The Curtiss P-40 Warhawk is one of our most featured aircraft on Tattoos In Flight and it’s no mystery why aviation enthusiasts choose the P-40 as the subject of their tattoo. Because of this popularity, it takes a really outstanding tattooed version of the P-40 to catch our attention… and this upper back tattoo is indeed one of the most outstanding examples we have seen! Created by tattoo artist Phil Garcia at Ink Philler Studios in Port Hueneme, CA, just North of Los Angeles in Ventura County, this P-40 Warhawk tattoo is a clear example of how far tattooing as an artform has come in modern days. The vibrancy of the piece, the level of detail, and the amazing use of layered and blended colors and negative space to define the tattoo makes this piece stand out for sure.
And though the P-40 is a commonly found tattoo here at Tattoos In Flight, there is certainly a reason why it remains so popular and we can certainly appreciate the reasons why wearers choose it for their tattoo. The famous “shark mouth” nose art was found on many P-40′s in World War II – both in U.S. Army Air Force use and in use by other Allied forces (such as the Royal Air Force) and the famous eyes and teeth of the P-40 are some of the most memorable icons from the war. The P-40 also gained popularity early in WWII as it was also used by the famous American Volunteer Group (AVG) or better known as the “Flying Tigers” fighting in the China-Burma-India theater of WWII. Not officially part of the U.S. Army Air Forces, the AVG was formed before U.S. entry into WWII and was comprised of volunteer U.S. fighter pilots supporting the Nationalist Chinese in their fight against the Imperialist Japanese early in the war. Though the Flying Tigers trained in Burma before the Pearl Harbor attack on December 7th, 1941, their first actual combat engagement over China took place on December 20, 1941 after the U.S. declared war on Japan and Germany. After countless references in books, movies, and in general pop-culture, the shark mouthed P-40′s of the Flying Tigers remain some of the most recognized aircraft of World War II.
And if you are impressed with this amazing back tattoo of a Curtiss P-40 Warhawk by artist Phil Garcia, we encourage you to take a look at his portfolio on the website of his tattoo studio, Ink Philler Studios, in Port Hueneme, CA. You can also check out his page on Facebook and “like” it as well! Professional Tattoo Artists may also want to check out his new DVD “Layering In The Details” which discusses his unique techniques in creating the stunning tattoos in his portfolio.
Please click on the image below for a larger image.
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Matt Says:
This tattoo is awesome. I am a huge airplane freak and this is by far the best airplane tattoo I’ve seen.
Posted on January 26th, 2012 at 10:49 am