Drawing a halfsleeve Samoan tattoo design

Hello,

I'm back again, with another half sleeve tattoo design in Samoan inspired style.
On Facebook I've had a lot of compliments and comments on my previous design, so I decided to create a series of these drawings in the same style.

Well here's a picture of the first basic lines I drew:

Pencil sketch of a Samoan tribal sleeve tattoo

I start with a circular shape at the top that follows the upper part of the shoulder and then drew a few tapering lines to add some motion. The spearheads are a common pattern in the Samoan style, symbolizing strength and power. There are many kinds of spear- or arrowheads, so I usually combine different ones in one design to keep it as intricate as possible.

Mostly I try to draw a few layers on top of eachother, running above- or through other patterns.

This gives a sense of depth and it makes the design flow.

Here's a second sketch, you can see I traced parts of the drawing with a black marker and fineliner:

Traced a few patterns of the Samoan tatoo

Normally I first draw the full design with a pencil and then start tracing it, but sometimes I get a little impatient and cannot wait to see how it turns out :)

This photo shows the upper part almost traced and finished:

Upper part of the Samoan tribal tattoo

After a lot of sketching, erasing, and redoing the lines, I finally finished this flash design and took some photos with my Canon EOS 400D:

Another picture shows a digital mock-up of a shoulder with the sleeve projected on it. It's not a 100% accurate, but gives you an idea on how it will look once it's tattooed:

I made a Youtube video of the total design process, so you can see a kind of time-lapse on how the design evolves. Please subscribe to my channel if you want to see my latest videos:

And last but not least, you can order this high resolution flash design right here!

Size: 34,5 x 26,5 cm (13,5 x 10,5 inches)

Price: 41,65 euro (57 USD)

After payment, you'll receive the high quality design + a stencil by e-mail.

Any questions? Just let me know!

Mark Storm

info@storm3d.com

Meet Batman's Furry Sidekicks: the Bat Dogs!

Batman is a DC Comics character that was created in the late 1930s by artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger. Batman is also referred to as 'The Caped Crusader' and 'The Dark Knight'. Although Batman has many human companions, he doesn't have any pets. If Batman ever did decide to keep pets, what would his dogs look like?

Bat Dogs in The 'Bark' Night
Combining their excellent sense of smell, loyalty and dog breath with the flying and hearing powers of bats, bat dogs make excellent slobbering sidekicks. Using their bark as sonar, bat dogs can follow their nemesis (usually Cat Woman) through busy streets, either on the ground or from the air. Dogs make excellent superhero sidekicks, as they are very loyal and are generally of a good height to bite baddies in the bum.

[source]

[source]

Bat Dogs Defeat Kitty Criminals

Batdogs have one nemesis, the cat. before becoming bat dogs, many ordinary dogs were often outsmarted by these hissing creatures that could climb out of reach. But now, endowed with the powers of bat flight, batdogs can follow their feline enemies no matter how high they climb.

[source]

[source]

Batdogs make a Halloween Appearance

Not all Batdogs wear their uniforms year-round. Some only don their costumes at Halloween, using the festivities and dress up traditions of Halloween to disguise their true natures as Bat Dogs. This way, they can hide in plain sight and still show allegiance to Batman and Robin.

[source]

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Funny Pictures of Dogs Shaking off Water

Dogs make hilarious subjects for photographs. Unlike humans, they are unhindered by shyness, modesty or fear of embarrassment. Dogs enjoy life from moment to moment, turning every activity into a fun pastime. One thing that dogs love to do is have a good shake, to rid their coat of water or simply to loosen up their fur and skin. The pictures below show what happens when a photographer captures a single moment of a dog's shake.

Davidson's Dogs Do the Shake
Carli Davidson is an award-winning photographer who creates artistic images of wild and domestic animals. Her pet photography is among the most appealing in the world, as her images perfectly capture an animal's ability to live in the moment. Some of her most popular art works are photographs of dogs shaking off water.
Davidson has worked with animals for years in animal shelters, zoos and nature reserves. Her experience with all sorts of animals, from chimpanzees to rats, allows her to communicate with the animals that she uses as subjects in her photographs. Davidson says that she spends large amounts of time rolling around on the floor with the animals, encouraging them to "open up" to the camera. As a result of this interaction, the pictures show animals who look relaxed and comfortable, able to simply be cats and dogs doing what comes naturally to them.
Carli Davidson's pictures of dogs shaking off water have a humorous appeal to them. Dogs can be quite goofy and silly at times, and these pictures capture this doggy essence perfectly. Davidson uses a variety of dog breeds as subjects. Dogs with long hair such as border collies and Labradors shake off water in a way that creates a spiraling spray of water droplets. Dogs with short hair but loose skin such as bull dogs and bloodhounds create less spray but the skin on their faces twist into funny expressions, perfect subject matter for funny dog pictures.

Above: A funny picture of a border collie shaking, by photographer Carli Davidson. The sheep dog's long hair creates a wonderful swirl around the centre of the picture, drawing the viewer's eye to the focal point; the dog's eyes. [source]

Above: This funny picture shows a bloodhound shaking off water. The dog's loose skin flops and flaps, creating a series of hilarious facial expressions for Carli Davidson to photograph. [source]

Above: A boxer dog shakes off water, sending his lips and ears flying to create a hilarious pet portrait. Perhaps dogs need to degauss too. [source]

A Comedy of Dogs and Water

Most dogs love water. They love to jump in and out of waves at the beach, swim in lakes and dams and run through rivers. And after all that running and jumping, dogs love to shake off the water. When viewed by the naked human eye, a dog's shaking seems to be a blur of movement concealed by a spray of water droplets. With the help of a high-speed camera, we can see exactly what's going on underneath all that spray; a funny comedy combo of dog and water.

Above: A golden Labrador retriever shakes off water after a swim in a river. The directions of the water droplets show how the dog shakes its head from side to side. [source]

Above: Pulling faces, blowing raspberries and shaking off water. This funny border collie is a multitasking sheep dog. [source]

Above: A beagle shakes off water after a bath, stretching one side of her face and squashing the other. Beagles are often used in comedy shots of animals because they have a lighthearted and fun personality. [source]

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Fantastically Funny Photoshop Image Manipulations

Digital art programs like Photoshop can be used as a tool to create art in dozens of different styles. One of the art styles that Photoshop is most famous for is image manipulation. This is when a Photoshop artist takes one or more photographs and edits them in Photoshop to create a new image.

A Photoshop Perspective
Creating funny Photoshop images isn't as easy as it looks. Photoshop artists need to be familiar with the program, have artistic talent and skill and have a keen eye for detail. There are many tricks that artists use to create funny Photoshop pictures, but the favorite among art lovers is the trick of creating an image of something that looks real, but can't possibly be real.

Above: A Photoshop artist has manipulated the size of the doctor so that he seems to be small enough to fit inside the lioness's mouth. Both of the figures are taken from real photographs, so the finished Photoshop art work looks like a real situation. [source]

Above: A funny Photoshop caricature by Rodney Pike. Pike is a master Photoshop artist who creates caricatures from real photographs, making hilarious portraits that seem real. [source]

Above: Photoshop animal hybrids are some of the funniest digital art images around. This Photoshop artist has created a Tiger Squirrel, combining two creatures that are very different; one is about as dangerous as a packet of peanuts while the other can tear a person to pieces. Creating a Photoshop creature hybrid out of two animals results in a humorous character that is at odds with itself. [source]

Creating a Funny Picture in Photoshop

Every funny Photoshop image starts with a funny idea. Sometimes a digital artist will be inspired by an image, a joke or another artists' work. Image manipulation programs like Photoshop allow artists to suspend reality and create humorous images that wouldn't have been possible a few decades ago. Creating a quality image manipulation in Photoshop takes time, effort and skill. The more time that is spent perfecting the image, the better the finished result is.

Above: This funny Photoshop head swap shows a man's head and a toddler's arms. The difference in age is what creates the humor in this image. The Photoshop artist who created this image was smart - the arms don't join the body anywhere in the image, making the illusion easier to create. [source]

Above: A human food hybrid, created by merging two images, one of a child and another of a pear. [source]

Above: Harry Potter, digitally aged in Photoshop. The beard is probably taken from another photograph and overlaid onto the image of Harry Potter. [source]

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Ernst Haeckel Draws a Psychedelic World

Ernst Haeckel was a 19th century artist, philosopher and professor who had a deep interest in the natural world. His beautifully detailed illustrations of sea creatures, insects, plants and animals have survived over a century of change and are still hailed as among the best nature illustrations that exist to this day.

Photography vs Psychedelic Illustrations
The art of photography has existed for centuries, though not as we know it today. As early as the 4th and 5th centuries BC, Chinese and Greek philosophers and mathematicians described pinhole cameras. By the late 19th century, more sophisticated cameras were in use. These cameras often produced blurry images that were either over- or under-exposed, so up until the early 20th century, illustrations were the best way for scientists to share images of their findings with other biologists. These illustrations were used to identify and differentiate species of animals. Ernst Haeckel earned a name for himself for his highly detailed, intricately constructed illustrations of the natural world.

Above: Ernst Haeckel often colored his illustrations, a technique that allowed other naturalists to imagine not just the shape and texture of the creature, but its color patterns too. During the 19th century, photographs were produced in black and white, which meant that color illustrations were valued over monotone photographs. [source]

Above: Orchidae, depicting several orchid flower species. Haeckel often drew collections of animals or plants of the same species, showcasing both the similarities and differences between the different breeds. [source]

Above: Ernst Haeckel's illustrations were highly prized for their level of detail. Many nature artists of the time would simply have drawn a rough sketch of this sea creature, unlike Haeckel who has drawn every tiny detail. [source]

Natural Psychedelic Design
It's unlikely that Haeckel's intention was to create psychedelic art works. As a biologist and naturalist, Haeckel simply wanted to record the world as he saw it, as a collection of intricate patterns and subtle shades. But repetitive patterns create the basis of psychedelic art, so Haeckel's illustrations have unintentionally become mind-boggling art works.

Above: Many of Haeckel's drawings are of sea creatures such as anemones. With their repetitive patterns and intricate details, these creatures are the perfect subjects for psychedelic, alienish art works. [source]

Above: Ernst Haeckel's illustrations often have an otherworldly feel. The creature in the picture above could easily feel at home on an alien planet, yet unusually enough, it calls Earth its home. [source]

Above: Another of Haeckel's illustrations that shows several different breeds of the same specie. In all of his art works, Haeckel included as much detail as he possibly could, making his drawings the first truly accurate recordings of many creatures.

Ernst Haeckel died on August 9, 1919, leaving behind hundreds of nature illustrations. Nearly a century after his death, his drawings are still celebrated as being some of the most detailed and attractive biological illustrations in the world.

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10 Exquisite Photographs of Wild Animals

Nature holds a wealth of beauty and wonder that every once in a while, a photographer manages to capture in a single frame. Wild animals are a source of fascination for human beings - their lives may be harsher in some ways, but in many ways they embody a sense of freedom that people crave.

Above: "Zen Fox" by thrumyeye. Such a peaceful moment is rare in wild animals, who are generally alert and wary of danger. The features of the fox's face are sharper than the background areas, a technique that draws the eye to the focal point - the face. [source]

Above: Flamingos sleep while standing, tucking their heads under a wing for protection from the elements. In the nature photograph above, the photographer has captured the sleeping flamingo beautifully. By emphasizing the yin yang nature of the pose, the photographer has added a sense of balance and peace to the picture. [source]

Above: This photographer has caught this tiger in an almost human pose, as though the tiger is pulling a face, not just simply licking his paw. By personifying the animal subject, the photographer encourages empathy in the viewer. [source]

Above: This white lion is rare, but isn't a true albino. Most big cat species have a genetic strain that once in a while produces a pure white animal. If this lion was an albino, its eyes would be pink. [source]

Above: Photographers are often so focused on their animal subjects that they ignore the animal's natural habitat. This photographer has chosen to exhibit the polar bear as part of its environment. The unusual shape of the ice combined with the beautiful colors add to the natural beauty of the polar bear. [source]

Above: This photographer is aware of the value of space within an image, giving the cute squirrel plenty of room to own this photograph. [source]

Above: An octopus in its aquatic environment, lit naturally by rays of sunlight shining through the water. The semi-translucent nature of the octopus's tentacles add to the feeling that the octopus is glowing. [source]

Above: Nature photography isn't always just a way to capture an amazing moment in time. Sometimes, the most effective photographs reveal a relationship between the animals and the photographer. In the picture above, the swans are angry to discover the photographer in their territory. The photographer has expressed his fear of the swans by capturing them with an upward angle, which makes the birds seem much larger than they actually are. [source]

Above: Young elephants are very playful, often running about while waving their trunks in the air. This photograph is an example of personification - humans recognize the open-mouthed expression on the animal's face as a smile. [source]

Above: One of nature's rarities, the glass winged butterfly. This beautiful creature is beautiful when set in contrast to colorful flowers, as in the photograph above. [source]

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Photoshop Machine Animals Tell a Love Story of Nature and Technology

Photoshop artists can create hybrid creatures out of anything. The following images show how digital artists have combined man-made technological creations with animals created by mother nature. The results are mechanical animals.

Photoshop VW Buggy: An Insect Car
Volkswagen's popular family car, the VW Beetle, has been spoofed in this Photoshopped machine animal hybrid. The artist has combined the original shape of the VW Beetle with the colors and accessories of an actual, living insect, creating a visual pun.

Above: Instead of legs, the lady bug now has wheels. The carapace above the beetle's head forms the windshield of the insect car. This Photoshop artist has created a visual pun on the name of both the VW Beetle and the Lady Beetle.

[source]

The Photoshop Toad Engine Croaks when Cranked

In this machine animal hybrid, the Photoshop artist has shown the "hood" of the toad vehicle (it's skull) as being open, revealing the frog's brain engine within. This robot creature combines organic elements, such as its skin, with machine components, such as having headlights for eyes.

Above: The Photoshop techno toad and it's cyborg butterfly mechanic. [source]

The Robo Lobster's a Crustacean with Cogs

To eat this robot lobster, you'd need to suffer from Pica, a mental illness that compels people to eat inedible objects. Though it is prone to rusting, the Photoshop machine lobster lives in harmony with its watery surroundings, dining on the metal hulls of sunken ships.

Above: The robo lobster's vice-like claws deliver quite a pinch. [source]

Gone Fishing in Photoshop

This Photoshop artist has combined an aquatic animal; a simple fish, with a submarine to create an organic underwater vessel. Unlike regular submarines, the Photoshop fish sub uses fins to propel itself.

Above: The colorful Photoshop fish sub, complete with a glass engine room for tiny mariners to see out of. [source]

Photoshop Chicken Machine Clucks and Clanks

The Photoshop robot chicken ain't no turkey, and is hoping to be featured in the next Transformers movie . While this rooster alarm clock may be able to play your favorite songs, it's not going to produce any eggs for breakfast.

Above: The Photoshop chicken gives new meaning to the term "battery hen". [source]

Fly me to the Moon on a Hornet Motorbike

Tired of people driving close to your back bumper? You'll never need to worry about that if you're riding the Photoshop hornet bike. With its mean-looking features and nasty stinger, this buzzing motorbike will give you plenty of room on the roads, and if traffic is bad - it can fly you to work.

Above: Even as a Photoshop concept, the wasp motorbike is awesome. [source]

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Antique Lolcats Photographs make Kitteh Historeh

The word 'lolcat' is created from the abbreviation 'lol' and 'cat', and is used as a label for any funny photograph of a cat. Often the photo is captioned with 'lolspeak', a misspelled language that was formed during the rise in popularity of lolcat pictures.

A Kitteh Historeh of lolcats
In the 1870s a British photographer called Harry Pointer created a series of photographs of cats. To add to the humor of the cat pictures Pointer would often add a funny caption, and thus the first lolcat pictures were born. Soon other photographers were using cats and other animals as subjects in photographs, often dressing the animals in human clothing and personifying them by posing them in human situations. Harry Whittier Frees is another notable antique lolcat photographer who created dozens of animal pictures that were a parody of human life.

Above: Antique lolcat photograph by Harry Pointer, with the caption "Bring up the dinner Betsy" [source]

Above: An antique lolcat postcard from 1905. The photograph was taken by Harry Whittier Frees, who added the caption "What's delaying my dinner?" In modern lolspeak, the caption would probably be along the lines of the classic; "I can has cheezburger?" [source]

Postcards of pets in costumes with captions were a novel concept in the early 20th century and became a popular way to communicate with loved ones who lived far away, as postcards included a picture and were cheaper to send than letters. Often the lolcat postcards were sent in place of birthday cards, to the delight of the children who received them. Even a century ago, lolcats were a popular form of humor.

Makin da Kittehs seem Hooman

Anthropomorphism is the act of giving animals or objects human characteristics and personalities. Harry Whittier Frees was a master of anthropomorphism who didn't just pose his animal subjects in human situations, but waited for a seemingly human expression to pass across the animals' faces before he took a photograph. Often the facial expressions were ones of resignation or exhaustion as it must have been tiring for the animals to sit for the camera in uncomfortable positions for what could be hours. 

Above: A Frees photograph of a feline teacher and her pupils. Lolspeak hadn't yet been invented, so antique lolcat photographs often implied that cats were as intelligent as humans. If this were a modern lolcat picture, the alphabet would probably be jumbled and the title of the teachers book would be something along the lines of "spalling book". [source]

Above: Another of Harry Whittier Frees's antique lolcat pictures. Part of the appeal of Frees's images was the fact that props had to be made to size. At the time doll collecting was becoming a popular hobby which meant the doll-like effect of these antique lolcat pictures was well-received by the public.

Lolcats as an Antique Art Form

Before the art of photography was created, humorous pictures were either painted or illustrated. A notable cat illustrator of the late 19th century was Louis Wain. Wain's drawings of cats in human situations captured the imaginations of the people at the time and were published in newspapers as a form of entertainment. 

Above: Like the lolcat photographers of the time, Wain chose to pose his feline subjects in human situations, personifying them with human emotions such as humor, frustration and surprise. [source]

Above: Louis Wain's cat characters were often cartoonish in nature, sporting caricature facial expressions that made them seem more human. [source]

Although websites like lolcats.com and icanhascheezburger.com are modern inventions, the art of funny cat pictures has existed for over a century. Over time lolcats have been given their own language and their own attitude toward life.

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