With a lineup like the one here at at Tattoo Hollywood, there has been no shortage of tremendous tattoo work walking through the doors. One of the most impressive projects we’ve seen, however, belongs to David up there, who’s been steadily covering his entire body in portraiture over the last few years. Having been worked on exclusively by brothers Mikey (at Rubes Tattoo in Arcadia) and Tommy Montoya (at Inkslingers in Alhambra), the suit is as cohesive as one could hope for, even though the subject matter varies wildly from musicians to horror movie characters to comedians to inventors. When we were photographing him, some of his friends were making light fun of him for being a bit on the heavier side (“Make sure you get his nipples in there!”), but to hear David tell it, if he were smaller, he wouldn’t have room for all this excellent work. Hard to argue with that. Lots more, after the jump.
Photos by Phil Barbosa.
Comments
148 responses to “David’s Portrait Bodysuit”
this is ridiculous! amazingg
this is ridiculous! amazingg
I think manboobs can be seen as some kind of bodymodification…
I think manboobs can be seen as some kind of bodymodification…
Munsters! 😀
Munsters! 😀
So nice!!!
So nice!!!
#13: Japanese especially is usually just about playing with old used forms, symbols etc. like lotus flowers and dragons. And also most artist who do japanese or even bio-mech use flash/reference models when designing the tattoo, so how does that differ from using a photo for a portrait tattoo? So I wouldn’t call a japanese tattoo a completely new piece of imagination. But then again can anyone ever thing of anything entirely new that isn’t influenced by something they have seen or experienced?
And if you went to a tattoo artist and said that you wanted a white kid with glasses and freckles, depending on the skill of the artist, he would maybe try to find a reference photo, or just draw the kid. The kid obviously might have something like the nose of a friend of his, or a similar face structure to the client or something, but the overall mixture would create a random freckled kid with glasses.
I love this project. There are some quality differences between some of the portraits (maybe because of the two tattoo artists?), but overall it all looks good. He must have some really good ones saved for his arms, as it looks like he’s going to continue with them next.
#13: Japanese especially is usually just about playing with old used forms, symbols etc. like lotus flowers and dragons. And also most artist who do japanese or even bio-mech use flash/reference models when designing the tattoo, so how does that differ from using a photo for a portrait tattoo? So I wouldn’t call a japanese tattoo a completely new piece of imagination. But then again can anyone ever thing of anything entirely new that isn’t influenced by something they have seen or experienced?
And if you went to a tattoo artist and said that you wanted a white kid with glasses and freckles, depending on the skill of the artist, he would maybe try to find a reference photo, or just draw the kid. The kid obviously might have something like the nose of a friend of his, or a similar face structure to the client or something, but the overall mixture would create a random freckled kid with glasses.
I love this project. There are some quality differences between some of the portraits (maybe because of the two tattoo artists?), but overall it all looks good. He must have some really good ones saved for his arms, as it looks like he’s going to continue with them next.
Man boobs make me feel queasy!
Man boobs make me feel queasy!
The tat is really awesome. Fresh body action for shiz. Keep up the fine love Jordan you wild pixel weasel.
The tat is really awesome. Fresh body action for shiz. Keep up the fine love Jordan you wild pixel weasel.
Wow!
Bean (x
Wow!
Bean (x
body suit is considered covering the body and why is this guy not in guiness world record for have the most portraits tattooed on his body , plus its a awesome hes going with one paticular all black and grey , all portriats , it soon will be a complete body cover i didnt see madonna or micheal jackson or elvis
body suit is considered covering the body and why is this guy not in guiness world record for have the most portraits tattooed on his body , plus its a awesome hes going with one paticular all black and grey , all portriats , it soon will be a complete body cover i didnt see madonna or micheal jackson or elvis
yeah dude, gynecomastia is hysterical and in no way an unavoidable genetic/ hormonal issue!
yeah dude, gynecomastia is hysterical and in no way an unavoidable genetic/ hormonal issue!
Beverly Hillbillies represent! But where’s Ellie Mae?
Beverly Hillbillies represent! But where’s Ellie Mae?
35 – Seconded.
Its amusing and sad that this community can accept radical surgical procedures and off the wall fetishes and sex acts, but a guy gets mocked because he’s got “man boobs”. I’ve got ‘em, and I’m not ashamed of them. They’re something i’d like to not have, but they’re hardly hilarious and I don’t see how they could or should make one queasy, lol.
Really interesting array of portrait work. Keep us posted with what goes on the arms!
🙂
35 – Seconded.
Its amusing and sad that this community can accept radical surgical procedures and off the wall fetishes and sex acts, but a guy gets mocked because he’s got “man boobs”. I’ve got ‘em, and I’m not ashamed of them. They’re something i’d like to not have, but they’re hardly hilarious and I don’t see how they could or should make one queasy, lol.
Really interesting array of portrait work. Keep us posted with what goes on the arms!
🙂
I’ve always wanted to know what a body suit of portaits would look like, and now I know, badass!
I’ve always wanted to know what a body suit of portaits would look like, and now I know, badass!
@ dean- if you’re going to dissent, and not have a valid point, (an entire body of congruent theme IS a bodysuit, tattoo portraiture is 100% unforgiving, and even amazing artists use an astounding amount of reference for tattoos) at the very least make your invalid point clear by using complete words…
@ dean- if you’re going to dissent, and not have a valid point, (an entire body of congruent theme IS a bodysuit, tattoo portraiture is 100% unforgiving, and even amazing artists use an astounding amount of reference for tattoos) at the very least make your invalid point clear by using complete words…
thats awesom!
thats awesom!
Fourth photo from the bottom = Jammy Saville portrait FTW!
Fourth photo from the bottom = Jammy Saville portrait FTW!
what an amazing body of work.
fucking killer!
what an amazing body of work.
fucking killer!
as an art student who regularly gets graded on portraits, I have to say that I think tattooers have a few good advantages, first off, they get a stencil! secondly, they do the portrait from a photograph, not from a living person who is moving (and if your model isn’t moving, they’re probably dead).
So when I look at a tattoo portrait, I think “were this on paper, what grade would I get?”
some of the stuff on his body is A+ work, but I would flunk out college for that mona lisa.
as an art student who regularly gets graded on portraits, I have to say that I think tattooers have a few good advantages, first off, they get a stencil! secondly, they do the portrait from a photograph, not from a living person who is moving (and if your model isn’t moving, they’re probably dead).
So when I look at a tattoo portrait, I think “were this on paper, what grade would I get?”
some of the stuff on his body is A+ work, but I would flunk out college for that mona lisa.
What does the script on his chest say?
N for the record, there’s nothing wrong with man boobs.
What does the script on his chest say?
N for the record, there’s nothing wrong with man boobs.
The Munsters are done beautifully!
The oldschool gangsters near CRIME PAYS I’m not sure. Is that Meyer Lansky in the middle? The rest have me wondering as well…the top right…Frank Costello? Dutch Schultz? Under him…please tell me that isn’t Charlie Luciano. Can someone tell me who’s who in there?
The Munsters are done beautifully!
The oldschool gangsters near CRIME PAYS I’m not sure. Is that Meyer Lansky in the middle? The rest have me wondering as well…the top right…Frank Costello? Dutch Schultz? Under him…please tell me that isn’t Charlie Luciano. Can someone tell me who’s who in there?
Lee, Uhm tattoo artists don’t have, uh, oh what are they called? Erasers! That’s right, erasers. I’m sure you are a fantastic artist and sure many artists that don’t tattoo can very well be better artists than a “tattooist”, HOWEVER, you’re not a tattoo artist. We know what it’s like to use pencils AND our machines. Don’t judge something you can’t fully grasp, that makes you ignorant.
Lee, Uhm tattoo artists don’t have, uh, oh what are they called? Erasers! That’s right, erasers. I’m sure you are a fantastic artist and sure many artists that don’t tattoo can very well be better artists than a “tattooist”, HOWEVER, you’re not a tattoo artist. We know what it’s like to use pencils AND our machines. Don’t judge something you can’t fully grasp, that makes you ignorant.
Who’s the woman next to Benjamin Franklin?
Portrait tattoos are usually terrible and this guy has a collection of great ones, well done.
Who’s the woman next to Benjamin Franklin?
Portrait tattoos are usually terrible and this guy has a collection of great ones, well done.
@42 Have you ever tried using a tattoo machine? Just getting the right amount of ink into the skin is a skill in itself. Not quite comparible to using a brush, pencil, charcoal, whatever. I have seen some amazing work done on paper and canvass then when replicated onto the skin by the same artist, has become a right dogs dinner.
Good portrait tattooists are hard to come by. Most of the work on this guy is stunning.
@42 Have you ever tried using a tattoo machine? Just getting the right amount of ink into the skin is a skill in itself. Not quite comparible to using a brush, pencil, charcoal, whatever. I have seen some amazing work done on paper and canvass then when replicated onto the skin by the same artist, has become a right dogs dinner.
Good portrait tattooists are hard to come by. Most of the work on this guy is stunning.
Thats fucking beautiful.
Thats fucking beautiful.
Alright, first of all, drawing a SPECIFIC person is 8 hundred million thousand times harder than drawing an IMAGINED person. Anyone who thinks differently has not been honest with themselves about the previous portraits they’ve rendered. Why? Because if you draw someone who doesn’t exist, there’s very little you can get ‘wrong’, most of which would be basic shading and rendering. You wouldn’t have to worry about the angle of eyes, deviations from standard proportions, facial asymmetry that makes the person look like themselves.
Secondly, as another art school graduate, I’m going to politely disagree with some of those ‘advantages’, Lee mentioned. Yeah, tattoo artists get to use stencils and have reference material. But I still maintain that it is way, way harder to create an undistorted, realistic image on an imperfect, moving surface. Plus, not only do they not have the benefit of erasers or do overs, but they also have limitations to how much they can ‘work’ an area.
And I think some of the distortion in the Mona Lisa is due to the curve of his skin, not the actual rendering. I don’t think its bad – particularly because every person here could name that it was, in fact, Mona Lisa.
Overall, I think they’re wonderful. Some of the better portraits I’ve come across. And I love that know most of them 🙂
Alright, first of all, drawing a SPECIFIC person is 8 hundred million thousand times harder than drawing an IMAGINED person. Anyone who thinks differently has not been honest with themselves about the previous portraits they’ve rendered. Why? Because if you draw someone who doesn’t exist, there’s very little you can get ‘wrong’, most of which would be basic shading and rendering. You wouldn’t have to worry about the angle of eyes, deviations from standard proportions, facial asymmetry that makes the person look like themselves.
Secondly, as another art school graduate, I’m going to politely disagree with some of those ‘advantages’, Lee mentioned. Yeah, tattoo artists get to use stencils and have reference material. But I still maintain that it is way, way harder to create an undistorted, realistic image on an imperfect, moving surface. Plus, not only do they not have the benefit of erasers or do overs, but they also have limitations to how much they can ‘work’ an area.
And I think some of the distortion in the Mona Lisa is due to the curve of his skin, not the actual rendering. I don’t think its bad – particularly because every person here could name that it was, in fact, Mona Lisa.
Overall, I think they’re wonderful. Some of the better portraits I’ve come across. And I love that know most of them 🙂