5 of the best tattoos inspired by album covers

Art is art, and album covers can sometimes bring out the very best in artists. 

Choosing an album cover is important for a band, because getting it right might bring with it iconic status, making the cover more memorable than the actual songs within.

The really memorable ones take on a life of their own, and of course, many people will have them as tattoos.

We’ve picked 5 of our favourites from the internet to you to admire, and of course, all credit goes to the original artists.

Joy Division - Unknown treasures

You’ve probably seen this one on a T-shirt, but having a back piece takes dedication!

Nirvana - In Utero

Not exactly the same as the album cover, but with some additional details, this tattoo smells like teen spirit.

The Beatles - Abbey Road

Possibly the most recognisable album cover of all time, this masterpiece recently celebrated its 50th anniversary, with thousands of people walking across the famous zebra crossing.

The Clash - London Calling

It may not be the most famous album cover of all time, but the Clash’s London Calling photograph might just be the coolest.

David Bowie - Aladdin Sane

We all miss Bowie of course, but for those of us who want to remember him with a tattoo, then there are plenty of options to choose from. The Aladdin Sane cover lends itself to a great minimalist tattoo.

Sunset’s Misery has teamed up with Blunt Umbrellas

Our very own artist Misery has teamed up with the amazing Kiwi Company Blunt Umbrellas to create this beautiful limited edition line of umbrellas. 

Blunt Umbrellas

Blunt are not playing around in the umbrella market. They plan on revolutionising it. Through bold, forward-thinking, they are challenging the status quo and changing the game in the process.

Blunt started when Kiwi engineer Greig Brebner was living in London. Dealing with rainy commutes everyday, Greig noticed how unsafe umbrellas were - being so tall, the spikes often poked him in the eye! He also noticed how umbrellas had become a throwaway commodity, mainly due to poor-quality materials and flimsy, outdated design.

Reinventing the Umbrella

To to save his eyes and reduce the number of broken umbrellas that end up as landfill each year, Greig set out to do something no one had done since 1928 - to re-invent the umbrella. And he began by re-designing the mechanisms.

Going right back to the drawing board, Greig married engineering innovation with no-fuss design styling to create something that exceeded even his own expectations: a ridiculously strong umbrella that could handle seriously wild weather.

After pushing countless prototypes to the limits in wind tunnels and on the blustery hills of Auckland, Greig finally did it. He'd re-invented the umbrella. And it just so happened to become the best umbrella in the world.

Misery in the rain

Sunset’s very own Mama Bear Misery has teamed up with Blunt Umbrellas to create a gorgeous, limited edition range.

"My husband breeds tropical fish, and for the past year our studio has been shared with quite a few aquariums, which is lovely to be surrounded by, and has definitely had some influence in creating this work. I wanted the design to be watery and dreamy but also quite graphic with eye-popping colour so it would really be noticed when coming down the street."

If you would like one the best umbrellas in the world, with a design from one of New Zealand’s top artists, then head on over to www.bluntumbrellas.co.nz to score one !

Ten of the best movie tattoos

Today sees the New Zealand International Film Festival kick off, a celebration of film on the finest screens in Aotearoa.

Now in its 51st year, the festival showcases over 150 different features in Auckland and Wellington over 2 weeks, with a further programme travelling around a dozen other towns around the country.

We all love a good movie, so to celebrate the festival, we’ve scoured the internet for 10 of the best movie tattoos we could find to inspire you to pay us a visit!

Monty Python

While there are plenty of iconic moments to choose from when it comes to Monty Python, the black Knight from Monty Python and the Holy Grail has got to be the best!

The Crow

Brandon Lee tragically died on the set of this movie, making this tattoo even darker.

Toy Story

Why get a single small tattoo of your favourite character when you can get the entire cast done!

Pulp Fiction

Certainly Tarintino’s best movie, and arguably the best movie of the 90s, Pulp Fiction was that rare mix of critically acclaimed, a blockbuster, and a cult movie.

A clockwork orange

Stanley Kubrick’s movie version of Anthony Burgess's novel drew criticism from pretty much everyone when it was first released, resulting in a ban in the UK until the director’s death.

Harry Potter

No list of movie tattoos would be complete without a Harry Potter addition! This gorgeous Deathly Hallows tattoo is an elaborate version which would fit in with any Victorian jewellery box!

Back to the Future

Yep, we know what you’re all thinking - we’re well past 2015, so where’s our hoverboards?

Reservoir Dogs

Back to Tarantino again and his Directorial debut is one of his most iconic. The shot of the bank robbers walking along after planning their heist is burned into the memory of every art student from the 90s!

Alien Vs Predator

Two great movie franchises meet in the Alien Vs Predator series, but this mash up with Disney’s The Fox and the Hound is too cute!

Batman: The Dark Knight

Heath Ledger’s performance as the Joker won him an much-deserved Oscar for 2008’s Batman sequel, but unfortunately, as we all know, he never lived to see it.

On the fridge or on your arm? Kids drawings and tattoos

The latest trend has hit the tattoo industry and it’s adorable.

More and more parents are getting their kids artwork tattooed on their bodies as a way to keep those memories forever.

From adorable love notes to questionable portraits and crude stick figures, it doesn’t matter. In the eyes of these devoted parents, these are masterpieces that deserve to be frozen in time.

Twitter has hundreds of examples, including the awesome one below:

Even celebrities are doing it! This is David Beckham’s one from his daughter Harper:

And, of course, it’s not just for parents. Cool Aunties and Uncles can get in on the act too!

So if you would like something deeply personal and not just your average run-of-the-mill ink, get your kid to draw your next tattoo… and who knows, maybe one day they’ll work here at Sunset!

10 of the best Pride tattoos for Pride Month

As we come to the close of Pride Month, we’ve scoured the internet for 10 of the best Pride tattoos out there. As usual, all credit goes to the original artists.

1. Love is all you need.

Let’s start with the obvious thing that needs stated, everyone deserves the right to love and be loved. If you don’t agree with that, fuck off.

2. Couples Tattoo

Once you’ve finally found that significant other, let the world know by getting matching tattoos! Because we all know gay couple’s never break up. :)

3. A rose by any other name

This gorgeous rainbow rose doesn’t necessarily have to be about gay pride, but it certainly looks the part!

4. For the gay musicians out there

Combining your passion with your identity is a great idea for a tattoo.

5. Just as nature intended

It doesn’t always have to be rainbow colours to proclaim your true identity, a simple, yet perfect sentence can send the same message loud and clear.

6. Minimalist tats

We love this simple, small, yet effective pride tattoo.

7. Was Batman gay?

We’re not saying Batman was gay, but he did spend a lot of time running around in tights and a mask, playing with a teenage boy.

8. Traditional Gay

Of course, we couldn’t have our list with Sunset’s speciality; traditional tattoos.

9. Gay Angels

This absolutely stunning tattoo not only represents gay pride, but looks fucking amazing!

10. Gay dinosaurs

No one knows for sure if dinosaurs were gay, but until scientists prove otherwise, we’re betting that’s why they became extinct.