Pit Row Awards!

It’s common knowledge that Lighthouse Tattoo likes to participate in the greater tattoo industry by attending tattoo conventions across the nation (and world!). This year we have only done a few shows due to the increase in our local schedules, but we remain committed to exhibiting our wares so that our clients can take pride in the fact that they are getting work from one of the premier tattoo establishments in the region. Say what you will about competition, some folks think it doesn’t matter, others will tell you its rigged or make some other excuse for not competing; Lighthouse Tattoo will compete and we have a habit of winning. As evidenced by the couple of trophies pictured here, one for a Portrait of Harry Potter on Will’s daughter Christa (he still feels weird that she’s old enough to get tattooed), and for Best Sleeve on our good buddy Ryan. We didn’t take a lot of people or enter many contests, so it’s good to be able to win something in a group of some of the best artists we’ve had the privilege of competing against.

The real reward isn’t in the trophies though. It’s in the artwork and the people we put it on. The real reward is the relationships we develop with our clients and the lasting mark we leave on their lives. We couldn’t be more proud of our loyal clientele, their dedication to the art form, the time and discomfort they sacrifice to be able to carry the best tattoo art they can find into the world. We are honored and humbled by each of you. We thank you and love you. We at Lighthouse Tattoo will continue to strive to improve our abilities and our services so that we never let you down, Sincerely, ~The Lighthouse Tattoo family.

Pit Row Expo

We are Going to Atlanta for the First Ever Pit Row Expo presented by The Marked Society. This is going to be a super cool show and we are super excited to be attending.

We are super excited to be attending this event! This Exposition will be held at the Atlanta Motor Speedway and will offer more than just awesome tattoos. There will be a car and bike show, a corn hole tournament with a guaranteed pot of $1500.00 going to the winner, live music from artists such Carnival of Crue, Nightrain International and The Casket Creatures, and last but not least, Horror celebrities including Captain and Maybelle, Bill Moseley, Michael Berryman and Michael Berryman just to name a few.

Will and Tasha will be among almost 100 artists tattooing at this convention and we are eager to follow their journey throughout the weekend. There is never a dull moment when those two are involved so aside from producing some killer tattoos, we know fun will be had!!

We are also eager to see if they enter any contests (which they usually do) and see what they win (because once again, they usually bring home an award - or two- and sometimes, even armloads full). Contest Categories for the Pit Row Expo include:

- Best of Show -  Best of Day - Best Traditional -

-Best Small/Medium Black & Grey -

- Best Large Black & Grey - Best Small  & Medium Color - Best Large Color -

- Best Automotive /Hot Rod Theme - Best Sleeve Arm or Leg - Best Chest/Back -

This will be a crazy week as we are gearing up for the trip. If you are in the Atlanta area, give us a shout! We would love to see you there!!

More information regarding the Pit Row Expo can be found at PitRowExpo.com

We Will Be Closing Early Tuesday

Lighthouse Tattoo will be closed from 5:00 - 10:00 pm on Tuesday, October 1st. We will re-open for regular business hours on Wednesday, October 2nd at noon.

Why Chest Tattoos Are So Appealing

Chest tattoos are rapidly becoming one of the most popular tattoo ideas. A well designed tattoo on the chest can be very attractive to both men and women and can be a teaser when wearing a button down or v-neck shirt. They signify confidence and inner strength and can be easily seen or covered.

For men, the chest is an ideal canvas for larger tattoos - it’s easy to picture pirate ships, birds of prey, religious symbols or other intricate designs adorning that area of the body. It is also not unusual to find powerful symbols of strength, pride, loyalty, courage, and masculinity tattooed in this location.

For women, it is not uncommon for a chest piece to be more moderate in size and, because it is an area close to the heart, have emotional meaning attached. Chest tattoos can be used to accentuate a woman’s cleavage and can be ornate or simple in design. Sternum tattoos are gaining popularity as are underboob tattoos (tattoos inked on the ribcage directly under the breast),which are a stunning way to feature a woman’s natural curves and accentuate her femininity.

Chest tattoos can be daring, original, and have significant meaning - allowing men and women to really ink any type of artwork they want. Here at Lighthouse Tattoo, we will work with you to create the perfect design that represents your personality as well as the meaning behind the tattoo. OR, maybe you just want a kickass piece on your chest. That’s cool, too. Not every tattoo has to have meaning and our artists can help you come up with a design that you will wear with pride. We know how to tattoo a showstopper- and we have the awards to prove it. Give us a call today to set up your next appointment!!

Fun Times At The Gathering Part 2

One and DONE!  Last weekend at the Fifth Annual Carolina Tattoo and Art Gallery we entered a single contest with Tasha’s Ice Cube portrait and brought home an award for most realistic black and grey!!!  Not too shabby at all!!  

We also have to say that the awards at the show were SUPER COOL! There is a local distillery in Lenoir and the trophies were made from old whiskey barrels that still smell like the alcohol that aged in them.  That’s a great touch by the hosts of the convention, Dragon’s Den Tattoo Company.  The tattoo that won was her portrait of Ice Cube.

Another highlight from the show was Tasha had the unbelievable opportunity to be coached by the one and only Jime Litwalk (you may have seen him on Ink Masters Season 3 where he placed second in the finale).  To have had the opportunity to learn from such a prolific figure in the industry is quite a moment.  We can’t say enough about his talent, how he has honed his craft and how gracious he was.

Tasha also got tattooed at the show, by Will. Her new piece is a black and grey portrait of Livio Scarpella’s Veiled Souls from his series “Ghost Underground” which depicts ghostly souls both peaceful and in anguish. The photos above are of the tattoo and the reference photo that was used.

Once again, we would like to say thank you to Lenoir, North Carolina and the Carolina Tattoo and Art Gathering for being such gracious hosts.  The scenery was beautiful, the food was amazing and we walked away from the convention with new friends that are genuine, kind and amazingly talented.  Overall, it was a great weekend.

Fun Times At The Gathering

It was a whirlwind weekend in North Carolina but both Will and Tasha enjoyed themselves and met some really cool people.  We took lots of pictures and will post them throughout the week but these are a few from last Friday night. Be on the lookout for more to come!  Special thanks to Carolina Tattoo and Arts Gathering and Lenoir, North Carolina for being so welcoming.  

Be sure to click on each picture so that you can see the slideshow. Also, stay tuned to check out the cool awards that we won this past weekend!!

It's Still Hot Out There

We know this is the last summer holiday and that Fall is just around the corner but that doesn’t mean it’s not still going to be hot - especially here in the South. We realize that there are still plenty of lake and pool days ahead so we just want to remind you of some very vital piercing and tattoo information to keep your investments in tip-top shape.

Piercings:

Piercings should heal for at least ONE MONTH before entering the water. Lakes and oceans - even though they’re vast - are dirty. They have bacteria that can cause some pretty intense infections. Pools have harsh chemicals that can cause severe irritation.

Fresh piercings should have limited sun exposure. The rays of the sun can cause excessive damage around a piercing that your body is working hard to heal. Sunburns can cause great irritation and flaking of skin around the piercing, compromising the new piercing and increasing the risk of rejection.

NEVER apply sunscreen to a healing piercing. The chemicals in sunscreen are extremely abrasive on broken skin and the sticky texture allows germs to stick to, and infiltrate, a new piercing which could lead to infection.

Tattoos:

Tattoos must heal for at least three weeks before entering water. Submerging a tattoo in water before it is properly healed can cause infection in the early healing stages. In the later stages, it can cause the fresh skin that grows over a new tattoo to swell up and slide off the body. It’s very painful, very itchy, and can reopen the tattoo to the possibility of infection.

NO direct sunlight. ZERO. Getting tattooed causes the same type and amount of damage as a severe sunburn. Adding more of that same type of damage on top of a concentrated area can have painful effects that cause your tattoo to heal very poorly and much more slowly.

Sunscreen should NEVER go onto a fresh tattoo. For the same reasons as it should not go on a fresh piercing. sunscreen should not touch a new tattoo for at least three weeks after getting it.

Healed Tattoo:

Always, always, ALWAYS apply sunscreen to a healed tattoo before exposing it to direct sunlight. This will help preserve the colors and not subject the tattoo to sun bleaching. For color tattoos, this will keep lighter tones (yellow, orange, pink) from fading into obscurity. For black and grey pieces, this keeps the black values as dark and rich as possible while preserving small, light details.

We here at Lighthouse Tattoo realize that summer can be a tricky time to get a new tattoo or piercing because well, it’s summer and they enhance the way a person looks and feels. Quite possibly, you want to show them off and we don’t blame you!! But we also want to remind you that just because summer is almost over doesn’t mean the aftercare changes in regards to sun exposure and submerging in water.

We hope this serves as a refresher course in proper healing and maintenance. Happy Labor Day and stay safe out there!!

How Tattoos Heal

We get it all the time, “Man, that’s really dark, I dunno…” from someone who doesn’t tattoo (or who doesn’t tattoo well). The diagnosis: fresh black and grey blues!

No worries, we at Lighthouse Tattoo are here to help! You see, when the skin is tattooed there is an inflammatory response that results in some minor swelling and a darkening of the skin due purely to irritation. This darkening will continue to build for approximately 20 minutes during the tattoo process before it begins to subside, this is of course a general rule, everyone’s a little different. Also, certain parts of the body can darken, or take on a more reddish hue in people with lighter skin tones, more than others. Calves tend to get darker than arms for instance, especially after the person stands.

Once the client goes home, the real detail of the piece won’t be discernible for several days, until the upper layer of skin flakes off and the finished tattoo is revealed underneath. During the tattoo process, the upper (non-permanent) layer of skin is damaged and will flake off similar to a sunburn usually within a week of getting the tattoo. The layer of skin has absorbed pigment as well, so the tattoo must be applied darker than how we want it to be in order to allow for this lightening during the exfoliation process.

Refer to example here: The fresh tattoo is really dark, some of the details are harder to make out and may blend together a bit. Once compared to the healed version below, we can see the difference in the hair, eyes, and the overall exposure of the piece. It exhibits a good amount of detail and contrast, the eyes look aloe and the tattoo has a lifelike quality that you want fro a portrait. It is smooth and without healing defects, performed in a single fine-and-a-half hour session by our resident realism artist, Will. At the time of this photo, roughly four weeks into the healing process, the tattoo has already “greyed out” nicely, taking on the look it will have for years to come!

Thank you for taking the time to read this and understand the art and craft of professional tattooing with us at lighthousetattoo.net

#tattoo #tattoolebanon # realismtattoo #howtotakecareoftattoos #tattoohealingprocess #qualitytattoo

Getting Ready For The Gathering

We are gearing up for the weekend!! Beginning this Friday, August 30 thru Sunday, September 1, Will and Tasha will be at the Carolina Tattoo and Arts Gathering in beautiful Downtown Lenoir, North Carolina. This will be the Fifth annual tattoo convention held by Dragon’s Den Tattoo Company and they will be attending with George Patrick, owner of both From The Cradle Tattoo Co (Richmond, KY) and To The Grave Tattoo Co (Lexington, KY). It’s setting up to be an amazing weekend and we are excited to share more about it as the week progresses. Check back for more info later this week!

We Like The Look

“Believe it or not, some of us have piercings and tattoos and dye our hair because we think it looks pretty, not for any deep sociological reason. This isn’t an act of protest against cultural or social repression. It’s not a grand , deliberately defiant gesture against capitalism or feminists or any other social group. It’s not even the fashion equivalent to sticking two fingers up at the world. The boring truth of it is that we don’t do these things to draw attention to ourselves or make a statement. We do it because we think it looks nice.”

Alex Bell, The Ninth Circle

Realistic Skull Tattoo

Will did this massive realistic skull on Johnathan at Cardinal Tattoo in about 9 hours. If attention to detail is what you’re looking for, with a finished tattoo that heals well and quickly, with minimal discomfort and maximum satisfaction, you owe it to yourself to check out the artists at Cardinal Tattoo! We are open from noon to 10pm seven days a week on the historic Gallatin Square about 30 minutes North of Nashville. Call 615 527-7102 with any questions you haven’t found the answers to on this website, or email us at info@cardinaltattoo.com (no inquiries regarding price will be entertained via telephone or email).

Eminem

The Real Slim Shady, made fresh by Will. But does that make him the Fresh Prince? No. Technically, he’s a Fresh Print…in this guy’s skin…?

Anyway, he’s a rapper! And he was imprinted upon this glorious client a few months ago, and we can’t wait to get healed photos of him soon!

Heath Ledger Joker

Cardinal Tattoo's resident realism artist, Will, completed this awesome portrait of Heath Ledger as the Joker from the Dark Knight series of Batman films. Regarded by many as the best portrayal of the character ever, we feel like Will did this 10 hour piece justice. If you're in the greater Nashville or Hendersonville areas an are interested in black and grey or color portraiture or realism, Cardinal Tattoo is the place for you!

Now Taking Apple Pay

Lighthouse Tattoo has always gladly accepted cash and card as forms of payment so that we can provide our customers with the easiest, most convenient payment process possible. Now, with the advent of Apple Pay, we have once again evolved our practices to be as inclusive as possible. We hope to incorporate more NFC technology into our repertoire as it becomes more widely available.

Good Omens

The imagery of angels and demons is iconic, and for a good reason. The duality of good and evil that lives within each of us is something that plays a huge role in our daily lives, and is an endlessly fascinating subject to approach artistically. At Lighthouse Tattoo, we are constantly asked to do tattoos featuring these figureheads of their respective ideologies, and we gladly oblige.

Compass

Karen made this beautiful compass for Brandon, a long-time customer of Lighthouse Tattoo and an all-around great dude. Compasses are a fairly common subject for tattoos, therefore it can be hard to make one that is distinctly unique to the wearer. Karen did an excellent job making this design and catering it to Brandon’s individual tastes. The relationship we share with our customers helps us to do stunning work like this each day. If you’re looking for a tattoo artist in the Nashville area, why not give us a try? We’d love to meet you!

Summertime Tattoo Care

With the impending arrival of the summer season, everyone is getting ready to show some skin and get in the water. People are also getting inspired to get their next tattoo or piercing to accent their beachy summer look. Before you decide to rush off to the closest tattoo shop or piercing parlor, keep in mind just a few things.

• Piercings should heal for at least one month before entering the water!

- Lake and ocean water are dirty enough to cause pretty intense infections in deep puncture wounds and pool water contains tons of harsh chemicals that will severely irritate any piercing it comes into contact with. Saltwater pools are off limits for this time frame, as well.

• Fresh piercings should have very limited sun exposure!

  - UVA and UVB rays can cause an excess of damage around a piercing that is already working hard to heal. Sunburns can cause great amounts of irritation and flaking off of skin around a fresh piercing, compromising the piercing itself and increasing risk of rejection.

• Sunscreen should NEVER come into contact with a healing piercing

  - The chemicals in sunscreen are extremely abrasive on broken skin, and the sticky texture causes debris and germs to easily stick to and infiltrate a fresh piercing.

• Tattoos must heal for at least three weeks before entering water

  - Submerging a tattoo in water before it is properly healed can cause infection in the early healing stages. In the later stages, it can cause the fresh skin that grows over a new tattoo to swell up and slide off the body. It’s very painful, very itchy, and can reopen the tattoo to the possibility of infection.

• Tattoos should not come into contact with direct sunlight

  - Getting tattooed causes the same type and amount of damage as a severe sunburn. Adding more of that same type of damage on top of a concentrated area can have painful effects that cause your tattoo to heal very poorly and much more slowly.

• Sunscreen should NEVER go onto a fresh tattoo

  - For the same reasons as it should not go on a fresh piercing. sunscreen should not touch a new tattoo for at least three weeks after getting it.

• Sunscreen SHOULD be applied to healed tattoos before sun exposure

  - To preserve the colors and not subject the tattoo to sun bleaching, sunscreen should always be applied over healed tattoos when covering them with clothing is not possible. For color tattoos, this will keep lighter tones (yellow, orange, pink) from fading into obscurity. For black and grey pieces, this keeps the black values as dark and rich as possible while preserving small, light details.

• Look into the portfolio of every tattoo artist and piercer you will be working with

  - This is more of a general rule that should always be followed, but is easily forgotten during vacations. The temptation to get a tattoo or piercing to commemorate a trip can be overwhelming, but use discretion in what you get and from whom you get it. A lot of shops in tourist-flooded areas don’t perform as immaculate work on out-of-towners because they know the likelihood that those people will return to complain or ask for a touch-up/repierce is very low.

Be careful out there this summer and most importantly…make good decisions! Stay safe and have fun, everyone.

Detective Pikachu Flash Special!

Here at Lighthouse tattoo we are obviously huge nerds. We also love doing flash specials! So in honor of the new Detective Pikachu movie premiering tonight our two lovely artists Tasha and Victoria have done a pokemon flash sheet. Designs will range from $30 to $250 depending on which artist does it and the size and placement. Call the shop today to set up an appointment to get one of these adorable designs!

Lighthouse tattoo is located 40 minutes East from Nashville, TN in the small city of Lebanon. Call us at (615)784-4500 today to inquire about scheduling.

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Jeffree Star Flash

Our artist Tasha Grey has designed some amazing flash inspired by the makeup mogul Jeffree Star. Our artists are always coming out with new original flash sheets. In the past 20 or so years Flash Art has seen a steady decline. People are switching more and more to fully custom work. However sometimes it is just hard to think of an idea and flash is also just a great way to showcase an artist’s style.

To check out the flash we have available or to set up an appointment for something similar, swing by the shop any time!

Custom Tattoos

Lighthouse Tattoo prides itself on being able to offer not only pristine quality work for our clients, but also custom drawn work for anyone who comes through the door and doesn’t just want the same exact tattoo they found online. Sometimes, people aren’t in love with the artwork they receive and elect to just go with the picture they brought in but hey, everyone has different tastes. The point is, we like to be able to offer people more than what they ask for and not only meet expectations, but exceed them. That’s why our artists spend countless hours every week designing and refining fully custom pieces for our appointments. Incidentally, it is also why most artists take a deposit for setting appointments. If they’re putting in extra hours of work on the front end, they want to know you’re as serious about getting the tattoo as they are about doing it.

If you’re serious about getting beautiful, custom work in the greater Nashville area, call or come by Lighthouse Tattoo. We are located at 328 North Cumberland Street in downtown Lebanon, Tennessee.