Los Angeles Tattoos - BrokenArtTattoo.com

Well,  all good things must come to an end.  Our Korean connection YUSHI has left Broken Art Tattoo to embark on his own.   It was an awesome experience working with him and we all learned a lot from each other.  I still have an entire back piece to finish with him so I know I will be spending a few hours in his new studio.  If you have any unfinished work from Master Yushi then you can contact him through his website, yushitattoo.com   It was good working with you Yushi.  Good luck.   Jeremy Swan 

Kat Von D’s First annual MUSINK Convention

What a weekend.  February 22, 23, and 24th was a non-stop tattoo frenzy at the Orange County Fairgrounds.  The night of the 20th I got a call from Roxan…telling me there was a last minute cancellation and she asked if I wanted the spot.  So I took it.  I had always been very anti-convention and had never worked one before.  The last one I went to left a bad taste in my mouth.

Thursday night was set up…Derrek and I went out and checked out the scene, set up, met the neighbors and went home.  Friday morning I started tattooing at ten in the morning at my shop in LA.  I made it to the convention at 6 that night and it was slow going.  No work.  So I sat Derrek down and finished off his rib piece.  That got some attention.

Saturday Musink was sold out.  I had a sign up list and was working away.  I did a portrait of my main man Jesus…I free-handed a rose and skull on a hand, and finally, a first time tattoo for a young Japanese kid who got a little grim reaper on his wrist.  Half-way through the day Derrek went and entered his rib piece…He came back a winner and handed me the 1st place plaque for Best Traditional Tattoo.  Thank you judges.

With the plaque on my table the next day I was busy from the minute the gates opened.  I did a bunch of little traditional tattoos to start, then, a treble clef with some roses…and finally a heart and dagger with a Bengal tiger head.

Well it was a great time…I caught up with some old friends and made some new ones…Thea, Dixon, Andy and Ryan of American Graffiti.
Regards,

Jeremy Swan

p.s. dont forget to contact the shop for your limited edition Musink t-shirt

Client: Dillon

Tattoo Maker: Jeremy Swan

Video: Erik Sandoval

Music: My Bloody Valentine

Client: Dillon

Tattoo Maker: Jeremy Swan

Video: Erik Sandoval

Music: Black Rebel Motorcycle Club

We have two new t-shirts available for 20 bucks each.  The first is a Broken Art shirt that has tattoo elements aplenty.  Black image on super comfy fitted T.  The second is a limited edition T that I did for the Kat Von D MUSINK convention in Orange County.  It has a grim reaper playing a tattoo machine fiddle.  Black image on white T.  Both shirts are available in S, M, L, XL. Call or email the shop and order one or two up.

regards,

Jeremy Swan

323-661-4777

swan@brokenarttattoo.com

Christmas is right around the corner.  Jesus…literally.  My wife just opened her boutique This Or Die in Los Angeles.  As my 10-month-old daughter crawls around my feet I realize everything comes too quickly.  Including my appointments.   I just have something to say about getting drawings done in a timely manner.  This is something I use to be able to stay on top of pretty well.  Now it seems I can’t get them done until the day of the appointment.   This is by no means a shot at the unimportance of the clients tattoo.  I have just been overwhelmed by everything this year.  Just be patient with me folks.  I promise you will get all of the imaginative fodder I can squeeze out of the left side of my cranium.    And as always, thanks for your continuing interest in my tattoos.  It never goes unappreciated.   As Bob Dylan’s ‘One More Cup Of Coffee’ plays I get ready for another day.  As does everyone else in this city…I’ll just try to BE ready…’before I go…to the valley below’

Merry Christmas,

Jeremy Swan

p.s.

Calling all fashion conscience females

If you are in Atwater Village, make it over to my wife’s boutique-

THIS OR DIE BOUTIQUE

3205 Glendale Blvd. Los Angeles CA 90039

323-661-5777

Hey…Thanks to Eric Sandoval and VIMBY, Broken Art has a featured video on their website (although its on myspace too). Just go to VIMBY.com and type broken art in the search field. Click around on their website and support local video enthusiasts.

word,

Jeremy Swan

           Take some time and do it right…re-draw it…again.  I think about the design…turn it over in my mind.  Think about the individual.  Where they want it.  Re-draw it.  The body.  The movement.  I want to make it fluid…a motion of art…a persuasive line…a burst of color…a subtle shade.  Some times the images come out very organically…sometimes it is a hard delivery. 

           At this point in my career I have pretty sloppy sketches.  I make a stencil out of my slop and I already see where the design needs to go in my head.  When I apply it to the skin there are a few changes at that point…I can see what needs to be changed once it is on the flesh.  Get a pen out and re-draw some stuff on the skin.  Changes come through my hand during the application of the tattoo.  Stop and think. 

A lot of times I don’t even draw the design until a day before the clients appointment.  That’s how I studied for a test at school.  That seems to be how it works best. The urgency of the deadline.  I become completely focused on the drawing.  Of course all of the above doesn’t apply if I am doing a tazmanian devil.

So we have had some attention from the people behind the cameras!  I though I would just let everyone know some of the film opportunities I have had at Broken Art.  People always tell me the shop has a good vibe,  feel , feng shui,  etc.   Some of these people make television shows.  Some make movies.  Others make videos.  Well, here are a few things that caught us on camera. 

Good Charlotte video “The River”

 This was supplemental material and none of the GC boys were there for the shoot.  They filmed me putting a fake tattoo on some ones back that said “City Of Los Angeles” They cut all the footage of me out and all that ended up was a snap of Shady Jeff’s “L.A.” hands and a picture of our sign.  They brought in some sandwiches from Gelsons.  Word.

           Next we had a client of mine who you might know from the FOX show 24.  Greg Itzin played President Logan on Season 4 and 5.  He was in an indy film that will be called “Float.”  They had a tattoo scene where he got a big dragon on his shoulder.  I really did the tattoo on him previously.  We were just “acting” the second time around.  Greg is a lot of fun.  They catered in some sandwiches from Gelsons.  Fresh!

          The most recent shoot was for a new network only available for HD subscribers.  The network is MOJO and the show is called Technology Jones.  That is slated to come out in October and I am in the 6^th episode.  It features my good friend Joe Hursley.  This series performs a human experiment: how people can live without all the gadgets and gizmos they now depend on for their personal and business lives. Eight successful professionals from a broad range of industries give up their varied electronic aids for a week and live with antiquated technology from a year randomly selected in the past.  So he is riding a horse down the street with cars all around him…Joe finds his way over to Broken Art Tattoo.  One foot in front of the other.  Sandwiches by Gelsons…again.

Finally, there is a new website for video heads…Its VIMBY.com.  They are shooting a couple of short webisodes with me tattooing…REALLY TATTOOING.  This website launches October 11^th and is chalked full of all kinds of culture.  Plenty to see and do on that site.

So that is Broken Art Tattoo in Pictures.

Thanks,

J. Swan

Well, Broken Art Tattoo has been in Silverlake for two years now.  Things couldn’t be better for the little tattoo shop under the stairs.  I am keeping very busy, working on various art/fashion projects, producing a band, playing with my new baby, and of course tons of tattoos.  Justin C is making a name for himself here in LA.  His tattoos are making quite an impression on the city.  Finally we have Der Wunder Boy Derrek de Apprentice.   The worlds greatest tattoo apprentice.  After spending a year at my side this boy has been unleashed and is applying some amazing tattoos.  I am very proud of him.

So how do you know if you are ready for a tattoo from us?

Are you ready to be the envy of all your friends?  Do you want to wake up everyday and feel good when you look at a specific part of your body…then  you are ready to get tattooed by one of the talented artist at Broken Art.  Our tattoos are usually appreciated by the sternest of anti-tattoo enthusiast…think of your mom or grandma.  That’s saying something.

Do I have some crazy stories…?

There are so many stories to tell.  There will be a video up soon of me tattooing Mr. Steve Montez of Ostrich Head. After a full day of work, I started tattooing his neck. By the end of the tattoo we were so tired…my back…my eyes…blah…we were standing side by side…I won’t give up…my hands…his neck…arrgh…Sometimes there is a bit of self-torture with the artist as well.  We know the recipient is feeling it.

I finished Chris’ Day Of The Dead President Lincoln chest piece the other night.  Very excited about that one.  While I was contemplating what colors to use next, I realized I was cupping his left boob for a good 10 seconds.  He didn’t even snap me out of it…said it felt better than the tattoo so he let it slide.

Thanks Chris.  I will have a pic of that chest piece up soon.