# One of the most technically impressive tattoos I've ever seen



## BetterThanYou (Oct 3, 2012)

not my cup of tea, but but very very impressive!

artists name is Xoil -> http://www.tattoosnob.com/2012/06/21/the-xoil-aka-loic-interview/


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## Uriel (Oct 14, 2008)

that is some very original work....I went to a tatt convention last year and saw nothing like that


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## Smoog (Dec 29, 2012)

They

Tattoo'd

His

Nipple.


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## TG123 (Apr 10, 2012)

bit too abstract for my liking

I like my old fashioned british bulldog :thumb:


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## Mish (May 1, 2011)

Some stunning work there. Never seen anything like it in tattoo form.


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## Goosh (Jun 24, 2012)

The Pantera one is amazing. The first paint brush one is also immense.


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## raptordog (Oct 9, 2008)

Things have come on abit since I was a teen  (ok yes it was along time ago)

Back in the day........


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## Skinny Guy (Jul 24, 2011)

Very impressive!


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## WannaGetHench (Aug 22, 2010)

some of these are completly pointless


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## WillOdling (Aug 27, 2009)

Awesome stuff


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## BigMitchh (Sep 25, 2012)

bookmarking for ideas :thumb:


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## Uriel (Oct 14, 2008)

WannaGetHench said:


> some of these are completly pointless


to who?

i dont get why people dont see tattoos are for the wearer not the viewer


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## Sambuca (Jul 25, 2012)

Original but wtf is that just black thing :/


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## sockie (Jul 1, 2012)

Some are fresh,and the detail is to fine,after time they will blurr,and will look like sh!te.But crazy stuff,I'd like to get mine finished,soon.The guy that started a sleeve for me died in a mc crash in the states,So im waiting until I can afford to get it finished.Great tattoo's though,great detail in the 5th.


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## WannaGetHench (Aug 22, 2010)

Uriel said:


> to who?
> 
> i dont get why people dont see tattoos are for the wearer not the viewer


to me, yeah i know its each to there own and all that but wtf some of these tatoos make you think what goes through peoples heads.


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## Uriel (Oct 14, 2008)

WannaGetHench said:


> to me, yeah i know its each to there own and all that but wtf some of these tatoos make you think what goes through peoples heads.


i just appreciate the skill of the pieces.....i dont question the relevence as i dont see it as err relevent lol


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## Ghostspike (Jan 21, 2013)

If I was to get a tattoo, it would be on my shoulder/ part chest and arm. Maouri tribal tattoo, very rare tattoo's.


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## PaulB (Jun 6, 2010)

Some interesting stuff there..a lot of the designs are not to my liking but I can appreciate the detail that's gone into them.


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## Uriel (Oct 14, 2008)

Sambuca said:


> Original but wtf is that just black thing :/


said the hooker to mike tyson


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## Leeds89 (Feb 13, 2012)

WannaGetHench said:


> to me, yeah i know its each to there own and all that but wtf some of these tatoos make you think what goes through peoples heads.


What goes through their heads is that they like them which is all that matters. I sort of agree in the sense that some of them I don't like but each to their own. I personally hate tribal tattoos, think they look tacky and are overdone and can't imagine anyone liking the look of them, but I guess the millions of people having them done says otherwise.


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## DoubleXL- (Feb 13, 2012)

really good abstract work!


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## iamyou (Oct 29, 2012)

The one with eye on his chest looks awesome. Wonder if that would look decent on upper back.


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## jon-kent (May 20, 2011)

Seen this style before very impressive !


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## jon-kent (May 20, 2011)




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## CJ (Apr 24, 2006)

Amazing work but I do question, on some of the new styles, how the tattoo will hold itself as it fades with age.


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## Harry Sacks (May 3, 2009)

Thats one seriously talented artist!


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## Uriel (Oct 14, 2008)

CJ said:


> Amazing work but I do question, on some of the new styles, how the tattoo will hold itself as it fades with age.


True - lines thicken under the skin and minute detail fades quick - i think you need to understand how tattoos age before choosing one...they are not paintings


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## CJ (Apr 24, 2006)

Uriel said:


> True - lines thicken under the skin and minute detail fades quick - i think you need to understand how tattoos age before choosing one...they are not paintings


Completely agree..all mine are very simple in design for this reason


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## glenn (Jan 20, 2008)

there good but not my cup of tea tbh

appart from the spitfire one, really into spitfires so that one rocks for me


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## Milky (Nov 30, 2008)

Not my bag at all TBH but l admire anyone with a genuine talent...


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## Uriel (Oct 14, 2008)

CJ said:


> Completely agree..all mine are very simple in design for this reason


the guy that done my reaper did his brother an amazing detailed watch tattoo on his wrist using a single tatt needle for some of the detail.........probably looked amazing for about 1 month lol.....it'll be a round black smudge in 4 years lol


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## TrailerParkBoy (Sep 20, 2011)

I take nothing away from the artists as its what the customer wants. But some of those just look messy. Ive seen some of this type of work before, it's not for me


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## animal adam (Sep 1, 2010)

There is a guy called Brett Murray who works out of enderby, Leicester who dose the same sort of stuff


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## Gman81 (Nov 11, 2012)

Stunning work and must technically be so hard. Some would maybe look better as abstract paintings/prints but either way I'm impressed.


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## Smitch (Dec 29, 2008)

Why anyone would get any of that permanently etched on their skin is beyond me.

If you want to be unique then don't get a tattoo.


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## Lethagized (Mar 26, 2008)

Not seeing it myself.


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## simonthepieman (Jun 11, 2012)

i've kinda given up on the idea of tattoos as most look to generic.

But this has openned up my mind to other possibilities


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## barsnack (Mar 12, 2011)

very orginal, personally wouldn't get any of them, but as Uriel said, and by fook I hate agreeing with him, tattoo's are for the wearer not viewer...but mad talent the artist has


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## Ashcrapper (Jul 3, 2008)

Ghostspike said:


> If I was to get a tattoo, it would be on my shoulder/ part chest and arm. *Maouri tribal tattoo, very rare tattoo's*.


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## need2bodybuild (May 11, 2011)

Good work from the artist for sure but how some of these people could want some of this stuff on them for life is beyond me! I wouldn't even have most of them drawn on for a day lol


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## simonthepieman (Jun 11, 2012)

Ghostspike said:


> If I was to get a tattoo, it would be on my shoulder/ part chest and arm. Maouri tribal tattoo, very rare tattoo's.


What maouri tribe are you part of?


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## Cactus87 (Mar 30, 2009)

simonthepieman said:


> What maouri tribe are you part of?


  you don't have to be a Maori to get a Maori tattoo in the same way you don't have to be Japanese to get a traditional Japanese sleeve or you don't have to be an American to get some traditional/neo-traditional style work....


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## simonthepieman (Jun 11, 2012)

Cactus87 said:


> you don't have to be a Maori to get a Maori tattoo in the same way you don't have to be Japanese to get a traditional Japanese sleeve or you don't have to be an American to get some traditional/neo-traditional style work....


Of course not. People are free to do what they want.

The guy only described Maouri tattoo's are rare. They certainly aren't if you know some Maouri's

However there is big difference between artistic influence and just cherry picked tribalism, which has strong symbolism and almost religious significance.


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## Cactus87 (Mar 30, 2009)

simonthepieman said:


> Of course not. People are free to do what they want.
> 
> The guy only described Maouri tattoo's are rare. They certainly aren't if you know some Maouri's
> 
> However there is big difference between artistic influence and just cherry picked tribalism, which has strong symbolism and almost religious significance.


I know. And Maori tattoos are certainly not rare at all, Polynesian style work is hugely popular. It's the same with Japanese tattoos, certain things shouldn't go together etc. So I completely understand your point...but most people really don't care about that...they just want something they like the look of.


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## simonthepieman (Jun 11, 2012)

Cactus87 said:


> I know. And Maori tattoos are certainly not rare at all, Polynesian style work is hugely popular. It's the same with Japanese tattoos, certain things shouldn't go together etc. So I completely understand your point...but most people really don't care about that...they just want something they like the look of.


Spot on.


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## Kiwi (Dec 24, 2008)

Ghostspike said:


> If I was to get a tattoo, it would be on my shoulder/ part chest and arm. Maouri tribal tattoo, very rare tattoo's.


That's Maori tribal tattoo, known as 'moko'. Quite common in New Zealand. Can be very intricate in detail with many hours of work gone into the tattoo. Many people don't realize that traditionally every tattoo tells a story about the wearer. Since tribal tattoos became fashionable many people flick through a book and choose one they like the look of without ever knowing what it means if in fact it means any thing. Not saying anything is wrong with that, if you like the look of it plus I guess if you can't interpret it then it doesn't matter. For me my moko tells my life story so far, where I was born and raised, my families history my sports and interests, life's highs and lows. Still not finished of course.


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## Cactus87 (Mar 30, 2009)

simonthepieman said:


> Spot on.


Which is fair enough. Tattooists need their "bread and butter" tattoos 

But I wouldn't get a tattoo from a different culture without researching it in detail first.


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## Cactus87 (Mar 30, 2009)

Kiwi said:


> That's Maori tribal tattoo, known as 'moko'. Quite common in New Zealand. Can be very intricate in detail with many hours of work gone into the tattoo. Many people don't realize that traditionally every tattoo tells a story about the wearer. Since tribal tattoos became fashionable many people flick through a book and choose one they like the look of without ever knowing what it means if in fact it means any thing. Not saying anything is wrong with that, if you like the look of it plus I guess if you can't interpret it then it doesn't matter. For me my moko tells my life story so far, where I was born and raised, my families history my sports and interests, life's highs and lows. Still not finished of course.


Are you a Maori? I saw a guy in Brighton not too long ago with full body and full face moko. It looked brilliant. I`m not sure if he was Maori, he could have been Samoan or from any other Polynesian culture but even with full face tattoos he just looked normal (if that makes sense?)


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## Kiwi (Dec 24, 2008)

Cactus87 said:


> Are you a Maori? I saw a guy in Brighton not too long ago with full body and full face moko. It looked brilliant. I`m not sure if he was Maori, he could have been Samoan or from any other Polynesian culture but even with full face tattoos he just looked normal (if that makes sense?)


I have Maori and Irish blood in me. Yeah got some mates that have the facial moko plus a couple of girls that have their lips and chins tattooed.

You also get the gang members with face tattoos but the tattoo will have something to do with the gang culture i.e. mongal mobs culture is known as 'dog culture'


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## Cactus87 (Mar 30, 2009)

Kiwi said:


> I have Maori and Irish blood in me. Yeah got some mates that have the facial moko plus a couple of girls that have their lips and chins tattooed.


Great! How old are they? Ive only seen face moko on old Maoris and I wasn't aware the lips/chin on females was still happening, I thought that had died out. mg:

I`m big into tattoos/tattoo culture/work in a tattoo shop hence all the questions!


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## Kiwi (Dec 24, 2008)

Cactus87 said:


> Great! How old are they? Ive only seen face moko on old Maoris and I wasn't aware the lips/chin on females was still happening, I thought that had died out. mg:
> 
> I`m big into tattoos/tattoo culture/work in a tattoo shop hence all the questions!


Sweet as no problem, the girls are in their late 20's. In the last 20 years or so there has been a big revival in Maori culture, starting with Te Reo Maori (Maori language) and then spreading into other aspects of the culture such as moko, Mau Rakau (Maori martial arts) etc.

Get out into the remote towns, villages in the bush and many aspects of Maori culture including moko art are alive and well and increasing year on year.


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## Kiwi (Dec 24, 2008)

Cactus87 said:


> Great! How old are they? Ive only seen face moko on old Maoris and I wasn't aware the lips/chin on females was still happening, I thought that had died out. mg:
> 
> I`m big into tattoos/tattoo culture/work in a tattoo shop hence all the questions!


A mate back home is covered in tattoos, he has dreadlocks, built like a brick sh1t house. People straight away think he is a gang member or criminal, he is in fact an orthopedic doctor in a hospital


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## Poke (May 31, 2012)

Amazing artist, he should be doing most of those on paper though... not on peoples bodies lol


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## Fatstuff (Mar 2, 2010)

Poke said:


> Amazing artist, he should be doing most of those on paper though... not on peoples bodies lol


wouldnt make a very good tattooist then though


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## Poke (May 31, 2012)

Fatstuff said:


> wouldnt make a very good tattooist then though


Would still make him a good artist just like I mentioned though.


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## Cactus87 (Mar 30, 2009)

Poke said:


> Amazing artist, he should be doing most of those on paper though... not on peoples bodies lol


I don't think he SHOULD be.


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## Poke (May 31, 2012)

Cactus87 said:


> I don't think he SHOULD be.


I do, never said you do lol.


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## alchemystical (Jan 16, 2013)

I wonder if they'll age the same way my Stephen Hawkings tattoo did?


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## Chris F (Jul 2, 2013)

These are technically Very good,but i wouldnt have one,i have an addictive personality, i would end up plastered in them.


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## Leonwales (May 18, 2013)

More "Arty" than traditional tattoo's. Which is a good thing.


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## sirhampton (May 17, 2013)

AnnesBollocks said:


> I wonder if they'll age the same way my Stephen Hawkings tattoo did?


nice photoshop


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## Cactus87 (Mar 30, 2009)

AnnesBollocks said:


> I wonder if they'll age the same way my Stephen Hawkings tattoo did?


Nice one. That was done by a guy in my town called Stewart Francis


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## Ashcrapper (Jul 3, 2008)

http://www.awwwards.com/innovative-geometric-tattoo-inspiration.html


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## Gym Bunny (Mar 25, 2009)

Cactus87 said:


> you don't have to be a Maori to get a Maori tattoo in the same way you don't have to be Japanese to get a traditional Japanese sleeve or you don't have to be an American to get some traditional/neo-traditional style work....


True, but it's really offensive to them.Ta Moko is the tapu (sacred) form of family and personal identification among those of Maori whakapapa (genealogy), so when you get a maori tattoo you are, in effect committing identity theft.

If you really, really want a tattoo that is fashioned in the style of Ta Moko, think about kirituhi instead. Kirituhi is a form of pattern art that looks like Ta Moko, but deliberately does not make any reference to Maori symbolism. Kirituhi literally means "skin art" and the patterns are designed to meet the demands of non-Maori wishing to have similar tattoos.

Edit, just realised my post is a bit redundant as Kiwi already explained it and is Maori.


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## Adz (Jan 29, 2008)

Very very nice, I love the fine detail and the imagination that goes into them.

They must take ages!

Would love something abstract like that down my leg


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## Cactus87 (Mar 30, 2009)

Gym Bunny said:


> True, but it's really offensive to them.Ta Moko is the tapu (sacred) form of family and personal identification among those of Maori whakapapa (genealogy), so when you get a maori tattoo you are, in effect committing identity theft.
> 
> If you really, really want a tattoo that is fashioned in the style of Ta Moko, think about kirituhi instead. Kirituhi is a form of pattern art that looks like Ta Moko, but deliberately does not make any reference to Maori symbolism. Kirituhi literally means "skin art" and the patterns are designed to meet the demands of non-Maori wishing to have similar tattoos.
> 
> Edit, just realised my post is a bit redundant as Kiwi already explained it and is Maori.


It's also redundant as like I said, I work in a tattoo shop and do know all the above information 

I was just saying you don't have to be Maori to get a Maori piece. I`m not disagreeing with what you said at all but it's "bread and butter" tattooing and most tattoo artists will not turn down the work or the money. Although most would (or should!) modify the design so it is not an actual Maori piece but just looks like one, just like you said


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## Danjal (Aug 4, 2009)

Sambuca said:


> Original but wtf is that just black thing :/


It's paint brush strokes...


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## tioc (Jul 16, 2013)

CJ said:


> Amazing work but I do question, on some of the new styles, how the tattoo will hold itself as it fades with age.


the artwork in these is cracking, a very talented artist, but some look as though they may not age well, would be good to see a few like this after 10 tears or so, to see how they age.


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## SammyInnit (Apr 29, 2013)

Trash Polka is a really great style if it looks right. Can be easy to make a mess of it.

Another really intricate artist, although not generally of the same style is Victor 'Portugal'.



http://www.victorportugal.com/


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