Maori pattern work tattoos.

June 6, 2020 Thomas Mcmillan

We’re super proud to have wonderful Maori artists based at our central Auckland studio honouring their heritage and tattooing traditional Maori tattoos, also known as Ta Moko. Ta Moko is an important part of Maori culture and is a beautiful way for people to connect with and express their Maori heritage.

Painted by our Ta Moko apprentice Fern Ngatai.

Our Ta Moko artist Tristan Marler has been creating gorgeous contemporary Maori tattoos using Tukutuku pattern work. He has gained a lot of attention and following for these intricate, geometric designs. Although used in many facets of Maori artwork, the way he uses them in his tattoos is super unique, and hasn’t really been done before in Maori tattooing. His apprentice, Fern Ngatai has been learning how to apply Tukutuku and Taniko patterns within her Ta Moko work, too.

If you’re interested in getting a traditional or contemporary Maori tattoo from a celebrated Maori artist or helping an apprentice on her journey to becoming a Ta Moko artist, please get in touch with the studio with your requests!

At Sunset Tattoo, we are home to some of Auckland’s best tattoo artists. We specialise in Japanese, Maori, traditional and black work tattooing. Located on Cross Street in Auckland, conveniently behind the iconic Karangahape Road, we offer a friendly, professional and safe environment for our artists and clientele. For requests, bookings and more information please don’t hesitate to get in touch.

CONTACT:
www.sunsettattoo.co.nz
info@sunsettattoo.co.nz
(+649)3763423

TATTOO OF THE WEEK!

May 30, 2020 Thomas Mcmillan

Bernard Kwok tore it up this week with this epic full colour dragon tattoo!

Bernard loves tattooing colour and loves tattooing dragons, so this tattoo was right up his alley! The use of a slightly finer line than Bernard usually uses resulted in the colour popping so beautifully.

Bernard also tattooed this excellent eagle, which was custom drawn, but based on one of his recent flash sheets he painted during the recent New Zealand coronavirus Level 4 lockdown.

Bernard has taken on a lot of larger scale projects for this year, and has limited time available over the next few months. If you’re interested in getting a tattooed by this legend in his unique Hong Kong style, please contact the studio to make a request!

CONTACT:
www.sunsettattoo.co.nz
info@sunsettattoo.co.nz
(+649)3763423

Old school web tattoos!

May 29, 2020 Thomas Mcmillan

Spider web tattoos are a traditional and black work staple. Webs are often used to fill small gaps, or saved for hard to fill areas such as elbows, knee caps & ditches and hands. These tattoos were once synonymous with time spent in incarceration (both federal and military), in modern times they’re used more for aesthetic purposes.

Our artist Milky specialises in no nonsense American traditional tattooing, and we’ve gathered a bunch of our favourite webs he’s tattooed. Milky draws a bunch of his webs free hand onto clients, wrapping up some of those harder to fill spots which caps off traditional sleeves, torsos and leg projects beautifully.

Enjoy our appreciation blog post for the webs of Milky! If timeless tattoos are something you’re after drop us a bell at the studio to make a booking.

Sunset Tattoo is the home of some of New Zealand’s most celebrated tattooists, and located on Cross Street of Central Auckland, just behind iconic Karangahape Road (K Road). We specialise in timeless, professional tattoo styles such as Japanese, Maori, America/western traditional and black work. With a friendly team, a gorgeous studio and decades of knowledge we would love to help you with your next tattoo project. For more information, get in touch with us.

CONTACT:
www.sunsettattoo.co.nz
info@sunsettattoo.co.nz
(+649)3763423

Want to get tattooed? Here is what you need to know!

May 23, 2020 Thomas Mcmillan

Any new experience can be a little bit daunting. Especially when its one that you know is going to be a little bit painful, involve you being in pretty close proximity to someone you barely know, and be etched on your body for life. If you’ve never been tattooed before, or maybe it’s been awhile or you’re planning something quite large, here is some great advice given from our artists and studio.

Do your research.
First things first, do your homework. What do you want to get tattooed on your body? Ask yourself a few basic questions: what do you want, where do you want it, how big do you want it, and what type of tattoo style are you into? This does not have to be set in stone, however it’s really helpful for the studio/artist get on the same page as the client. Simply saying “I want a tattoo” and having no further guidance is not particularly helpful. Expanding on that, it’s good to make sure the studio you are talking to is the right fit for your tattoo. If the tattoo is reasonably simple and straight forward, most studios should be able to help you, however if you’re after something very specialised, it pays to have a look at artist portfolios. Most studios nowadays have a website and social media where you can view a selection of resident artists work. If you’re off the grid, and don’t have a social media account, you can generally ask to go into the studio and take a look at artists flash walls, as well as some photos of completed work. In summary: you wouldn’t go to an Italian restaurant for sushi, the same way you wouldn’t go to a Ta Moko artist for a colour realism piece.

Be realistic.
So, you want something epic! That’s rad! Artists LOVE doing big pieces, like sleeves, back pieces and other large scale projects. However, these awesome tattoos take time, commitment and generally pre-planning. At our studio, we get so many people coming in asking if they can get a full Japanese sleeve that day. This simply cannot be done in a day without any prior communication. If you’re seriously interested in a large project, like a sleeve with background detail, get in touch with the studio to seek advice. We want a tattoo you’re absolutely stoked with, and we want it to look good for life. Plan in properly! If you’re feeling impulsive, and want to get an impromptu tattoo, look at available artists flash sheets, or ask them if they have any pre-drawn designs that they’re really keen to tattoo!

Be honest about your budget, and don’t try to haggle the quote given to you by the studio.
Guess what!? Art costs money! Your tattoo is custom designed for you and your body, and the size it needs to be to allow for detail. It can take hours and multiple drawings for your artist to have your custom design ready. Designing tattoos takes time, and time costs money.
Tattoo artists work ridiculously hard, it’s a physically and mentally taxing industry, and what they charge you pays for more than their time. It also goes into their supplies, sterile set up, drawing time, rent, etc. If you have a budget you need to work within, communicate this with your artist ahead of time. It pays to have an open mind when working with a budget, as the placement, size and detail could be different to what you originally imagined. Most artists and studios will take a deposit to cover drawing time and ensure clients commitment to the tattoo. Please note, we do not send out designs without a deposit, or over the internet for copyright reasons.

Don’t change your mind last minute.
…and expect to get tattooed.
It’s your body, and you should absolutely never be forced to wear a tattoo you don’t want, period. However major adjustments can require a total redraw of the tattoo design, especially if you’ve completely changed your mind about what you want. Your appointment may have to be rescheduled to allow clients following you to still be allowed their allocated time slot. Best thing to do if you’ve got something you changed about your tattoo? Contact the studio and/or artist ahead of time to discuss your options :)

Show up.
Show up to your appointment. On time. In a good space, well fed, well hydrated, well rested and feeling good. Don’t go on a bender the night before. The better you feel, the better your tattoo will go. Make sure you shower, and you’re in comfortable clothes that you’re comfortable lying down on a massage bed for a decent amount of time for. If you’re unable to make your appointment, contact the studio with as much notice as possible. At the studio, we ask for 5 working days notice to reschedule any appointments or you risk losing your deposit. We understand that life happens, and sometimes accidents, emergencies and sickness occurs but please only make appointments that you can and intend to attend. No shows are a huge loss for our artists, if you don’t show up, you will lose your deposit.

Prepare/reference images.
Better yet, from the artist you’re working withs portfolio! For example, if you’re after a dragon tattoo, bring along some images of dragons you like. Images can be of tattoos, paintings, illustrations, or all of the above! Just note, skin is a very different medium from paper, and non-tattoo designs will need to be redrawn to work well as a tattoo. Also, have a think about whether you want black and grey, or colour, as not all artists/styles work with both.

Listen to the advice of your artist.
Don’t be offended if you’re told that your idea isn’t a good one. Sometimes as clients we do need to be told that our ideas are a bit off, are too complicated, or just plain bad. Tattoo artists are professionals, and they know what will age well and what wont. An artist may suggest a consultation if they think your ideas need discussing, and is a great way to get a bit more clarity about what makes an awesome tattoo. Skin is a very particular medium. It moves, it ages, it stretches, it shrinks, it gets exposed to the elements. Trying to fit too much subject matter into a small space can look confusing, messy and age terribly. Best advice? Keep your ideas simple. Your artist and studio wants your tattoo to look good for life! They are professionals, and will do their best to not permanently mark your skin with something that will look weird in a few years. They really appreciate your trust!

Don’t bring your friends.
Would you take someone along to your hair cut? Or to your wax? Or to watch you eat at a restaurant? Probably not. Same goes for tattooing! Artists are understanding that it can be a little nerve wracking, and sometimes you need a bit of support. Artists tattoo people all day, everyday and are very, very experienced in dealing with people who are nervous. They will talk you through the process, and help you stay as comfortable as possible. Although our friends often have the best intentions, they’re often more of a hinderance than helpful. The artist generally knows where your tattoo will look the best, and will give you their honest opinion. Leave your friends at home, or tell them to go grab a coffee or chill outside the shop while you’re getting tattooed. You can show them as soon as it’s done! If you’re really in need of a support person, have a chat to the artist and ask if they’re ok with someone coming through with you.

Try not to move.
Breathe normally, try not to tense too much or wiggle around like a little worm. It can be easier said than done, but do your best to relax and “sit like a rock” - this will help the artist be able to whip out those crispy lines, and to tattoo you more efficiently. Some people find listening to music or podcasts helpful, others meditation, and others good chats with their artist.

Getting tattooed is a super fun experience, and tattoo shops are a fun, friendly place to be. We at the studio want everyone to be stoked with their tattoos, and know that when they get tattooed it’s going to look good for life. With an epic range of artists based in central Auckland, we cover pretty much all time tested, time honoured tattooing. Specialising in Maori, Japanese, Traditional and black work tattooing, we would love to help you achieve your tattoo dreams! For requests, please contact the studio!

CONTACT:
www.sunsettattoo.co.nz
info@sunsettattoo.co.nz
(+649)3763423

TATTOO OF THE WEEK!

May 16, 2020 Thomas Mcmillan

We may have only been back three days but we’ve decided this is the tattoo of the week (or is that the year? Maybe the decade?) is by the absolute force to be reckoned with who goes by the name of Capilli Tupou!

We are so happy to be back up at our gorgeous, newly spruced up central Auckland studio. Our artists have heaps of new flash, as well as both small and large scale concepts that they are super keen to tattoo!

At the studio we specialise in Japanese, Maori, traditional and blackwork tattooing. We are home to Auckland’s best tattoo artists and would love to help bring your ideas to life. For further information, requests and general enquiries, please don’t hesitate to contact the studio!

CONTACT:
www.sunsettattoo.co.nz
info@sunsettattoo.co.nz