Tattoo Flash & Glass

American traditional tattoos are my favorite style. There’s thick outlines, a limited color palette, and a history going back. I love how classic it all is and that the same designs have been used since Bert Grimm and Sailor Jerry.

When I started stained glass, I quickly saw how naturally this style fit the medium. Stained glass already has strong lines thanks to the solder and in order to keep the glass’s integrity, it’s great to have big bold shapes and not a ton of finnicky small pieces.

Sometimes I’ll sketch directly from flash sheets I’ve collected on Pintrest, or classic tattoos I’ve wanted but haven’t found the time/money/artist for. Other times I try to remix the well-used symbols with elements from nature or southwestern art. I love a classic crying heart or a ghost cowboy and mostly want you to see that this could have been a tattoo on someone.

Flash by Vottan Nepomuceno

Flash by Xavier Tattooer

Flash sheet by Daniel Mouzinho