Sunday, July 29, 2007

Foot Tribal

Another foot tattoo done to add up to the collection, within a week !!

Inspired by fateark.com, I made some minor changes to the original design and came up with this. Its the beginning stage, starting from the foot , which will end at the knee.

So here it is...



Wednesday, July 25, 2007

One in Ten Thousand

Both Alan and I have spotted this tattoo submitted in BMEzine's gallery on July 23 by "CW351".


http://www.bmeink.com/A70723/high/bmegl565820.jpg

Its caption read:

Rest In Peace Bro!
Kanji reads "One In A Million", I hope.
(by Brooke, Eye Of The Beholder, Vernon, BC)

Alan writes:

Unfortunately, 万が in Japanese does not mean “One In A Million.” It really means “in the worst case” or “in case of emergency.” The saying is used in the sense of out of 10,000 () times something might happen, a really bad thing will happen in only one () instance. Chinese dictionaries suggest that 万一 (or 萬一) in Chinese means roughly the same as 万が一 or 万一 in Japanese.

It does not have any positive connotations at all. This is hardly the sort of sentiment that someone would want to express to remember a dear friend after their passing, but the poor schmuck has gotten this tattooed on his shoulder.

Anyhow, I still think it is very much a mistranslation and nothing even close to the intended meaning of "one in a million." And it is pretty sad that this is how the guy is trying to honor the memory of his friend.

Perhaps he has “push the emergency stop button” tattooed on the other shoulder.


Tuesday, July 24, 2007

"The Name is KiKi"

Fresh from BMEzine's gallery is this piece:


http://www.bmeink.com/A70722/high/bmegl562457.jpg

The owner claims this is name for "KiKi" and it is done by Flecha (Arrow in Spanish) in Atlantic City, New Jersey.

Sure, if the tattoo is based on the gibberish font downloaded from the internet. However, the "i" are not even correct.

Sunday, July 22, 2007

Roses and Names

Rose tattoos have been popular for the past couple of decades. They can be both a masculine and a feminine tattoo. They were once the preserve of sailors back in the day but have since become increasingly popular amongst females as more and more females started getting tattooed.

Roses originated in ancient Persia and were historically viewed as a masculine flower, however several thousand years of cultivation produced many exquisite and beautiful variations associating it with females and love.


I did this for a male customer who wanted to have his kids name around it as well and it came out pretty sweet...

Red roses can mean love, romantic love, and respect.
White roses signify spiritual love, purity, innocence or secrecy.
Bridal white means happy love.
Yellow roses signify joy, gladness, friendship and devotion.
Coral roses imply desire.
Light peach roses signify modesty or friendship
Orange roses say fascination.
Light pink roses imply grace, gentility and admiration.
Dark pink roses say "thank you."
Red and yellow roses mixed together can mean congratulations
Yellow and orange roses together imply passionate thoughts.
Red and white roses signify unity


Greeks mythology described roses as being white until the goddess Aphrodite pricked herself on the thorns, and her blood drops turned the blossoms red. Even today people attach meaning and emotional qualities to roses.

Credits to : http://www.tao-of-tattoos.com/rose-tattoos

Saturday, July 21, 2007

Stupid Shorts

Hanzi Smatter reader and frequent commenter Ulas has snapped a photo of this pair of boxer shorts.



There are two characters, 鹿, clearly printed above the English word "Dragon".

鹿 literally means "horse & deer", however in Japanese, they mean "stupid" or "idiot/fool".

Froggy Day !!

Hey there everyone!! It has been awhile since I updated the blog as I was caught up with shitloads of work after returning from the Tattoo Convention. Work, Work, Work !!

Anyway, I was asked to do a tattoo of a frog by one of my customers. And honestly, never have I, tattooed frogs on anyone in my life. But hey, like they all say, there is a first time for everything...


The frog is a tattoo design that cuts across many cultures. As a member of the animal clan, the Frog is seen as a teacher. A lunar creature that resonates with water, it also lives on land.

A cold-blooded creature, the Frog possesses an extremely sensitive skin which shamans consider magical. In many cultures, the Frog is associated with the ability to jump from one state of consciousness to another.

The frog is a symbol of generation, rebirth and fertility. The Egyptian frog goddess was named Heket.


Monday, July 2, 2007

Borneo Tattoo Convention Day 2

DAY 2

Woke up early this morning as I had an appointed with Ernesto to have my other fist tatooed at the convention itself.

I got off the cab and I was greeted by the press as they interviewed me, asking me bout my experience and the tattoo I got the day before. I never expected them to be there, but hey, I just love it !!


After the shoot and interview, I walked up to the hilltop where the convention was held and watched the Iban Cultural Dances before heading to the booth of Borneo HeadHunters where Enersto was waiting for me.


It was fun watching them dance and trust me, I really wanted to dance too..hehe!!

Booth of Borneo HeadHunters.

Picture taken by Ernesto himself.


Cameras all over me again...Hmmmm...


It was the most relaxing thing I ever did in my life. It was a great experience and to feel so good after that, is just beyond words to describe.

Final check of the alignment and its done !!

Ernesto and me posing for the camera !!

Robb and Me...

To summarize the whole experience and having a tattoo done traditionally was an enlighting moment for me. Never will I forget it and yes, I have learnt alot which I can use in what I do. I thank everyone who who made this trip possible and I thank the crew of Borneo HeadHunters for giving me a good experience.

I will be uploading video clips in my next post. Watch out for it...