Elvis Gets Inked

Elvis is Elvis. The King of Rock n’ Roll. And I’ve always been a fan.

There is no doubt he set the world on fire with his music, “sexy dancin’”, and extravagance. I wonder what it would be like for him trying to make it in this day and age where the music industry playing field is extremely crowded. A great voice just doesn’t cut it now. You need the whole package and then some more. How would he separate himself from the crowd? How would he compete? Face tattoos obviously.

My kids are really into Post Malone and that’s what triggered this exploration. I started with some of Post’s tattoo designs and then just kept going from there, adding in other designs relevant to The King. I love the contrast here with the old, wholesome image of E with the modern trend of the extreme face tattoos.

Much like the real thing, I had a hard time with putting that first ink on. The artwork look great as it was and I could have left it there and played it safe. My Dad would have loved it and shared it with his friends and be proud of it. Once I did the barbed wire across his forehead, I knew there was no turning back. I had crossed the line and if I wanted to salvage this art, I knew I had to go all the way so I kept adding more. I bet it is similar to real life face tattoo mindset.

FYI - the TCB reference is a famous one of his and he had that TCB logo with the lightening bolt put on a lot of things. “Taking Care of Business”, a personal motto Presley adopted in the early 1970s. The TCB Band was a group of professional musicians who formed the core rhythm section of Elvis Presley's band from August 1969 until his death in 1977.

Fun Fact: Shana and I were married at Graceland Chapel in Las Vegas in 2009, Elvis impersonator and all.

This cover is reimagined in acrylic, pencil, and ink.