Time for a splash of colour with Daniel Feinberg.

 

 

 

This is Part 2 of my new tattoo.

It is unusual for me to publish posts about my tattoos on the Travel & Things Blog, however this one is a direct result of seeing a tiger (named Baras)on each day of a 6 day safari while at Pench National Park in India in 2018.

I have been planning this particular tribute piece since seeing 2018, but for one reason or another, it was never the right time.

COVID played a large part in me delaying the work as well the fact that my regular tattoo artist was not allowed to work during the pandemic and then he chose to move to Cape Town.

But the Universe is strange, and I met the artist who would do this work at a family funeral.

It transpires that Daniel is the nephew of my brother-in-law and we got chatting after the service and we agreed that it was not the ideal setting to chat about tattoos, so we arranged to meet where he works at Fallen Heroes in Emmarentia, a more appropriate setting for a discussion of this nature.

 

 

 

This is Baras (the name means 12 in Hindi) to whom the tattoo is dedicated. My wife and I were on safari in Pench National Park in Northern India and we saw her on six separate occasions.

This image is from our final encounter and shortly after I took this picture, she vanished into the undergrowth alongside the road and it would be the last time I would see her.

We have kept in touch with our guide from that trip, and we know that she is still alive and producing cubs on an annual basis.

The number 12 that can clearly be seen above her left eye carries religious, mythological and magical symbolism, generally representing perfection, entirety, or cosmic order in traditions since antiquity

“The tiger, as an animal symbol is an emblem of dignity, ferocity, sternness, courage, and by itself is Yin energy. It is also a symbol of protection and images of tigers are often seen on clothing or in homes to ward off harm and to assure safekeeping“.

 

 

 

And so it began…

This is from my first visit that took place in August, 2022.The stencil had been prepared before my arrival and as seen here it is actually in reverse so that it is correctly applied to my skin.

There was some discussion about elements that had been added at the last moment, but I believed that the additions would enhance the final work, it was time to settle down for what turned out to be a long day.

Daniel was not happy with the first placement, so he cleaned off my leg and started all over again.

Some might see him as pedantic, however, he is a perfectionist and even if the client (in this case me) had not noticed any line issues, he had and he wanted the end result to be up to his standards.

For the purists, I do realize that there are no tigers in Japan and this is not my original style choice. But having had Daniel spend time educating me on traditional Japanese tattoo culture, I quickly came to realize that this was the reason that I had postponed the piece for so many years.

If you want to see the entire process from the beginning, use this link: https://travelandthings.co.za/2022/08/tattoo-time-with-daniel-feinberg-this-one-is-for-baras

 

 

 

Three weeks after having the line work done, I found myself back at Fallen Heroes to have Daniel add colour to the awesome work that he had created.

As a instant gratification type of personality, it took discipline for me not to want to rush back and get it completed sooner than later.

And just to prove this session was ‘some-time-later’, Daniel is sporting a different outfit.

In order to ‘justify’ my statement above, I feel that the image should have had a caption saying ‘3-weeks later’.

There does need to be an explanation that although some of the images may seem to be upside down, they were taken from my perspective while Daniel was working. I also gave me something to keep myself occupied for the almost 5 hours that this session lasted.

 

 

 

I had been led to believe that all the black and line work had been completed during the first sitting, however it seems that I was mistaken and there were a couple of lines that Daniel wanted to ‘include’ in the colour session.

And who am I to disagree…

 

 

 

Finally the BIG moment arrived. Time to start adding the colour.

The pigment is mixed with Witch-Hazel in order to give it the correct consistency to work with.

Who knew that there is a tiny mixer for tattoo artists to use for this purpose.

I am now better informed about the modern inks. Were they come from and how they can be applied.

 

 

 

The first application of colour. This is only my second colour tattoo, all my others being shades of black and gray.

For those who are interested the other colour piece is an image of a Koi. Not for any reason other than I had always wanted a tattoo of a Koi.

I suppose that the new tattoo will be referred to as “The thigh of the Tiger”…thanks for that title Rob.

 

 

 

Watching the colour being applied, I felt like Joseph in ‘Joseph and his amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat’.

Except I was David with his Amazing Multicoloured Tattoo.

Who knew that colouring between the lines could be so hypnotic to watch.

 

 

 

And so Baras comes to life. The eyes would be left until the very last and would signal the final stage of the piece.

The choice of colour I left up to Daniel. And he consulted with a couple of his colleagues to choose the colour palette that he felt would best represent this Baras and the work.

 

 

 

It was not just a case of splash on some colour. There was shading to be considered and skin breaks that would be left to make the detailed work stand out.

 

 

 

The back foot was the favourite part of the tattoo for me, and now that colour has been added, it is even more special.

Even as I write this, a week after the event, I am still discovering colour in places that I had not noticed before.

 

 

 

There was a moment of discussion about what colour the bamboo leaves and stems should be. Although I did weigh in with some suggestions, I finally realized that Daniel and his colleague Roger, knew better than me and I left the final decision up to them.

Roger was also involved with the actual placement of the stencil on my first session, so he did have a vested interest in the final image.

 

 

 

Building up the background, one leaf at a time.

Now that I think back on both sessions, there were very few long, continuous lines in this piece. That meant that is was less painful than I was expecting, even though the sessions lasted longer that I had sat for before.

Are you aware? Different parts of the body have different pain thresholds than other areas. Anywhere near a bone can be sore and by the same token side side of the torso might require something to bite on to keep from screaming and annoying clients in another room.

For me, the tattoos on my wrists that only took 15 minutes caused me more pain than the larger and longer pieces that I have had done.

 

 

 

And finally… The eye of the tiger…

 

 

 

Baras in all her glory.

Is it time to plan the next one? Probably!

 

 

 

To find out more about the product and what it offers, click on the image above.

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SOFTWASP ROYAL BALM is formulated using a proprietary blend of the following all-natural ingredients:

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25mg FULL SPECTRUM CANNABINOID / CBD EXTRACT combined with:

• Organic Coconut oil: this forms the bulk of our balm, it’s the perfect base for tattoo balm as it is naturally high in lauric acid, which prevents bacterial infection, as well as boosting collagen levels.
• Shea Butter: chosen for its high concentration of fatty acids and vitamins, ideal for post tattoo recovery. Grown organically in Africa.
• Carnauba wax: High in natural alcohols, fatty acids, acids and hydrocarbons, it is also hypoallergenic and a potent emollient.
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If you want to find out more about Fallen Heroes and the artists that work there. click on the logo above.

 

 

 

Daniel Feinberg has switched disciplines throughout his career. From interior design to fine art and having a few shows at the Premises Gallery, to Architectural Visualization, he has finally settled as a Tattoo Artist with a focus and love for Traditional Japanese Tattoo.  This involves having a strong connection to Japanese myth and culture. The use of Ukiyo-E prints as a core for reference and inspiration mixes well with tattoo flash art sensibilities.

INSTAGRAM: @danielfeinberg