A friend of mine wants the backpiece that MMA fighter Aleksander Emelianenko has. The exact one; same size and scale. While I gave a few words of caution, I’d like some input as to how much such a piece would cost total. Yes, it will take quite a few sittings, but what I’m looking for is a total price.
I’ve left several different angles of the tattoo for clarity…
Close…
I’d say in the neighborhood of a grand.
Better question:
In the name of all that is good and holy, WHY?!
First off, it’s dick to copy someone else’s tattoo exactly. Use it for inspiration, that’s totally legit, but to just put it on a Xerox and hit copy is a serious douchenozzle move. It also shows a complete lack of independent thought, creativity, and an alarming tendency to define yourself using other people’s imagination rather than your own. Tattoos are supposed to be individualistic, supposed to show who you are. They don’t need a deeper meaning, and in fact often suffer for people insisting on meaning over art, but they still need to make a statement about you and your own aesthetic sense.
Second off, that thing is amazingly mediocre. Seriously, dude shouldn’t be ashamed of it, but showing it off like that is frankly idiotic. It needs more shading, the hands have overly large fingers with stubby thumbs, and what the hell is up with that bat off to the right?
The use of the negative space isn’t very well done either. All that poorly placed negative space makes the tattoo look unfinished, and makes the piece appear as if there’s no movement or urgency. In that same vein, the Reaper’s face is oddly lacking in emotion. I didn’t even know it was possible for a big grinning skull to have a blank look on its face, but damned if this one doesn’t. Part of this is the regrettable lack of shading.
Over all, the only reason to get this hunk of crap is hero worship which is pretty damn sad my man.
Tell your buddy that. That he’s fucking sad.
Love. Peace. Metallica.
first off, i would refuse to do it the same as the original…. like KH said its just wrong!!
and as for price, i would never give a price on a piece that big, i say anything that will take more than 2 hrs i will only do on an hourly rate, if you sit like a baby then it takes longer if you sit like a good little soldier then it dont cost as much 😎
im sure their artist will say the same 😉
I’ve always wondered about people with a serious case of hero worship. What if your “hero” turns out to be a pedophile??? That’s bad enough. But imagine having the “hero’s” tattoo on you forever.
As stated above, don’t give him any advice concerning price. Just continue to disuade him as much as possible.
Better question:
In the name of all that is good and holy, WHY?!
First off, it’s dick to copy someone else’s tattoo exactly. Use it for inspiration, that’s totally legit, but to just put it on a Xerox and hit copy is a serious douchenozzle move. It also shows a complete lack of independent thought, creativity, and an alarming tendency to define yourself using other people’s imagination rather than your own. Tattoos are supposed to be individualistic, supposed to show who you are. They don’t need a deeper meaning, and in fact often suffer for people insisting on meaning over art, but they still need to make a statement about you and your own aesthetic sense.
Second off, that thing is amazingly mediocre. Seriously, dude shouldn’t be ashamed of it, but showing it off like that is frankly idiotic. It needs more shading, the hands have overly large fingers with stubby thumbs, and what the hell is up with that bat off to the right?
The use of the negative space isn’t very well done either. All that poorly placed negative space makes the tattoo look unfinished, and makes the piece appear as if there’s no movement or urgency. In that same vein, the Reaper’s face is oddly lacking in emotion. I didn’t even know it was possible for a big grinning skull to have a blank look on its face, but damned if this one doesn’t. Part of this is the regrettable lack of shading.
Over all, the only reason to get this hunk of crap is hero worship which is pretty damn sad my man.
Tell your buddy that. That he’s fucking sad.
Love. Peace. Metallica.
Well considering that Alexsander Emilianenko was sentenced to 5 years in a Russian prison and spent 3 and a half there he got many tattoos there. How many Russian prison tattoos are worthy of tattoo convention awards? Despite the artistic quality or lack thereof they have a deeper meaning like the stars on his knees, the stars on his chest, and the cathedral with five domes on his right arm. Also the guy is 6’6″ and weighs 255lbs. and his killed a bear with his hands and a knife so I would want to be the last person to tell him his tattoos lack quality lol.
But regardless if a tattoo is done with the best quality or not to copy someone else’s is something they could easily be regretted later on in life.
But regardless if a tattoo is done with the best quality or not to copy someone else’s is something they could easily be regretted later on in life.
I’m not entirely sure how that addresses any of the points I made. In fact, it pretty much doesn’t and goes off on its own tangent, which would be cool if you hadn’t quoted me. By quoting me though, you’re making the statement that you’re attempting to address the issues I raised, either to refute them, to agree with them, or to comment upon them. You did none of the above.
Let’s review my points.
1) It’s a dick move to copy someone else’s ink exactly.
2) The tattoos are mediocre at best, and I listed the reasons why.
3) The hero-worshiper is a sad sack of shit.
Your spiel on how badass this stupid mother fucker is may have been intended to address the third point, but doesn’t actually refute it. The guy is an athlete, and has obnoxious stories about how he killed an animal with his bare hands that couldn’t possibly be more than a story someone made up over a couple beers. So what? Violence ain’t something you oughta respect. I know this is a revolutionary though, but violence is a bad thing. The fact that he could snap most guys in half doesn’t make him a better human being, or makes him worthy of worship.
As for his tattoos not being awful because “they have deeper meaning”, this is a conversation we have here on a regular basis. In these conversations, I’ve said it a million times. Your ink having a deeper meaning is besides the point. Art of all forms is supposed to elicit a visceral, gut level response. The more explanation your art requires, the more of a failure that piece is. The only thing worse than having bad ink is refusing to acknowledge it because you’re blinded by how sparkly and special it is because of its so-called deeper meaning.
And the fact that it’s meaning is in the Russian prison language just makes it more sad. The guy got bad prison ink, so I’m supposed to respect it because he, gasp, got it in prison? Fuck that noise. Being dumb enough to land in the clink is not something to respect, and oddly enough, might even make a piece worse in my eyes. I think that’s the only “deeper meaning” that might make a difference to me.
Lord know when I was in NYC last year and I explained to a guy on the subway why his ink was awful, they only looked worse somehow when I found out they were from the Nazi Lowrider prison gang.
As for the whole “How many Russian prison tattoos are worthy of tattoo convention awards?” thing, you’re an idiot. The origin of the art doesn’t matter. What matters is the skill, the thought, and the execution. How it elicits a response. Besides, Russia’s a huge country–I’m sure there’s plenty of reputable artists there, who just happen to be vastly outnumbered by the scratchers. A situation that is no different in America, or England, or New Zealand, or just about anywhere else. It was the dude’s responsibility to find a reputable, clean, talented artist. The fact he failed to do so doesn’t excuse the bad art. It just makes him a moron.
I’d like to be the one to tell him his ink sucks, by the by. What’s the worst that can happen? He could kick my ass, but now he KNOWS his ink is bad, and he’s got to live with that. Hospital or not, I still win.
Just sayin.
Let’s review my points.
1) It’s a dick move to copy someone else’s ink exactly.
2) The tattoos are mediocre at best, and I listed the reasons why.
3) The hero-worshiper is a sad sack of shit.
Your spiel on how badass this stupid mother fucker is may have been intended to address the third point, but doesn’t actually refute it. The guy is an athlete, and has obnoxious stories about how he killed an animal with his bare hands that couldn’t possibly be more than a story someone made up over a couple beers. So what? Violence ain’t something you oughta respect. I know this is a revolutionary though, but violence is a bad thing. The fact that he could snap most guys in half doesn’t make him a better human being, or makes him worthy of worship.
As for his tattoos not being awful because “they have deeper meaning”, this is a conversation we have here on a regular basis. In these conversations, I’ve said it a million times. Your ink having a deeper meaning is besides the point. Art of all forms is supposed to elicit a visceral, gut level response. The more explanation your art requires, the more of a failure that piece is. The only thing worse than having bad ink is refusing to acknowledge it because you’re blinded by how sparkly and special it is because of its so-called deeper meaning.
And the fact that it’s meaning is in the Russian prison language just makes it more sad. The guy got bad prison ink, so I’m supposed to respect it because he, gasp, got it in prison? Fuck that noise. Being dumb enough to land in the clink is not something to respect, and oddly enough, might even make a piece worse in my eyes. I think that’s the only “deeper meaning” that might make a difference to me.
Lord know when I was in NYC last year and I explained to a guy on the subway why his ink was awful, they only looked worse somehow when I found out they were from the Nazi Lowrider prison gang.
As for the whole “How many Russian prison tattoos are worthy of tattoo convention awards?” thing, you’re an idiot. The origin of the art doesn’t matter. What matters is the skill, the thought, and the execution. How it elicits a response. Besides, Russia’s a huge country–I’m sure there’s plenty of reputable artists there, who just happen to be vastly outnumbered by the scratchers. A situation that is no different in America, or England, or New Zealand, or just about anywhere else. It was the dude’s responsibility to find a reputable, clean, talented artist. The fact he failed to do so doesn’t excuse the bad art. It just makes him a moron.
I’d like to be the one to tell him his ink sucks, by the by. What’s the worst that can happen? He could kick my ass, but now he KNOWS his ink is bad, and he’s got to live with that. Hospital or not, I still win.
Just sayin.
Wow well first of all I was agreeing with you on some points and while not exactly trying to refute other points you made maybe give another view point or something else to consider. Your point of “violence is a bad thing” is merely your opinion. Are you saying that violence in any form is a bad thing? Sometimes violence is a needed thing.
Obviously the “deeper meaning” of his ink wasn’t aimed at getting a “visceral, gut level response” from you but from those in his own society and of his own culture. Are you from Russia? Have you been in a Russian prison? Well if not then the symbolism of his tattoos was not meant to elicit a response from you but you may have realized that already if you had calmed yourself down, know of the history and meaning of Russian prison tattoos, and thought outside of your narrow minded ways.
Does any of what I said mean the art is good? Well no. But that’s all just an opinion. I’m not sitting here trying to start a flame war but you obviously think the guy has bad ink. Well that’s your opinion. It is a fact though the symbols he has have meaning in the society he’s from. Maybe it’s his opinion you have shitty ink. Who knows. How much you like or how you judge someone else’s tattoos are all just opinion.
And your last sentence is just terrible. You really think that you telling him he has bad ink and possibly getting your ass kicked is 100% guaranteed going to make him suddenly feel he has bad tattoos? What if he still thinks he has decent tattoos and still likes them just as much as before? Huh what if someone told you that your tattoos were lacking in creativity and were rather lame, would you suddenly feel like you KNEW they were bad? Probably not huh. Think about it.
Obviously the “deeper meaning” of his ink wasn’t aimed at getting a “visceral, gut level response” from you but from those in his own society and of his own culture. Are you from Russia? Have you been in a Russian prison? Well if not then the symbolism of his tattoos was not meant to elicit a response from you but you may have realized that already if you had calmed yourself down, know of the history and meaning of Russian prison tattoos, and thought outside of your narrow minded ways.
Does any of what I said mean the art is good? Well no. But that’s all just an opinion. I’m not sitting here trying to start a flame war but you obviously think the guy has bad ink. Well that’s your opinion. It is a fact though the symbols he has have meaning in the society he’s from. Maybe it’s his opinion you have shitty ink. Who knows. How much you like or how you judge someone else’s tattoos are all just opinion.
And your last sentence is just terrible. You really think that you telling him he has bad ink and possibly getting your ass kicked is 100% guaranteed going to make him suddenly feel he has bad tattoos? What if he still thinks he has decent tattoos and still likes them just as much as before? Huh what if someone told you that your tattoos were lacking in creativity and were rather lame, would you suddenly feel like you KNEW they were bad? Probably not huh. Think about it.
Violence being used to show how hard someone is (killing a bear with his bare hands and a knife), no matter whether its piss talk or not, is there to frighten people and make them go “wow”. It doesnt work on everybody. The guy is in the fighting business. Fighting for entertainment, like boxing. People respect them as athletes, not because they can knock a guy out with one punch or w/e.
What KH says about it having deeper meaning makes the ink worse, is actually quite true. My tat has a very deep meaning to me however it’s a well done piece and It looks good as art. Just because a piece of work has a deep meaning to someone does not automatically make it a well done, technically faultless, aesthetically pleasing piece of work. Trying to justify it, saying it’s a great piece of work just because it has a meaning to him is complete and utter bull.
As touched on above, anyone can think that someone else has a shitty tattoo, because that is down to personal taste. Some of the tattoo’s I’ve seen on here I don’t like but I can appreciate the artists technique, style and can appreciate that it’s a good piece of art work, as opposed to calling it a piece of shit that don’t look good just because it goes against my personal taste.
And the last bit, yeah, great, he can still like his ink. As I said before, just because he likes it doesnt automatically make it a decent piece. And just as an aside, if the guy is gunna kick the shit out of someone jsut because they say that their tattoo’s look shit then that guy is a prick, and is actually recognising that their tattoo’s are completely wank. End of.
Hi
Just as a side issue I have seen many Russian prison tattoos that are fantastic in detail based on the fact they often applied with the crudest of tools.
This is not a bad blog for a few examples all of these have been documented in archives (I have the books they were taken from) and I think the only ones that are not usually done in prison are the stars as this is often done in a ceremony/ritual.
http://www.tattoo22.com/pr4.html
http://www.tattoo22.com/pr5.html
http://www.tattoo22.com/pr8.html (He is serving 20 to life as each barb represents a year inside)
As for the bear thing I was chatting with a mate who is a vet. He stated that it is not actually impossible to do and there have been a few recorded kills of man armed with a knife vs a bear.
However he did point out in each of the reported cases the bear in question was 1. Not a grizzly bear but a black bear which are smaller.
(Grizzly’s can grow to 6-9.5 feet tall and males can weigh as much as 1000 pounds and have talons that can rake through bone like butter and apparently they can move amazingly fast for their size).
2. The bear was either old/sick/starving or immature. There were a couple of instances where the bear was already wounded.
That said even taking on a wounded bear (even a smaller one at say 450 pounds) is no small feat.
If I had to bet though I would put my money on the bear or maybe not 😉
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HMJ8GMApGx4
Take Care
Matthew
You must be logged in to create new topics.
