Michael DeMatty » Uncategorized

third stage of transformation

UnkeyMonkey — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 17:00:14 +0000

In this session, we added soil around the roots and black shading. In the next session, we will add more gray shading and start more color. (Again, this tattoo features the beautiful Tibetan calligraphy of Tashi Mannox.)

Transformation 2nd sitting

UnkeyMonkey — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 03:24:54 +0000

“Famine and Cholera”

UnkeyMonkey — Mon, 22 Aug 2011 05:37:37 +0000

The other morning i woke up and as i opened my eyes, i saw an image like a face looking back at me in the folds of the pillow case next to me. It was a sad looking face, like someone grieving. For some reason, it immediately made me think of the famine in Somalia happening right now, and something inside me felt i needed to create an art piece with this face. I searched on line for Somalia famine and i came across a photo of a grieving woman that looked exactly like the grieving face that greeted me when i awoke. That photo became a portrait in ink on paper which i call “Famine and cholera.” What i want for this piece is to find a charity auction for Somalia or a buyer, and donate the money to aid in Somalia. The piece is about 18 inches by 24 inches i believe, and still needs to be framed.

I took a photo of the folds in the pillow case i saw when i opened my eyes.

My second tribal

UnkeyMonkey — Mon, 22 Aug 2011 05:01:27 +0000

The client for whom i recently designed my first tribal decided he wanted a second one, this time right above his gluteus maximus. Again, he wanted it small, and again i tried to design it to fit his body well, accentuating his musculature.

My first business card

UnkeyMonkey — Thu, 18 Aug 2011 15:23:45 +0000

I thought about putting Bulldog Tattoo SF somewhere on it since that’s where i work, but i decided to keep it simple.

I also made this picture to put in the front of my portfolio at the shop.

I surprised myself

UnkeyMonkey — Thu, 18 Aug 2011 15:09:35 +0000

I’m not a big fan of “tribal,” mostly because i have seen so many horrible tattoos made of ugly, limp, noodley, (ok that’s not a word, but it means like a wet noodle,) haphazard black pointy bars. Let’s face it, most tattoo collectors have one they regret. Few are the lucky ones who have a tribal tattoo that is pleasing to the eye and fits the body. My client came to me and had a few pictures of tribal tattoos. He really liked them, but i just couldn’t see placing them on his arm. He also wanted to incorporate the letter ‘A’ into the tattoo. He also wanted it very small, not to wrap around his arm to the more tender side. I talked him into letting me design one to perfectly fit his arm. He said ok. I wrapped tracing paper around his arm and traced the grooves of his muscles and the shape of his upper arm. I had never designed a tribal before, but i felt up to the challenge. Now he is entering it into a tattoo competition.

Trust and faith

UnkeyMonkey — Thu, 18 Aug 2011 14:42:57 +0000

A couple from Canada came down to San Francisco for Gay Pride weekend and decided to get tattoos. One wanted two rings interlocked, saying “trust and faith.” In my head, i saw a way to make it really beautiful. She loved the design, but she had quite a low pain tolerance and we almost didn’t get to the end of the tattoo. Her poor girlfriend chickened out.

Poseidon becomes Hawaiian

UnkeyMonkey — Thu, 18 Aug 2011 14:31:14 +0000

A client from Hawaii came to me with a drawing of Poseidon he had found, and asked, “Can you make him Polynesian?”

I Am My Beloved’s, My Beloved Is Mine

UnkeyMonkey — Thu, 26 May 2011 08:11:04 +0000

Pentagram Butt

UnkeyMonkey — Tue, 24 May 2011 20:02:42 +0000

Here’s a little treat.