An illustrated look at the Japanese-style tattoo art of Rodrigo Melo through studio photos, flash paintings, and progress shots.

Explore the art of Rodrigo Melo’s Japanese-style tattoos through more than 150 lush studio photographs of bodysuits, rib pieces, back pieces, and sleeves featuring traditional themes and imagery. See peonies, koi, tigers, dragons, and characters from Buddhist mythology presented in authentic form and color but with some modern techniques and stylings, like the use of “angry black” to increase contrast.

In addition to the body art pieces, this contemporary study of traditional Japanese tattoo styles includes hundreds of images of Melo’s flash paintings, a body suit in progress, and new aesthetics for Japanese-style tattoo art.

This book is a must have for tattoo enthusiasts, art and tattoo students, and anyone interested in learning about tattoo culture and history.By Rodrigo MeloRodrigo Melo is a painter and tattoo artist who strives for creating an authentic look in his works. He works at North Star Tattoo in New York City.342 color photosRevisiting Traditional Themes342 color photos