Gonna get a tat, but need some design help

WhoNut · Post by **WhoNut** » Thu Mar 27, 2008 12:52 am

My better half and I are going under the needle in the next couple of months, and I really want to make the design uniquely mine. My idea is to combine a couple of my passions - the outdoors and fiction/fantasy. So, with that I'm leaning toward a mountain bike theme with a creature at the helm.

This picture comes close to what I'm looking for:

But...I'd really like something a little more stylized onboard. Does anyone here remember those hot rod cartoons from the 1970's, with the animals driving the dragsters? Big teeth, long tongues and oversize heads were the hallmarks. For the life of me, I can't remember the magazine name, or the name of the artists in them. I thought it might have been R. Crumb, but a google search proves that wrong.

Mark · Post by **Mark** » Thu Mar 27, 2008 6:15 am

http://www.georgetrosley.com/cartoons.html

i used to love that magazine

TonyT · Post by **TonyT** » Thu Mar 27, 2008 7:03 am

I remember Rat Fink & Big Daddy Roth.
http://www.ratfink.org/
http://www.edroth.com/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rat_Fink

Post by **YeOldeStonecat** » Thu Mar 27, 2008 7:19 am

Another thing to do...go to your fave tattoo shop..talk to the peeps there..let them know what you're looking for. Talk with a few diff peeps there..each artist has their own style..you're more likely to really like the style of one or two there...over some others. Don't just stand in line and make an appointment with the next avail person there to get your ink job.

Each artist has their own album on past work there...skim through it...pickup ideas, see what areas they focus on and what designs really bring out the best in them.

Make a couple of visits before letting them loose on your skin.

WhoNut · Post by **WhoNut** » Thu Mar 27, 2008 8:44 am

CAR Toons Mag! Thanks for the links, guys. For some reason my mind erased the name, but I think I read every issue for about years. It's funny how our memory works.

Reading up I see the guy credited with the "hot rod" art form was Ed Roth, but a lot of the work in my era was done by Steve Fiorilla. So...if I could get a bike similar to the above pic, with a something close to this upon it...

The flames from the bike should be a bit lower, and there will be sweat/saliva flying from the dudes mouth.

Stonecat...now that I've got a real good image in my mind, I'm gonna spend a day downtown (Seattle) hitting the three or four top shops. You're right on about being picky.

Thanks for the kick start gents!

Debbie · Post by **Debbie** » Thu Mar 27, 2008 9:02 am

Russell · Post by **Russell** » Thu Mar 27, 2008 1:36 pm

My brother was big into all that when he was growing up and it definately influenced his art work. You can check out his website at http://www.tattoobydirk.com/ . Maybe it will give you some ideas.

Post by **YeOldeStonecat** » Thu Mar 27, 2008 2:45 pm

Russell wrote:My brother was big into all that when he was growing up and it definately influenced his art work. You can check out his website at http://www.tattoobydirk.com/ . Maybe it will give you some ideas.

Heh..the frog is pretty cool...
http://www.tattoobydirk.com/galleryView ... ree%20frog