Another page out of the sketchbook. Two of the sketches made it to paper and ink (the bird and dagger in the Store). The giesha and the woman might be coming up in the near future, so look for those.
Another page out of the sketchbook. Two of the sketches made it to paper and ink (the bird and dagger in the Store). The giesha and the woman might be coming up in the near future, so look for those.
Super busy week with family, work , and holiday stuff. This sketchbook page has a little bit of everything- the girl is referenced from Don Chuck’s retro reference posts on his blog the bird and giesha are Eddie Poferl re-works, and the dagger/rose is me messing around. I went for more of throwing knife shape as I think that would look banging on an inner forearm. Thanks for looking and please don’t steal = )
Japanese tattoo flash circa 1910
The Geisha has been a popular subject of tattoos and other artforms for centuries. The term geisha first appeared at the turn of the 18th century, although courtesan predecessors were part of Japanese culture as early as the 600s.
Japan circa 1980
Within the geisha culture exist several different classes, discernible by their clothing and ornamentation. Geisha with front tying silk robes, white painted faces, and heavily ornamented were Orian, or prostitue-actresses. The Machi tied their robes in the back and wore natural makeup. The geisha-in training or Maiko, have the white painted faces and brightly colored robes of Orian, but leave three strips of skin exposed along the nape of the neck (considered highly erotic):
English tattoo flash circa 1930
During Allied occupation of Japan during WWII, Japanese prostitutes dubbed themselves “geisha girls”, wearing the robes and make-up of the geisha without the elaborate training and traditions of earlier Japan. The look was popular with GIs having never been exposed to the culture. The geisha made their way to traditional American tattoo flash along with other Japanese motifs such as dragons and peonies:
Sailor Jerry tattoo flash circa early 1960's
My daughter turned seven this Friday and asked for a ‘baby geisha’ -here’s what I came up with for her.
My kiddos will always be my greatest creations = )
I used the geisha from the Sailor Jerry flash sheet 4 R out of the Vol.3 book as a reference for the kimono:
