Welcome…
this site is now solely dedicated to displaying a selection of my tattoo work.
For info about my work please read the faq section below. To request work, please go to the appointments page.
If you want to view some of my artwork for possible inspiration, follow the link……
Themes for 2012/13 include(in no particular order):
1.Large scale graphic abstracts
2.Abstract calligraphic forms.
3.Sci-fi inspired concepts
4.Cubes/blocks..cascades..tessellations..maps..disruptive pattern..
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Where do you work?
I work at Nine …aka. Nine Boyces Street Tattoo, Brighton, Uk…..
01273 208844.
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Do you do tattoos in colour?
No….
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I’ve got some ideas/images of my own. Would you consider tattooing me?
If I like the ideas/designs, yes.. of course.
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Will you design a tattoo for me?
No. I don’t design tattoos. The details and overall look of the work is a result of the tattooing process, with much of the ‘design’ work being done as the tattooing proceeds.
The tattoos result from a discussion of concepts and potential graphical elements moving forward with an intuitive approach to what the client and I collectively/individually imagine the piece to be.
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How do you choose/source/create your tattoos?
1. You can provide a particular image for your tattoo. If I like the design, think it will make for a good tattoo, and think I can do it justice…. I will consider doing the work.
2. You can provide a particular image for me to interpret/manipulate to my own tastes.
I am not comfortable reproducing contemporary artists’ work without prior consent, so please do not ask me to do it. Works in the public domain, fair usage, and those known for sharing their intellectual property would be the exceptions.
3. We can use pre-existing archive/copyright-free/clipart images from various sources to create abstract collages. This one of my preferred methods.
4. Starting with only a concept we draw directly onto the skin, then tattoo a bit… then draw a bit, then tattoo a bit… and so on until the piece is done. This is my preferred method and how most of my work is executed.
5. You can give me complete free rein to do what I want, however I want. This could involve using a pre-prepared design of my choosing. All you have to do is agree to a concept/design that I offer. This will most likely fall within the one of the themes outlined above (top of page). For the brave or the crazy, or the brave and crazy!
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So,will you produce a drawing for me to see before the tattoo?
No. To be honest, I don’t have the time and most of the time it isn’t necessary for the type of work I do.
If I feel the need, I might produce some preparatory images for the day of the appointment.
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Well that all sounds a bit risky… certainly a ‘head in the clouds’ approach. How do we know what the tattoo will look like?
We don’t, and that’s the point! The risk is also the challenge and the fun part.
We’re guided by the initial concept, but that concept can change as the tattoo develops, with subtle or distinct alterations… much like doing a painting.
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That’s pretty unnerving. How do I know I’ll like the design?
Again, you don’t. It’s really a matter of faith and trust in your own judgement. Even if you were to have an exact design for your tattoo there’s no guarantee that you’d still like it in six months/years…..
That’s human nature…. Most people with tattoos realize that over time the tattoos lose their significance. Sometimes we even forget we have them!
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Hmm, that’s starting to sound a bit negative/dismissive.
No, not at all.
I’m just trying to point out that the end result, ie. the tattoo, isn’t necessarily the most important part of the process.
we have… an idea… vision… concept/discussion… imagine the design…. more discussion/interaction… begin the tattoo…. more discussion/interaction…. eventually the tattoo is finished…. more discussion/ interaction…… etc.
Don’t forget that this process can take many months…. and the point of getting the tattoo can change during that time.
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So what’s all this discussion about?
Well that’s the safety net, so to speak. It’s the continued discussion and assessment of the work in progress that keeps it going in the right direction, yet allows us shift that direction a little at every moment.
It is taking small steps towards the end, whatever that might be, and letting each moment/part of the tattoo inform what the next should be to make sure we are both happy with where it is going……
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I think I’m convinced……
Well, if you like my work you have nothing to worry about….. it is all approached the same way regardless of the source material.
If you don’t like my work, you won’t ask me for it….. so it really doesn’t matter.
I will only do work I find interesting and think I can do well, and always strive to progress and improve……
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many thanks for your support.
cheers, nige
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