My take on Hell City

First off, it was wonderful. Everything was done right. Seriously. People were excited, details were covered impeccably, and the atmosphere was different. You just knew the room was filled with insane amounts of talent.

Which leads me directly to what I noticed and wanted to write about in this post: actually being able to watch the people you follow online is really cool.

Some artists have jumped all in and have added time within their routines to update with posts and imagery. Others sporadically throw pictures into their MySpace folders and instantly thousands of people are able to access the works. Places like TattooNow have even provided a user friendly experience for tattoo artists looking to streamline the promotional process.

With all of the tattoo eye candy available, we - both fans and artists - have bookmarked the artists that we like and dislike. It just makes sense that we find ourselves going back, over and over, to view what has become a continuation of an artist's work; an artist's progression.

Of which we're lucky to even get a glimpse, let alone continually update with imagery, ideas, and random thoughts from the minds of those artists.

In doing so, it's easy to feel comfortable with people we don't really know. Here we see the fruits of their pure, unadulterated creativity. We read slices of their lives and gain personal inspiration from their talents and skills.

What was once, seemingly, a stowaway culture that thrived amongst itself... a culture with sordid tales. A tattoo brotherhood. With those who found themselves drinking Brandy from skulls and cutting lawns with scissors... has now become less privy. Sure, there remains a guard: a fine line of distinction that protects information from professional to professional. But we are now able to directly absorb each other's work.

And so this world continues to change. The landscape is now multi-colored. I'm certain trees were green in season. But now. Now they are whatever color we chose.

We are able to chose those colors on our own and/or we can allow ourselves to be influenced directly by opening a browser.

An artist will post another solid piece to his portfolio and thirty burgeoning artists, around the globe, will scrutinize and find a way to apply what they pulled from it into their work. It's just what we do. We pull. We bite, and we chew. Somehow making our own out of what already was and what we currently feel.

So. I write all of that in observation of my experience with this directly at Hell City. Of all the visiting tattoo artists I ran into (those not working the show), most went on and on about how great we have it. I met artists from all over the states, and a handful from various countries. All of which came to learn. Some I ran into waiting for seminars and others I noticed peering over the shoulder of artists tattooing during Hell City.

All in all, what they talked about most (at least with me) was how cool it was to see the artists they love. We all know lurking online helps us learn; physical proximity doesn't matter anymore. So it was weird being able to actually see and stand next to the people we follow and get inspiration from.

I could list the names, but it doesn't matter. You get the idea.

Once we walked in, it was then a matter of picking an artist and standing next to their booth. You stand and you soak up by watching somebody layout their ink caps, mess with their machines, or whatever. We all have our own system. Having a chance to watch somebody else's is nice.

It's also a little creepy. You know, just being the random guy standing there watching with intent. Because, honestly, who knows your intent, really? But, after a few minutes, it didn't matter. I said "hey" a few times, other times I didn't. The less of a wake I could leave the better...

Ultimately, what I found was vast. There was too much to take in. Too much to even write down. It didn't seem overwhelming or anything. If it even got close to that, it was then a matter of walking away and getting something from the food court.

I wrote earlier about our landscape now being multi-colored. What I meant was that we have a bottomless supply of visual options right in front of us. Hell City was amazing because I was able to catch little glimpses of those options being formed and created.

Hopefully that makes sense. Well, here...

I saw moments of pure shading, then instant withdrawal giving time enough for thought. Dark colors were laid down much farther into blends than I expected. Mags were used like paint brushes; curved mags looked interesting. Grey washes were mixed a ton of different ways. Some guys even whip shaded in rhythm with the music. Many had smooth interactions with clients, while others hid within themselves.

It was inspiring.

Now that I think about it, all of this may seem a little obvious. But I went in not knowing what to expect. I came out happy and ready to tattoo some more.

* Addendum: Dang this is a long post.