Here's a quick and dirty video of me outlining (a bit extensively) a portrait in Photoshop CS3. With so many peculiarities, I like being able to zoom in and create the outline with my Wacom.

The video is about 2 minutes. Everything is sped up, big time. Also, it was too quiet so I threw in some old hardcore. There's a couple of seconds in the beginning so you can mute it, you know... if you can't hang.

I finally got to get a good picture of a tattoo I loved working on. It's a clipper ship done with freedom. Meaning... she let me do my take instead of traditional style. I was incredibly happy (yep, incredibly) with the way this healed. It may even be the first time I noticed an area of grey that I didn't deem patchy.

I got to sneak in another session on the top half of the murder sleeve. There's so much more to do, but it feels good to chip away at it.

Also, I've had a lot of emails about this one... it'll take awhile, but I'll keep posting the progression.

"The best reason to paint is that there is no reason to paint...I'd like to pretend that I've never seen anything, never read anything, never heard anything...and then make something...Every time I make something I think about the people who are going to see it and every time I see something, I think about the person who made it...Nothing is important...so everything is important."

- Keith Haring, June 15, 1986

More later...

It's really just a matter of me setting up; which is not really a big deal. But figuring out different products and having them match what I know just takes time.

The first day I came in, spread out at a station and pretty much shut my mouth. The guys were kind enough to answer some questions and I slowly got the feel for their system. Now I just need to watch even more.

And, here's the thing... I don't really need any other system. Tattoo artist seem to be pretty self-sufficient (well, minus artistic validation). I could easily go in, and do what it is that I do. But, come on. It's only wise to sit back and soak up as much as possible. Everyone has an interesting take on approach and execution. (You know, getting ready and then doing the damn thing) Everyone has something to offer. My part, right now, involves jumping into their waters without leaving a big wake. I'm certainly I won't instantly fit in. But it's not about that. Maybe that'll happen in passing... but I'm trying to figure out how to both learn and give.

I'll keep you updated as I learn more doing this.

Anyway, so I made it there and life is good. The company was great, the air was beautiful, and I really don't mind wearing a tie every now and then.

As much as I know I need to take a break while I tattoo. I need to step back and have a break from the whole picture as well.

Now I am where I wanted to be... right in the middle of learning. So what have I noticed about my process lately?

1. A walk-in hasn't made me balk (worried, confused, or hesitant) in months. Finally!
2. My stretch is stronger. Much stronger and it can last just as strong for the duration of the tattoo session. My left thumb still gets sore at the end of the day, but it's perfectly manageable.
3. Based on the skin, I instinctively adjust my machine speed. It's amazing to me how we just know based on feel and sound.
4. This one may be incredibly obvious, but it helps. When I feel more resistance, the customer is usually hurting more. So I stretch even more.
5. I'm slowly developing a color vocabulary. I see a color and can figure out the steps (i.e. colors to mix) to get there.
6. I beginning to know my weaknesses. By sight, it's easier to know if a line isn't strong. And I'm close to knowing when to back off.
7. I'm able to let go and know that, someday, my client will come back for a next session. That's the nature of the large pieces and I've swallowed that.
8. My ability to guesstimate time is getting closer. My world is taking on the semblance of real scheduling.
9. Pricing is still difficult. But because I can kinda figure out how long I'll take, I'm getting much closer.
10. Around 85% of the time I can pay attention to whoever I'm tattooing and respond accordingly. Nice.

In addition to my regular schedule at Bluebird, every Wednesday I'll be tattooing in Chicago at Insight Studios. The guys are great, the talent is strong, and the place is gorgeous. Come visit.

Contact: insightstudiosonline.com - (773) 342-4444

I'm always looking to learn, so branching out a bit will be a good experience.

A good handful of photos are posted in the end of this gallery.

This one was fun. I didn't deviate from the original album cover too much. But we zoomed in on the child and faded the foliage instead of making it all tribal like.

On a side note, I can't speak highly enough for Sigur Rós. Their body of work is gorgeous, landscaping, and difficult to explain.

But, really. Do I need an excuse? Just look at the attending artist list... it's incredible. With so many talented artists, I'm going to have sit down and schedule out my booth walking. That and figure out a way to observe a load of guys from a distance, learn a little something from each, stay out of the way, and walk away without my mind being overwhelmed.

I'm excited to figure it all out.

I'll resume soon.

But a quick zoom on, say, an eye lets me capture the exact shape in no time. There's nothing wrong with a light box or some tracing paper. But neither let me get this precise.

Here's a quick and small example. A client came in and want her specific rubber duck tattooed on her. So I took some photos and picked the angle I liked best.

I opened it up Photoshop and adjusted the levels for higher contrast. Then, with the new levels set, I brought in the extra elements she wanted: a sailor hat and dog tags.

After I had the piece ready, it was just a matter of tracing the outline. So I created a new layer and started drawing on it with the Brush tool at 6 pixels wide and 90% hardness.

Here's a close-up of what's going on. I have a system of lining, cross-hatching, and dotting areas based on comparing levels of light and dark.

This process took me about 45 minutes. To be honest, I could have drawn and traced the duck on a light box in 15 minutes. But because I had a bit of extra time and I wanted to add my touch to this rubber duck, it was worth the extra half an hour.

No matter the outline, there's always the freedom to do whatever you want. Once I have the basics in the skin, it's then my call to strengthen highlights or darken shadows based on what contrast I want for that tattoo. And here's the final result...