Artists | Owen's Tattoo Studio

ARTIST

OWEN

Owen is a specialist in traditional Americana style tattooing and Japanese style sleeves with 26 years experience in the tattoo industry. His abilities allow him to master tattoos of large scale, including all styles of tattooing such as black and grey and script.

As a self-taught artist, Owen learnt his craft through the many artists he has had the pleasure of working with over the years. He was originally influenced by the likes of Ed Hardy and Australian tattoo artist Tony Cohen, who had a great impact on Owen when he was younger. "There are too many to name but I'm impressed with a whole lot of tattoo artists these days, it's like where do you start?" - Owen

Owen has worked at various tattoo shops throughout his career, including Celtic Dragon and Illustrated Man Tattoo Studios in Sydney.

See more of OWEN'S GALLERY at @owenstattoostudio

TRADITIONAL AMERICANA TATTOO DESIGNS

Traditional American tattoo designs are bold and simple. Anchors, roses, ships, pin-up girls, skulls, panthers and swords are some common designs for both men and women. This tattooing style truly found its voice in the 1940s-1950s, during and after WWII. Two men, Lew Alberts in New York City and Percy Waters in Detroit, are responsible for promoting the style across the world with their mail-order flash catalogues. In Honolulu, tattooist Norman ͞Sailor Jerry͟ Collins began tattooing sailors after the bombing of Pearl Harbour. He made what is perhaps the biggest impact on the style.

TRADITIONAL JAPANESE TATTOO PATTERNS

Japanese tattooing methods have revolutionised the world of tattoo. Artists such as Horiyoshi III have worked to bring the rich tradition of Japanese tattooing to the forefront of the culture. Modern Japanese designs we are familiar trace their roots back to detailed tapestries and silk kimono patterns worn by wealthy, elite families during the colonial era. Poorer families were forbidden to wear these silks, so they began to tattoo the designs on their bodies as an act of rebellion. Our traditional Japanese styled patterns include geisha girls, dragons, koi fish, samurai and hanya masks and similar images with bright, clean colours. Many people now choose a Japanese design for a sleeve tattoo or backpiece.

BLACK & GREY TATTOOING

Any style of tattoo design can be adapted to black and grey. Removing colour to tattoo in greyscale can accentuate the design itself and the skill of the artist. Skilled tattoo artists will create an amazing design whether you choose black and grey or colour--it’s really a personal preference. Black and grey tattooing was popularised in the 1970s by Chicano tattoo artists in Los Angeles. Many people nowadays choose black and grey for portraits and script work. Some men and women prefer getting all their work done in black and grey. It can make your designs bolder depending on your skin tone.

TRIBAL TATTOOS

Tribal tattoos include a wide range of designs blended from many different tribal island cultures. Tribal tattoos set themselves apart with bold geometric designs that tend to be black and grey. The styles of primitive tattooing that we associate most with modern tribal tatts are a mix of Maori, Polynesian and Samoan tattoo styles. In their traditional cultures, tattoos were a symbol of tribe, coming-of-age, social status and other rituals. People who choose tribal tatts tend to use them as a celebration of a life event. This deepens their meaning. Tribal tattoo designs are commonly worn as a sleeve or on the upper arm and shoulder. Images representing nature, the ocean or animals are common in this style.

SCRIPT TATTOOING

Script tattoos are words that are meaningful to the wearer. These designs are popular all over the world and can be done in any font style of your choosing. The script can be big, swirly and artistic or small, simple and minimalist. Family surnames, hometowns or countries are a common choice for large script tattoos on the back or chest which celebrate the wearer’s identity. Script tattoos can be inspirational, such as a favourite poem, prayer or inspirational quote. A script tattoo can even be a single word or character, such as “believe”, as a reminder to the wearer. Memorial tattoos sometimes have script underneath. Script tattooing is usually done in black and grey but can have colour mixed in. Think about how the font will add meaning to your design. For example, a calligraphy font adds a different feeling to a tattooed poem than a typewriter font.