Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland (better known as Alice in Wonderland) was written in 1865 by Charles Dodgson (under the pseudonym Lewis Carroll).
Black and grey Caterpillar (Alan Rickman) done by Omar Orozco.Bright back piece done by Brian Reaid at Ace of Spades Tattoo in Asheville NC.Bright pastel coloured Tim Burton sleeve done by Jules Boho, an Austrian based traveling artist.Matching Alice and the White Rabbit in a delicate black and grey design. Done by Abbo Florez.
The story follows a young girl, Alice, who falls down a hole into a fantastical land full of bizarre characters and situations.
Watercolor Cheshire done by Aleksandra Katsan in Kiev, Ukraine.Linework version of Disney’s Alice done by Bryan at Nirvana Tattoo Studio in Glasgow, Scotland.Dark and sinister looking Mad Hatter done by Kristen Goetz.Cheshire in Mad Hatters Hat done by Ricardo Gomez at Soledad Tattoo.
There are also films based on the book, with the most popular being Disney’s animated version from 1951.
Realistic and stylized version of the Red Queen. Done by Alex Moro done in London, UK.“Drink me” done by Efthimis Vrettos in Athens, Greece.Stylized White Rabbit in a teacup done by Luca Testadiferro in Jesi Italy.Sleeping Alice done by Lello Sannino in Italy.
More recent films Alice in wonderland (directed by Tim Burton) and Alice Through the Looking Glass (directed by James Bobin) are also produced by Disney, but take on a much darker theme.
Hyper realistic White Rabbit and his pocket watch done by Ben Kaye at Ship Shape Tattoo, New Zealand.Black and grey Disney’s Mad Hatter done by Fabio Onorini Fronte Del Porto tattoo , in Rome.Neo traditional portrait of Alice done by Mugs Costa in Australia.Blackwork Mad hatter and teacup done by Sigbjørn in Copenhagen.Sketchwork/watercolour Cheshire done by Tania Catclaw.
People in the 1960’s-80’s speculated about what the story was “really” about. Many people thought that it was really a psychedelic trip. Due in large part to the frequent usage of drugs such as LSD and magic mushrooms at this time. Experts usually disagree with this theory though, as Charles isn’t thought to have been a user of recreational drugs.
Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland sleeve done by Brent O’Leary at Blue Collar Tattoo in Plainfield IL.Linework version of the Walrus and the carpenter with their tasty clams. Done by Gina Gila at Riverwest Tattoo Company Milwaukee, Wisconsin.Brilliant black and grey version of the Mad Hatter done by Nick Imms at The Church Tattoo.Queen of Hearts and White Rabbit, also done by Nick Imms.And a third done by Nick Imms.
Popular characters include the Mad Hatter, Cheshire Cat, Red Queen (Queen of Hearts), the March Hare, White Rabbit, the Caterpillar, and many more.
A partial watercolor style March Hare and a lovely cup of tea done by Bruno Corvalan Mission Ink in San Francisco.Neo traditional Red Queen done by Jack Goks at Cloak and Dagger Tattoo in London, UK.Brilliant neo traditional White Rabbit hand piece done by Oash Rodriguez.Hatter’s hat, pocket watch, and painted rose done by Steve LaMantia at Ever After Gallery, Spring Hill, FL.
It’s the most, wonderful time…. Of the year!! Some people hate winter, some people love it. What we can all agree on though, is snow can be beautiful!
Gorgeous hyper realistic black and grey/white hand snowflake and moose done by Niki Norberg in Gothenburg, Sweden.Dotwork/geometric snowflake done by Bicem Sinik in Istanbul, Turkey.Dotwork head mandala/snowflake done by Emil Supertramp.Lots of pink in this one. Snowflake landing on a flower done by Karl Marks.Realistic Jack Frost portrait tattoo and snowflake done by Maksims Zotovs.Newschool snowflake design by Mattia Mambo.Watercolour snowflake with mountains done by Sasha Unisex.
Snowflake tattoos are often done in a realistic, dotwork, black and grey, or bright/new school style.
A painful palm snowflake in dotwork style by Alexandra Baksza.Elegant micro tattoos done by Banul in Seoul, South Korea.Tiny finger snowflake done by Georgina Ostheimer in Munich, Germany.Blue foot done at Lucky Bella tattoo shop.Hand mandala and snowflake done by Marilyn at Studio Curitiba.Dark blackwork snowflake done by Olaf Botel.Dotwork/linework wrist snowflake done by Shanna Keyes.
Each snowflake tattoo here is unique, just like the real deal!
Bright blue and white snowflake leg piece done by August Thompson.Dotwork penguin and snowflake background done by Caro Walch.Dotwork negative space snowflake done by Kevin Koskela.Micro tattoo snowflake done by Pablo Torre in Madrid.Fantastic hyper realistic locket and snowflakes done by Martin Wilkström.Snowflake and leaves on the sternum done by Sára Reichardt, at Wonderland Tattoo, in Budapest, Hungary.Bright and colourful snowflakes done by Simona Blanar.
Jan Veldman works at First String Tattoo in Winnipeg, Manitoba.
Matching Russian nesting dolls with totem designs.Blackwork death’s head moth.Big ole’ werewolf and red moon.Badass cobra with witchy hands.We all float down here… Pennywise and balloon.A Salvador Dali inspired piece.Traditional ship with flowers.He’s late! Black and grey white rabbit from Alice in Wonderland.Terrifying snake lady with barbed wire.
Jan’s style can be characterized as neo traditional and new school, with a hint of American traditional thrown into the mix. He tattoos everything from classic roses to characters from shows and movies.
Ghost sheet tattoo with some classic flowers.Devilish baphomet in black and grey.American traditional style Jesus Christ and cross.Hobo cat doing his thing!Japanese good fortune Maneki Neko cat.A drunk Speedy Gonzales.Road Runner and Wile E Coyote.Creepy new school spider with eyeball.
Most of Jan’s work is bright and bold, but he doesn’t shy away from some brilliant black and grey work either!
Neo trad woman and wolf head.Classic and deadly scorpion with red background.A ghostly Bart Simpson with some script and trad flowers.Cute little cactus with budding flowers.Bender!Bright red chameleon.Adorable Michelangelo with his favourite food.Super cute new school cupcake.
Bring in your own design or pick one of his. Whatever you choose, Jan is a must see artist in Winnipeg!
Baphomet today is regarded as a Satanic figure, but for a long time Baphomet was actually a word for the prophet Mohammed in Islam, and worshipping a Muslim god or prophet was seen as idolatry. The Knights of Templar were accused of worshipping Baphomet the false idol in Medieval France, and were tortured under King Philip.
Baphomet head by Daniel Baczewski.Brilliant back of the head and neck piece by Róbert A Borbás.Majestic Baphomet head done on the skull by Jason Oz in Denver Colorado.Amazing long bearded Baphomet head by Matthew Murray, Black Veil Tattoo, Salem Massachusetts.
Over the next 500 years, Baphomet changed from Mohammed the prophet, to a hermaphroditic stone figure borrowed from Egypt or the Gnostic Christian Ophites. This was after both scholars and mystics studied the Knights of Templar, writing that the Knights brought back ancient magical knowledge from the middle East and North Africa. The idol in question was called Baphomet in 1818, and were most likely just misidentified artifacts from other cultures and religions.
Fantastic blackwork/linework full bodied Baphomet by Patrick Toussaint in Melbourne.Blackwork goat head by Anka Lavriv at Black Iris Tattoo in New York.Pentagram, goat skull, and flowers by Brooke Ashliegh at Binx Tattoo.Large Black Philip torso piece by Frederico Rabelo in Portugal.
But the final Baphomet that we picture today was created in 1854 by occultist Eliphas Levi for his book “Dogme et Rituel de la Haute Magie” (“Dogmas and Rituals of High Magic“). Levi describes Baphomet in detail in his book.”The goat on the frontispiece carries the sign of the pentagram on the forehead, with one point at the top, a symbol of light, his two hands forming the sign of hermetism, the one pointing up to the white moon of Chesed, the other pointing down to the black one of Geburah. This sign expresses the perfect harmony of mercy with justice. His one arm is female, the other male like the ones of the androgyn of Khunrath, the attributes of which we had to unite with those of our goat because he is one and the same symbol. The flame of intelligence shining between his horns is the magic light of the universal balance, the image of the soul elevated above matter, as the flame, whilst being tied to matter, shines above it. The beast’s head expresses the horror of the sinner, whose materially acting, solely responsible part has to bear the punishment exclusively; because the soul is insensitive according to its nature and can only suffer when it materializes. The rod standing instead of genitals symbolizes eternal life, the body covered with scales the water, the semi-circle above it the atmosphere, the feathers following above the volatile. Humanity is represented by the two breasts and the androgyn arms of this sphinx of the occult sciences.”
Large goat head on the torso by Alex Tabuns.Full bodied Baphomet in a fantastic blackwork backpiece by Sakari.Bright neo traditional Baphomet head and skulls by Matthew Kaufmann at Drunken Monkey Tattoo in Michigan.Three eyed Baphomet by Rodrigo Lopez.
As a tattoo, people often get the full bodied Baphomet, or a goats head, as goats are often also related to Satanism as well as witchcraft and paganism. Full bodied goats and goat heads are also popular in part thanks to the film The Witch, and the Satanic goat named Black philip. Generally these tattoos are done in blackwork or black and grey but also realism, neo traditional, and American traditional.
Three eyed goat head and quote by Ant Walsh in a neo traditional style.Baphomet head and snake done at forest ink tattoo, South Korea.American traditional take on Baphomet by Vince Genois Panthère at Noire Limoilou, Québec.Huge American traditional stomach Baphomet and dagger by Nestor Gonzalez at Sailor’s grave in Costa Rica.Full bodied Baphomet with a little bit of colour done by Tatiana Esmeralda Marcum Tattooer at Iron Rite.
Jason Voorhees is the iconic villain from the Friday the 13th franchise. Jason is a silent, undead killing machine, and mamma’s boy. Jason haunts Camp Crystal Lake where he drowned as a child due to inattentive lifeguards. As a tattoo Jason is done in a realistic style portrait, American traditional style, neo traditional, black and grey, and new school/cartoon. He is usually seen wearing his hockey mask, sometimes paired with his machete or other weapons, or seen in Camp Crystal Lake.
Jason mask with full bodied Jason in very dark tones done by DJ at True Color Tattoos.Hyper realistic Jason in a killing position done by Paul Acker The Séance Tattoo Parlor in Bensalem PA.Colour piece by Joe K Worrall at Heart & Arrow Tattoo Studio in the UK.Black and grey Jason at Camp Crystal Lake with nude camp counsellor by Matt Beirne at Stefano’s Tattoo Studio in Ft. Lauderdale.Great contrasted Jason mask and machete by Moira Ramone at 25 to Life Tattoo in NL.
Jason was born with facial deformities and a mental disability. His mother kept him away from other people, homeschooling him and looking after him herself, but when she was unable to find a babysitter she resorted to sending him to Camp Crystal Lake where she worked as the cook. Jason was bullied by the other kids and thrown into the lake where he drowned while the counsellors were having sex in the woods. Mad with grief, Pamela, Jason’s mother, murdered the counsellors she blamed for Jason’s death. Jason came back to life and waited for his mother to come back to him, for 20 years. Years later the camp tried to re open, but Pamela murdered all but one of the counsellors. The survivor, Alice, cut off her head, while Jason watched. Jason killed anyone who came back to the camp, mostly using the machete that killed his own mother.
Adorable cartoon Jason done by Alessia at Bikini Bottom Tattoo shop.Realistic black and grey Jason head and chain by Fran Muñoz.American traditional Jason mask with “mamma’s boy” and flower by Megan Fell.
Jason has a kill count of over 150 throughout the films he’s been in. Jason’s supernatural powers include immortality, regeneration, superhuman strength, enhanced speed, and durability.
Jason mask and machete’s in classic skull and crossbones fashion by Amanda Fox in Glasgow.Mostly black and grey Jason mask by Jesse Torres.Blackwork mask and machete by Murrmosavich at Blue Blood Custom Tattoos.Blackwork Jason mask and trees by Sabrina Sawyers.
Jason is a fan favorite in the horror genre, often paired with Freddy Kreuger, due in part to the film Freddy VS. Jason.
Jason’s torso and machete, with chains, done at Bespoke Body Art Tattoos in Grimsby, UK.Neo traditional Jason and Camp Crystal Lake tattoo by Matt Bishop at Artistic Edge Tattoo.“Mama tried” American traditional mask and flower by Tony Davis in VA.
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.
The Li people live in Hainan Province, China’s most southern point. Tattoos in Hainan can be traced as far back as 3000 years ago. Hainan is often referred to as “The Tail of the Dragon”, as it is the most southern point of China, though also used to be called one of the eyeballs of China (along with Taiwan when it was a part of China) as it is an island province.
Li woman’s face tattoo, taken in the 1980’s.
According to one German ethnologist (branch of anthropology that compares and analyzes the characteristics of different peoples and the relationship between them), Hans Stübel, the origin of their tattooing came from a story about a descendant of the original Li. This descendant of Li had a daughter whose mother died early in the child’s life. When this happened, a colourful native bird called the hoopoe fed the child with grains to keep her alive. In remembrance of this, the Li women tattoo themselves to look more like the birds, both in their colour and the patterns of their wings.
More geometric face tattoos, specifically of a Basaadung Li woman from the 1930’s.
Others still believe that the women tattooed themselves in order to be recognized in the afterlife.
A more practical reason that these women tattooed themselves, particularly on their faces, is the fact that their villages would be attacked often by many of their neighbors. In order to appear unattractive to the invading men, the Li women tattooed quite intricate designs on their faces and down their necks. Making themselves appear less attractive protected them from violence and rape.
Married and unmarried women, all with leg tattoos, and some with hand tattoos. Taken in the 1930’s.
Later on in history though, these women saw the tattoos as an enhancement to their beauty. When a girl turned 13 or 14, an older woman would tattoo her, first on the nape of her neck, then her face and throat over the course of 5-7 days. Then, over the next 3 years, she would continue to be tattooed along her arms and legs. The only thing that interrupted this would be the death of a family member. Once a woman married, her hand would also be tattooed, marking her as a married woman.
More beautiful geometric face tattoos, taken in the 1980’s.
Like many ancient cultures, the Li used a bamboo rod, with rattan needles to hand tap the designs into the skin. The patterns used did vary from tribe to tribe, but all used motifs taken from nature, such as plants, animals, and totemic symbols passed down through generations.
Geometric face tattoo in progress. The old tattooing the young.
Zhuo Dan Ting is the owner of Shanghai Tattoo as of January 2007 (located in Shanghai, China) where she tattoos people from all around the world. People seek out her art from far and wide, and are not disappointed with the results.
Black and grey baby portrait.Realistic elephant half sleeve.Black and grey bio mechanical sleeve.
Zhuo Dan Ting has been an artist since an early age, where her father (an art teacher himself) and his friends would teach her new techniques. She went on to art school in Harbin after high school, but quickly moved onto something entirely different.
Black and grey Asian leg sleeve featuring Fu Dog, peony, and great wall of China.Bio mechanical/ripped skin/ realism back piece!Bright dragon and flower half sleeve.Amazing realistic Greek Poseidon sleeve.
Ting found the subcultures of death metal and punk music, which is where she fell in love with tattoos. Ting started off tattooing her friends in Harbin’s underground music scene, where she quickly started making a name for herself in the tattoo world.
Full black and grey realistic sleeve with monster, lightning, waves, etc.Ting doing her thing, tattooing a painful chest piece!Surrealist color sleeve with angel, skull, and watercolor.Color realism owl, skull, and eyeball half sleeve.
Ting does brilliant black and grey, photo realism, portrait art, and Asian styled pieces inspired by both Chinese and Japanese art. Along with making beautiful art, Ting was also the first woman in China to open her own tattoo shop, a big step for the Chinese tattoo community!
Black and grey Monkey King half sleeve.Realistic color eye.Brilliant Japanese style peony flower.Realistic Japanese/Chinese style dragon sleeve.Realistic portrait.Terrifying zombie clown portrait.
If you’re in Shanghai, Shanghai Tattoo is the place to go!
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.
All Things Tattoo 