I saw something the other day that really stuck with me. It was at a tattoo event. Three people were standing at a booth, and one of them was Bob Tyrrell. Bob, as you know, did the illustration for our Editor's Comment and is considered one of the top photorealistic tattoo artists in the world. Maybe in the universe.

A young man, a client, was standing between Bob and another artist discussing the portrait of a bearded old relative that the artist had tattooed on the young man's forearm. It was quite detailed. Every hair of the beard, every craggy line of the face was executed in black-and-gray, single-needle style, and Tyrrell was calmly, gently making comments. He pointed to each different area, making profound, supportive suggestions on how to improve the image, how to make it come to life as only a Bob Tyrrell can do. Both the artist and his client stood appreciatively, listening intently to Bob's remarks.

So, why did this impress me so much? I guess it was the way these three participants interacted. Tyrrell who gets several hundred dollars a ticket for a ninety-minute seminar anywhere in the world, was simply helping a fellow artist. Unlike the old days when tattooing was a secret society and even sharing the source of certain color inks or how to tune a machine was verboten, today's tattoo community is way more friendly in how it passes information from one person to another. I'm not saying that just any scratcher can walk up to a top artist and get information (although, in Tyrrell's case I might be wrong), but there is a significant difference between then and now.

What impressed me most was the positive response from both the client and the artist. They were intent on Tyrrell's suggestions and were visibly appreciative of what they were hearing. Whether the tattoo, in Tyrrell's eyes, was perfect or up to his high standards or not, just having him pass on tips about technique ("Watch your light source," "layer your shading," "take your time") made, I am sure, a significant impression on them both. The ultimate show of respect.

But not just respect for Tyrrell. Respect for the industry. The artist had made the cake and Tyrrell was adding the frosting. But that's how Tyrrell and so many top tattooers are today. They see exciting new talent, promising newcomers, skillful practitioners coming out of the woodwork—more than there has ever been?but instead of feeling threatened or worrying if these prodigies are going to pirate away their clients or steal key techniques that took years to develop and master, über-artists like Tyrrell, Jack Rudy, Aaron Bell, David Nestler, Guy Aitchison and others continually make information available, because they love the art form. They love it enough to make it better. They are dedicated to improvement, not tearing things down. Some of what they say may go right over some people's heads, sometimes the truth is too much to take, but the ones who understand, who are thirsty for information, who have the innate talent and dedication, they are the future of this great industry. They get it. They appreciate the guidance. Because they know, teacher and student alike, that this five-thousand-year-old art form called tattoo is growing and perfecting itself every day, and if it is to be truly accepted as the fine art it is, if it is to upwardly develop and refine itself, we all must work together to make it so.

Bob Baxter
Editor in Chief

baxter@skin&ink.com
www.skinandink.com