Everyone gets tattoos for different reasons. It could be to honor a loved one, commemorate a memory, or just show off something you love. Tattoos that reference characters from one’s childhood seems to tick all three of those boxes. Who wouldn’t want to remember the bliss of childhood when they look at their tattoo? Nostalgic tattoos are some of our favorite to do. Here are a few of our favorite ones we’ve done recently!
Monday, August 13, 2018
Tuesday, July 3, 2018
Will Prince William Get Inked In Israel?
The royal family has been talked about a lot in the news lately, but this time the focus isn’t on Prince Harry. Prince William is currently undergoing a historical trip to Israel. While royal family members have visited the country in the past, they’ve never undergone an official trip until now. This trip is important politically, but as a tattoo shop we only have one question- is William going to follow in his ancestor’s footsteps and get a tattoo while he’s there?
Albert Edward, Prince of Wales, who later went on to become King Edward VII, (he was the oldest son of Queen Victoria if you need a little refresher on the royal family tree), began the tradition in 1862. Later, two of his children, Prince Albert Victor and Prince George (who later became King George V) made the same trip. They also both received tattoos.
Christian pilgrimage tattoos actually date all the way back to the early 7th century. Islam was beginning to spread into Egypt, which at the time was mainly a Coptic Christian society. After the Muslims conquered Egypt, they forced many of the Christians to convert to Islam. Some resisted and received crosses across their inner right wrist to mark them as Christians.
Over time, the Coptic Christians adopted this practice. They began the tradition of tattooing themselves with the crosses, and for many centuries Coptic Churches would only grant entry to those that could prove their Christian identity with this ink. These days, a tattoo is seen as a must for many Christian pilgrims that visit the Holy City.
They use a special technique, utilizing hand-carved stamps that have been passed down through the family for generations. A lot of these stamps have now found their ways into collectors or new tattoos artists, but the family still has a few originals ones. In fact, Wassim Razzouk who is still tattooing today still has what he believes is the original stamp that William’s ancestors were tattooed with.
History
As we mentioned, Prince William isn’t the first member of the British royal family to go to Israel. At least three of William’s ancestors have gotten inked after traveling to Jerusalem. They received the tattoos after making pilgrimages to the Holy City.Albert Edward, Prince of Wales, who later went on to become King Edward VII, (he was the oldest son of Queen Victoria if you need a little refresher on the royal family tree), began the tradition in 1862. Later, two of his children, Prince Albert Victor and Prince George (who later became King George V) made the same trip. They also both received tattoos.
Cultural Significance
Most members of the British royal family refrain from getting tattoos. Otherwise, Prince Harry would probably be covered. However, in this instance, the Queen might forgive it. After all, it’s become common for people that go on a Christian pilgrimage to Jerusalem to get tattoos marking the journey.Christian pilgrimage tattoos actually date all the way back to the early 7th century. Islam was beginning to spread into Egypt, which at the time was mainly a Coptic Christian society. After the Muslims conquered Egypt, they forced many of the Christians to convert to Islam. Some resisted and received crosses across their inner right wrist to mark them as Christians.
Over time, the Coptic Christians adopted this practice. They began the tradition of tattooing themselves with the crosses, and for many centuries Coptic Churches would only grant entry to those that could prove their Christian identity with this ink. These days, a tattoo is seen as a must for many Christian pilgrims that visit the Holy City.
Tattoo Design
So now you’re probably wondering what design the past royals received on their visit? There aren’t any pictures, but reportedly the tattoo depicted the Jerusalem cross and the three crowns of Israel. King Edward VII’s sons got the same the same design, and they also got some sweet dragon tattoos on a visit to Japan.Tattoo Artist
No one really knows who tattooed the British royalty back in the day, but it’s said to be the Razzouk family. They are Coptic Christians that specialize in tattoos, who came to Jerusalem in 11750 from Egypt. The Razzouk’s still have a tattoo shop today, and have been tattooing pilgrims for the past 700 years!They use a special technique, utilizing hand-carved stamps that have been passed down through the family for generations. A lot of these stamps have now found their ways into collectors or new tattoos artists, but the family still has a few originals ones. In fact, Wassim Razzouk who is still tattooing today still has what he believes is the original stamp that William’s ancestors were tattooed with.
Conclusion
As cool as it would be to see the British royalty picking up the tradition of getting tattooed again, chances are it won’t happen. Prince William’s trip so far has mainly been about addressing the Israel-Palestine issue. However, there’s still hope! If you want a tattoo worthy of a royalty though, contact us to book an appointment!Monday, June 4, 2018
Man Denied Entry Into Bar Over Face Tattoos, And Yes It’s Legal
In 2018, tattoos, piercings, and body modifications barely get a second glance. They don’t hold the same taboo that they once did due to their ever-increasing popularity. But even as society has become more accepting, facial tattoos are still viewed negatively. A Winnipeg man found this out the hard way recently after he was denied entry into a bar over his facial tattoos.
Craig Ginter is a local Winnipeg tattoo artist. He and a few friends decided to grab food at a bar after work. However, he was stopped at the door by the bouncer and informed he wasn’t allowed in, even despite the fact that he had visited the bar before.
The reason? The bouncer notified them there was a sign stating they no face tattoos were allowed.
Ginter was understandably frustrated, stating, “If that’s what they think … that if I have face heavily tattooed that it makes me a bad person … well it doesn’t. I am a father. I work every day of the week. I am just trying to provide.”
While it does seem ridiculous that a man can be denied entry over harmless facial tattoos, unfortunately, the law isn’t on his side. The law prohibits discrimination on a variety of grounds, such as race, religion, gender, and sexual orientation. It doesn’t, however, exclude discrimination based on appearances, such as having tattoos.
This is why businesses can get away with those “no shirt, no shoes, no service” signs. The issue becomes a little greyer in some cases. If Ginter had a facial tattoo related to religion or nationality, there might be more grounds for a complaint. But a facial tattoo or physical appearance alone is not prohibited ground in the eyes of the law.
As frustrating as this may be for Ginter and others that have been discriminated against due to facial tattoos, it’s perfectly legal. This sort of bias is one big reason why many tattoo shops refuse to do “life ruining” tattoos such as graphic images, crude words, or facial tattoos.
Nobody should be denied entry or service due to facial tattoos, especially innocent ones that aren’t rude or graphic. However, with the law not on their side, it’s something that people with tattoos in these locations should prepare for.
This case is precisely why we always encourage our clients to think carefully before selecting their tattoo design and location. Whether or not it’s right, people can and will discriminate based on how many tattoos, what tattoo designs, and where the tattoos are located. If you want to discuss this more, or want to get some new ink (facial or otherwise) please contact us! We look forward to hearing from you!
Monday, May 28, 2018
Monday, May 14, 2018
The Oringinal Avengers Got Matching Tattoos!
Celebrity friends getting matching tattoos is nothing new. But it's always nice to see a cast that has worked on multiple movies do it. The OG Avengers just went under the needle and got matching tattoos to celebrate the release of Avengers: Infinity War.
Robert Downey Jr. (Iron Man), Chris Hemsworth (Thor), Scarlett Johansson (Black Widow), Chris Evans (Captain America) and Jeremy Renner (Hawkeye) all got matching Avengers tattoos. The sixth original member, Mark Ruffalo that plays Hulk, was asked but apparently declines. Still, five out of six isn't bad.
The tattoos were done by Joshua Lord of East Side Ink Tattoos. Evans and Johansson were the first to get inked in New York. Lord then flew out to LA to tattoo the rest.
So what exactly did they get tattooed? It's the Avengers symbol with an arrow and the number six. It's a pretty fitting design, and hopefully, Ruffalo changes his mind.
Each of them tattooed artist Joshua Lord too. No new on how that turned out, but who can say no to Captain America and Iron Man tattooing them?
If you want a tattoo worthy of a superhero, feel free to contact us to book an appointment, or stop by our downtown Toronto tattoo shop! New ink might not save the world, but it’ll keep you looking good while you enjoy life.
Monday, April 23, 2018
Q&A: Who’s To Blame If A Tattoo Is Misspelled?
Tattoo mistakes are never fun, but unfortunately, they happen. One of the most common errors is spelling mistakes. But who's at fault when this happens?
Well, it all depends on what stage the error was made at.
When It’s The Artist’s Fault
Artists try to not make mistakes, but they are only human. Typically a client will discuss their tattoo design with the artist, who will then go create a stencil. Once the stencil is approved they'll place it on the body giving the client an idea of how it will look. Then the tattooing process begins.Now because clients approve the final design, if the error happens at that stage, even if it's the artist the misspelled the word, if the client approves it, it's on them.
So any mistakes made after the tattooing process has begun is the artist's fault.
What Happens If It’s the Artists’ Fault
The good news is that almost every reputable tattoo shop will make every effort to fix the issue if it's the artist's fault. That could mean fixing the original design, doing a cover-up, or refunding the cost of the tattoo. It's usually decided on a case by case basis. But you can bet the artist will feel horrible and do everything they can to remedy it.
When It’s The Client’s Fault
Somehow it's even worse when it's the client's fault. It's on them to check the spelling and grammar of the final design. If you approve misspelled words, that's on you, not the artist.A lot of times clients come in with a word or a phrase written down and hand it to the artist to reformat it into an appropriate tattoo. Usually, if the artist notices a misspelled word they’ll ask the client, but sometimes they don’t notice or they assume it was intentional to the design.
So basically if the error happens during the design process and was approved by the client (whether they realized it or not) it's on them.
What Happens If It’s The Client’s Fault
Here’s where it gets tricky. Most tattoo shops want a happy client, so they'll try to work with them to fix the issue. If it's an easy fix they might do that for free, but if they can't it's even more complicated. The shop may offer a free cover-up or full refund, but since it's on the client they could only refund part of it or offer only a partial discount on the fix or coverup. Or, they could do nothing.
How To Avoid Misspelled Tattoos
Double and triple check any words or phrases for spelling or grammar mistakes. Running the sentence or words through Google is another great idea too as it will usually catch errors. Or you could show the design to family or friends since a fresh set of eyes is more likely to catch mistakes.Also, please do research before picking an artist.
Conclusion
To sum it up, if the spelling mistake happens during the design process and is approved by the client then the fault lies with them, but if it happens during the tattooing process and wasn’t on the original approved design it’s on the artist. No matter who's at fault you can bet the artist and shop will feel bad.
Monday, April 16, 2018
Nail Tattoos 101
Move over cuticle tattoos, this trend is the next evolution of tiny hand tattoos. Nail tattoos are exactly what they sound like, but there's some more info people should know before getting them. Here's everything you need to know about nail tattoos, the latest tattoo trend.
Location
Did you know you can actually tattoo your fingernails? Well, you can. Other trends such as cuticle tattoos were on the area just around the nail, but this trend takes place on top of the nail itself.
Pain
As painful as it sounds to get your nails tattooed, it’s actually not that bad. Most people who've gotten them say they're pretty painless. That makes sense since your nail doesn't have any nerves. At most you'll feel some small fibrations on your fingers.
Time
Small tattoos take more time to complete than people realize. The exact time all depends on how detailed the design is and how many fingers you're getting done, but the most amount of time goes into the consultation and planning. It should also be noted that these aren't permanent. As your nails grow out so will the ink. They should last around 6 weeks, but it all depends on your individual nail growth.
Design
Nails are pretty small, so the design has to be too. Most nail tattoos fall into the minimalist style out of sheer necessity. Designs like letters, dots, lines, or simple images like flowers are popular.
Artists
This is a fairly new tattoo trend. So new in fact that only a few locations in the world probably do. If you’re looking for a local artist it’s best to find one that has done it before, or who at least has experience doing tiny tattoos. There's a risk of going too deep which can have serious consequences.
Conclusion
This tattoo trend certainly is crazy, but it’s definitely fun. If you’d like to learn more or want to book an appointment feel free to contact us or stop by our downtown Toronto tattoo shop.
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