Jason Vaughn has an exquisite illustrative style that sets him apart in a sea of tattoo artists that get so easily lumped into the “neo-traditional” pile.  His work shines in epic full sleeves of squid against norsemen and bear against lumberjack, woodland creatures in beautifully blended hues, and strong uniquely styled color portraits framed in Mucha-esque flourishes. But one look through his portfolio will prove that snakes, skulls and daggers remain close to his heart. Be sure to check out his watercolors and store for some great prints. In June, Jason will be moving to Pioneer Tattoo, a brand new appointment-only shop made up of alumni from Chicago’s legendary Deluxe Tattoo. (more…)

Iain Macarthur is an English illustrator who blends fine rendering capabilities with loose strokes and abstract shapes to create some very interesting images. His portfolio features a variety of illustrative styles but we found the pieces in the ‘Surreal‘ gallery to be fascinating.

He currently has a T-shirt featuring a portrait of Bob Dylan available on TeeFury today only (see below). The TeeFury service offers limited edition artist t-shirts for $9, which is pretty incredible. (more…)

Troy Paiva is a photographer that seeks out abandoned objects from eras past, photographing them in the full dark of night by the light of the full moon, illuminated by colored lights from within or behind. The effect creates some pretty stunning portraits of decay, adding color where color has faded. Visit his website to browse his portfolio of images. The artist also has print folios for sale for a reasonable price.

Photographers interested in Troy Paiva’s technique should visit his website where he generously explains how he captures such stunning scenes.
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Even devout watchers of Saturday Night Live may not recognize the name. Many of us can name our favorite sketches (Herlihey Boy/Matt Foley) and argue till we’re blue in the face about which era we prefer (Hartman/Sandler/Farley/Carvey/Meyers/Rock). Casts have come and gone in the 35 years since inception. However, there has always been one constant all these years. Still photography has been used as a way to promote the hosts and musical guests as well as serve as a cue to affiliates that the show is coming back from break. The idea behind the photos have always been to showcase the talent on the show and give you something interesting to look at. Enter Mary Ellen Matthews. (more…)

We’d like to introduce our newest sponsor Tone Ink. Tone Ink is a graphic design / silkscreen studio that creates some really nifty gigposters and art prints. Their brand new website has a nice selection of affordable goods available. Be sure to check them out and get on their mailing list for updates! Thanks Tone Ink for supporting FlightPattern!

If you would like to join Tone Ink in support of this website, check out how to advertise with us here.

John Dyer Baizley is a painter and musician working out of Savannah, Georgia. He provided the artwork for the latest Flight of the Conchords album. He also does work for other independent bands. He produces art, plays guitar, and sings in his own band Baroness. Recently, he has started to provide artwork for the magazine Guitar World. His style draws mostly from the heavy music scene but don’t go into it thinking it’s all going to be skulls and upside down crosses. This guy has some genuine skills and some really elegant work.

Baizley frequently releases silkscreen prints so we’ll begin to update you about them as they drop.

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My buddy Tomas from Streetlight Manifesto just shared this awesome illustration created by Dan Hipp for his band’s latest tour. When I checked out his blog, I was blown away by a ton of impressive, brightly-colored, expressive illustrations. Dan Hipp has his own graphic novel titled Gyakushu (Buy Volume 1, Volume 2) and The Amazing Joy Buzzards (Buy Volume 1, Volume 2), and does freelance illustration for a variety of clients. More examples after the break- Tons more at Dan Hipp’s Blog!

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Tony Millionaire is a comic artist and illustrator. He’s most famous for his creation of and continued work on the alternative comic Maakies. Maakies is a rarity in that his comics contain a main comic and a subcomic. His comic has been adapted into shorts that appeared sporadically on SNL in the 90’s. Most recently they were adapted into “The Drinky Crow Show” for Adult Swim. Millionaire’s style is different for a comic strip in that regardless of the subject matter, they are very high quality drawings. Now for the subject matter, blue might not even do it justice. It is most of the time vulgar and deplorable. Definitely NSFW, but if you’re willing to get past the shock of it, you’ll find one of the funniest comic minds out there.

If you are interested in obtaining Tony Millionaire’s Maakies back catalog, you can purchase volumes on amazon here and here.

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If your familiarity with the modern tattoo world goes beyond reality television and the ever-present-over-saturated Ed Hardy gear, you may have heard of New York Adorned’s resident Englishman, Thomas Hooper. Hooper’s tattoos are renown for his beautifully stippled ornamental mandalas, an illustrative style that echos both eastern and western traditions, inspiration from masonic and alchemist symbology and a respect for geometry that would make M.C. Escher smile. Most surprising is his painting blog featuring daily abstract mixed media paintings whose color and chaos stand in contrast to his meticulous tattoo work.

If you aren’t ready for permanent body art, he put some great designs on tee-shirts over at Shirts & Destroy and customizable phone cases for Case Mate. Also make sure to check out his store for original paintings and giclee prints.

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Ashley Wood is an Australian illustrator that has worked in comics, video games, movies, and tv. His style mixes oil painting and digital artwork. It is recognizable for having muted colors and a very painterly appearance in comparison to the graphic style of most comic artists. Given the nature of his work, a lot of his pieces are fanciful in nature. Robots, war, and girls. Check out his blog, and his toy store for some really cool work. Warning, some of his portfolio images are NSFW.

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