More and more.

I just recently read an article online about building more focus and getting more done. The overall idea was pretty solid; keep to one goal at a time. I have this problem. I am always trying to do 10 different projects at once, then it ends up being some massive task to finished even half of the projects on time, and something always gets set aside in the fray. I'm not so bad at this anymore, as I naturally ended up doing what the article said, and just tried to do less, and put more time into it. So far it's been working really well, and it seems I have a bit more time actually. AND I'm getting the stuff I need done, finished in a timely fashion.

well... mostly. ha!

Anyway, I've got a few pieces to show today, some stuff I've been working on the past few days. Lots of big projects, and not much finished, but they are turning out bad ass, so I figured I would show them off here and give you people something new to look at for your time. Lets see if we cant get more people to visit this old blog eh?

First we have a cover up I did here for a local model, Cat Ward. Turned out pretty good. I was really happy with how well this piece covered the old tattoo, and the design really fits the collector. I think she'll have more options now with her modeling, now that she doesn't have to hide her old crappy tattoo.

The design itself was drawn by the collector. I just made a few adjustments for the cover up.

This piece, on the Piercer, Brent at Artistic Tattoo, is something we have been working on for a couple years. My first head tattoo, initially, we didn't want to go overboard, but now, we're going all the way. The tattoo already covers his entire head, though all we worked on redoing today was the back. We still have to add more color to this dragon though before we move on the other three, and then the Foo Lions on his temples.

He'll have fun sleeping on this one! ha!

Next here is the Island paradise shoulder piece I've just recently started. Originally we had done the fish and the hummingbird with a bit of a water line. a year or so later, and we are now expanding on the piece. The majority of the design is done. all we really have left to do is the sunset/sky aspect, which is the major element in the entire piece, there will be highlights from the sunset on the palm trees, mountains, lighthouse and a bit in the water when we're done.

Notice the subtle yin yang behind the bird.

I have noticed that over the past three or four months, I have gotten a lot faster with my work, since the Timeless Ink Tour, when I did the "Death is a Machine" piece, I seemed to break free of something, and now feel a lot more comfortable moving faster, and more importantly, working in longer blocks of time. Before, it seemed that two hours on a piece and I was ready to stop. Now, depending on the piece and the collectors tolerance, I can go for 5-6 hours without much trouble. With time and experience, I'm really starting to feel like a seasoned professional at this whole tattoo thing. Incidentally, I marked my 7th year tattooing on the 1st of October, so it's about time. ha!

Finally, we have a piece that will be the cornerstone of a full sleeve. The collector already has a few older pieces on his arm, but with this design and the other designs I have in mind, we'll be transforming his arm of random stuff into a hell of a piece that will be a testament to his faith and struggles.

This part, a chess battle between good and evil - I have the chess board breaking up as the Black Queen shatters just before she can take the White King. and a floating White Knight in the foreground to emphasize the predominance of good. Still have a ways to go, shading of the chess pieces as well as building up more of the line work and adding marbling detail to the tiles. so far I'm really happy with this design and where it's going next. I'm even considering making an actual chess set based off the designs for this tattoo. I think it would be a lot of fun... but only when I have more time...

Still so much to do

So that's it for now. I have a ton of work that still needs posting, old and new. and once I get a few other things squared away and off the list, I'll work on a few more collector spotlights.

but then, one thing at a time...
thanks for reading!

Fix it up

I end up doing a lot of these kinds of fix-up pieces. Cleaning up screwed up work by some scratcher out of his apartment. And even though they do keep me busy, I'd much rather get the chance to do the piece right from the beginning. But people need to learn the hard way that going cheap on tattoos is not the way to go. you might as well just not get the tattoo...

Anyway, this is the first part of this particular piece, as you can see there was a lot of reworking. the next session will be about coloring the water and tentacles. We're going with purples in the tentacles and pink fleshy tones for the sucker parts.

This took me just under 3 hours. sometimes the work can be slow going if there is a lot to make sense of. other times it's a breeze.

Got a few other designs I'm working on, then I hope to get some work done on the comic. I want to get pg2 posted up tomorrow, we'll see if it happens.

Another Day

So I have been taking on a lot of projects lately, doing work for the createmytattoo.com website which is always a lot of fun and killer challenge, though I cant show much of the work online, more as a benefit to the collector until they get their tattoo, then I hope to post pics of my design with the tattooed result - by other artists around the world, which is pretty cool. I recent finished a back-piece design for a guy in Australia. One of the miracles of the internet… These two pics are not sold designs, but "rejects"

A piece I did then later withdrew. I have plans for this one.

This was a piece that wasn't chosen on the CMT website, that I still really liked.

I’m still working on this new comic whenever I get a moment. I figure I’ll finish out this first segment, and then start posting the pages here, it’ll give me something regular to post and hopefully get me back onto this blog… but I don’t want to try to fit it to a schedule right now. There’s just so much going on, I hate feeling guilty for missing a scheduled post, and besides, it's been a lot of fun just working on a comic with a more relaxed attitude, I'm enjoying the process I have going, and don't want to mess with it.

Of course I’m always tattooing, always working on improving my work and learn about the craft. I've gotten to do some really fun stuff lately that I’ll be posting more images of here. Today’s pic is from a childhood favorite that I still love. The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles were a favorite thing to draw when I was a kid, and the action figures were second only to G.I.Joe. As I got into making and self-publishing comics, TMNT served as a beacon and an inspiration that it could be done. So doing this piece in particular was a special treat for me.

    

I’m thinking of putting art pics up here on the blog exclusively, not just to draw more peeps here, but also to save me time from posting shit all over the web. I’m all for the social-network scene, but I’m getting tired of maintaining a handful of profiles to stay “engaged” I've delved a good deal into the inner working of social networking, and much of it has been a great help, but I don’t have a staff to manage this shit. I also just want to utilize the blog aspect and maybe build this off into something more. We’ll see…

            I've managed to resist my fiendish addiction to minecraft (mostly), mainly with the help of an older, deeper addiction for Magic: The Gathering. The game just keeps getting better, especially the newest set, Return to Ravinca. One of the things that got me into the game was the card art, and this latest set has not disappointed  I would love to do more Magic themed tattoos... and I’m sure I've mentioned before, I would love to do art for some magic cards. maybe someday, but I'll have to start painting a lot more than I do now.

Speaking of painting, I have a couple pieces in a gallery this month, I've posted about it already. Pretty cool. I didn't make it to the opening though, and I’m not sure I’ll even get go to see them in the gallery at all. We’ll see. But likely I’ll just stay at home or work and draw more stuff. 

Finally the weather changes, and Phoenix gets to cool off a bit. I'm looking forward to it. My daughter is doing well, and learning at an incredible rate. some of the things she does just blows my mind. a 22 month old that knows 6 shapes, counts to ten if we count with her, and will ask where the dog is if she cant find her. I cant wait for halloween, this year its going to be a lot of fun running about with Liberty, teaching her how to 'trick or treat'.

I wanted to work in a comment about politics from time to time, without getting to caught up or alienating anyone. Though I am generally following the election, I think we're generally doomed regardless how it turns out. but hey, what can you do? I wont be voting this year, It's all a bunch of shit anyway. and I've got shit to draw.

Thanks for reading! see you soon.

This month

I don't even know...

Wow. I'm surprised I'm still getting views, I've been off the blog for so long.  but it's a good reinforcement, I figure it's about time to get back on here. 

First of all - a fun doodle.

"Ninja Lobster" sketch.

The last post I did about 5 minutes before this one is the first page of a comic idea that hit me a few nights ago, I think this is more of what I want to do comic wise, and it's going to be 100% solo, and other than a rough concept of what the story is, I'll just be making it up as I go. Why the hell not. just for fun, no schedule, no pressure or demand. I'm pretty excited about it. I'll post the pages separately without comment or anything, that way they'll be easier to find, and BS free. Who knows, maybe something will come of it and a schedule will form, and if I get far enough, I'll print a physical comic.

This is a character in my new comic, AfterWorld.

 

So even though I haven't been updating on the blog, I have, as always been hard at work on a multitude of projects, and learning how to better manage myself (a lifelong process it seems). So I am preparing to show more of what I have been up to, and get some art up here. there will be a few other announcements to be made, that I will make here first. hopefully sooner than later.

Summer is almost over here in Phoenix, and for us, we're excited to see it go. Humidity just doesn't go well with 110'F heat... I'll see you around. thanks for reading!

AfterWorld p1

Steampunk Death

This is a recent piece I'm working on. Looking to tattoo it at the Timeless Ink Tour - which is turning out to be a bit of a big deal around town. I think the design will be a lot of fun. I have to admit tho, it's not entirely original, the piece was heavily inspired by another, and I made a few changes. It has also inspired a few other pieces I will be working on soon in the same theme. I guess I'll have to go through a "steampunk phase" here, and crank out some new stuff.