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So this is the stop motion animation I made for Uni – I’m not 100% happy with it but it took me so long to work out what method to use that I ended up having to finish it pretty pronto. It took several days sitting in front of this chalkboard, doing nearly 300 images, but somehow its still less than a  minute long. If I’d had more time and patience I would have liked to make every movement smaller and every image more detailed. That way it could have looked much more effective and been longer, however thats something I’m just going to have to remember for next time. I’ll also use another method if I ever make another animation, I was thinking using photoshop to create each image – although I like the hand drawn effect, I think it could look a lot cleaner and more consistent. Plus it would be a lot easier, having each character and object saved, would just be a case of copying and pasting in the right place.

These are five record covers I made for the Guillemots for a Uni project. I made them using my own illustration, and photoshop. I’ve been in and out of contact with Greig, the bands drummer. I sent him the final images on Monday, so just going to wait and see what he thinks. Exciting!

The word tattoo is said to has two major derivations- from the Polynesian word ‘ta’ which means striking something and the Tahitian word ‘tatau’ which means ‘to mark something’, and is said that it come to Scandinavian around 1100 by the Vikings.

In the 1970s, artists trained in traditional fine art disciplines began to embrace tattooing and brought with them entirely new sorts of stylish imagery and technique. Advances in electric needle machines and pigments provided them with new ranges of color, delicacy of detail and aesthetic possibilities. The physical nature of many local tattooing establishments also changed as increasing numbers of operators adopted equipment and procedures resembling those of medical clinics.

The cultural status of tattooing has steadily evolved from that of an anti-social activity in the 1960s to that of a trendy fashion statement in the 1990s. First adopted and flaunted by influential rock stars like the Rolling Stones in the early 1970s, tattooing had, by the late 1980s, become accepted by ever broader segments of mainstream society. More recently with success of TV series such as Miami Ink and LA Ink, tattoos are routinely seen on rock stars, professional sports figures, ice skating champions, fashion models, movie stars and other public figures who play a significant role in setting the culture’s contemporary customs and behavior patterns.

During the last 10 years, two distinct classes of tattoo business have emerged. The first is the “tattoo parlor” that glories in a sense of urban outlaw culture; advertises itself with garish exterior signage; offers “pictures-off-the-wall” assembly-line service; and often operates with less than optimum sanitary procedures.

The second is the “tattoo art studio” that most frequently features custom, fine art design; the ambiance of an upscale beauty salon; marketing campaigns aimed at middle- and upper middle-class professionals; and “by-appointment” services only. Today’s fine art tattoo studio draws the same kind of clientele as a custom jewelry store, fashion boutique, or high-end antique shop.

The market demographics for tattoo services are now skewed heavily toward mainstream customers. Tattooing today is one of the fastest-growing retail businesses in Scandinavian. The single fastest growing demographic group seeking tattoo services is, to the surprise of many, middle-class suburban women.

Tattooing is recognized by government agencies as both an art form and a profession and tattoo-related art work is the subject of museum, gallery, educational institution and art shows across Scandinavian.

I really want to do a tattoo apprenticeship in Stockholm next summer.

I got my third tattoo on Thursday, its on my ribs just below the bra line and says ‘I am no king, but I’ve got things to give’ Its a Guillemots lyric, and i love them more than members of my own family so yay. I like what it means as well, special. The text is mirrored, like Leonardo da Vinci’s script. It’s more private that way, and I like typography that actually looks like an illustration. Lettering can be very beautiful.