Flash

Spine is .48”

· TECHNIQUES · COLOR

Coloring in the Tattoo Style CHRIS GARVER

·

$ 15 . 9 5 U S $ 18 . 9 5 C A N I S B N 9 7 8 -1 - 9 4 2 0 21 -5 2 -0

Get Creative 6

Flash_COVER_Final to Chelsea.indd 1

Flash

CHRIS GARVER

From the pen of reknowned artist Chris Garver comes this exquisitely drawn book of tattoo-style images for your creative expression. Printed on high-quality, single-sided pages that can be easily removed, the designs run the gamut of time-honored styles from Japanese-inspired motifs to classic American themes. Create your own complete portfolio of colored or black and white tattoos, or remove favorite pages for framing. Whether you’re a tattoo enthusiast or simply love to color gorgeous art, this collection will spark your imagination and deepen your appreciation of this ancient yet perennially popular art form.

Flash Coloring in the Tattoo Style

ART

6/3/16 10:53 AM

Flash

Coloring in the Tattoo Style CHRIS GARVER

Get Creative 6

Flash_Interior_Final_pgs1_4Corrected.indd 1

5/18/16 1:21 PM

Flash_InteriorFinal_pgs_1_4.indd 2

5/17/16 3:17 PM

Introduction

T

he first time I stepped foot in a tattoo shop, I couldn’t stop looking at the rows and rows of incredible designs that lined the walls. Sheet after sheet of eagles, snakes, skulls, and dragons were mixed with pin-ups, hearts, and flowers, and set in frames crowded together so closely that the room itself became a giant piece of art.

These sheets—called “flash”—serve as a sample gallery of motifs from which a customer can select a design to be tattooed. Usually several images are grouped on a single sheet, and are painted with intense black shading and bold colors to have a strong visual impact.

Later I learned that many of these eye-catching designs evolved over generations as artists copied, traced, or redrew popular images.

Today it is not uncommon to see a pattern that originated in the nineteenth century that’s been modified over and over to suit the tastes of each new era. Details such as hairstyles, typography, and clothing change, but the underlying motif remains the same. And because not every tattoo artist makes their own designs, new and classic flash can be purchased from tattoo suppliers or from other talented artists in the business, extending the reach of a particular design far beyond the walls of a single tattoo shop. Even with the rising popularity of custom tattooing, flash remains relevant both as an inspiration for a unique design for tattooing, and simply as beautiful pop art.

This book features takes on some of my favorite tattoo subjects that are rooted in classic designs but still fresh and new. I hope you enjoy coloring them as much as I have enjoyed drawing them.

— CHRIS GARVER

Flash_Interior_Final_pgs1_4Corrected.indd 3

5/17/16 5:39 PM

This book is to be dedicated to Larissa Osby About the Author Well known and respected throughout the worldwide tattoo community, Chris Garver garnered mainstream attention after appearing as a regular on the reality-TV show Miami Ink. A native of Pittsburgh, PA, he attended the Pittsburgh Creative and Performing Arts High School and later, New York’s School of Visual Arts. An avid traveler and aficionado of all styles of tattoos, Chris has visited and worked in such locales as Japan, Singapore, England, and the Netherlands. He is the author of the acclaimed Color Odyssey; this is his second book.

Chris currently resides in Brooklyn with his daughter.

Get Creative 6 is an imprint of Mixed Media Resources 161 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10013 Flash: Coloring in the Tattoo Style ISBN: 978-1-942021-52-0 Copyright © 2016 Chris Garver Chris Garver photo by Butch Hogan Photography, www.butchhogan.com Tattoo photos by Chris Garver Flash photo by Marcus Tullis All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or used in any form or by any means—graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or information storage-and-retrieval systems—without written permission of the publisher.

The designs in this book are intended for the personal, noncommercial use of the retail purchaser and are under federal copyright laws; they are not to be reproduced in any form for commercial use. Permission is granted to photocopy content for the personal use of the retail purchaser.

Printed in China 13579108642 First Edition

Flash_Interior_Final_pgs1_4Corrected.indd 4

5/18/16 1:24 PM

Flash_FinalInterior_pgs5_96.indd 12

5/12/16 3:35 PM

Flash_FinalInterior_pgs5_96.indd 13

5/12/16 2:28 PM

Flash_FinalInterior_pgs5_96.indd 40

5/12/16 3:39 PM

Flash_FinalInterior_pgs5_96.indd 41

5/12/16 3:39 PM

Flash_FinalInterior_pgs5_96.indd 52

5/12/16 3:41 PM

Flash_FinalInterior_pgs5_96.indd 53

5/12/16 3:41 PM

Flash_FinalInterior_pgs5_96.indd 64

5/12/16 5:08 PM

Flash_FinalInterior_pgs5_96.indd 65

5/12/16 5:08 PM

Flash_FinalInterior_pgs5_96.indd 66

5/12/16 5:09 PM

Flash_FinalInterior_pgs5_96.indd 67

5/12/16 5:09 PM

Flash_FinalInterior_pgs5_96.indd 68

5/12/16 5:39 PM

Flash_FinalInterior_pgs5_96.indd 69

5/12/16 5:40 PM

Flash_FinalInterior_pgs5_96.indd 92

5/12/16 5:52 PM

Flash_FinalInterior_pgs5_96.indd 93

5/12/16 5:53 PM

Spine is .48”

· TECHNIQUES · COLOR

Coloring in the Tattoo Style CHRIS GARVER

·

$ 15 . 9 5 U S $ 18 . 9 5 C A N I S B N 9 7 8 -1 - 9 4 2 0 21 -5 2 -0

Get Creative 6

Flash_COVER_Final to Chelsea.indd 1

Flash

CHRIS GARVER

From the pen of reknowned artist Chris Garver comes this exquisitely drawn book of tattoo-style images for your creative expression. Printed on high-quality, single-sided pages that can be easily removed, the designs run the gamut of time-honored styles from Japanese-inspired motifs to classic American themes. Create your own complete portfolio of colored or black and white tattoos, or remove favorite pages for framing. Whether you’re a tattoo enthusiast or simply love to color gorgeous art, this collection will spark your imagination and deepen your appreciation of this ancient yet perennially popular art form.

Flash Coloring in the Tattoo Style

ART

6/3/16 10:53 AM