Wednesday, December 12, 2007
It's a well known fact that cartoons aren't just for kids. In fact, producers of Disney and Pixel flicks have stated point blank that they make cartoons for kids that parents can enjoy as well, since parents are the ones taking their children to the theater and having to sit through the movie with them.
They do this by including overt dialogue or hidden messages that will fly right over the heads of children but will entertain and amuse adults, making the cinematic experience easier to enjoy.
Other movies, like Tim Burton's "Nightmare Before Christmas" have a
Cartoon television shows are popular choices as well when it comes to tattoo ideas. Nickelodeon's "Spongebob Squarepants", "Powerpuff Girl" or the Fox channel's "The Simpsons" and "Family Guy" have bright, humorous or empowering characters that translate great as tattoos. Even video game characters make an appearance, especially the Godfather of all digital games -- Mario, often seen along with his brother, Luigi, or arch enemy, Bowser.
Hello Kitty seems to be a favorite amongst young girls, while scenes from Shel Silverstein's "The Giving Tree" continue to show up on the ribcages of young men. The cutesy drawings of emo artist Kurt Halsey have appeared in so many tattoos that I even wrote a hub about it: Kurt Halsey Fan Tattoos
Of course, there will always be tattoos of the standard, original cartoons: Mickey Mouse, Goofy, Donald Duck, Tigger, Snoopy and Winnie the Pooh. Classic films like "Alice in Wonderland" beget classic tattoos of Alice, the Cheshire Cat and the hookah-smoking caterpillar whereas classic books by Dr. Seuss yield images of the infamous Cat in the Hat.
Cartoons evoke nostalgic memories of childhood as well as teach important lessons. No matter how old you get, there is something about the innocence of cartoons and the characters they portray that will always ring true
How many times have I seen the words "love" and "hate" tattooed across the knuckles of each hand? Honestly, I've lost count. It's fairly common placement for a fairly common phrase, and although it fascinated me the first time I saw it, it has now grown old and tiresome. Luckily, there is always a new wave come to bring in the tide, and along with it flows a plethora of fresh ideas when it comes to hand tattoos. My girlfriend, for example, has the first initial of her ex's name tattooed on her ring finger -- they did this in lieu of exchanging rings and getting engaged like normal people. Obviously, they broke up in the end, and it would've been a much easier engagement
Perhaps this is why so many people choose to imprint words and messages on their hands. Other than your face, your hands are the feature you put forward first. We shake hands when meeting and greeting, high five when we're happy and give the thumbs up sign when we've accomplished something, so it makes sense to tattoo our ideals on the body part we use to communicate ideas with. Of course, images can be placed on hands as well, and you'll be amazed at the inventive and extraordinary things people can think up when it comes to body modification: a palm that opens to reveal a third eye, two halves of one heart that only form a whole when the hands are clasped together in prayer, letters on the insides of the knuckles rather than the outside and much, much more.
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
A few extremely helpful tips on how to take care of yourself while choosing a tattoo artist. There is nothing worse than walking home with an infected tattoo. That is the best case scenario when it comes to faulty tattoos while the worse case scenario is where you end up with some life threatening disease. These tips give the soon-to-be-inked a few ideas on what to look for when approaching a tattoo artist for a tattoo. Where the
One precaution to take is to ensure proper placement and retrieval of the needles. The tips, an important piece of the machine, must be maintained and sanitized properly. The workspace must be well maintained and free of trash and leftovers as it has much to do with the artists ability to keep everything else clean. The scarring from a tattoo can be kept to minimal if aftercare instructions are followed precisely.
As far as the artist goes, try to avoid a heavy handed person as that style tends to leave more scars than a lighter handed person. I would still recommend going to an artist who was recommended to you by a good friend instead of going to a shop and getting tattooed by a stranger who probably does not care about you and your well being.
All activities in life carry some type of risk, but most disasters can be avoided by taking certain precautions, and tattooing is no different. Please read carefully as it may save your life.
Monday, December 10, 2007
In recent years, the tattoo is enjoying something of a renaissance. A short time ago, the only people with tattoos were sailors, soldiers and scruffy groups who listen to certain music styles. Nowadays, you're
The reason for this has a lot to do with the improvements in tattoo technology; this has enabled real artists to make real their designs, where as before it was quite difficult to transfer what was in ones mind, to ones body. Now it is most common for the very best tattooists to have formal fine art or technical art qualifications.
Gone too are the preconceptions about tattoos, in the past we may have been swayed by the way Hollywood portrayed film baddies, often they would have tattoos to add to their menacing veneer. This has now gone full circle as many of the newest celebrities; especially those younger ones proudly show off their latest tattoo designs.
Two celebrities that have embraced tattoos and body art are Robbie Williams and David Beckham. Williams prefers to select tattoos based on their artistic merit, while Beckham's are a public statement of love for his family.
Whatever your views are about tattoos or body art, there can be no disputing their contribution to modern art. At the very top end of the tattoo profession, a handful of skilled and experienced tattooists compete for the major tattoo body art awards. Confirmation if it was needed, that tattoos and body art are now part of the mainstream.
