Artist Don Jewell sends us this great WWII pinup / P-51 Mustang collaboration this week. Don is located at Artistic Creations Tattoo in Sacramento, CA.
| Looking for P-51 Mustang Source Material for a new tattoo? Take a look at the following books to use… shop online at HistoricAviation.com |
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Thanks to C.W. Eldridge of the Tattoo Archive in Winston-Salem, NC, we recieved this fantastic bit of aviation flash coming from the Zeis Studio from the 1940′s. Milton Zeis from Rockford, IL was a well-known artist and tattoo supplier in the 1940′s and was also known for the “Zeis School of Tattooing”, a home study course started in 1951. Zeis was also the founder of the International Tattoo Club.
Thanks again to C.W. and make sure to visit the fantastic Tattoo Archive if you are in the area. Be sure to catch the new exhibit “Tattoos In Advertising” at the Archive from July 1 to September 30.
It’s hard to believe this is the wearers first tattoo… but according to artist Daniel “Wes” Wesley, it was! Looks like an Me-262 at the bottom with a P-40 soaring above. The color is fantastic, but looking at Wes’ portfolio, I’d expect nothing less!
Wes is based in Columbus, OH – take a look at his site at http://www.wescoreart.com.
It can’t be easy to tattoo an airplane on a small area like a lower arm, with the straight lines of an airplane curving around the body. However, artist Greg Larson from Black Pearl Tattoo of Kenosha, WI does it perfectly with this colorful tattoo of a P-40 Warhawk.
The classic aggressive sharks mouth of the P-40 are illustrated well here! Click the photo to see a larger version for detail… and make sure to visit Black Pearl Tattoo to see more.
Allie from Mesa, AZ sent us this great shot of her P-51 Mustang dogfight tattoo on the side of her ribs and stomach. She had it done at Compass Rose Studios in Fallbrook, CA by artist and friend Bluez.
Being very patriotic, Allie says she got the tattoo to honor the military and intends for her future tattoo work to do the same. She also said she was named after the Allison engine, the first engine on the P-51, so it was even more fitting!
Like P-51 Tattoos? Take a look at all the other P-51 Mustang tattoos we have on the site by going to our archive at: http://www.tattoosinflight.com/category/aircraft/type-p-51/
While you are at it, take a look at all the artists and tattoos we feature by clicking here!
| Looking for P-51 Mustang Source Material for a new tattoo? Take a look at the following books to use… shop online at HistoricAviation.com |
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This portrait done by Russ Abbott of Ink & Dagger Tattoo Parlour of Decatur, GA is a perfect example of the detail and richness black & gray are can give to a tattoo. Placed on the inner arm, the tattoo was done in honor of the client’s grandfather.
See more of Russ’ art at http://www.russabbott.com. Also check out the entire Ink & Dagger Tattoo portfolio online as well!
Happy Father’s Day everyone.
Brian from Florida sent us this amazing Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress tattoo commemorating his father’s B-17 in the 8th Air Force. It was done by artist Pete Soto at Inkman Dan’s Timeless Art (note: studio reported as closed as of Feb 2012 & we have no relocation information) in Ocala, FL. Taking 14 hours in total over three sessions, the tattoo was finished in October 2006.
Amazingly, this was Pete’s first time tattooing an airplane…
Welcome to Tattoos In Flight at www.tattoosinflight.com. Several weeks ago we decided to launch this site as a way to combine our two interests, tattoos and flying, into one place. Looking around the web, it’s hard to find tattoo imagery about flying or aviation and we thought it might be a good idea to have one website devoted to the theme as a way for people to connect with artists capable of working with flight-related imagery and to also connect others interested in both aviation and tattoos together. It’s a small group I am sure, but it’s worth it!
For now, we are assembling as many photos as we can from artists, studios, and wearers of aviation art to start putting content here each week. If you are interested in showcasing your photo, please email us at tattoosinflight@gmail.com with your photo (jpg or png please) and make sure to credit the artist, the studio (with location) and the studio website. If you have a story to share about the tattoo, please include that as well!
We are also looking for any stories relating to the interesting combination of aviation and tattoos… whether it’s a serious employment related story (such as “United Airlines wouldn’t hire me with my sleeves!”), or just a fun anecdote on how your tattoo came to be, please send that along too! Again, email us at tattoosinflight@gmail.com. We’ll keep your identity secret too, if that’s what you’d like.
For now, here’s a photo of the editor of the site… and his backpiece. It was designed by Chris Dingwell at Sanctuary Tattoo in Portland, ME and is an ongoing project.
The central figure in the image is Icarus falling from the sky (uncolored at this point). The orange mass at the top left is the sun… and the photo doesn’t do it justice at all. Very subtle colors and very vibrant.
The left lower back piece was designed as the start of the whole back project. The image was taken and adapted from a 1927 Airshow Program cover artwork. She represents “The Spirit of Propulsion” one of the two positive forces that makes flight possible. Done over 3 day-long sessions. Compare her with the “Spirit of Lift” in the backpiece.
The center top and right side is the “Spirit of Lift”, the other positive force that makes flight possible to balance the Spirit of Propulsion. She is adapted from the often used Vargas pin-up art that can be 
seen on many noses of WWII planes . She is in front of the 1894 Otto Lillienthal glider, one of the first practical and often flown glider designs. Of course the middle and lower parts aren’t done yet, and you can barely see Daedalus at the lower right. Three full-day sessions so far, up to three or so more to go.
This thigh piece was influenced by the early 30′s Bendix Trophy, an air race trophy in the art deco style. If you know the actual design of the trophy, you’ll notice this is like “if the trophy came alive”. The head shot is Jackie Cochran, famous female aviator. This was my first tattoo and took 20 hours.
So this is the start of hopefully a bunch of great photos and some great stories about Tattoos in flight!
Email us at tattoosinflight@gmail.com if you want to be part of the site!
Thanks! – The Editors.
