So my brother got a tattoo. Or should I say, another tattoo. I think he has four, but I'm really not sure.
My brother's first tattoo with of this giant dragon. No, it's not the serpent kind, but the long Chinese sword. He's had a fascination with that symbol for forever and it was only a matter of time before he started carrying some form of it with him at all times.
Then smaller tattoos kept coming and it was really just a way for him to release. People say tattoos are addictive once you get past the first one. You think "It's going to hurt" or you may just be thinking "F-it" since you're half drunk anyway. The latter may have been what was going through my brother's head most of the time.
I'm positive there is a much deeper reason for him getting his selected tattoos, but he plays it off like it's nothing, so we address it as nothing more than drunken ordeal.
This time was different. He had scheduled with Jerrett from Monarch -- and if you know Jerrett, you know there'll be a waiting period. I can attest that the waiting period, however many months it may be, is worth it. Hands down, he is the best around.
After six months, the waiting was over and my brother was finally getting a tattoo to cover up one of his other tattoos. His choice was two koi fish in the eternal circle. Bringing in no concept art, he trusted Jerrett to come up with something on the spot. We waited for about half an hour as Jerrett sketched something in the back room, then came out with a really awesome design.
As we waited for my brother to get prepped, I sat on a futon and watched Pan's Labyrinth by Guillermo del Toro on their TV. I've never seen Labyrinth with David Bowie or Jennifer Connelly, but I'm pretty sure that this version was nothing like it. The whole tone was hella dark and reminded me of The Cell. At times I couldn't watch and was thankful that heavy metal was playing overhead so I didn't have to hear the sounds of somebody getting punched in the face with a glass bottle -- though sometimes heavy metal does sound like that.
Even more so disturbing was the children-eater who had eyes in his hands. If I had seen him when I was 10-years-old, I would've bitten through my tongue and just ended it right there instead of find out what cruel fate that creature had in store for me. I'm sorry, but where do people come up with this kind of stuff? It's so bizarre. Parents: Please don't let your children see this. They won't be able to walk through the hallway without hallucinating that something is going to eat them.
As the tattoo came closer to being finished, I got more and more jealous. It was looking pretty good. I was just in awe the whole time by how it was coming together. Shortly after, I started plotting my next tattoo in my head. Sadly, I found out Jerrett was taking some time off in the future and slowing down his schedule. It's kind of a good thing since I don't want to be tatted in my wedding photos anyway.
My brother's tattoo turned out pretty sweet and you can't even see the original. It never ceases to amaze me, especially since Jerrett also covered up anther tattoo for my brother-in-law. I wonder if his two-year-old son will follow in his artistic footsteps. Or maybe judging by how many times he kept stealing my Coach purse on the futon, he might become a handbag designer...