Carter Ink

Tattoo Shop Wall Illustrations by ~xaqBazit on deviantART

Here's some pictures of what turned out to be "wall illustrations" after I had planned to do a single mural for them. It worked out better this way though, I hope I can get some better pictures soon. I used pencil to draw them out and about 6 black sharpies to finish all 3 (they are just not made for an unsmooth wall) and two white paint sharpies, both water and old based though neither work for whiting out comics AT ALL! They work great for doing highlights on wall illustrations. I didn't get paid but rather exchanged the work for 1/2 off on the tattoos that I'll be getting soon. They all took me about an hour each to finish.

I based the top figure off a sketch I had in an old sketchbook, ghost rider and an old character design from middle school. I drew him on a separate day and decided against going back in with white sharpie even though he was designed to be lit from his mouth.

The middle figure is based a few different characters and illustrations from princess mononoke and some artwork by Marko Djurdjevic, a comic artist, specifically a drawing he did for an RPG and his design for the demons in Thor.

The last figure is based on a couple different mcfarlane action figures (series 22 skullsplitter, series 21 Raven and series 25 hellspawn) Alex Ross' Green Lantern design for Kingdom Come and a poster I have for Olivier Coipel's run on Thor.

I briefly talked tattoos with the guys at the shop and they asked if I had considered interning to become a tattoo artist. It wasn't an invitation (I don't think) but it was an interesting talk. I wouldn't feel at all like my education at SCAD went towards something other than comics, it already has. But as a profession I have considered, very seriously, becoming a tattoo artist. I feel like I will have so much to offer the comic industry in the next few years and yet I feel the same about the tattoo industry. They seemed to have plenty of free time, but they just opened, so I would have time to work on a graphic novel but I wouldn't be able to do a monthly book anymore. For me to get into it though I would have to wait till my fiance got done doing her pastry externship and we would have to save up some cash considering I wouldn't get paid for it for at least 6 months to apprentice - if i could find a place that was looking to apprentice someone. And I know with tattooing that my drawing skills are only half the work, but I feel like they are a sold half, as humbly as I can feel that. It would be a more solid paycheck once I got going but I've been told my skills lay in storytelling and while that would come in handy in tattooing it's more focusing on a single image, like illustration and I feel like my speed advantage would be lost. I may get lazier and rely on reference more as many tattoo artists do and would probably draw less. So much of school has been getting me to draw a bunch and draw accurately, and that I would lose some of those skills the less I drew and that scares me. But it may be a easier more secure lifestyle and in no way less rewarding, and I would still have the option of graphic novel. I don't know, we'll see but its interesting and intriguing to think about.