Finished Tattoo & Artwork

This is a follow up to a post I made about my new tattoo. The tattoo has been done for a while now, and I'm really happy with it. The color is awesome, the design is exactly what I wanted, and all the elements flow together. I just wish that I could get a decent picture of it. For now, the best I could do is this selfie:

I like this tattoo. The design and rendering of the electric eraser and the orange slice are top notch, and the amount of detail is impressive. I am trying to schedule a touch-up appointment with the artist (Craig Driscoll) so that he can smooth in the color of the translucent green french curves. Other than that, I wouldn't change a thing.

As is customary, the artist gave me his original working sketch as a souvenir. I love the artwork, so I asked him to create a color rendering for me. Using the sketch as a guide, Craig created an awesome original piece for me, along with several archival quality prints for my sisters. The original drawing is just as impressive as the tattooed version.

 I framed the original artwork and it now hangs in my office. I am super stoked on the work that Craig did for me. I'm sure that Dad would have liked it, too. 

Pilot Hi-Tec-C Maica: Bling-Bling Pen!

I recently placed an order with one of my favorite online vendors, and needed to buy a little something extra to get free shipping. A few minutes and US$2.50 later, this gem of a pen was added to my order: Pilot Hi-Tec-C Maica (Blue-Black color).

Backstory . . . I'm a big fan of the Hi-Tec-C pens. I was really liking my Hi-Tec-C Coleto pen until I discovered that the refills don't behave nicely if they don't get regular use (I assume that the tips dry out and get clogged). I only have one traditional Hi-Tec-C pen, but its 0.3 mm tip is too fine and scratchy for me. So, when I saw this Hi-Tec-C variant for sale, my goal was to buy a 0.4 mm version to replace the 0.3 mm pen. The excitement of buying a new pen must have been too much to handle, and I suffered a major shopping cart failure.

I accidentally ordered a 0.3 mm version of the Maica pen. Of course, it writes just like my other 0.3 mm Hi-Tec-C, which means I don't like it. As luck would have it, my daughter loves this bejeweled Hi-Tec-C, and she doesn't mind the needle tip. So I gifted the pen to her.

The Maica really is a pretty pen. It has aristocratic script on the body, a shiny colored body that matches the ink color, and a clear cap. Just look at the faceted gem-like flair that resides at the top of the cap:

OK, I can see why some uber-masculine writers may feel threatened and challenged by this sparkly writing instrument. Understood. That said, the pen IS rather handsome and it has an elegant design to it. The grip section is a little thicker than the standard Hi-Tec-C, which creates a better fit for large manly hands. The grip section also featrues some plastic knurling, which sets it apart from the standard Hi-Tec-C grip.

By the way, the pen uses standard Hi-Tec-C refills, which means there are a million colors and tip sizes from which to choose. The next time I place an order, I'll be careful to select a 0.4 mm or 0.5 mm version, with extra bling if available.