, all your gonna get is a jacked up tattoo or your tattoo is gonna look like a nasty colored scar. I can't stress enough how much you should look into the shop you want to get your piece done because safety is always an important thing. I'm pretty sure you don't want HIV or a jacked up tattoo.

A clean workspace.

         But hold on, I'm not done yet. Say you get a nice tattoo artist who keeps his workspace clean and keeps himself clean (of drugs) and he gives you the best tattoo ever! That means that everything will be OK and nothing will ever go wrong again, right?...WRONG! Even after you get a tattoo there are some steps into taking care of it so it will heal up nicely. Make sure to always clean it with soap and water. NEVER...EVER...use peroxide because it can dry up the skin. NEVER...EVER...go swimming at least two weeks after you get the tattoo because the chlorine can suck out the ink and leave you with a faded mess. NEVER...EVER...peel it with your own hands. That can take out the ink as well and leave unwanted patches in the tattoo. And the last thing you shouldn't do is use scented lotions. Using lotion is a must to keep the tattoo looking good as new when its done healing but using scented lotion will mix those chemicals with the ink and make it jacked up.

           Just always remember, cleanliness is close to Godliness!

Gloves keep what the tattoo artist has touched to himself.

An Art older than Time

     Tattoos are nearly as old as time itself. Warriors would get a tattoo to remember a battle that was won, young boys might get a tattoo to mark there right into manhood, and some it's just tradition in the culture.
     However, back then they didn't have the machines we had that automatically makes the needle move back and forth; they did everything by hand. It took a skilled master to tattoo even the most intricate detail in a work of art. The instrument they used didn't have a name but basically it was a stick with a sharp needle stuck in it like a pickaxe. The "tattoo tool" was then dipped into ink that was usually made by mixing ashes with water and other materials. The artist would take a thicker stick and hit the tool into the skin in a repetitive tapping movement. The whole process would take this method few hours, but using our machines today it probably would've only taken 15-20 minutes.
     

 

            Admittedly this process was probably very filthy and infection was prominent in these tattoos. Nonetheless it is was still a beautiful art that was passed down through the century from master to student. Even though a lot of our methods, tools, and teachings are different from three-thousands years ago , you can always thank the ancients for teaching us the art of tattooing.

       Probably the most modern depiction of ancient tattoos is what we call tribal. Tribal is a common tattoo loved by most. It consists of curved lines that usually are fashioned to look like an animal, object, etc. To keep up with the ancient style they're mostly colored in full black but others have gone outside the box and gotten them in a variety of colors and even added modern skulls, roses, crosses, and more to the tribal. Other ancient tattoos still done today are Polynesian styles and Japanese styles.



Polynesian Style

Tribal Style

Japanese Style