Joshy D. <p>Upon gaining some new perspective on tattoo culture, following my retirement from the profession, I began to re-investigate the meaning and notoriety of the iconic tattoo designs of America’s past. I think of the images in this flash set as my “Americana Classics.&#8221; For whatever reason, I see them as classic symbols of America’s deepest hopes and concerns. They are iconic images, many over a century old. As symbols, the designs reference the days of old, while at the same time their meaning remains relevant in the present. I believe the best tattoos are able to encompass the visual history of the medium and the heartfelt symbolic meaning of the imagery, and I offer these designs as testaments to those qualities.</p> <p>The first 3 pages of the set are a collection of iconic images from America’s rich political, military, and economic history as seen through of the art of tattoos. In these pages, I pay homage to the classic flash images of legends like Sailor Jerry, Ed Hardy, and Milton Zeis, among others. Whenever possible, I referenced the original clip art of the late 1800s/early 1900s that the tattooers of the past referenced themselves.</p> <IMG SRC="http://www.rebel8.com/PRODUCTS/flash1_sheet.jpg"> <P></P> <IMG SRC="http://www.rebel8.com/PRODUCTS/flash2_sheet.jpg"> <P></P> <IMG SRC="http://www.rebel8.com/PRODUCTS/flash3_sheet.jpg"> <p>The last 3 pages of the set are a collection of iconic imagery from the American southwest. These are images I grew up seeing on the tanned arms of older Mexican and Hispanic men in New Mexico. I have developed a deep respect for the visual language of the “Cholo” culture. To me, the Cholo style should be an integral part of any survey of American tattoo art, so I include it here. The images on these 3 pages were inspired by the work of Cholo art pioneers like Mr. Cartoon, Chaz Bojorquez, and Jack Rudy, among many others.</p> <p>The last page of the set includes fonts that I commonly used as a tattooer. I offer them here as a guide for tattooers and as alternatives for tattoo clients seeking refined and distinctive hand lettering. I must give thanks to Eric Ross and Mr. Went for their inspiration in the development of these fonts. Under no circumstances should any of these fonts be vectored and offered for sale. As tattooing is done by hand, I hope the use of these fonts is limited to handmade applications.</p> <IMG SRC="http://www.rebel8.com/PRODUCTS/flash4_sheet.jpg"> <P></P> <IMG SRC="http://www.rebel8.com/PRODUCTS/flash5_sheet.jpg"> <P></P> <IMG SRC="http://www.rebel8.com/PRODUCTS/flash6_sheet.jpg"> <p>I offer this set of images to those who didn’t get a tattoo from me before I retired, and also to those who seek classic timeless tattoo images in a decidedly modern style. I hope tattooers who apply these designs will use their best judgment in interpreting these designs for use in flesh. Many of the negative spaces in these designs are too tight to survive over the lifetime of the wearer, so artists should make adjustments based on individual circumstances of size and placement.</p> <p>I began work on the actual illustrations for these pages in January of 2007. The original drawings were exhibited in solo shows in Paris and Melbourne this year. I have already begun collecting images for a second set to be released in 2008.</p> <p>Click <A HREF="http://shop.rebel8.com/products/americana-flash-set-1"><strong>here</strong></A> to buy the Americana Flash Set #1.</p> 2007-10-17T12:04:21-07:00 americana-flash-set-1 134042 2007-10-17T12:04:21-07:00 10863 2009-05-28T15:10:32-07:00 Upon gaining some new perspective on tattoo culture, following my retirement from the profession, I began to re-investigate the meaning and notoriety of the iconic tattoo designs of America’s past. I think of the images in this flash set as my “Americana Classics." For whatever reason, I see them as classic symbols of America’s deepest hopes and concerns. They are iconic images, many over a century old. As symbols, the designs reference the days of old, while at the same time their meaning remains relevant in the present. I believe the best tattoos are able to encompass the visual history of the medium and the heartfelt symbolic meaning of the imagery, and I offer these designs as testaments to those qualities. The first 3 pages of the set are a collection of iconic images from America’s rich political, military, and economic history as seen through of the art of tattoos. In these pages, I pay homage to the classic flash images of legends like Sailor Jerry, Ed Hardy, and Milton Zeis, among others. Whenever possible, I referenced the original clip art of the late 1800s/early 1900s that the tattooers of the past referenced themselves. <IMG SRC="http://www.rebel8.com/PRODUCTS/flash1_sheet.jpg"> <P></P> <IMG SRC="http://www.rebel8.com/PRODUCTS/flash2_sheet.jpg"> <P></P> <IMG SRC="http://www.rebel8.com/PRODUCTS/flash3_sheet.jpg"> The last 3 pages of the set are a collection of iconic imagery from the American southwest. These are images I grew up seeing on the tanned arms of older Mexican and Hispanic men in New Mexico. I have developed a deep respect for the visual language of the “Cholo” culture. To me, the Cholo style should be an integral part of any survey of American tattoo art, so I include it here. The images on these 3 pages were inspired by the work of Cholo art pioneers like Mr. Cartoon, Chaz Bojorquez, and Jack Rudy, among many others. The last page of the set includes fonts that I commonly used as a tattooer. I offer them here as a guide for tattooers and as alternatives for tattoo clients seeking refined and distinctive hand lettering. I must give thanks to Eric Ross and Mr. Went for their inspiration in the development of these fonts. Under no circumstances should any of these fonts be vectored and offered for sale. As tattooing is done by hand, I hope the use of these fonts is limited to handmade applications. <IMG SRC="http://www.rebel8.com/PRODUCTS/flash4_sheet.jpg"> <P></P> <IMG SRC="http://www.rebel8.com/PRODUCTS/flash5_sheet.jpg"> <P></P> <IMG SRC="http://www.rebel8.com/PRODUCTS/flash6_sheet.jpg"> I offer this set of images to those who didn’t get a tattoo from me before I retired, and also to those who seek classic timeless tattoo images in a decidedly modern style. I hope tattooers who apply these designs will use their best judgment in interpreting these designs for use in flesh. Many of the negative spaces in these designs are too tight to survive over the lifetime of the wearer, so artists should make adjustments based on individual circumstances of size and placement. I began work on the actual illustrations for these pages in January of 2007. The original drawings were exhibited in solo shows in Paris and Melbourne this year. I have already begun collecting images for a second set to be released in 2008. Click <A HREF="http://shop.rebel8.com/products/americana-flash-set-1">*here*</A> to buy the Americana Flash Set #1.