photo realistic tattoo – All Things Tattoo

The Lord of the Rings Tattoos:

The Lord of the Rings, written by J.R.R Tolkien is one of (if not the) most iconic fantasy stories ever written. The story was written as a sequel to another novel of his, The Hobbit. The Lord of the Rings was written in stages between 1937 and 1949.

Magnificent realistic back piece featuring Gandalf, Gollum, the ring, and the eye of Sauron. Done by Jesse Rix in Keene, NH.

Ben Kaye Tattooer & part owner of Ship Shape tattoo, New Zealand — Hyper realistic portrait of Gimli done by Ben Kaye at Ship Shape Tattoo in New Zealand.

Solid neo traditional hobbit hole done by Heath Clifford at Fat Ink Tattoo.

Kristian Kimonides Tattooist | Leviathan Tattoo Gallery | Melbourne | Australia — Elrond portrait done by Kristian Kimonides at Leviathan Tattoo Gallery in Melbourne, Australia.

Onnie O'Leary — American traditional Witch King done by Onnie O’Leary.

Tolkien fought in WW1, and this was extremely influential in his shaping of Middle Earth. As an example, WW1 was fought not by heroes, but by civilians. This reflects the hobbits who are quite literally the “little people”, who then step up to fight a war that they had not asked to be a part of.

Fong Vang Tattoo Artist @Inkarnate Tattoos 2211 11th ave E, #120, north Saint Paul, Mn — Black and grey portrait of Aragorn, featuring Gimli and Legolas. Done by Fong Vang at Inkarnate Tattoos in North Saint Paul, Mn.

Terrifying portrait of Gollum and his precious. Done by Carles Bonafe.

Iliya Astafiev Tattoo Artist. N.Chelny city, Russia — Terrifying and realistic portrait of a nazgul. Done by Iliya Astafiev Chelny city, Russia.

Lauren Gibler Tattooer & Permanent makeup artist at Inkeeper_s in canton OH — Broken shards of Narsil. Done by Lauren Gibler done in Canton OH.

Graphic black and grey sleeve featuring Gandalf fighting the balrog on the bridge of Kazan Dum. Done by Róbert A Borbás done at Rooklet Ink, Hungary.

The films were directed by Peter Jackson, starting with The Fellowship of the Ring in 2001. They were filmed back to back on location in New Zealand, making for fantastic landscapes and scenery.

Alex Rattray Owner:Artist at Empire Ink EDINBURGH — Hyper realistic colour portraits of Sam, Frodo, and the ring. Done by Alex Rattray at Empire Ink in Edinburgh.

Cody Young Emerald Tattoo — A very green ent done by Cody Young at Emerald Tattoo.

Black and grey Gandalf amidst a geometric background done by Izhar Rott Owner of Manifacto Amsterdam Tattoos.

Blackwork Barad Dur (dark tower) done by Lauren Melina done in Perth, Australia.

Samantha I Love Mom Tattoo Studio in Dovercourt Village, Toronto — There and back again, inspiration taken from The Hobbit book cover. Done by Samantha at I love Mom Tattoo Studio in Dovercourt Village, Toronto.

Some of the most popular characters include Gandalf, Frodo, Gimli, Legolas, Gollum (Smeagol), Sam, Aragorn, Elrond, Saruman, Witch king, and Sauron. Fantastic creatures include the ents, the balrog, and the nazgul. Popular items include the swords sting, and the shards of Narsil, as well as the Witch King’s flail, and quaint hobbit holes. Of course we also can’t forget the ring itself, which makes a stellar tattoo, especially when paired with a portrait.

Sting and flowers done by Alexandra Skarsgård in London.

Dan Mawdsley Pop Culture Tattoos in Melbourne✖️The Black Mark Tattoo Northcote — Black and grey Gandalf portrait done by Dan Mawdsley at Pop Culture Tattoos in Melbourne, Australia.

Linework version of an ent. Done by Jerome Chapman.

Hyper realistic Gollum done by Maksims Zotovs.

Tony Sklepic Pop culture inspired tattoos and artwork. EDMONTON ALBERTA — Hyper realistic matching portraits of Saruman (and the eye of Sauron) and Gandalf. Done by Tony Sklepic done in Edmonton, Alberta.

Lord of the Rings tattoos are often done in a photo realistic or hyper realistic style, as well as black and grey, dotwork, linework, American traditional, and neo traditional.

artist--khail-tattooer--legolas-tattoo_17190113824 — Black and grey Legolas done by Khail Tattooer at Young bloods Tattoo in Perth, Australia.

Witch King hand and Morgul blade done by Dave Swambo at Stronghold Tattoo in Cardiff, Wales.

Bright and bold hobbit hole done by Jess White in Sacramento, CA.

Nick imms Fumbling through life. Owner of @thechurchtattoo ☦️ — Gorgeous portrait of Frodo and the ring done by Nick Imms at the Church Tattoo.

Travis Stanley Ink City Tattoo Bonney Lake, WA Capitol City — American traditional Witch King and flail. Done by Travis Stanley at Ink City Tattoo in Bonney Lake, WA Capitol City.

Which do you prefer, the books, or the films?

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October 10, 2017February 17, 2020 jonvandyck american traditional tattoo, black and grey tattoo, blackwork tattoo, portrait tattoo, realism tattoo, tattoo, tattoo info, tattoo meaning, Uncategorized

Marilyn Manson Tattoos:

Marilyn Manson is a musician, painter, and actor. Known for his controversial music, and dark style. His stage name, “Marilyn Manson” comes from mixing what he believes to be the two most influential people in recent American history; actress and model Marilyn Monroe, and serial killer Charles Manson.

manson Andrea Morales — Mini Manson portrait done by Andrea Morales in Spain.

Manson Angel Lopez Sousa at The Shining Tattoo in Spain — Brilliant black and grey Manson by Angel Lopez Sousa at The Shining Tattoo in Spain.

Manson by Draven Heart in Adelaide — Black, grey, and red portrait with pentagram by Draven Heart in Adelaide.

He has sold millions of copies of his albums, and his influence reaches far and wide. He has a cult following, and those who love his music, really love it. He sells out stadiums around the world, and never fails to awe the crowd.

Manson Christian Grimma at Sigil Ink — Disney meets Manson in this more traditional style portrait by Christian Grimma at Sigil Ink.

Manson Matthew Murray at Black Veil Tattoo in Salem Massachusetts — Satanic pope Manson by Matthew Murray at Black Veil Tattoo in Salem Massachusetts.

Manson Paul Acker Seance Tattoo Parlour, Bensalem PA — Realistic creepy Manson by Paul Acker at Seance Tattoo Parlour in Bensalem PA.

His music is described as shock rock, and goth, and his style follows in this same manner. Manson has had numerous run ins with the law, and public, including being blamed in part for the infamous Columbine school shooting. He has also had his shows protested by religious groups for being Satanic. Manson has been given the honorary title of “reverend” in the Satanic Church, but has said many times before in interviews that he does not actually believe in the devil, or any religion. All of his art is satirical and made to shock those who listen, and view it.

Manson Dan Molloy in Perth, Australia — Terrifying portrait from The Beautiful People music video, by Dan Molloy in Perth, Australia.

Manson Johnny Scillieri at Ace Tattoo in Glendale AZ — Heavy black portrait by Johnny Scillieri at Ace Tattoo in Glendale AZ.

Manson Paul Acker — Hyper realistic Manson, also by Paul Acker.

As a tattoo, Manson is often done as a portrait, showing off his own various tattoos, makeup, and various costumes from music videos, photo shoots, and live shows.

Manson Laura Gomez at The ink Captains Tattorium — Black and grey portrait showing off his own tattoos by Laura Gomez at The Ink Captains Tattorium.

Manson Mike Guinn — Green Manson from his Smells Like Children days, by Mike Guinn.

What is your favorite Marilyn Manson song?

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December 23, 2016February 17, 2020 jonvandyck black and grey tattoo, realism tattoo, tattoo, Uncategorized

Artist of the Month: Carlos Torres

Carlos Torres is a hyper realistic black and grey artist from San Pedro CA. He is almost entirely self taught with 18 years of experience behind him. He is a tattoo artist and a painter who specializes in realism and surrealism.

carlos-1 — Angel riding horses in a full back piece.

His work is incredibly detailed and realistic. He creates brilliant original pieces. He has been to numerous tattoo conventions around the world and won the first place black and grey in London. His work has the feeling of a painting come to life, thanks to his experience with oil paintings.

carlos-4 — Chest piece with skeleton, sword swallower, and fire breather.

Carlos has even done head and face tattoos, which can be daunting as it is extremely visible and will be one of the first things people see when looking at his clients.

carlos-3 — Full face with a Mayan style.

carlos-6 — Another brilliant (not quite finished) back piece.

carlos-8 — Huge horse with surrealist design within.

carlos-9 — Huge motorcycle on the belly.

carlos-10 — Mayan temple style rib piece.

carlos-12 — Healed full torso piece with Victorian woman, ship, skulls, angels, and surrealist filler.

Which is your favorite piece by Carlos?

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November 12, 2016February 17, 2020 jonvandyck black and grey tattoo, blackwork tattoo, dotwork tattoo, film tattoos, literary tattoos, mythological creature tattoo, nerdy tattoo, realism tattoo, tattoo, tattoo info, tattoo meaning, Uncategorized

Fantastic Beasts Tattoos

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find them is a short book written in 2001 by J.K Rowling after the Harry Potter series. Written as a textbook for Hogwarts school of witchcraft and wizardry, the book is “written” by magizoologist Newt Scamander. Proceeds of the sales of the book go to “Harry’s Books Fund” to help needy children in the poorest countries in the world.

The film adaptation comes out November 18th, 2016, and fans of Harry Potter around the world could not be more excited!

The book and film feature many strange and”fantastic” beasts from the wizarding world, including the acromantula, ashwinder, augurey, basilisk, billywig, bowtruckle, bundimun, centaur, chimaera, chizpurfle, clabbert, crup, dementdemiguise, diricawl, doxy, dragon, dugbog, elf, erkling, erumpent, fairy, fire crab, flobberworm, fwooper, ghoul, glumbumble, gnome, goblin, graphorn, griffin, grindylow, hippocampus, hippogriff, horklump, imp, jarvey, jobberknoll, kappa, kelpie, knarl, kneazle, leprechaun, lethifold, lobalug, mackled malaclaw, manticore, merpeople, moke, mooncalf, murtlap, niffler, nogtail, nundu, occamy, phoenix, pixie, plimpy, pogrebin, porlock, puffskein, quintaped, ramora, red cap, re’em, runespoor, salamander, sea serpent, shrake, snidget, sphinx, streeler, tebo,thestral, troll, unicorn, werewolf, winged horse, and yeti.

Since we don’t know what the majority of these creatures look like yet, there are a few that tend to get quite a bit of attention in the tattoo community. The elf, particularly Dobby, the thestral, the hippogriff, particularly Buckbeak, dragons, dementors, and the phoenix, particularly Fawkes.

tumblr-dan-molloy-bold-as-brass-liverpool — Buckbeak the hippogriff, done by Dan Molloy at Bold as Brass in Liverpool.

tumblr-emily-ann-in-sydney — Dotwork thestral by Emily Ann in a private studio in Sydney.

tumblr-jim-ordiejpg — Blackwork thestral by Jim Ordie.

tumblr-jonathan-penchoff — Neo traditional thestral by travelling tattooist Jonathan Penchoff.

tumblr-jared-mcfarland-at-lg-tattoo-in-california — Adorable Dobby the house elf by Jared Mcfarland at LG Tattoo in California.

tumblr-jim-ordie-1 — Sirius Black in his animagus form, by Jim Ordie.

tumblr-jayden-at-sacred-skin-tattoo-in-brisbane — Blackwork dementor by Jayden at Sacred Skin Tattoo in Brisbane.

tumblr-jayden-basilisk — Basilisk by Jayden at Sacred Skin Tattoo in Brisbane

tumblr-jayden — Hungarian Horntail dragon on top of Gringotts by Jayden at Sacred Skin Tattoo in Brisbane.

tumblr-jayden-again — Fawkes the phoenix with hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry by Jayden at Sacred Skin Tattoo in Brisbane.

tumblr-mike-devries — Phoenix by Mike DeVries in California.

As the movie is set to be very popular, i’m sure there will be many more magical creatures being tattooed soon! All of these creatures make a potentially cool tattoo, and many people have taken it upon themselves to carry them on their skin forever!

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October 31, 2016February 17, 2020 jonvandyck realism tattoo, tattoo, tattoo info, tattoo meaning, Uncategorized

Artist of the Month: Paul Acker

Paul Acker has been described many times as the master of horror when it comes to tattooing. He specializes in realistic horror themed tattoos, and does an amazing job of it.He owns The Séance Tattoo Parlour in Bensalem, PA.

Paul has been tattooing since December of 2000. As a kid he loved Tales from the Crypt and fangoria, which developed into a love of horror as he grew up. When doing his horror themed work, he focuses on the lighting within the tattoo, much like an actual horror movie does, to give the piece depth and contrast. Here are some of my favorites of his.

paul-acker-1 — Christian Bale’s American Psycho

paul-acker-3 — Michael Meyers and his home, from Halloween

paul-acker-4 — Hannibal Lecter from Silence of the Lambs

paul-acker-5 — Jason Voorhees from Friday the 13th

paul-acker-8 — Frankensteins monster looking as sad as ever

paul-acker-9 — The Evil Dead 2013 remake

paul-acker-11 — Edgar Allen Poe with raven and black cat

paul-acker-13 — Freddy Krueger from A Nightmare on Elm Street

paul-acker-14 — Wednesday Addams from The Addams Family

paul-acker-15 — Angry little Gollum from Tolkien’s the Lord of the Rings

Paul Acker only does tattoos that he is interested in doing. Better make sure you want something cool so you can get a brilliant piece from him!

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October 13, 2016February 17, 2020 jonvandyck american traditional tattoo, black and grey tattoo, blackwork tattoo, portrait tattoo, realism tattoo, tattoo, tattoo info, tattoo meaning, traditional tattoo, Uncategorized

Clown Tattoos

Love them or hate them, clowns have been around a long time. As court jesters in medieval times, to circus performers, theatre actors, street performers, to movie stars, great Cirque Du Soleil acrobats, and children entertainers. Clowns are meant to be a happy, exuberant, silly performer, but lately have been much more active in the horror department. From books and movies like Batman’s “Joker” character, Stephen King’s “It”, Rob Zombie’s “Captain Spaulding” and “31”,and American Horror Story’s “Twisty, clowns are now pretty terrifying. Some pop culture horror clowns are unfortunately based on real people who were killer clowns, such as John Wayne Gacy. Now, in 2016, North America and parts of Europe are experiencing what the media is calling “killer clown attacks”, where people are dressing up as creepy clowns and chasing, staring at, and harassing people all in the hopes of scaring them, or in some more serious situations, worse.

Whether you think clowns are funny or scary, they make some great tattoos.

Clown tattoos are usually done in American traditional, realism, and black and grey styles. They are either happy, fun clowns, sad, crying clowns (often done as “tramp” clowns), or horror clowns.

tumblr-dan-santaro — Matching American traditional clowns by Dan Santoro.

tumblr-jonathan-reina-gran-canaria-spain — Crying traditional clown by Jonathan Reina in Gran Canaria, Spain.

tumblr-by-kujo-at-clipper-ship-tattoo-atlanta-ga — Creepy American traditional clown by Kujo at Clipper Ship Tattoo in Atlanta, GA.

tumblr-josh-adams-canonsburg-pa — Sad traditional clown by Josh Adams in Canonsburg, PA.

tumblr-a-perry-at-gentleman-tattoos-youngstown-ohio — Outline of a happy looking clown by A. Perry at Gentlemen Tattoos in Youngstown, Ohio.

tumblr-jason-donahue-liberty-tattoo-seattle — All black crying clown by Jason Donahue at Liberty tattoo in Seattle.

tumblr-ukix-asmirantika-at-luxury-ink-bali — Creepy black and grey realistic horror clown by Ukix Asmirantika at Luxury Ink, Bali.

tumblr-andrey-stepanov — Menacing Joker tattoo by Andrey Stepanov in Russia,

tumblr-sophie-adamson — The Killing Joke, Joker by Sophie Adamson at The Projects Tattoo in Plymouth, UK.

tumblr-tom-caine — Realistic black and grey Joker by Tom Caine at Holy Mountain Tattoo in the UK.

tumblr-alex-wright — Realistic Rob Zombie’s Captain Spaulding by Alex Wright at Grindhouse Tattoo Productions in the UK.

tumblr-sam-barry-in-belfast — Realistic Stephen king’s “It” tattoo by Sam Barry in Belfast.

tumblr-evan-olin — Realistic American Horror Story’s “Twisty” the clown by Evan Olin at Powerline Tattoo in Cranston, RI.

Do you love them or fear them…?

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October 10, 2016February 17, 2020 jonvandyck american traditional tattoo, black and grey tattoo, blackwork tattoo, portrait tattoo, realism tattoo, tattoo, tattoo info, tattoo meaning, Uncategorized

Ghost (Band) Tattoos

Ghost is a popular metal band from Sweden that formed in 2008, and quickly became popular around the world. The bands macabre theme, costumes, lyrics, gothic sound, and artwork make for the perfect Halloween band. The vocalist “Papa Emeritus” is dressed as a Satanic Pope, and the instrumentalists all wear black clothing and devil masks, and go by the name “the nameless ghouls”. Adding to the band’s theme is an air of mystery. No one knows exactly who any of them are. Even when signing autographs, the vocalist signs with his stage name, and the nameless ghouls use stamps with their individual alchemical symbols, allowing people to focus on the art instead of them as individuals.. Despite their dark and often satanic lyrics, members of the band have stated that they are religious in some form, and have said in interviews that they are all “tongue-in-cheek”, it’s all for the entertainment and artwork.

tumblr-paul-acker — Realistic Papa Emeritus by Paul Acker at Seance Tattoo Parlour in Bensalem PA.

tumblr-by-salva-navalon — Black and grey photo realistic Papa Emeritus by Salva Navalon.

tumblr-micke-bayman-true-heart-tattoo-sweden — Another Papa Emeritus by Micke Bayman at True Heart Tattoo in Sweden.

tumblr-by-vince-genois — American traditional take on Papa Emeritus by Vince Genois in Quebec.

tumblr-stacey-martin-at-golden-age-tattoo-texasjpg — Adorable cartoon version of Papa Emeritus by Stacey Martin at Golden Age Tattoo in Texas.

tumblr-by-ver-rou-ven-in-berlin — Creepy caricature of Papa Emeritus by Ver Rou Ven in Berlin.

tumblr-by-ron-russo-at-570-tattooing-co-in-wilkes-barre-pa — Surrealist Nameless Ghoul by Ron Russo at 570 Tattooing Co in Wilkes Barre, PA.

tumblr-tim-vonevil-at-evil-eye-tattoo-in-sockholm-sweden — Black and grey Nameless Ghoul by Tim vonEvil at Evil Eye Tattoo in Stockholm, Sweden.

What is your favorite Ghost song?

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October 3, 2016February 17, 2020 jonvandyck american traditional tattoo, black and grey tattoo, blackwork tattoo, dotwork tattoo, neo traditional tattoos, realism tattoo, tattoo, tattoo info, tattoo meaning, trash polka tattoo, Uncategorized

The Simpsons, Treehouse of Horror Tattoos

Since its first episode as part of second season in 1990, the Treehouse of Horror has been a huge hit with Simpsons fans. Dark, witty, and chalk full of pop culture references, Treehouse of Horror is always sure to be a spooky addition to your Halloween festivities.

Many episodes are based loosely off of various monster movies, horror, and thriller movies and books, such as; Nightmare on Elm Street, Frankenstein, Psycho, Amityville Horror, Twilight Zone, The Exorcist, Poltergeist, The Shining, The Monkey’s Paw, King Kong, Night of the Living Dead, Dracula, The Raven, Clockwork Orange, and more.

tumblr-jason-ochoa-while-guest-tattooing-at-flying-panther-in-san-diego-ca — Bart trick or treating as an executioner by Jason Ochoa while guest tattooing at Flying Panther in San Diego, CA.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA — Good old Flanders/Satan by Jeff Ortega at Evil From The Needle in London.

tumblr-joshua-davis-at-wicked-inklination-muswellbrook — Smilin’ Homer J. by Joshua Davis at Wicked Inklination in Muswellbrook.

tumblr-justin-dion — Grim Reaper Bart by Justin Dion at Sovereign Tattoo.

Three little bangers by Sara Eve at Artisan Tattoo in Pittsburgh PA.

tumblr-sara-eve-artisan-tattoo-pittsburgh-pa-1

Three little bangers by Sara Eve at Artisan Tattoo in Pittsburgh PA.

tumblr-sebastian-camargo — Dotwork zombie Homer by Sebastian Camargo.

tumblr-wes-pratt — The Shining Homer by Wes Pratt at New Tribe Tattoos in Toronto.

The Treehouse of Horror episodes also often feature a fun alien duo, Kang and Kodos, who are always up to some sort of mischief.

tumblr-omar-powers-trader-bobs — Kang and Kodos by Omar Powers at Trader Bobs Tattoo Shop in St. Louis.

tumblr-drew-cottom — Kang or Kodos in a traditional rose by Drew Cottom at Amillion Tattoo.

What is your favorite Treehouse of Horror episode?

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August 25, 2016February 17, 2020 jonvandyck black and grey tattoo, literary tattoos, nerdy tattoo, realism tattoo, tattoo, tattoo info, tattoo meaning, traditional tattoo, Uncategorized

Game of Thrones Tattoos

A Game of Thrones is the first novel in “A Song of Ice and Fire”, a series by George R. R. Martin. It was published in 1996 and won multiple awards. The following books were equally as popular.

The HBO TV show came out in 2011 and it was an immediate hit with fans around the world; also winning multiple awards over the years. The books and shows diverse characters and fantastical world make for great tattoos, as well as hundreds of memorable quotes. Here are some of my favorite Game of Thrones tattoos!