You can say a lot of things about
Kat Von D. She is arguably one of the most well-known tattoo artists in the United States, if not the world. This fact, to old school tattoo enthusiasts, is not necessarily a good thing. She is the star of the hit "reality" series,
L.A. Ink, has her own make-up line at
Sephora, and on October 26, her second book,
The Tattoo Chronicles
, is being released by
HarperCollins Design. And whether you love her or hate her, it's hard to argue the fact that this book, like its predecessor
High Voltage Tattoo
, is a lovely effort that looks and feels amazing.
Like her first book (reviewed last year on Tattoosday
here), Kat Von D lets you into her world, with glossy detailed photos of her work and clients. But whereas her first book shows mostly her public persona, the new effort gives us an inside look at the inner thoughts and feelings of someone who is portrayed very much as a "character" on her television show.
It is
L.A. Ink that has brought her fame, yet also the scorn and scrutiny of her detractors. The new book lets us peek behind the scenes and, if you didn't realize this already, the Kat Von D you see on the show is not the whole package. Through a diary/journal format, the reader is granted greater access to Kat's true emotions and feelings. We finally get to peek behind the character Kat Von D and meet the person.
It was on Page 44 where I first felt the facade truly come down. She talks about getting booed in the shop by "fans" who resent that she won't drop what she's doing to pose for photos for them, and there is the matter of the stalker who freaked everyone out in the shop. Granted, these are consequences nowadays for success of her order, but you certainly believe that such consequences were not anticipated when she headed down the road to fame.
It is also fascinating to read Kat's frustration with the onset of another season of
L.A. Ink. If you're looking for validation that the only thing real on the show is the tattoos, it's here. I was reminded of
Charles Bukowski's strong aversion to poetry readings. He despised them, yet they were often necessary as sources of income. The spectacle often outshone the poems. Similarly,
L.A. Ink's forced drama often swallows up the tattoos, yet the drama drives ratings, which lets the series continue to showcase tattoos, which is why many of us tune in in the first place.
Whereas I found her journal entries fascinating, as I am sure most readers who are fans of the show will as well, there are still pages and pages of photographs featuring her work (drawings, sketches, and of course, tattoos) that are breath-taking in their beauty.
Viewers of the show know that this book has been in the making for a while and it has found its way into plot points as well. Fans will also note that the author's relationship with
Nikki Sixx, bassist for
Mötley Crüe, runs throughout the volume (as it has in the reality series). However, 2010 has been a tumultuous year for the couple, having broken up, and then, quite recently, reportedly gotten back together. All that said, it's very interesting to read about the relationship with a future perspective.
Or, it isn't. If you're not interested in Kat's "personal" life, then perhaps you should pass on this book. I can see her detractors poring over the text, looking for evidence that reinforces their negative image of the artist, one that has been honed by the one-dimensional portrayal of her reality show and the tabloids.
For fans however, and the followers of Kat Von D's career,
The Tattoo Chronicles, will be a treat, to be savored, an all-access pass to a window of her life, with a stunning visual guidebook to pore over, with evidence enough to back up her on-air claim of being so busy all the time.
My one criticism would be that we don't see enough of her tattoos, which is really what she is all about. I mean, sure it's interesting to see a full-page shot of her stuffed albino squirrels, but is it really necessary? I would have rather seen more art that she created, rather than collected.
However, in the end, I was delighted with the book. It really adds dimensions to one of the more dynamic celebrities in the tattoo industry. I doubt that it will turn detractors into fans, or fans into detractors, but it certainly provides those who admire Kat Von D for her art, a little more validation that she is a talented, complicated individual that can not only create amazing body art, but knows how to wow us with her pen, as well.
Since your back is the flattest and widest a part of your body, it makes some sense that it is excellent location for a tattoo. And for the reason that "canvas" is so giant, you may be inventive with the back tattoo designs. Lots of people begin off with a small tattoo design or two on their backs earlier than migrating to a large tattoo that connects every part together.And the process can cover a period of time as a result of quite frankly, the large back tattoo designs requires quite a lot of thinking. And why? Clearly as a result of the tattoo design covers a large space, it will be very tough and expensive to take away if in case you have regrets.
Just to see how you like them as a result of tattoos aren't for everyone.
The flash tattoo designs that you simply discover at the previous-faculty tattoo studios could have animals of every kind, butterflies, dragons, fantasy art, nature scenes, tribal style tattoos, Asian artwork and lettering, Celtic knots, flowers and skulls. You name it and they have it.
The western dragon design is the style of which most Americans and Europeans are familiar. This dragon has features like wings, 4 legs, scales, a long sharp tail, sometimes fire breathing with bird like claws or talons. These dragons are inked in almost any color and usually are posed in wicked, fighting or defensive positions. The popular suggestion is that these dragons represent evil or the dark side. When choosing the western dragon tattoo style, make sure the image is one you want portrayed. Do this by selecting the correct pose, color, size and location on the body.
Obviously, size is a great way to display the mood of your dragon tattoo design. With the long tail and sharp claws it is easy to wrap these parts of the dragon around an arm or across the back. Keep all this in mind when choosing a design.
The Internet is an open source directory of free African tattoo designs. You can find numerous such designs over the web, and these are brilliant inspirations for tattoos, even for people who have absolutely nothing to do with African heritage and civilization. Some of these African tattoo designs resemble the commonly seen tribal tattoos, whereas some are depictions of deity worship. African culture is still shrouded in a lot of mystery, so there are no accurate meanings of these symbols that can be deduced. So, it all depends on the perspective of the individual.
