Best Intentions (2015)

British Tattooer Ash Davies has just released a mammoth new tattoo magazine called Best Intentions which can be found here.
Even if I weren’t a contributor I’d recommend that you buy a copy; this is DIY tattoo culture and supporting projects like this mean that cool stuff(tm) is going to be made by people who care about tattooing, not by people who just want to pump out a sellable product aimed at people who watch reality tv.

I’m already working on something for volume 2.

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106 pages full colour tattoo magazine including interviews from –

Joseph Ari Aloi (3 Kings Tattoo NYC)
Amanda Grace Leadman (Black 13 Nashville)
Nick Mayes (North Sea Scarborough)
Burton Jean-Philippe (Purple Sun Brussels)

Articles by –

Mr Gordo Instax view of Seven Doors
Shawn Porter’s Occult Vibrations
Horimatsu portfolio
California Electric
Iron Mountain Studio Visit

Artwork and tattoos by –

Acetates
Ash Davies
Bradley Tompkins
Burrito Breath
Dave Fox
Emerson Ventura
James Kiley
Marcos Attwood
Marcus Maguire
Matt Kerley
Nick Baldwin
Sam Layzell
Sam Ricketts
Shen Schubert

Cover by and includes stickers by Joseph Ari Aloi.

Jesus, Shawn, will you update already?

The UK has given us many amazing imports here in America- Mushy Peas, the Magna Carta, and most recently- Bradley Tompkins.
I’m going to be indiscrete here and tell ya’all that there was a point where B.T. asked me to hold off on featuring his tattooing here on OV; he felt that he was still learning and that his work didn’t deserve to be show alongside some of the folks we’ve shown here. Those days are past, and Brad’s work continues to impress me with each new piece that he posts. As I sit here typing this update I’ve got another window open where I’m talking to a friend about how little space I have left to get tattooed; I’d be lying if I didn’t say that if I don’t save a tiny patch for Bradley I’ll regret it. We just have to figure out the where and when. The what will be much easier.

You can find Bradley Tompkins here:

Swansea Tattoo Company
6-8 Picton Arcade
Swansea
Wales
SA1 3BE

Or follow his Instagram here: http://instagram.com/bradleytompkins

In Praise of Amoral Phenomena

Another stellar tattoo by Swansea Tattoo Co.’s Bradley Tompkins.
I really love his color palette- a lot more muted tones than standard ‘traditional’ style tattooing that sets it apart and makes a really dramatic aesthetic. Now I just have to find a way to get Bradley over to the States again so I don’t have to travel all the way to the UK to get something from him.

You can follow Bradley on Instagram here.

Bradley Tompkins

It’s always fun to watch a young tattooer progress; each new photo posted showing a refinement of technique and confidence in their work. One of the artists I’ve been watching since OV started is England’s Bradley Tompkins. He’s one of those guys that you start looking for open space to save just in case your paths cross- would be a shame to not get tattooed by him some day.

Coincidentally, today is Bradley’s birthday. Celebrate it by contacting him for an appointment. You’ll end up with a damn good tattoo. BradT