Tuesday, October 25, 2011

The Tattoo of Brotherly Love


Welcome to the blog of tattoos and their stories. All from Philadelphia! I will be regularly documenting original designs done by artists based in and around the city. Every tattoo has its own story, from the fallen loved one to the sports team tribute to the drunken dare. Tattoos need to be thought out, designed, applied, and shown off. It is my job to provide a gallery filled with the creative pieces floating around the City of Brotherly Love. And what better way to start off the blog than with one of my own?

This is a tattoo that I got with my brother., T.J., back in January of 2011. My brother is my best friend and I knew I wanted to get something that would provide proof of the brotherly bond we share. These were done at the Portside Parlor and Art Gallery by Body Graphics, on 2nd Street in Olde City.

In my opinion, getting a tattoo should be a long, carefully thought out process. Rushing to get a tattoo leads to poor designs, unoriginal artwork, and a greater chance of regretting the piece. For something that will last forever, a tattoo needs to be carefully considered. My brother and I deliberated for over a year before we finally took the plunge. When deciding on our tattoos, we went through various objects and designs, finally settling on a polar bear.

The polar bear has been our favorite animal for quite some time and it seemed fitting for us to get. We also have a polar bear lawn ornament that has a history of his own. Q-Bear, as he is named, is about three feet long and one foot high. For a few years, we took him everywhere with us. He's been to Canada, sporting events, out in the snow, and even to the beach. He has been a dog toy, a drinking buddy, and a flotation device. Everywhere we go, people want to hold and get their picture taken with Q-Bear. It seems silly, but it is a fun tradition we have, and we knew that having a Q-Bear tattoo would be something we'd want forever.

T.J. designed the outline based entirely on Q-Bear's profile. We saved our money up and headed down to Body Graphics. Scott Musik did both of our tattoos in under an hour. I think they turned out great and it was a great design for my first tattoo(T.J. has three). Throughout the year, I've shown off my design(and told the story) to anyone and everyone who would listen. The positive responses I received made me so happy I finally went for it. I now have something that my brother and I will share forever. As anyone with ink is aware, tattoo culture is addicting. I'm already gearing up for my second piece, so be sure to check back soon!




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