Tattooing Melons

Before you get all excited, I don’t mean tits or skulls, I mean fruit.

A few months ago, I picked up a pencil and decided to start drawing again. The magazine has kept me very busy over the years and hasn’t afforded me much time to draw, until recently. Thanks to Dave, Audra and Brett coming on board, and Monica and Gary becoming the absolute best at what they do, the magazine is now a smoothly running machine. We’re a great team, so we’re not putting in as many of those laaate nights as we once did when we were a smaller crew.

After pretty much giving up drawing for many years (well, since I left the visual effects industry), it was monumentally nerve wracking to get going again, but once I did, it came rather easily. I totally forgot I could draw! After seeing a few of my drawings, my wonderful, encouraging (ex)-boyfriend insisted I learn to tattoo. I love tattoos (obviously), and with such a gifted artist pushing me, I couldn’t say no. What an amazing opportunity to explore a new creative avenue - something limitless and totally free. I was excited as hell that he had that kind of faith in me, especially given who he is.

With great trepidation I tattooed him on Friday the 13th last year. I had never even picked up a tattoo machine - believe me, they’re awkward and heavy for female hands - so I was nervous, but I did it, and surprisingly it wasn’t complete shit (no pressure, he’s only one of the best tattoo artists in the world - GAH!!). But I guess that galvanized Bob’s instinct about me tattooing and he continued to push me to draw more while he taught me about machines, cross-contamination, gave me tips on my art - the usual stuff involved in an apprenticeship.

Of course, deadlines are a part of my life, and things get busy for me (plus travelling) so I haven’t been drawing as much a I would like. It has been a few weeks since I’ve done something, so I decided to pick up a honeydew melon and tattoo it last night. Most of the time, people practise on grapefruits but our friend, bad ass Mexican tattoo artist Big Gus, suggested a melon. Alright, a fucking melon it is.

I sat down with the damn thing - hard as a rock and akward to hold - and quickly sketched a very simple heart on the thing with the name “Boob” in a banner (that’s in tribute to my teacher and muse). This is my second tattoo EVER, so he suggested I keep it real easy. His first was some tribal thing on a grapefruit which he claims was awful but I have a hard time believing that. It’s a lot harder than it looks, folks, especially with a round melon wiggling around in your lap. But I did it, and here’s the result. In retrospect I think I rushed through it and could have made it cleaner, but as far as a first tattoo on a melon, I don’t think it’s too bad.

Please be forgiving, I’ve never done this before (save for the one time on Bob’s skin, on a whim). Here I am finishing up the black outlines (oh, stencils don’t stay on fruit so I had to freehand the thing, which was another challenge of its own on top of trying to keep a steady hand and not tear up the melon!)

Outline and black complete. Look how silly happy I am…
).

Bob gave me my first set of tattoo machines, they fucking run great! (As far as my obscenely limited experience tells me anyway).

Finished! Okay the Boob part could use some work but not bad for a second tattoo - on a rock hard melon.

A finished gift for Boob. The ink smears are just stains from wiping the ink away, it doesn’t come off the melon like it does skin.

I have to say I had a blast doing this and I’m definitely doing more. This experience has inspired me to turn off the TV and make time to draw and tattoo every night. I’ll be moving on to actual skin soon, I have some guinea pigs lined up for small tattoos (free of charge), so if you’re interested in being a part of my tattoo journey, please drop me a line. I promise I won’t fuck you up too bad. I MAY even tattoo some Rue Morgue fans during Festival of Fear if they want a little memento of their trip. I think the Rue Morgue masks could be a great token to take home.

I thought I should share this because it’s the beginning of something truly special to me, and Bob. Thanks for reading,
Jovanka