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mancmenace · 20-01-2009, 01:36 PM

Hi, i am looking for an artist preferably in the northwest of England who is able to do eastern style pieces to a similar standard as Horiyoshi III, i am only getting one tattoo to cover my back and i want it to be very high quality, i want a custom one in black and grey with the odd bit of color!
Thanks in advance for any help i receive!

Chuck Norris · 20-01-2009, 02:08 PM

I'm going to be perfectly honest here, if you want Horiyoshi III standard work, then go to Horiyoshi III. He's arguably the best Japanese tattoo artist on the planet, and you certainly won't get anywhere near that standard of work in the North West of England.

The only 2 artists in the UK I would recommend for quality that approaches Horiyoshi III is Ian Flower and Jason Saga, and unfortunately Jason passed away last year.

You might consider Alex Reinke also, who does guest spots in London from time to time.

Otherwise, you're going to have to travel a lot further than you planned.

Chuck Norris · 20-01-2009, 02:15 PM

Just a little more info for you... The only 2 artists in the North West of England that I would consider for Japanese work are Diego in Leeds and Louis in Middleton. Both are great, but their styles are very much different from Horiyoshi III.

Travelling further south, Darren Stares in Portsmouth and Jon Nott in Guildford are both good too.

Overseas, check out Trevor McStay in Australia, Filip Leu in Switzerland, Tin Tin in France, Shige in Japan, and Chris O Donnell and Mike Rubendall in the USA.

I'm not saying you have to go as far as that for good work, but for work that rivals Horiyoshi III.... you could probably count the number of artists in the world who can compete with him on your fingers and toes.

J_R · 20-01-2009, 02:16 PM

I agree with Chuck - you're not really going to find anyone with the same standard as Horiyoshi.

And again, I agree that Ian Flower is probably the man you're looking for.

sarahdent · 20-01-2009, 03:18 PM

Sometimes i am astounded at your knowledge of artists

mancmenace · 20-01-2009, 03:33 PM

Thanks for help, as you could probably guess i am not rich enough to stay in japan long enough to get all my back inked and i imagine that his work is really expensive due to his noteriety not to mention the fact he is probably booked for years to come! Middleton is only half an hour from me and i looked over Louis Molloy's work and i like it, plus i noticed that he has won awards for his work before!

I have a few more questions if you dont mind answering them!

Could you please explain the process of getting a custom tattoo designed, i know what i want it to contain but i am a crap drawer and lack the artistic vision to create one image out of the various things i want it to contain! Do you tell the tattoo artist what you want and get him to come up with some sketches for an extra fee or do you have it done before you go to see the tatto artist?

Another question is how long in hrs on average does it take to have your back covered and what is the recommended amount of time you should spend on each session, bearing in mind that this would be my first tat and that it is mostly black and grey but very detailed as most eastern ones are! I understand that all tattoos vary in detail and therefore take different amount of times so i am just looking for a rough average!

Thanks again!

vogelrok · 20-01-2009, 03:48 PM

if you don't mind the trip to london and frith st, then Alex Reinke is the guy for the job, seeing as Horiyoshi is his Mentor.,

or if you fancy it come and visit us in Gosport. Nico is more than able of pulling off a japanese piece for sure.

mancmenace · 20-01-2009, 03:52 PM

i am prepared to travel for the right piece depending on how long it will take in how many sittings, i am still doing the research and am a long way off getting it done yet!

Chuck Norris · 20-01-2009, 03:52 PM

Ok, first things first...

If you can't draw, hen don't draw. Choose an artist who does work that you like, and let them come up with the design. Tell them what you want in as much detail as you like, and take some reference material along to show them if you think it easier to desrcibe what you want with pictures rather than just words.

Secondly, asking how long it will take is really like asking how long a piece of string is, because artists work at different speeds and it also depends on how big your back is and how much detail you want in the piece. As a rough guide, you can expect it to take upwards of 30 hours, and don't be surprised if it takes closer to 50 or 60. There are some artists who can do it faster than this, but not many.

Xam did a backpiece recently in 16 hours and it was stunning, but it wasn't a particularly detailed piece - it was more big and bold than big and detailed. Filip Leu could probably do a backpiece in that time or less, but he's notoriously ridiculously fast also. This sort of speed really is the exception to the rule.

Length of sittings? I guess that's between you and the artist to decide, but you'd be as well to sit for as long as you can take and afford, because otherwise it'll be seriously slow progress.

Lastly, in the case of Louis his awards are justified, but don't take the fact that an artist has won awards as gospel that they're a good artist. Sometimes artists win awards by default because nobody else enters the competition. Other times they win them because their friends are judging, so be careful on that!

Chuck Norris · 20-01-2009, 04:07 PM

One more thing!

Don’t get impatient. The right artist for the job might well be booked up 6 months in advance or more, but you’ll thank yourself for waiting for them in the end. The great artrists are booked up long in advance for good reason, and if you go elsewhere to start it sooner, you’ll regret it in the long run.

Anyway, it gives you more time to finalise your idea and save more money - which you’ll need, because it’s going to cost you into the £thousands no matter who you go to.