Posts by Matt Hodel
I Peaked
Washed up? I have been rebooting my career. I have been taking stock of what I have accomplished, and what I am worth. I have been trying to find the fire that has driven me for so many years. The truth is, no one can recreate the past. Here is what I have discovered. My…
Read MoreDoes Numbing Cream work for Tattooing?
Does numbing cream work for tattooing? Numbing cream can be used to reduce the pain associated with tattooing. The cream works by temporarily numbing the area of the skin where the tattoo will be applied. How long the numbing lasts is dependent open how much lidocaine is in the cream. The most common numbing cream…
Read MoreStudy the EYE!
Sketching is the Artist Workout. I wanted to be a Scientific Illustrator. This was my original goal when I was in my teens. I still want to be an illustrator and any chance I get to freelance, I take it. Tattooing is cool but it demands a set of rules to follow that hinder the…
Read MoreA day in the Country
It is time to check on the property in the Ozark Mountains. Matt and the Family and the Dogs drive down to see if the Canvas Tent has survived the snow and winds from the last few months. Join us as we off-road some logging trails, and scout for a new home for the tent.
Read MoreSamurai Tattoo Added to an Old Joe Allhoff Dragon
Old Tattoos Completed Chris got a really nice Dragon from an old coworker of mine. Joe Allhoff and I worked at Trader Bob’s from 2004 until I left in 2012. Joe was singled handedly the most naturally talented Tattooist I have ever worked with. I have never seen an artist render images so effortlessly. I…
Read MoreCodye.
I did Codye’s first tattoo less than a year ago. As I remember he was quite the handful. He was rather nervous and really persistent at communicating the importance of the getting his first tattoo perfect. I don’t mind. I was told a while back that the energy like this just means the client is…
Read MoreBack Piece Finished!
Congrats to August So much goes into getting your back tattooed. You need to figure out what the idea is, how to design it, how to pay for it, how to commit time to it and how to keep up the energy when your still not finished. Finishing a large tattoo is very hard. I…
Read MoreLet’s Draw a Dragon
I tattooed a Phoenix on the back of Nick’s calf so of course I tattooed a Dragon on the front. I drew it on because it just makes more sense than stenciling. I also forgot to draw the night before, so drawing the dragon directly onto the leg seemed smart. Smearing a sharpie with my…
Read MoreGet Weird
A Good Kinda Crazy Team Mullet Louie’s leg is ripe with humor. I guess you could describe him as silly but he looks a serious as a heart attack. Currently he’s shaved bald and looks scary as hell but if he showed you his hidden tattoos it would throw you off. We already did the…
Read MoreI wrestled my Xterra
My yellow banana This is my forever project. I want a rig that can get me to the farthest parts and still get me home. I know “overlanding” is all the rage and yes I like everything about camping and back country traveling too. Overlanding seems to focus more on gear and sexy rigs. I…
Read MoreTonk the Tattooist
My new Zine “Tonk” I guess I could have printed this sooner. I kept circling back around and tweaking this and redrawing that. It is just a zine! What is a zine? A zine is short for fanzine. In my youth they were the life line of the underground music and punk scene. Zines are…
Read MoreYou called The Wolf!? Hell yes.
The Wolf Is Here The Wolf is the second print in my animal illustration series. The first was the The Scary Red Bear which was inspired by my first run in with a black bear. The Wolf is a follow up to my experience with being isolated in the woods with a pack of wolves…
Read MoreSunny Sunday Drive
The dog and I went exploring this weekend. I have been building an off-road capable Xterra. I love Missouri. I love exploring The Ozark Mountains. They recently logged the property behind ours. The trees will come back soon and the undergrowth with return. In a few years it will be good for hunting. Currently the…
Read MoreArm Studies in. Adobe Fresco
I was pretty happy with this study of arms. It is no secret that the human anatomy is difficult for me. I tend to shy away from the muscle structure and only show a simple shape of the arm. Recently I revisited Andrew Loomis’ book “Figure Drawing for All It’s Worth. There is a great…
Read MoreHunter doesn’t stop.
Heavily Tattooed Hunter has been getting tattooed by me for years. We balanced his arms in a “yin-yang” approach. If we did a skull blue on the left, it was red on the right. We did not mirror his arms, we just paid careful attention to the layout and it turned out great. We started…
Read MoreLady sleeping
I drew the Circle Jerks poster!
I Drew the Circle Jerks Poster!!! I drew the flyer for the upcoming Circle Jerks show in St. Louis. I am beyond stoked!! The Red Flag The Red Flag is THE venue for shows. I mean it is just perfect. It is big enough to get a bunch of concert goers comfortably in the venue…
Read MoreTim’s Coi Fish Sleeve
Finally Finished I really love how this turned out. I actually tattooed Tim in 1995. He was dying for a flaming yin-yang around his navel and I obliged. The 90’s were good for shit like that. It was more about the act of getting tattooed than what you got. That was at Iron Age on…
Read More