Long-time BME readers and IAM members will remember tattoo artist Dominick Allen McIntosh of Dead Gods Tattoo (deadgodstattoo.com) in Oregon from the MASH-themed tattoos back in 2006. An amazing Alex Grey inspired tattoo (the one you see below) of his creation was recently featured on Juxtapoz and wowing the online world.

Because in the tattoo world we see so many bright tattoos that look amazing the day they were done, and then look like faded “meh” when healed, I wanted to ask Dominick for healed pictures before posting. I was both pleased and surprised that this is a healed tattoo, taken two and a half months after the tattoo was first done. To get a better picture, he shaved the client and moisturized the skin — something I’d recommend to anyone who wants to show off their tattoos. You’d be amazed how much even a light covering of hair can obscure a tattoo, and moisturizer makes the upper layers of skin slightly more translucent, allowing the colors glow at their brightest. Anyway, what an amazing tattoo this piece is, and I’ve also included a small collection of other tattoos from a photoshoot at Dominick’s shop earlier this year. Unlike what you see in many magazines and portfolios, all of them are healed, and truly representative of the wonderful tattoos these clients will carry for life.

Eric Mezzanotte, owner of Living Canvas in Columbia, MO, has been piercing since 2006, and is also a huge fan of the Steven King opus The Dark Tower. He wanted to get a Dark Tower tattoo, and when Adya Crawford was working on it, she suggested combining his love for piercing with the story of the gunslinger, and thus the tip of the castle became the tip of a needle, creating an iconic tattoo for both piercing fans and Steven King fans — “and those are the reasons why I love artists”, he says!