Moira Ramone is a tattoo artist working out of Bont & Blauw Tattoo in Rotterdam, Netherlands. Moira does old school and neo-traditional work with and without colour, with a particular love for all things horror and punk.
A classic demon breaking free of its shacklesKiefer Sutherland as David from “The Lost boys”
Moira’s Instagram page is filled with images such as punk rock girls with black boots and tattoos of their own, horror icons like Jason Voorhees and Christmas Devil Krampus, circus performers, and portraits (among others).
The Hindu Goddess KaliClassic horror sleeve
Moira makes a point to create a safe space for all people regardless of skin colour, gender identity or sexual orientation. Tattooing is quite an intimate experience so it’s always great to be able to receive your new art from someone who makes an effort to make all people comfortable.
Old school back featuring Bert Grimm’s butterfly ladyNo Means No!
Whether you’re looking for a small or large piece, Moira does it all. If you’re passing through you can get something smaller, or if you live in the area (or can get there easily) maybe you could start a full back or sleeve.
Krampus bringing some naughty children down to HellAll Cops Are Bastards tombstone
If you can’t make it all the way to the Netherlands for a tattoo, or just want to support Moira from a distance you can check out her store here and get yourself some clothing, books, stickers, candles, original paintings, or prints.
Punk girl meets the devilCircus performer featuring her own tattoos
For lovers of alternative music it’s pretty much common knowledge that Black Sabbath’s 1970 debut album “Black Sabbath” marked the beginning of heavy metal as we now know it. There were distinct differences from rock including references to the occult in the lyrics, Ozzy’s style of singing, the heavier sound of the guitars, and loud, fast thundering drums. Put together it all sounds quite dark and sinister, which is part of why we still love it so much today.
Black Sabbath cross done by wolfirish_tattooBlack work Henry done by Riley Borne in Portland Oregon
The original members of the English metal band include guitarist Tony Iommi, bassist Geezer Butler, drummer Bill Ward, and most famously, vocalist Ozzy Osbourne. Though the band has also seen many lineup changes, most notably vocalist Ronnie James Dio after Ozzy was kicked out of the band for substance abuse.
Cross piece done by Else MauA black work portrait of Ozzy done by Blake at Hot Stuff Tattoo
The band previously had other names, including “Earth.” The bands manager wanted them to change the name because it was too generic, so Butler suggested changing their name to Black Sabbath after the song they had written. He was big into both the occult and horror movies, as was Iommi, and they thought the name fit the sound of the band at the time. The name for both the song and band was thought up by Butler, and was inspired by Mario Bava’s 1963 Boris Karloff horror anthology.
A realistic portrait of Ozzy done by Shaks in Bexhill UKA bright and bold Henry done by Aliki at Below Zero Tattoo in Florida
After hearing the riff of what became “Iron Man,” Ozzy said that it sounded “like a big iron bloke walking about.” Geezer Butler took that a step further and wrote the lyrics as the story of a man who time travels into the future, and witnesses the apocalypse. While returning to the present, a magnetic field turns him into steel. He is rendered mute, unable to verbally warn people of his time in the future and of the Earth’s impending destruction. Because his attempts to communicate are ignored and mocked, it causes Iron Man to become angry, and drives his revenge on mankind, causing the destruction seen in his vision. Another fun song fact is the coughing heard at the beginning of “Sweet Leaf,” is guitarist Tony Iommi. He had been smoking a joint in the studio given to him by Ozzy Osbourne. The title of the song was taken from a packet of Irish cigarettes which said “It’s the sweet leaf,” and refers to cannabis, which the band was using frequently.
Inverted cross done by Libby Guy at the Illustrated Man, Sydney AustraliaBlack and grey album art done by Edvin at Crooked Moon Tattoo
Some popular Black Sabbath tattoos include portraits of the band members (mostly Ozzy), album art, crosses, and “Henry” the bands devilish logo. Mostly done in black and grey, black work, or old school styles. Though realism, neo-traditional, and pointillism also make for awesome pieces!
Black work heart by Rodrigo Burnout in São PauloOzzy’s head with a vampire bat done by Kalo at Spider Web Tattoo in Berlin
What’s your favourite Black Sabbath song? Do you have any Sabbath tattoos?
It’s that time of year again, so here are 10 pumpkin tattoos to satisfy your halloween tattoo needs. So why do we carve Jack’O’Lanterns anyway? You can thank the Irish! This practice originates with a legend called “Stingy Jack.”
Charlie Brown’s Halloween Special done by Mandy Snyder at Lucky Monkey TattooBlack and grey pumpkin done by Margaret Arinne
According to the story, Stingy Jack invited the Devil to have a drink with him. True to his name, Stingy Jack didn’t want to pay for his drink, so he convinced the Devil to turn himself into a coin that Jack could use to buy their drinks. Once the Devil did so, Jack decided to keep the money and put it into his pocket next to a silver cross, which prevented the Devil from changing back into his original form.
Full haunted house complete with pumpkins done by Tiffany Garcia at Black Raven TattooBlack and grey pumpkin and bats done by Matthew Murray at Black Veil Tattoo in Salem Mass.
Jack eventually freed the Devil, under the condition that he would not bother Jack for one year and that, should Jack die, he would not claim his soul. The next year, Jack again tricked the Devil into climbing into a tree to pick a piece of fruit. While he was up in the tree, Jack carved a sign of the cross into the tree’s bark so that the Devil could not come down until the Devil promised Jack not to bother him for ten more years.
Pumpkin and bloody knife by Katelynn Rhea at Iron Age TattooTrick R’ Treat pumpkin done by Steve Black at All of One Tattoo
Soon after, Jack died. As the legend goes, God would not allow such an unsavory figure into heaven. The Devil, upset by the trick Jack had played on him and keeping his word not to claim his soul, would not allow Jack into hell. He sent Jack off into the dark night with only a burning coal to light his way. Jack put the coal into a carved-out turnip and has been roaming the Earth with it ever since. The Irish began to refer to this ghostly figure as “Jack of the Lantern,” and then, simply “Jack O’Lantern.”
Creepy pumpkin done by Mark W. Richards at Pino Bros InkHappy pumpkin done by Shannon Mcfarlene at Iron Lotus
As tattoos, most pumpkin pieces are bright and colourful, with a trend to old school or neo traditional styles, though black work and black and grey can also make for nice pieces. Often paired with other spooky things like bats, knives, haunted houses, etc. Pumpkins are a perfect piece for those who love halloween.
Cute bright piece done by Kori MillhimesAn evil looking piece using black and orange done by Angelo Parente at Black Casket Tattoo
Bram Adey is arguably one of the most sought after tattoo artists in Winnipeg. Bram worked at the popular Rebel Waltz Tattoo for nine years, but as of August 2020 will be at Main Street Tattoo Collective.
Beautiful bird and flowers.
Bram takes inspiration from all things in nature, particularly animals. His birds and flowers are some of the most beautiful pieces you can get from him, among many others.
Matching swallows. Rose by Le Slyvie in Nelson B.C and wolf by Benny Hanya.
Bram does both machine work and hand poke pieces, and does dot work and delicate black and grey.
Beautiful nature inspired back piece.
Much of his work is also inspired by American traditional and Japanese styles, but done in black and grey with more realistic elements.
Matching dot work geometric pieces.
Check out Bram’s Instagram linked above to see more and get his contact information.
Who doesn’t love a good ghost story this time of year?
Black and grey/pointillism piece done by Angelo Parente at Black Casket Tattoo.
People have always had a fascination with death and dying, and with that fascination comes story telling. Some of my favourite books are ghost stories (or related). Here’s a short list of some of my favourites, and some great tattoos to go with them!
Heavy on the black, spooky sheet ghost done by Shannon McFarlene at Iron Lotus Tattoo in Winnipeg, Canada.
Hell House, by Richard Matheson.
American traditional ghosts around a fire done by Grace LaMorte at Spring Street Tattoo in Jeffersonville, Indiana.
The Haunting of Hill House, by Shirley Jackson.
Cute American traditional Casper tattoo done by Jackpot the needles in Seoul, South Korea.
The Taxidermists Daughter, by Kate Mosse.
A traditional Japanese ghost done by Rob Mopar at Sacred Monkey Tattoo.
The Woman in Black, by Susan Hill.
Super cute fall tattoo including a spooky lil ghost, done by Kassidy Autumn at Cincinnati Tattoo Studio.
Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark, by Alvin Schwartz.
Terrifying sheet ghost done by Ryan Murray at Black Veil Tattoo in Salem, MA.
The Amityville Horror, by Jay Anson.
Halloween themed snow globe done in American traditional style, by Mandee Jane Robinson.
As a tattoo, many people prefer blackwork or black and grey, to maximize the dark feelings that generally come with ghosts. American traditional and realism can also be popular choices for a spooky ghost. Of course not all ghosts are scary, and American traditional ghosts tend not to be. Many American trad ghosts are based on casper the friendly ghost.
Sexy ghost costume done by Samantha Croston at Reign Supreme Tattoo Studio.
Do you prefer scary or fun ghosts?
Wicked pointillism Halloween themed piece done by Tulio Tattoo.
übler Friedrich is a Neo-traditional tattoo artist who works in Berlin, Giessen, and Vienna.
stag beetle on the hand
Knights helmet and flowers.
Incredibly detailed black and grey cat portrait with flowers.
Gorgeous candlestick piece.
He works mainly in colour, but also does brilliant blackwork and fantastic black and grey pieces.
Healed forearm pieces. Brilliant rose and a dagger through a heart.
Ruler of the sea, Poseidon!
Portrait/scenery piece featuring a waterscape scene.
Huge skull and octopus thigh piece.
His pieces are both realistic and traditional, making a perfect blend of the two.
Vicious looking spiked mace.
Mean looking hawk with skulls on the neck.
Badass Roman skull torso piece.
Arrows and knots on a thigh.
Übler is not shy about tattooing faces or heads, and gives people brilliant and visible pieces for the world to admire. He also does both small and large pieces, so don’t be shy about getting something big!
Healed knees! Painful looking chimp and a bat.
Bright blue octopus head piece.
Delicate bluebell face tattoo.
Absolutely terrifying demon on a forearm.
Currently (January 2019) his books are closed, but you can check out his Instagram @friedrichubler and send him an email when his books are open again!
Gorgeous flowers on Oli Sykes from Bring Me The Horizon.
Raven and castle thigh piece on the back of the leg.
Butterfly head piece.
Wicked bear head chest piece done in only two sessions.
Dan Gagné is an artist working at Loveless Tattoo in Montréal, Canada. Dan’s tattoos are perfect for the month of October, and those who love Halloween and horror year round. His work is mainly American traditional and blackwork, and is heavily inspired by horror movies. His work often features monsters and other icons of classic horror movies and stories.
Bright Creature from the Black Lagoon with unlucky number 13.Ghostface from Scream with phone and knife.Creepy witch with hard black shadow.Fantastic werewolf and full moon.Huge mostly blackwork Alien torso piece.Creepy crawly spider head tattoo.A sinister looking Dracula!The Pale Man from Pan’s Labyrinth.Norman Bates and loving mother from Psycho.Battle of the monsters with Godzilla and King Kong!Nasty looking Gremlin. Don’t get it wet!Alien from Mars Attacks!Jason Voorhees from Friday the 13th!Creepy skull and vampire bat with red moon.A startled looking Leatherface with his pretty mask and chainsaw.Matching loving undead.Jason Voorhees Vs. Michael Meyers. Friday the 13th and Halloween.The Demogorgon! From Stranger Things, featuring the classic light bulbs.The mighty Count Orlok from Nosferatu.For all the bookworms and halloween lovers. Book, vampire skull, and candles.
Monmon is a Japanese term for tattoo, and a monmon cat is a cat with tattoos. They were designed by Horitomo, a Japanese tattoo artist well known for his hand work (tebori) and his monmon designs. He published a book entitled Monmon Cats and has inspired other tattoo artists around the world.
Sassy looking cat with skeletons by Amber Bananafish at Bananafish Tattoo Parlour.
Monmon cats are usually done in traditional Japanese style, and usually have their own Japanese tattoos. They can also be done realistically, in black and grey, and have other tattoos such as American traditional, flowers, and skulls.
Realistic cat with rose by Ash Valentine.Samurai cat by Simina at Old Bastards Tattoo Shop in Romania.New school cat with geisha back piece by Heather Sinn at Tattoo Room in Simi Valley, CA.Matching foot monmon cats by Horitomo at State of Grace tattoo in Japantown SJ, CA.Another by Horitomo with American traditional tattoos.Stomach cat by Horitomo with peony tattoos and a fun ball of yarn.Full sleeve with monmon cat also by Horitomo.More matching monmon by Horitomo with mean looking Oni!Monmon cat doing its own tebori tattooing by Jason Rose.Large monmon with koi fish and cherry blossoms by Jamie Negro at Be Hardcore Tattoo.Monmon with waves by Kika Blunt.Monmon with cloud and wind designs and cherry blossoms by Luana Cavalcoli.Monmon drinking sake with a wicked dragon tattoo and flowers by Sarah Baldwin at Control Tattoo in FL.Cute cat with peony flower tattoos by Sebastian Giraldo Nieto.Blackwork monmon cat with skull inspired by Takiyasha the Witch and the Skeleton Spectre by Utagawa Kuniyoshi done by Steph White at Cock A Snook Tattoo Parlour in Newcastle.
Clemens is an artist working out of Electric Circus Classic Tattooing in Mannheim, Germany. Clemens specializes in neo traditional, traditional, and blackwork, with some Japanese thrown into the mix. Clemens does fantastic work using timeless designs mixed with new techniques and styles. He doesn’t shy away from tough designs or locations including full sleeves, bellies, ribs, back pieces, and even hands and faces for those whose lifestyles can afford them.
Hardcore full frontal blackwork traditional panther head and webbing with matching black and grey sleeves.Matching chest heads, dagger through a heart, and angry bear head in rad neo trad.Elephant head inspired by deities.American traditional classic of an eagle fighting a snake, sun and moon not by Clemens.Japanese backpiece with oni and namakubi in a neo Japanese style.Full blackwork backpiece inspired by the beauty of death with crow and matching coffins.Half backpiece in Japanese black and grey featuring a tiger, peony, and cloud background. with a matching sleeve.Whole bunch of job stoppers! Beautiful hand and neck pieces including traditional and blackwork.Crazy throat peony.Neo Japanese tiger head neck tattoo.American traditional eagle on the back of the neck/head.Crazy elephant inspired piece.Brilliant neo traditional fox and bear in a tender spot.Tasteful face piece. Blackwork nails in a bleeding heart.Blackwork traditional Native American lady head.Matching back of the knees traditional mandalas.Neo traditional Little Red Riding Hood and the big bad wolf.
If you’re in Germany Clemens Hahn is a must see artist!
