In the same week that Democrats announce they'll hold hearings to probe why Trump's Interior Department shrank Bears Ears National Monument by 85%, the internet is abuzz with this image. Archaeologists have identified this artifact as a 2000-year-old tattooing instrument, unearthed from Bears Ears in Utah.

New findings published in the Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports this week show that this tool, found at the ancient Native American site, is a tattoo needle fashioned from cactus spines that was created between years 137–215 CE.

The findings reveal new information about how body adornment and tattooing were practiced among indigenous people in this region. Read the rest

Ok, if you're old enough, you'll remember those cute vintage Chalkware ceramics they used to make to hang in the bathroom. There were a bunch of designs like anthropomorphic seashorses and fish, and mermaids. Well, California artist Erin Tinney Halverson of Hell in a Handbag is bringing them back. Her mermaids are especially cool because she custom paints tattoos on them. They're $79 each which may seem steep, but for the right person it would make an amazing gift.

Thanks, Erik! Read the rest

Brazilian tattoo studio Menace Tattoo shared this cool design of a week-old tattoo inspired by the work of Veks Van Hillik. Watch as artist Silvia Martins opens the wings of her new tattoo: Read the rest

Of all the service industries, tattooing naturally seems like a good one for crazy client stories, but some of these doozies would make even the most jaded inkslinger raise their eyebrows. Read the rest

Tattoo by Roy Rowlett of Mama Tried Tattoo Parlour in Louisville, Ky.

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LEWISINK, a 27-year-old artist based in France, does amazing geometric tattoos. Read the rest

Johanna Giselhäll Sandström of Kyrkhult, Sweden paid to have her arm tattooed with her two children's names: Nova and Kevin. Problem is, he accidentally inked her with "Kelvin." The tattooist refunded her money and suggested she go to a tattoo removal clinic. Instead, she and her husband settled on an easier, less expensive, and pain-free solution: They changed Kevin's name to Kelvin which they claim to prefer anyway. From The Local:

“I had never heard the name ‘Kelvin’ before. There isn’t anyone who names their kid Kelvin. So when I thought more about it, I realized that no one else has this name. It became unique. Now we think it is better than Kevin,” Sandström said....

“He wasn’t so old [at the time of the tattoo] so he didn’t think about it. He’s five now, but when I got the tattoo he was approaching two,” she said.

"Swedish mum renames son after tattoo typo" (via Fark) Read the rest

Eva Krbdk of New York's Bang Bang Tattoo specializes in circular tattoos on a wide range of thought-provoking and whimsical themes. Read the rest

Georgie Williams creates cybernetic-inspired tattoos. She's currently doing bookings on the west coast, but she's soon heading out to Oceania next month. Read the rest

Researchers have found the world's oldest known tattoos -- a bull and a goat-like animal -- on a 5,200-year-old Egyptian mummy in the British Museum. From The Independent:

Along with a Copper Age European of almost identical vintage, found preserved in an Alpine glacier, the ancient Egyptian is the oldest tattooed individual ever discovered.

However, the Alpine mummy – often dubbed the Iceman – only had seemingly abstract groups of dots tattooed on him. The Egyptian, on the other hand, bears the earliest known example of tattoos in figurative art form.

Examination of the art suggests they were made with a carbon-based pigment, probably soot.

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Stunning script by Santa Rosa Tattoo. See more on their Instagram: @santarosatattoo. (via r/PenmanshipPorn)

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Someone should get a large tattoo that says "Don't get tattoos of living celebrities unless you have the money for a cover-up." Behold, a gallery of suddenly recontextualized ink: Read the rest

Here's a meta moment for you: Jeff Goldblum critiquing other people's Jeff Goldblum tattoos in the way only Jeff Goldblum could.

"Ten Goldblums out of a possible 10 Goldblums."

Previously: Just a drawing of actor Jeff Goldblum as your personal motivational centaur Read the rest

Tall ship sailor-turned-cartoonist Lucy Bellwood's gorgeous "The Art of the Sailor" is an informative guide to the meaning of sailor tattoos. It first appeared in Vancouver Maritime Museum's traveling exhibit, "Tattoos and Scrimshaw: the Art of the Sailor."

It's available as a signed and numbered letterpress print for $40:

Giclée art prints are available directly from the artist for $15 to $20.

This site has vintage photos of some of these tats (and others).

(RED)

Previously: Buy a random permanent tattoo from this vending machine Read the rest

Choosing art to be inked permanently on your body can be a crippling decision, at least for some folks.

Elm Street Tattoo in Dallas, Texas thought of a fun way to make the process simpler. They created a vending machine that picks the art for you.

Yup, for $100 you get one turn of their "Get What You Get" machine. "What you get" is an old-school tattoo design which pops out in a plastic toy capsule and is then inked on your person. If you aren't cool with the design, don't throw a fit because for another $20 you can buy yourself another spin. No one is forced to put the design on their body; however, there are no refunds.

Boogie, a shop employee, told the Dallas Observer, "All of these tattoos I would price out between $160 and $180 ... maybe $250."

Tattoos will be completed on a first-come, first-served basis. If there's no line, you can get yours right away. If all of the artists are booked, you may have to make an appointment.

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Get What You Get now at #elmstreettattoo! Drop by the shop and get tattooed! #dallastattoo #2146531392 #walkinswelcome #americantraditional #walkintattoo #deepellum #deepellumtattoo #deepellumart #heartinhandgallery #tattoospeakeasy #heartinhand #getwhatyouget

A post shared by Elm Street Tattoo (@elmstreettattoo) on Aug 8, 2017 at 3:54pm PDT

The shop's co-founder and Ink Master star Oliver Peck writes, "Not a bad design in the bunch."

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This Friday at @elmstreettattoo I will be doing tattoos out of the "Get What You Get " machine ...

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Eric Judkins, 42, failed to return to his halfway house Monday night, but was soon found and arrested. No word on how they were able to spot him so quickly. Read the rest

Tattoo artist Phil Berge's handiwork is old school, yes, but some of his tats more than that. They are animated!

How does he do it?

At the Tattoo Shack in Quebec where he works, he inks multiple people with one frame of an animation.

For instance, to create that Bart Simpson "tattoo flipbook" (above), he had to ink 19 different people.

This one was inspired by a 1950s Gallo wine commercial and took 11 inked people to animate:

"Bad Mickey" took 13 (naturally):

This one was inspired by a Popeye cartoon short called, "Sock-a-Bye, Baby" and took 17 individual tattoos to complete:

Pretty cool, isn't it? You can check out more of his (mostly non-animated) work at his Instagram.

(Geekologie) Read the rest