New work and techniques...(Keith)

New work and techniques...(Keith)

Really getting a lot out of the DVD's' from Brandon Bond, Nate Beavers and Joshua Carlton. I highly recommend them. Please tell them I recommended you! Even after 14 years I am getting a new passion for tattooing. Trying new techniques, pushing the boundries of all aspects from dealing with clients to tattooing itself. It's exciting!

So I have been obsessed with the work of color realistic tattooers like Mike Devries and Nikko (just to name a couple), and the other night I see Nikko on LA INK (I know, it's a silly show, but the tattoo artists are all good. I suggest DVR, fast forwarding to the tattoos, and muting the sound for most of it). I FINALLY get about 6 seconds of insight into NIKKO's technique when they show his stencil. It's like a paint by numbers without the numbers. The whole thing looked like a topicgraphical map more than a stencil, but I had something to think about.

So what do you do with 6 seconds of information and a totally new approach to stenciling and color? Well if your me, you decide you are going to try it on the next guy who walks in the door!!!

Just got done tattooing a little flash rose and the phone rings..."Hey Keith, it's Andy. Can I get a spot tonight? Have you ever seen the bride of Chucky?" DING! DING! DING! DING! DING! The bells were going off in my brain!!! I told him to come on down!

Of course he wanted the entire body from head to toe (why do people always want that?) until I showed him how cool it would be to fill up his whole arm with her portrait. Brandon Bond's advice ringing in my ears...I showed him, and he went for it. I also cut a very special price for the opportunity to do this on him they way I really wanted to. Thank God for customers who trust in your knowledge and ability.

Here she is in progress (about 4 hours in) I would have much rather spent the day and finished in one sitting, but we started in the evening, so at some point I had to bail on the plan and block in rough shapes for next time.

Looking calm and cool while crapping my pants...The stencil was SCARY!!!

OK, you can kind of see it here. I noticed the stencil Nikko used and I also noticed that he finished sections completely as he moved up. Here you can see I finished the jacket, hands and background all in the bottom section. This was new for me, but I understood more as I did it. It was all about "stencil conservation" just like old-scholl tattooing. These types of tattoos are so stencil dependent, if you loose the stencil you are F'D! Excuse me for using harsh letters...

Here is the end of the sitting. Jacket and hand are done. This side of the face is at about 80% I'd say. Looking at the pictures I need more contrast in the face shadows. The hair is at about 10%. Had to block in at the end of the session.

You can also see that I did have to resort to lining the lip shapes with a light gray (not graywash) because I was loosing the stencil. In hindsight I should have rendered the lips first, but I had begun the skin tones in the neck and worked up into the face with them as I moved up. Now I know! LOL!

A week before I did a much smaller scale color portrait of this dog. Just thought I'd throw it in to show you where I'm progressing from. I also did those forget me nots on the blog in this style. I would say they were the first tattoo I applied these new ideas to. I am looking for more specific info on these techniques, so I am hoping to see Mike D in Jersey. I think the best experience would be to get tattooed by one of them.

Looking forward to working with Juan Selgado this month when he guests here. I know he will have some great ideas to share. And my brother from another mother Scot Winskye is on his way for tattooing at the BNB this october at our shop. He ALWAYS inspires everyone he comes in contact with.

Thanks for looking,
Keith Ciaramello
www.kustomkulturegallery.com