Author: louis santos

Nike Goddess of Victory

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Manchester tattoo Artist

Nike Goddess of Victory

I really enjoyed getting in to this drawing, I did make some changes to the original Nike Goddess look, however, I believe, if its fantasy based art, you can get creative, and adding ideas.

Drawing is still a part of my artistic journey, drawing by hand it allows the artist to grow artistically and become more confident in the tattoo process. Nowadays a lot of tattooists don’t draw anymore, but drawing satisfies my soul, so I carry on with my journey, even with the age of AI, and people being able to click a button and creating an image, it doesn’t really bother me, because, in the end of the day, we are all living for the experience of whatever we love to do, and I still get satisfaction from doing traditional drawings.

Once I get immersed in a drawing I forget about everything, and it’s a good place to be, where there is no judgement or worries. Tattooing has a lot to do with drawing, a lot of Tattooists do not realise, when doing a Tattoo, you are still drawing on skin, you still need the confidence that’s available to be practised on a drawing. When I draw, I have the opportunity to express my ideas, and sharpen my skills, so when I approach a Tattoo, I’m totally sharp, confident and fresh to apply the Tattoo.

Tattooing is a different technic than drawing, I’m aware of that. Tattooing requires, stretching the skin, allowing the ink to enter the skin, all this takes skills and dedication to develop. However, the movement you do with your hand while you are tattooing, when you are doing an outline, or a shading movement in a Tattoo, it still has similar movements that you would do in a drawing.

I believe, drawing is very important as a Tattoo Artist in Manchester, as being a Tattoo Artist it requires attention to dealing with problems as well, every craft or trade you do, you will come to problems, and the better your drawing skills are, the easier you will be able to deal with problems.

Drawing and painting, it increases your artistic skill and understanding of values, value is the variation of the shadow, dark or light, the tone and value understanding it really helps in the cover-up process of a Tattoo. Cover-up tattoo jobs has a lot to do with dealing with values, and having a deep understanding about values, it can help you achieve a successful cover-up tattoo.

Fine Line Tattoos Manchester

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Small but meaningful tattoos in Bury

Tattooing for 18 years has been a journey with respect for the people who allow me to put my art on them for a life time, and that respect, it comes with any tattoo sizes. I believe every Tattoo is important, and no Tattoo is easy to do.

I have worked in Tattoo studios where, some Tattoo artists only put an effort when tattooing an image that was going to contribute to their portfolio. Even if I do a Tattoo that is not going to be what I usually do, or not my style , I still make just as much effort to make sure the tattoo looks right, as in the end of the day, it’s a person we are dealing with, and you have to respect the fact that, they are marking their body for the rest of their life, and they chose me as an artist, which I feel grateful and lucky to be chosen.

I believe small Tattoos are not easy, as you have so much limited space, and you only get one shot. You have to be so confident, and make the right decisions with the needle choices.

I had a great experience with Molly. She came to our studio, not long after she became 18. Those 2 tattoos I have posted are both from Molly. She saw both designs as tattoos, and I suggested to re-draw the ideas, as when the client brings an image of a Tattoo that’s been done, usually the image is not straight as the human body moves a lot, tattoo images usually are good for the client to express what they are planning to get done, however, is up to the artist, to be able and have the ability to create an image for the client, that is going to look more in proportion with the client’s part of the body.

I am looking forward to see Molly’s tattoos healed, and work on further projects, she has a bright positive energy about her, and I love to work with clients like that. Being positive about your artist and your tattoo, it only opens the door to a positive tattoo collecting.

Thank you

Tattoo Shop Near Me

Fine Line Tattoo Manchester

Dragon tattoo Cover Up Manchester

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Dragon Tattoo Cover-up

In this post I would like to mention about this cover-up tattoo project me and Ryan worked on. Cover-up tattoos are a very different process than when you are doing a tattoo project on fresh skin. When you approach a tattoo where the skin is clear, you have a lot more freedom with the size and style. Approaching  Cover-up tattoo it takes a lot more planning, and faith in the process.

Ryan walked in to the studio, he seemed like a really nice and chilled guy, she showed me a tribal he had in the middle of the top of his back. And asked me if I could cover it up. I said, yes it is possible, however, it depends what you would like to get done.

Getting a Tattoo covered, it requires a lot of texture in order to achieve the cover-up, and when the client requests a cover-up tattoo, I mention about the type of tattoos that are possible to work with. If the client is open minded and is wiling to listen and take advice onboard, I do consider taking on the tattoo project. So for me it is really important, to have a consultation before approaching a cover-up tattoo, because you have to make sure your client is well educated about the cover-up process.

One of the most important piece of information, that is important to pass to my clients, is the faith in the process required to achieve a cover-up tattoo. Approaching a cover-up tattoo, is similar to painting a black wall white, you understand that, the wall will not be painted in one layer, and it takes a few layers in order to achieve the full coverage, until the wall looks totally white, so, a cover up tattoo process is something along those lines. I understand not everyone is patient, however, when considering a cover-up, you have to be realistic to your client.

I knew that working with Ryan, I would be ok, as when I spoke to him, he quickly absorbed what I wanted to tell him, he was a quick information absorber, and our philosophies seemed to align with purpose. Also, getting on with a client, and having the same point of views it really helps with the process, and spending time with them.

This Tattoo took multiple sessions to be done, I will try to upload a picture of when he arrived for his last session, which it was the touch-up session, on large tattoos I do offer a touch-up session at the end, which it is completely free of charge, this session allows me, to approach the tattoo with a different and fresh state of mind, and it allows me, to give the tattoo the extra care needed, so im as happy as possible with it.

The last touch-up session it also represents, the respect I have for the client’s dedication, and effort for taking time off to see me, and saving up the money in order to have a good quality Tattoo, so I’m forever grateful for clients who stick with the process, and are patient during the process, and allows me, to push the Tattoo a little further, and allowing me to express my art and ideas on their skin forever.

Tattoo Shop Near Me

Tattoo Studio Near me

Manchester Tattoo Studio

How to Best Approach a Tattoo Shop in Bury

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How to best approach your Tattoo shop near you

In this blog I would like to share with you, how to best approach your tattoo shop near you, and how to find the best Tattoo Artist in Bury for you.

With the rise and Saturation of Tattoo Studios in the UK, It is common to see a lot of Tattoo studios popping everywhere, the quality of Tattoo work, has increased over the years with the rise of Tattoo courses online, and Tattoo Artists do offer in formation online, and Tattoo Artist’s are getting better quicker nowadays, however, you as a client and Tattoo collector, you must do your research for not to end up not choosing the right artist for you.

Doing your research before approaching your Tattoo studio near you is very important. It allows you to have a feel for someone’s work. Key points to look for when approaching a Tattoo Studio.

  1. Check if your Tattoo Artist paints and draws, drawing and painting is what makes someone an artist. So the word Tattoo Artist, It means, someone who’s artistic focused outside of Tattooing and bring that artistic knowledge, learned from painting and drawing to Tattooing. And that process it requires a lot of dedication.
  • If someone draws and paints, they will have their own style. Therefore, that style will show on the Tattoo you will get done, so make sure that you choose a Tattoo Artist that you like their style, and make sure that their style,  is what you want on your body for a lifetime.
  • I would recommend not approach a Tattoo studio because they are available. Not having the patience to research and sometimes making an appointment, it could cost you more in the future, remember, it is about the end result and not how long you have to wait for an appointment.
  •  I would not recommend to go for the cheapest option- Choose to get Tattooed by someone because you love their work, and not because they are cheaper. Paying a bit more for someone’s work that you love, it is more sensible than, trying to save a few pounds and not getting exactly the artist of your preference. Good quality Tattoo equipment it costs a lot of money, so a Tattoo Artist who charges cheap will not be able to buy good quality needles and inks.
  • Have a consultation with your artist of preference. It is important to look online for someone’s work, and research online about your artist of choice, however, it is also important to have a consultation. Having a consultation is so important because that is when you are going to see if your energy matches with your Tattoo Artists energy. I have done my best work on my clients who I got on with most. I’m a great believer that everything matters, and energy does not lie, we all vibrate at different frequencies, and feeling someone’s energy before you decide to spend hours with them in the chair is very important

Tattoo Shop Near Me

Tattoo shop near me

Have Faith in the Progress

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Manchester Tattoo Studio

Realistic Roses and Clock Tattoo

In this post I would like to share a realistic rose and clock tattoo I have worked on the past few months, it took me 2 sessions, and I would like to share an image of the tattoo progress and the end result, so it allows you to see how the tattoo looks when its not finished, so it allows the tattoo collector to comprehend the faith in the process that’s required when approaching a tattoo.

Every time you visit your Tattoo Artist in Bury your Tattoo will transform, so it is important to have faith in the unseen, when you make your next visit the tattoo will progress a lot, and achieve the end result eventually.

With this Tattoo, I have free handed the 2 roses, in order to flow better with her body shape, the human body curves a lot, so sometimes making a stencil and placing it on the human body can curve a lot and distort the image. So in a curvy body area like the hand, sometimes the best option is to free hand.

Of course, I do ask for the permission from the client to free hand a Tattoo, and if the client has looked at your work previously, it helps a lot, so they feel more confident to let you free hand the tattoo on their skin. Free handing also comes with a lot of drawing practise, I love to draw, so for me its ok to spend hours drawing after I finish work, which it helps with the free hand approaching.

So, the first tattoo session went well, before free handing a tattoo on the client, I explain the time that’s required for the drawing to go on the skin, the planning time can be time consuming, however, it can make the tattoo session more enjoyable and allows you to work with a positive mindset.

A full day’s work is usually 5 hours, I usually give 30 minutes extra for brakes and stretches. So when we reached the 5 hours, I had started on the clock but not finished. I added all my light shadows, but I did not have time to put the dark shadow on top of it, which it would give definition to the tattoo.

My client was understanding, she had enough tattooing for the day, and she was happy to re-book it and wait until the tattoo healed.

A month later from our first session, I have uploaded an image of the first session healed, that picture was taken just before I started the second session. The second session, it only lasted 2 hours, however, you can see the difference from the first to the second session. It shows how far you can go with a little faith. So if you are in the process of a tattoo, just make sure to stick with your artist, and get your artist to finish it, with a little faith, so everything matches and flows.

First Tattoo Session Healed

Tattoo Manchester

In this image, as you can see, the tattoo is imcomplete, and thats when some clients judge an unfinished tattoo. Judging an unfinished tattoo is not giving the opportunity for the tattoo artist to finish the project, and if you have chosen someone to tattoo you, you must have faith in their work, and stick with them. If you do not have faith in someone’s work, i would recomend you not to aproach the artist, to avoid wasting their time. Even in life, if you have faith you can go a long way, and with a tattoo is not different.

Bury Tattoo Shop

Gladiator Tattoo Idea Manchester

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Gladiator Pencil Drawing

The Importance to Draw as a Tattoo Artist

With the age of technology, it is easy to get disheartened and not see the point of drawing as a Tattoo Artist. Nowadays, all you need is an iPad, and you can mix and match all the images needed to achieve the tattoo required. Getting an image from google images, is what 80% of tattoo Artists are doing nowadays, however, practising and being able to draw, it allows the artist to give  the client more of a natural and creative looking and custom tattoo.

Getting an image from google, and mixing with another images to create a tattoo, it ends up with a lot of images being repeated when tattoos are being done, that’s why in realism tattoos, you can see the same images, being repeated and repeated again.

One thing about dealing with tattooing, is that, you will come across issues, and problem solving, and the better you can draw, the quicker, and more precise, you will be able to deal with your problem solving. Every craft requires problem solving, and tattooing is not different.

Drawing it allows me to practise ideas on paper, before I attempt them on skin, it’s also a form of respect for the client, as clients are allowing your art work on their body for a life time, it is, imperative to be sure what you will place on their skin before attempting it.

In this drawing, I have practised, a lot of textures, which it teaches me to add texture to the tattoo without needing any reference, and it saves me from having to stencil every single texture from the image before applying to the skin. Drawing textures on a drawing, it also allows me to add textures where sometimes is not clear on the images. A lot of images we see, or images the client mite bring, it is not possible to see every texture that’s supposed to be there. So having a practise of textures on a paper, it allows the artist to add what is not seen, and it is supposed to be there.

That practise, it also allows you to work with a portrait, where the image is taken in the 90’s or 80’s, and you can not see the pores in the face. Every face has pores, and with the camera quality nowadays, it is a lot easier to capture those details in the face, however, understanding texture it allows me to add the details in a portrait, when I am presented an image from back in the day, where the cameras were not what they are today.

My inspiration for this drawing, was watching the latest Gladiator movie, I was very inspired by it, and enjoyed watching the battles in the arena, where they had ships and the gladiators were fighting each other, as an Entertainment for the king.

Tattoo Shop in Bury

Tattoo shops near me

Alex Furguson

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Manchester United Legend

Sir Alex Furguson

Being a football fan or not, you must recognise Alex Furguson straight way, he is such an icon in the world of football, where, even not being a football fan, is easy to recognise his face.

Alex Furguson way of playing football has earned him many trophies over the years with Manchester United, he has achieved the impossible dream, winning the treble in 99. Winning the treble it really started a golden era with Manchester United, I remember watching Christiano Ronaldo, Rooney and Ruud Van Nistelrooy, all those classic players were under the great management of Alex Furguson.

Alex Furguson was well known for driving at night to bars and catching the players on a night out, and demanding dedication from them, and going home early for the football matches.

I am a big football fan, and I appreciate good football, I love to watch a good football team. And watching Manchester United in the early 2000’s it was a pleasure I still carry with me, like watching Ronaldinho for Barcelona, Messi, Brazilian Ronaldo, Portuguese Ronaldo, for me was just a pleasure watching those awesome players, doing amazing things on the pitch.

Since Alex Furguson left Manchester United, they have not been the same, so that shows a lot his contribution to the team. Nowadays, Manchester City is the team to watch, they won 4 in a row, and I do enjoy watching Manchester City Nowadays, however, we can not forget the legend that was Alex Furguson.

Tattoo Artist Manchester Oil Paint

Alex Furguson

Fantasy Dragon Tattoo

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Fantasy Dragon Tattoo

What a cool experience I had tattooing this Fantasy Dragon tattoo. First because it’s a cover-up, usually when a client wants a cover-up tattoo, I’m sure to make a consultation, to explain to the client the amount of dedication it is required to achieve the cover-up. In this case our consultation went well, as the idea he had to approach the cover-up was exactly what I recommend the clients to go for.

When I client approaches me about a cover-up, I always recommend them to go foe something with texture, so texture appears in dragon scales, snake scales, mountain texture, nature texture. So usually I have top try to take the client to a realistic cover-up direction, in this case, the client already picked a dragon, which is perfect for the cover-up, so I was really happy with the request.

I was sure to let him know about the dedication needed to achieve the cover up, and he understood and agreed with how I presented the cover-up process to him. He asked me a very common question, which it was, how long will the tattoo take? That is a very hard question, so I mentioned that the most fair way is to get charged by the hour, so I don’t get underpaid and he didn’t get over charged. He agreed with it, and made the appointment.

A full day is usually 5 hours, however, some days he could only sit for 3 hours, which im totally ok with that, so some days he got charged a bit less than he would normally pay for a cover-up.

In the tattoo process he was very calm and easy going. He took brakes between sessions, however, he understood, its not about when the tattoo is done, it is about how the tattoo is done, the end result is what counts. The Tattoo looks complete, however, I am doing a touch up session for him to make sure everything is in place, nice and solid, as it is a cover-up.

A cover-up tattoo, it requires extra attention when compared to a tattoo that is not a cover-up. So having a consultation with the client it really helps, as aa lot of faith is required from the tattoo artist and the client. Clients who require a cover-up tattoo job, and I can feel they are not very patience, I prefer not to go a ahead with the process, as in order to do a good tattoo, you have to work in a good frame of mind, positive and clear minded.

Manchester Tattoo Artist

Greater Manchester tattoo Artist

Halloween Kills Tattoo

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Michael Myers Tattoo Manchester

Michael Myers tattoo in Halloween Kills 2011

Coming out of Fire

My client is a big horror movie fan, and Michael Myers is one of her favourite characters, I remember watching Halloween in the past, but after getting the opportunity to tattoo this portrait, I revisited the story to get in to the tattoo.

The tattoo ended up being a half sleeve, as it was a cover up. I’m glad we went full on with the size, as Michael Myers is coming out of fire, as it’s a scene from a movie, so I had freedom to do a lot of fire particles. This tattoo is not fully finished, as I want to make the most of all the particles with the fire, and add more fire to it. My customer she is keen to let me add more to it, thank you so much for your patience and letting me add more to what already looks decent.

I believe that’s what it comes down in the end of the day, to how much care you have for what you do, love is what stands out most in the end of the day, and the levels of love can vary a lot to each individual artist.

Keep an eye on more updates on my web site, I have been working on a few drawings, which I will be uploading it soon.

Keep Art Inspired

Horror Tattoos Manchester

Planning a Tattoo Design with Love

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Feminine Tattoo Greater Manchester

Humming Bird Feminine Colour Tattoo in Greater Manchester

This Tattoo is worth going back to it, and mentioning the experience I had with my client, how she approached the tattoo, and how the tattoo unfolded to be successful due to her trust in the process and faith in the artist she chose to deliver the work.

I do love tattooing realism tattoos, however, realism is usually approached by a stencil, straight from the image, so the lines are exactly like in real life, and the tattoo can be a hyper realistic as possible. So this is the best way to approach a realism tattoo.

However, realism tattoos are placed and delivered on the human body, so as we know, the human body curves a lot, and it requires design flowing, and the only way a tattoo artist can make a tattoo flow naturally to the body, is if the tattoo artist has drawing skills. With the age of technology, Tattoo Artists have forgotten about drawing, and not all of them believe drawing is no longer important in the tattoo craft.

Digital Art can ease the process of creating a design, however when that design is translated to the human body, and the design is translated to tattoo form, is not a digital process, tattooing someone is a Physical process which it will require physical artistic skills in order to deliver a successful Tattoo.

So that’s how important drawing is when you are a tattoo artist, and that’s the reason why this tattoo looks quiet unique and custom, and it was my pleasure to spend time on the design to make sure Ruth got a design that would fit her arm in a way that it looks like it’s a part of it.

This idea on the design was a bit different from the reference Ruth showed me, however, I felt like I wanted to do something different, I was aware that Ruth could not accepted the idea, however, I thought it would be worth a try, and as soon as she saw the design she loved it.

I enjoyed tattooing Ruth, she was really chilled, and allowed me to express myself artistically within her request.

Thank you Ruth, it was a journey worthwhile.

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