Be Like Water


Anyone else catch last night’s UFC event? Mixed Martial Arts can be an acquired taste, but it’s oddly compelling once you get into it. Plus, I doubt there’s another sport — aside from maybe the NBA — that offers tattooed athletes such visibility, so there’s that. The above piece is, I believe, on a young man named Emil Hennix, who, if Google has taught me anything, is an amateur fighter himself.

See more in Old School (and Old) Tattoos (Tattoos)

92 thoughts on “Be Like Water

  1. I’m guessing the roses are there to try to make a tattoo that was done down the docks look more pro? s’alright, I would have just covered up the grey guy and tried to forget about him.

    Also doesnt “amateur fighter” just mean dick who picks fights with people? Where’s the picture of his man eating dog?

  2. I’m guessing the roses are there to try to make a tattoo that was done down the docks look more pro? s’alright, I would have just covered up the grey guy and tried to forget about him.

    Also doesnt “amateur fighter” just mean dick who picks fights with people? Where’s the picture of his man eating dog?

  3. I’m guessing the roses are there to try to make a tattoo that was done down the docks look more pro? s’alright, I would have just covered up the grey guy and tried to forget about him.

    Also doesnt “amateur fighter” just mean dick who picks fights with people? Where’s the picture of his man eating dog?

  4. I’m guessing the roses are there to try to make a tattoo that was done down the docks look more pro? s’alright, I would have just covered up the grey guy and tried to forget about him.

    Also doesnt “amateur fighter” just mean dick who picks fights with people? Where’s the picture of his man eating dog?

  5. Shame the portrait is so poorly done, I like the play of color and black and white.
    This could have been an awesome tattoo.

  6. Shame the portrait is so poorly done, I like the play of color and black and white.
    This could have been an awesome tattoo.

  7. Shame the portrait is so poorly done, I like the play of color and black and white.
    This could have been an awesome tattoo.

  8. Shame the portrait is so poorly done, I like the play of color and black and white.
    This could have been an awesome tattoo.

  9. Wooho, Sweden ;p

    The scribbly sentence says “orgive me” in swedish and you don’t have to be a genius to realise that there’s supossed to be an F in the begining.

  10. Wooho, Sweden ;p

    The scribbly sentence says “orgive me” in swedish and you don’t have to be a genius to realise that there’s supossed to be an F in the begining.

  11. Wooho, Sweden ;p

    The scribbly sentence says “orgive me” in swedish and you don’t have to be a genius to realise that there’s supossed to be an F in the begining.

  12. Wooho, Sweden ;p

    The scribbly sentence says “orgive me” in swedish and you don’t have to be a genius to realise that there’s supossed to be an F in the begining.

  13. I’m starting to despise the way everyone thinks every tattoo is supposed to be a masterpiece executed with impeccable taste, precision, and skill. Sure, really bad tattoos by scratchers are crap. But c’mon, some people (like myself) like tattoos that are just tattoos. I appreciate the masterpieces, but I don’t want any myself.

    I don’t think this tatt’s all that bad. The portrait isn’t wildly crappy, it’s okay. It looks like what it’s supposed to. And I like the way it sits in the old school roses. Looks kinda cool. I bet this guy loves it too.

    F*ck Kat Von D, Ed Hardy, Shikoi Neko, and all that other fashion sh*t that’s commodified tattooing. We’ll still be here long after all the kids drop out and start hating on their ‘masterpieces’.

  14. I’m starting to despise the way everyone thinks every tattoo is supposed to be a masterpiece executed with impeccable taste, precision, and skill. Sure, really bad tattoos by scratchers are crap. But c’mon, some people (like myself) like tattoos that are just tattoos. I appreciate the masterpieces, but I don’t want any myself.

    I don’t think this tatt’s all that bad. The portrait isn’t wildly crappy, it’s okay. It looks like what it’s supposed to. And I like the way it sits in the old school roses. Looks kinda cool. I bet this guy loves it too.

    F*ck Kat Von D, Ed Hardy, Shikoi Neko, and all that other fashion sh*t that’s commodified tattooing. We’ll still be here long after all the kids drop out and start hating on their ‘masterpieces’.

  15. I’m starting to despise the way everyone thinks every tattoo is supposed to be a masterpiece executed with impeccable taste, precision, and skill. Sure, really bad tattoos by scratchers are crap. But c’mon, some people (like myself) like tattoos that are just tattoos. I appreciate the masterpieces, but I don’t want any myself.

    I don’t think this tatt’s all that bad. The portrait isn’t wildly crappy, it’s okay. It looks like what it’s supposed to. And I like the way it sits in the old school roses. Looks kinda cool. I bet this guy loves it too.

    F*ck Kat Von D, Ed Hardy, Shikoi Neko, and all that other fashion sh*t that’s commodified tattooing. We’ll still be here long after all the kids drop out and start hating on their ‘masterpieces’.

  16. I’m starting to despise the way everyone thinks every tattoo is supposed to be a masterpiece executed with impeccable taste, precision, and skill. Sure, really bad tattoos by scratchers are crap. But c’mon, some people (like myself) like tattoos that are just tattoos. I appreciate the masterpieces, but I don’t want any myself.

    I don’t think this tatt’s all that bad. The portrait isn’t wildly crappy, it’s okay. It looks like what it’s supposed to. And I like the way it sits in the old school roses. Looks kinda cool. I bet this guy loves it too.

    F*ck Kat Von D, Ed Hardy, Shikoi Neko, and all that other fashion sh*t that’s commodified tattooing. We’ll still be here long after all the kids drop out and start hating on their ‘masterpieces’.

  17. So what’s up with bme only posting hack tattoos now? I guess when Shannon left, so did the taste of the website…

  18. So what’s up with bme only posting hack tattoos now? I guess when Shannon left, so did the taste of the website…

  19. So what’s up with bme only posting hack tattoos now? I guess when Shannon left, so did the taste of the website…

  20. So what’s up with bme only posting hack tattoos now? I guess when Shannon left, so did the taste of the website…

  21. @jon p. i agree about F*ck Kat Von D, Ed Hardy, Shikoi Neko, and the shitty fashion aspect that has sprung up around tattooing, but personally im a kid(21) and i like my masterpieces, all from Rodney Raines at Ace Custom Tattoo in Charlotte, NC, and i dont think ill ever “start hating” my tattoos.

    and yea, i dont like the juxtaposition between the roses and portrait. the portrait looks like Ed Norton in fight club, but not good, and the roses make the already poor, and overly shaded portrait standout even more.

  22. @jon p. i agree about F*ck Kat Von D, Ed Hardy, Shikoi Neko, and the shitty fashion aspect that has sprung up around tattooing, but personally im a kid(21) and i like my masterpieces, all from Rodney Raines at Ace Custom Tattoo in Charlotte, NC, and i dont think ill ever “start hating” my tattoos.

    and yea, i dont like the juxtaposition between the roses and portrait. the portrait looks like Ed Norton in fight club, but not good, and the roses make the already poor, and overly shaded portrait standout even more.

  23. @jon p. i agree about F*ck Kat Von D, Ed Hardy, Shikoi Neko, and the shitty fashion aspect that has sprung up around tattooing, but personally im a kid(21) and i like my masterpieces, all from Rodney Raines at Ace Custom Tattoo in Charlotte, NC, and i dont think ill ever “start hating” my tattoos.

    and yea, i dont like the juxtaposition between the roses and portrait. the portrait looks like Ed Norton in fight club, but not good, and the roses make the already poor, and overly shaded portrait standout even more.

  24. @jon p. i agree about F*ck Kat Von D, Ed Hardy, Shikoi Neko, and the shitty fashion aspect that has sprung up around tattooing, but personally im a kid(21) and i like my masterpieces, all from Rodney Raines at Ace Custom Tattoo in Charlotte, NC, and i dont think ill ever “start hating” my tattoos.

    and yea, i dont like the juxtaposition between the roses and portrait. the portrait looks like Ed Norton in fight club, but not good, and the roses make the already poor, and overly shaded portrait standout even more.

  25. Normally I would love the contrast between the black and grey portrait and the colorful flowers, but I’m going to agree with the consensus that the portrait just doesnt really look right.

    and to Jon P, i dont think we’re over-analyzing it. portraiture is really difficult to get exactly right, because unlike with pencil or charcoal, it’s harder to blend with a needle and ink so it’s really easy to screw up the shading. I think people who want to do portraits should practice A LOT before actually applying ink to human skin, because personally i dont want something on my body forever unless it looks exactly right. especially if its a portrait of a loved one.

    Thanks to those of you who speak Swedish, cuz i was wondering what that meant myself. ha.

  26. Normally I would love the contrast between the black and grey portrait and the colorful flowers, but I’m going to agree with the consensus that the portrait just doesnt really look right.

    and to Jon P, i dont think we’re over-analyzing it. portraiture is really difficult to get exactly right, because unlike with pencil or charcoal, it’s harder to blend with a needle and ink so it’s really easy to screw up the shading. I think people who want to do portraits should practice A LOT before actually applying ink to human skin, because personally i dont want something on my body forever unless it looks exactly right. especially if its a portrait of a loved one.

    Thanks to those of you who speak Swedish, cuz i was wondering what that meant myself. ha.

  27. Normally I would love the contrast between the black and grey portrait and the colorful flowers, but I’m going to agree with the consensus that the portrait just doesnt really look right.

    and to Jon P, i dont think we’re over-analyzing it. portraiture is really difficult to get exactly right, because unlike with pencil or charcoal, it’s harder to blend with a needle and ink so it’s really easy to screw up the shading. I think people who want to do portraits should practice A LOT before actually applying ink to human skin, because personally i dont want something on my body forever unless it looks exactly right. especially if its a portrait of a loved one.

    Thanks to those of you who speak Swedish, cuz i was wondering what that meant myself. ha.

  28. Normally I would love the contrast between the black and grey portrait and the colorful flowers, but I’m going to agree with the consensus that the portrait just doesnt really look right.

    and to Jon P, i dont think we’re over-analyzing it. portraiture is really difficult to get exactly right, because unlike with pencil or charcoal, it’s harder to blend with a needle and ink so it’s really easy to screw up the shading. I think people who want to do portraits should practice A LOT before actually applying ink to human skin, because personally i dont want something on my body forever unless it looks exactly right. especially if its a portrait of a loved one.

    Thanks to those of you who speak Swedish, cuz i was wondering what that meant myself. ha.

  29. Damn this shit is nasty. It’s like someone was trying too hard to tattoo like Uncle Allan without knowing their fundamentals.

  30. Damn this shit is nasty. It’s like someone was trying too hard to tattoo like Uncle Allan without knowing their fundamentals.

  31. Damn this shit is nasty. It’s like someone was trying too hard to tattoo like Uncle Allan without knowing their fundamentals.

  32. Damn this shit is nasty. It’s like someone was trying too hard to tattoo like Uncle Allan without knowing their fundamentals.

  33. Common guys, it could be a sketch the guy wearing it did in highschool or somethin’!

  34. Common guys, it could be a sketch the guy wearing it did in highschool or somethin’!

  35. Common guys, it could be a sketch the guy wearing it did in highschool or somethin’!

  36. Common guys, it could be a sketch the guy wearing it did in highschool or somethin’!

  37. Yo guys, yup, it’s my tattoo!

    I love it, i think it’s great but will be accesoared more accomplished in the surrounding, and some more skin in between wouldn’t have killed!

    But i really like it, just be glad it isn’t on your arm!

    Keep fightin and inkin’, peace out!

  38. Yo guys, yup, it’s my tattoo!

    I love it, i think it’s great but will be accesoared more accomplished in the surrounding, and some more skin in between wouldn’t have killed!

    But i really like it, just be glad it isn’t on your arm!

    Keep fightin and inkin’, peace out!

  39. Yo guys, yup, it’s my tattoo!

    I love it, i think it’s great but will be accesoared more accomplished in the surrounding, and some more skin in between wouldn’t have killed!

    But i really like it, just be glad it isn’t on your arm!

    Keep fightin and inkin’, peace out!

  40. Yo guys, yup, it’s my tattoo!

    I love it, i think it’s great but will be accesoared more accomplished in the surrounding, and some more skin in between wouldn’t have killed!

    But i really like it, just be glad it isn’t on your arm!

    Keep fightin and inkin’, peace out!

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