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?
Gorgeous flowers and ornamental vasePinup lady and eagleHealed Rock of Ages front piece with angels
Francesco does classic old school tattoos that are bright and vibrant in colour, with bold black lines. Looking at Francesco’s work, you’ll only see black, red, and yellow/gold making up these beautiful pieces.
Battle back piece and nautical back pieceDevil head and butterfly for the feetRock of Ages back piece
His portfolio includes both one shot smaller pieces, and large full back or front pieces. Among these gorgeous designs you’ll find classics such as the Rock of Ages, Sun Dance, devils and angels, lady heads, and animals such as snakes, eagles, and butterfly’s.
Queen of hearts and a feisty snakeClassic eagle
Whether you live in Rome or are passing through, Francesco is another must see artist.
Andres is a tattooer working out of Black Ship in Barcelona. He tattoos old school designs with a much more realistic look. Expect to see lots of ladies, devils, and nautical designs.
Rose of no man’s landSnake and lady head
Andres’ colour palette follows the old school style of mainly black and red, and he really makes those colours pop.
Devil in disguiseQueen of hearts and a sneaky devil
Andres has managed to mix old school and realism flawlessly, with eyes that appear to be really looking at you, and lines that will stand the test of time.
Devil and woman in loveNautical sailor lady head and ship
In addition to tattooing, Andres has an online store where you can buy prints.
Lady head and dragonLady and devil head
If you live in Barcelona or plan on passing through (when we can all travel safely again) make sure Andres is on your list of artists to be tattooed by.
Mike Roberts is a tattoo artist working out of Grizzly Tattoo in Portland, Oregon. His style is mainly old school with a tendency towards darker imagery such as horror movie icons, weapons, and the undead, but you can catch him making more Japanese inspired pieces such as flowers and dragons as well.
Wolf head and skull/drinking hornPlague Doctor (fitting for the times)
Mike is the perfect artist to feature in October, as much of his work consists of the macabre; everything from wolves and spiders to medieval torture devices and undead warriors that give me strong Evil Dead and Army of Darkness vibes.
Gory devil stomach pieceMouth of Sauron for all you Tolkien nerds
But don’t worry if you can’t make it to Mike in October, he’s tattooing spooky pieces all year round, doing both large scale pieces and one offs. Grizzly Tattoo is a must stop shop if you live in Portland or are passing through.
Crow and rosesAwesome medieval looking dragon on the ribs
What’s your favourite horror movie?
Bloody knightBloody guillotine ‘Tis but a scratch! Monty Python piececentipede and spider both done by Mike
Roblake is an artist specializing in black work designs with mainly old school motifs. Working out of Dead Slow in Brighton, Roblake also sells merchandise such as prints and clothing here.
Sweet filler head piece.Matching hands
Roblake has a very distinctive style, taking inspiration from old school flash while adding his own flare that includes detailed line work and sometimes soft and delicate shading inside of tough looking pieces.
Beautiful nesting dollBig one shot chest dragon
He is particularly well known for his knife designs, whether they be a sharp singular switchblade, a row of daggers, or a knife through a skull.
Healed row of knives Devil and lady
Along with tattooing, Roblake has an extensive tattoo collection, and also does some clothing modelling.
Burning cop car and getaway carHealed forearm pieces
If you’re in Brighton or passing through, Roblake is a must see artist, or, if you can’t visit, check out his online store.
Referred to as the “king of tattooists” by himself and others, George Burchett- (Davis) was one of the most famous tattoo artists of his age, particularly in the UK. Notably tattooing in London, marking both the social elite and the hard working class, and even members of the Royal family.
George working on a forearm piece. (photo colourized) Burchett Devil by Quinn Jordan Campbell.
In Burchett’s “Memoirs of a Tattooist” he states that “I have tattooed the subjects of six sovereigns, starting with portraits of Queen Victoria. The tradition has been maintained and still seemed to be strong when I prepared the designs for the coronation of 1953.” He also reminisces about tattooing The Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, one of Queen Victoria’s favorite nephews, Prince Christian Victor, a grandson of Queen Victoria, and King GeorgeV. Along with English royalty he also tattooed King Alfonso XIII of Spain, and King Frederick IX of Denmark.
Burchett was born in Brighton in 1872, and had a very early introduction to tattooing. He practiced tattooing on his five year old brother, Charles, who apparently traded candy for some scratched designs in his skin. George also tattooed his classmates until he was expelled for doing so at the age of twelve.
Burchett doing a full back. Found thanks to vintage tattoo archive, linked at the end of article. Burchett tiger head done by Mike C Davies.
After being expelled, George joined the Royal Navy and sailed as a deckhand all over the British Empire, including stops in the West Indies, the Mediterranean, Africa, India, and East Asia. This was also where he fell farther in love with tattooing, as he was able to see marvellous styles and designs from all over the world. He was able to develop his own skill and style by tattooing other sailors.
Life at sea proved to not be for George, so he left the navy while on leave in Israel, and set up his first shop in Jerusalem. This only lasted a short time as he feared being caught by authorities for deserting the navy. This led to him boarding a Spanish merchant ship. He was able to avoid persecution for twelve years, but missed England. It was at this point that he dropped the “Davis” in his last name to make it harder to catch him, and set up shop in London, but this time as a cobbler. Though he did continue to tattoo on the side whenever the opportunity arose. During this time he was fortunate enough to meet two other legendary artists, Tom Riley and Sutherland MacDonald. MacDonald took George under his wing and taught him more about techniques and designs of tattooing.
Burchett black trad design by Coque Sin Amo. George’s shop. Found on vintage tattoo archive.
During his time as a cobbler/tattooer he grew more and more popular with the working class as a top tattoo artist, working mainly on sailors, dock workers, and transients that happened through London from all around the world. In 1900 George was able to start tattooing full time and give up cobbling. He opened a proper shop on Mile End Road where he could easily catch soldiers on their way to the front lines in World War One.
As his shop grew in clientele, so did his reputation, leading him to tattoo more wealthy Londoners, and even royals. Though Riley and MacDonald tattooed more royals than he.
King Frederick IX of Denmark, dragon on the chest tattooed by Burchett in London.George tattooing “The Great Omi.”
Another of his more famous clients was “The Great Omi,” (Horace Ridler) who was a well known circus performer. George was paid several thousand dollars to tattoo a full body suit that turned The Great Omi into a human zebra.
George is also one of (if not the) first artists to use tattooing as a cosmetic procedure, tattooing women lips and eyebrows (though he also tattooed many flowers and lovers initials on his female clientele).
George tattooing a woman’s eyebrows.Colourized photo of Burchett tattooing a woman’s leg.
George Burchett was undeniable a classic American traditional artist, though like many historical and modern tattooers, drew influence from African and Asian art that he had the good fortune to see during his travels at sea.
He tried to retire at the age of 70 in 1942, but because of World War Two, tattoos were at an all time high demand, essentially forcing him and his two sons to tattoo the immense amount of soldiers and sailors walking through the door.
Another shot of “The Great Omi.”Burchett battle piece done by Nick Roses.
Because he never retired, George worked until Good Friday of 1953 when he died suddenly at the age of 81. His work is still highly influential today with people still getting his designs, or variations of them, tattooed in large numbers.
Joel is an artist working out of Wild Rose Tattoo Co. in Calgary, Alberta.
Classic cry baby.Big panther and a snake locked in battle.Deconstructed anchor and a bit of a seascape/sunset.Fingers crossed.Swallows and a heart for mom.Spooky demon.
Joel does classic American traditional tattoos. He has plenty of flash to choose from, or you can bring an idea to him.
Good luck horseshoe. This design used to usually be done with the horseshoe facing upright, to keep the luck in. But now people seem to get it upside down more and more, seeming to be a sign of making your own luck.Nice vacation in a bottle with this one.Geisha with a beautiful kimono and umbrella.Blackwork stomach with geometric flowers and peony. Lots of lines!Black rose and Bert Grimm crying heart.Mean looking spider and crying eye.
Joel does both colour pieces as well as blackwork.
Blackwork peony in more of a Japanese style.Twisty dragon, an American take on a Japanese design.Geometric vase and wrap around snake.Traditional Aboriginal lady head.Fortune teller lady head and Bert Grimm tiger head.
You can search him up on Instagram and see when he is doing walk-ins, or contact him and set up an appointment.
Sleazy Mickey.Blackwork snake.Tough boxer and rose in blackwork style.Butterfly for a gap filler.Crowned Jesus blackwork piece.
Joel sticks to the classics, and does it well. He has crisp bold lines and solid shading, all within a readable trad piece. He is a must visit artist if you’re in Calgary.
Don Ritson was the owner of Rebel Waltz in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Now he and his wife work out of a private studio together.
Black and red Japanese dragon.Japanese geisha piece with flower kimono.Classic American traditional filler rose.Demon making off with a woman as a painful stomach piece.Japanese Oni demon.Healed lil castle and flower.
Don works in mainly in American traditional style, as well as Japanese and some black work. When doing American traditional style, his pieces are heavy on black and red.
Jesus with the cross.Lady head with some spooky skeletal hands.Bright red chrysanthemum flower.Classy smoking woman.Classic design featuring an eagle, skull, and snake.
Don has done two of my own tattoos, both of my forearms which are a gramophone and a design based off of the rose of no mans land. Don is a very friendly guy who makes getting tattooed a genuinely pleasant experience.
My own forearm pieces. Blackwork gramophone and rose of no mans land.Bert Grimm’s tiger. Lots of black with some red to make it pop.Creepy reaper.Traditional wolf. Heavy on the black!Rock of ages in a beautiful full back piece.
You’ll find Don taking walk ins on Saturdays, though starting earlier this month (April 2018) the shop will rotate the main artist doing walk ins. You can find Don’s contact info on the Rebel Waltz website.
Vicious looking dragon head on the inner bicep.Asian woman with a wrap around snake.Butterfly with woman’s face.Statue of Liberty and the Virgin Mary.The Forks in Winnipeg.
Don is a must see artist if you are in Winnipeg. He also does guest spots in Canada so watch his Instagram for that as well.
