JAPANESE TATTOOING/HORIMONO 

Japanese Tattooing dates back several thousand years to the Edo period. There is much information online about this subject and the customer is invited to research for themselves. At The Tattooed Heart we offer traditional and contemporary Japanese Tattooing. A traditional Japanese body suit is the pinnacle of Tattooing/Tattoo Art/Horimono. A Japanese body suit incorporates Classic motifs tied together with a holistic approach to the person receiving the suit. The main subject usually is displayed on the Japanese backpiece with the limbs complementing the body suit. It is not uncommon for an entire body suit to be outlined before shading begins. In the western world it is common practice to begin Japanese tattooing with a sleeve, either half sleeve, full sleeve or full sleeve and chest panel, possibly a full leg tattoo (i.e. ‘leg-sleeve’ - a relatively new phenomenon). Japanese tattooing can be monochromatic or full-colour usually utilising a simple colour palette, but in modern times using many more bright western style colours. There is a traditional formula of balance between the dark background and the lighter brighter foreground. Adam Craft has spent 30 years travelling to japan and abroad studying his preferred style of Tattooing which is Japanese. He tattoos mostly by machine but will perform Tebori (handTattooing) upon request. All artists at The Tattooed Heart love & respect Japanese tattooing and are well versed in the style. Further reading: A history of Japanese body suit tattooing (Mark Poysden/Marco Bratt) The Japanese Tattoo (Sandi Fellman) Wabori - traditional Japanese tattoo (Kingyo press)

TRADITIONAL TATTOOING

The term traditional Tattooing or ‘old-school tattoo’ applies to any established cultural form of the art. More often it is associated with traditional Western Tattooing Americana and more recently neotraditional. The proud lineage of traditional Street Shop Tattooing worn by soldiers, sailors and working people for centuries is a tried and true form of Tattooing and is more popular now than ever. From military to hipster and all classes of people traditional Tattooing is easily recognisable and timeless. Following the basic rules of solid line work expressive black whip shading and bright bold colour is essential to creating the correct look of traditional Tattooing. At The Tattooed Heart the artists are experts at this formula and style. Whether you have a tattoo custom-designed in traditional style or select from the predrawn traditional flash designs, you will be guaranteed to end up with an excellent piece of art and history!

COVERUP TATTOOS

At The Tattooed Heart we are experts at coverups. If you have an old or unwanted tattoo, talk to us to explore your options. We have a state of the art high performance Q Switch YAG laser tattoo removal machine in store, this can be used to fade or completely remove an old tattoo. A quick consult can determine if laser fade is needed for your tattoo coverup and how many treatments may be needed. Alternatively we can rework an existing old, faded or inferior tattoo, giving it the upgrade you deserve. This usually would involve relining and/or recolouring the existing work. Adam Craft has 25 years experience in the art of tattoo coverups and is willing to accept any challenge. He acquired these skills from studying other tattooists and working with experts worldwide. Many tattoo artists will not perform coverups as they can not be sure of a good result, Adam has the ability to creatively visualise an excellent outcome to your coverup every time.

 

BLACK AND GREY TATTOOS

Black and grey monochromatic Tattooing takes many forms From fine line portraiture, monochrome traditional, single needle realism, jail style/Cholo style, joint style, grey wash, stippling, mandalas, etching, floral etc etc. At The Tattooed Heart the artists are experts at running the machines correctly to do this style. They are well versed in the traditions and the correct look of black and grey Tattooing.

STIPPLE/DOTWORK TATTOOS

Stippling or dot work Tattooing is a classic form of black work tattoo. Often used to differentiate between smooth grey shading stippling is an acquired skill. Frequently used to shade everything from Mandala’s, portraits, animals, skulls or flowers stippling can be varied and versatile. All the artists at The Tattooed Heart are experts in this style!

REALISM/PORTAIT TATTOOS

Realistic Tattooing has always existed in the Tattoo world. The massive resurgence in popularity of recent times has been driven by increased artistic ability, photo shop and a broader range of colour palette. Some photographic subjects lend themselves better to realistic Tattooing. Generally the larger scale the photo the easier it is to render onto the skin also giving it more longevity over the years as your skin ages. At The Tattooed Heart we can give expert advice regarding realism Tattooing and are more than capable of rendering an expert result.

LETTERING

Lettering in tattoos has always been common and is now more popular than ever! from tiny simple lettering to digital font, script both basic and fanciful, seriphs, flowing names, hearts, banners, traditional old school lettering at The Tattooed Heart we do it all large or small! custom or walk in. Freehand or design.

WATER COLOUR TATTOOS

The term watercolour Tattoo has become very popular recently but it has existed for quite some decades, Ed Hardy truly mastered this form. There are no limits as to what can be done with watercolour style tattoos, for a consultation of work of this type contact us here at The Tattooed Heart

TATTOO PAIN RELIEF

Does it hurt? You bet it does! All tattoos have a degree of discomfort or pain involved unless you use pain relief. The best management for pain is being healthy, well fed and well rested. There are three basic types of pain relief for tattoos: 1: External predeadener anaesthetic. 2: External numbing agent for use on broken skin. 3: Internal numbing agents. At The Tattooed Heart we use and recommend an excellent pre-deadening pain relieving cream that we stock and sell in store. This has been thoroughly trialed and tested prior to being used on customers and has guaranteed results. Apply the cream to the area being tattooed one hour prior and wrapped in plastic wrap. During the tattoo process we can apply a numbing agent to the area that is outlined and if left for five minutes it will numb the skin for 1-3 hours. Internal numbing agents include substances taken orally such as paracetamol or other painkillers. Caution should be exercised in these matters! Alcohol and drugs are not recommended for pain relief.