Anubis is the ancient Egyptian god/guardian of the dead. The name Anubis actually comes from the Greek, but the earliest Egyptian names for him include Anpu, or Inpu. Both have the same root word which means “royal child”, and “inp” which means “to decay”.
Watercolor Anubis done by Agny Fran at Black Velvet Studio in De Santiago, Chile.
He is generally depicted as a black, jackal-dog-man hybrid, with the body of a man and head of a jackal/dog. The colour black was chosen for its symbolism of both decaying bodies, and the soil along the Nile river.
More American traditional version of Anubis by Andrew Conner.
Anubis is first seen as the son of Ra and Hesat, before he is brought into the story of Osiris, and said to be his son.
Black and grey full bodied Anubis by Bryan Hidalgo Reyes.
Anubis is the earliest god depicted on tomb walls, usually presiding over the mummification process, or weighing of the soul. This is the process in which a persons soul is weighed against the feather of truth.
Brilliant black and grey Anubis and Ra by Codrea Bogdan.
Anubis is both judge and guide of the dead. Making him an authoritative figure, as well as a protector. This makes him one of the most important gods in Egyptian history.
Neo traditional Anubis by Dany Linhares in Brazil.
Later in history he was partially adopted into Greek mythology, associating him with Hermes.
Blackwork skeletal Anubis by Dono B in Seoul, South Korea.
As a tattoo, Anubis is often done in blackwork, black and grey, neo traditional, water colour, and realism styles.
Neo traditional Anubis by Fatima Oliveira.Heavy matching black/dark colour Anubis and Bastet by Heather Bailey at Black Heart in San Francisco, CA.Black/dotwork Anubis head by Mario Farfán Calderón at Blackmoon Custom Tattoo in Mexico.Realistic black and grey Anubis by Melissa Flattinger at Corpsepainter Tattoo and Piercing in Munich, Germany.Realistic black and grey Anubis head by Meza Cruz in Mexico.Neo traditional Anubis head and scarab beetle by Miss Poppy in the Netherlands.Black and grey sketchwork Anubis head by Ráa Fernandes in Tokyo, Japan.American traditional Anubis by Shawn Qin at Cat Town Tattoo in South Korea.Brilliant neo traditional Anubis by Yeray Perez in Sitges, Barcelona.
Yōkai are supernatural monsters/ghosts/demons from Japanese folklore. The word itself is made up from the kanji for “bewitching, attractive, and calamity” and “spectre, apparition, mystery, and suspicious.” There are hundreds and hundreds of yōkai, from fairly harmless tricksters, to monsters that prey on human flesh. Being an animal that many are already afraid of, of course there are also spider yōkai.
As a tattoo these creatures are usually done in Japanese style, but can also be neo traditional, American traditional, black and grey, or blackwork.
There are three main types of spider yōkai:
-Ushi Oni: Which is actually classified as an ox demon. This demon is often depicted with the head of an ox and the body of a spider, and is usually near bodies of water. These creatures are always carnivorous and dangerous to humans. They are not always spiders, but this is one of the more popular depictions. The Ushi Oni is described as cruel and vicious, breathing toxic poison, and sometimes inflicting curses or spreading disease.
Blackwork Japanese piece by Ben Wight at Pyramid Arts Tattoo.Black and grey Japanese piece by Brian Faulk at Hand of Glory Tattoo.
-Tsuchigumo: A giant spider who can live a very long time, and grow to monstrous sizes. When they get old enough they can transform themselves into other yōkai, even taking the form of humans in order to lure and kill people. These creatures live in forests and mountains, mainly preying on travelers. One famous tale tells of this creature transforming into a beautiful woman who leads an army of yōkai against Japan. A man named Yorimitsu is the first to meet the beast on the battlefield and strikes her, making the army disappear. The Japanese army then follows her back to her cave where she morphs back into a giant spider. Yorimitsu slices her open, unleashing thousands of human sized baby spiders. The Japanese army kills every last one and returns victorious.
Huge spider with skulls and web by Adrian Evans at Saints and Sinners Tattoo in Dallas.Cover up piece by Alexander Rusty Cairns at Lighthouse Tattoo in Sydney, Australia.Spider with hannya mask by Gab Lavoie at Tattoo Mania in Montreal, Canada.Black and grey beast done by Ganji at Tokyo Three Tides Tattoo in Tokyo, Japan.Very traditional Japanese piece done by Horihiro Mitomo at Three Tides Tattoo Tokyo/Osaka, Japan.Brilliant Japanese scalp banger done by Vond Barta at Sacred Monkey Tattoo in Melbourne.
Jorōgumo: This creature was known as the “whore spider” but is now better known as “entangling bride”. She lives both as a beautiful yōkai in human form and as a giant spider. This spider gains the ability to transform after it has lived for 400 years. She uses her human form to lure unsuspecting men to her lair before eating them. They live in caves, forests, or abandoned houses. This creature is often seen as part spider, part woman, generally the body of a spider and head of a woman.
More American traditional piece with Japanese influence by Eric Alcantara at Ridgewood Tattoo Studio.Colorful piece by Francesco Giamblanco at Black Horse Tattoo.Half spider half woman by George Galloway at Windhorse Tattoo.Colorful neo traditional piece by Hozho at Tattoo Station.Terrifying neo traditional piece with noh mask as the head. Done by Nhia Yang at Goodkind Tattoo in Chicago.Spider with skulls by Nick Crampton at Chapel Tattoo.More American traditional piece by Vova Bydin at Citizen Ink in Brooklyn NYC.
All versions of this beast are terrifying, and all make a bold tattoo. Which is your favorite?
Shawn Beatty is a tattoo artist working out of Soul Survivors Body Art in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Shawn is a talented artist who works in several styles; including American traditional, black and grey, realism, blackwork, new school, neo traditional, and some Japanese.
Disney’s Cinderella and quote.Badass grim reaper.Neo traditional flower and snake.Black and grey surrealist death moth.Black and grey realistic/neo traditional sleeve featuring a demonic version of V from v for vendetta, a bird, snake, and caged heart.Black and grey neo traditional fortune teller and tarot card.Black and grey compass with arrow and biblical quote.Bright new school Sailor Moon piece.Canadian Eddie from Iron Maiden!Realistic black and grey tiger with skull and quote.Japanese tiger and flower cover up.Knight inspired armour full sleeve. Looks like the real deal!Red crescent moon and skull.Neo traditional leopard headdress piece.Simpsons pig and donut, anti fascist piece!Lego leg piece tearing through the skin.David Bowie astronaut piece inspired by the song Heroes.
Shawn Beatty is a must see artist if you’re in Winnipeg!
Oscar Hove is co-owner of Ondo Tattoo in Barcelona, Spain. His work is mainly surreal Japanese blackwork, mixing traditional Japanese themes with macabre surrealist work.
Matching feet. Stylized noh mask with horns.Noh mask on snake body.Split mask down the middle.
A great deal of his pieces are Japanese masks, split in half, or more, and making them terrifying.
Five split noh masks with horns in brilliant chest piece.Horned mask with facemask common in Asian countries, with kanji lettering.Brilliant blackwork Japanese oni backpiece.Detached jaw noh/hannya inspired mask.Beautifully dark mask and peony flower.
Other than Japanese inspired work, Oscar also does some neo traditional, and American traditional blackwork.
Blackwork bird and skull on thigh.Traditional blackwork butterflies.
While his styles vary every once in awhile, his work is all dark both in colour and theme.
Mask split down the middle by Japanese knife.Terrifying split hannya mask.Yokai inspired rotting face.Split hannya on stomach, releasing inner monster.Matching hannya and noh masks with kanji lettering.
Oscar is a must visit artist if you find yourself in Barcelona!
This popular horror, fantasy, drama show follows the Winchester brothers, Sam and Dean, as they hunt and kill all manner of supernatural creatures. The show first aired in 2005, and has thirteen seasons. The show is popular with lovers of horror and comedy, as every episode features some sort of horrifying monster, as well as dark, sarcastic humour, mostly on the part of Dean.
Dean by William Quiceno in Miami FL.Day of the dead skull, quote, pistol, and pentagram by Tad Peyton at Jinx Proof Tattoo in DC.
Fans of the show have a love/hate relationship with it, as many favourite characters have quite tragic stories, and no one has plot armour thick enough to protect them indefinitely.
Angel wings, anti-possession symbol, and quote by Gus Honey at Authentink Tattoo Studio, Sydney Australia.Anti-possession symbol by Pompie Tubelan.Anti-possession symbol by Tiffany Kups.
Tattoos related to the show include character portraits, quotes, and the famous anti-possession tattoo from the show, which both Sam and Dean wear to protect themselves from demon possession. This design is a pentagram and flames.
Portrait of Dean by Kristian Kimonides at Leviathan Tattoo Gallery in Melbourne Australia.Sam portrait also by KristianCastiel portrait also by Kristian.
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