Ratta Tattoo
RSS Twitter Facebook
  • Home
  • Tattoo Articles
  • Tattoo Artists
  • Tattoo Videos
  • Tattoo Designs
  • Tattoo Pictures

Vintage Sketch-style Tattoos by Otto D’Ambra

Ottorino D’Ambra was born on 3 December 1978 in Milan, Italy. A creative child, Otto finished school and studied set design at Accademia di Brera (Academy of Fine Arts). D’Ambra worked as a set designer and interior designer for several years but didn’t limit himself to these modes of design; instead he has branched out into many other artistic fields including tattoos.

An Otto D Ambra tattoo that combines a human heart, planet earth and a butterfly

An Otto D’Ambra tattoo that combines a human heart, planet earth and a butterfly. As with all of D’Ambra’s tattoos, this design is simply packed with symbolism that is displayed in an exquisitely detailed, illustrative style. [source]

 

From Set Design to Tattoo Design

Constantly exploring the world of art and creativity, D’Ambra branched out into another design style; body art. Unlike many beginner tattoo artist who adopt a classic tattoo style such as American traditional, Otto decided to stay true to his own artistic abilities and style. In 2005, Otto D’Ambra became a tattoo apprentice, learning how to work the tattoo machines and apply ink to skin. For several years he worked at the Italian tattoo studio Trafficanti d’arte before moving to London in 2009.

Otto D’Ambra’s roots in fine art are apparent in his tattoo art. Each design is balanced, crisply presented and contains a clear silhouette. There is a sense of purpose in all of D’Ambra’s tattoo designs; none of the lines appear accidental or misplaced and the contrast created with highlights and shadows adds just enough depth to the design to interest the viewer without detracting from the 2-dimensional nature of the design.

This hybrid animal, made up of a goat, elephant and dodo bird is one of D Ambras original designs

This hybrid animal, made up of a goat, elephant and dodo bird is one of D’Ambra’s original designs. The silhouette of this design is testament to D’Ambra’s background in fine art – even from a distance it is apparent that this tattoo is of an unusual creature. [source]

 

Vintage Illustration Tattoos

Each of Otto D’Ambra’s tattoo designs is an original illustration by the artist, although the technique that he uses in his art is an old one. D’Ambra’s designs wouldn’t be out of place in a manual or magazine from the early 20th century or even earlier. The designs resemble illustrations found in the journals of the naturalists and explorers of the 1700s and 1800s, with a few creative additions by D’Ambra.

Otto D Ambra employs many traditional illustrative techniques in his tattoo designs

Otto D’Ambra employs many traditional illustrative techniques in his tattoo designs. This tattoo of a bird with a television for a head has areas in which lines have been placed close together to create a darker shade. The pupil of the eye in the television stands out against the rest of the tattoo because it is the only area of solid color. [source]

 

Otto D’Ambra often combines subjects and symbols in his designs to create more meaning within the art work. It’s seldom that an object or character appears in the design with a purely decorative purpose; each subject is placed in such a way that they create a statement or react to a statement being made elsewhere in the artwork.

A stunning tattoo portrait by Otto D Ambra has this pretty girl surrounded by brids and flowers

A stunning tattoo portrait by Otto D’Ambra has this pretty girl surrounded by brids and flowers. While the birds have their own symbolic meaning in the tattoo, they are also interacting with the woman and reacting to her symbolism within the art work. This is a truly exceptional tattoo because it is not just beautifully designed and brilliantly executed; when you catch the meaning in it you’ll find that it is deeply symbolic too. [source]

 

This obscure little tattoo design by Otto D Ambra combines a human heart and eye with a book and an octopus

This obscure little tattoo design by Otto D’Ambra combines a human heart and eye with a book and an octopus. This kind of illustration would have fitted right in with the early science fiction novel from the 19th century. [source]

 

D’Ambra’s tattoo designs reveal a world similar to the steampunk universe. When human characters appear in Otto’s tattoos, they wear fashions from the Edwardian period (early 20th century), and when technology is displayed, it is in the form of cameras, pocket watches and gramophones from this period. One of the few subjects in Otto’s tattoo designs that seems out of place is a television, a technological gadget that appeared in the mid 20th century, much later than any of the other gadgets that Otto uses in his designs.

Otto D Ambra portrays humans as characters from a pseudo Edwardian period

Otto D Ambra portrays humans as characters from a pseudo Edwardian period. The mustache and hat were typical men’s fashions of the early 20th century. [source]

 

A human skull opens to reveal a gramophone in this vintage style tattoo by Otto D Ambra

A human skull opens to reveal a gramophone in this vintage style tattoo by Otto D’Ambra. The gramophone was a device used for playing music from records that was popularly used in the early 20th century to bring the magic of music into the home. Human skulls are a symbol of not just death and mortality, but humanity in general. By giving the skull a gramophone instead of a brain, D’Ambra is making a comment about the link between man’s musical creativity and the state of mankind. [source]

 

The natural world holds sway over many of Otto D’Ambra’s tattoo designs. Butterflies, birds, flowers and animals often appear in Otto’s tattoos along with skulls, fish and sea creatures. Between the hand-drawn illustrative effect of D’Ambra’s tattoos and the organic nature of his subjects, Otto D’Ambra’s tattoos have an appealing, antiquated effect that can be enjoyed by book lovers, history buffs and anyone who appreciates great art. Visit Ottorino D’Ambra’s personal website or his facebook page for more tattoo pictures and information about this artist.

A human eye lives in the side of a fish in this illustrative tattoo by Otto D Ambra

A human eye lives in the side of a fish in this illustrative tattoo by Otto D Ambra. [source]

 

 

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Pinterest
  • Tumblr
February 15, 2013 Catherine Nessworthy Mayhem & Muse

Next

A super cute tattoo of Winnie the Pooh flying with the help of a puzzle patterned balloon

Friends Forever with Winnie the Pooh Tattoos

Winnie the Pooh is a bear character that was created by the author A A Milne. Winnie the Pooh first appeared in 1926 and has been delighting children and adults ever since with his sweet sayings and fun adventures. Not only is Winnie the Pooh very popular, his friends have become famous too, often appearing […]

February 21, 2013 Catherine Nessworthy Mayhem & Muse

Prev

The Painful Hand-poked Method of Traditional Japanese Tattoos

Traditional Japanese tattoo art, known as irezumi, is created by repeatedly stabbing a “brush” of needles into the skin, as shown in this video. The artist repeatedly stabs the brush into the client’s skin to create the design, in this case a large koi fish. As you can see in this video, building up a […]

February 13, 2013 Catherine Nessworthy Mayhem & Muse
  • February 15, 2013
  • by Catherine Nessworthy
  • Tattoo Artists
  • animal, antique, art, artist, body, body art, creature, design, drawing, europe, hybrid, illustration, illustrative, images, ink, italy, london, pictures, symbol, tattoo, UK, united kingdom, vintage

You may also like

  • Artistic Abstract and Graphics Tattoos by Pietro Romano
    February 12, 2013 Catherine Nessworthy Mayhem & Muse
  • Karl Wiman takes Traditional Tattoos to a New Level
    September 20, 2013 Catherine Nessworthy Mayhem & Muse
  • Gemma Pariente gives Floral Tattoos a Paisley Spin
    May 27, 2013 Catherine Nessworthy Mayhem & Muse
  • Artistic Tattoos by Self-taught Artist Gene Coffey
    September 24, 2013 Catherine Nessworthy Mayhem & Muse
  • Abstract Tattoos by Peter Aurisch
    July 30, 2012 Catherine Nessworthy Mayhem & Muse
  • Tattoo Artist Marcin Surowiec combines Abstract and Surrealist Art on Skin
    September 26, 2013 Catherine Nessworthy Mayhem & Muse
  • David Hale Tattoos his Illustrated Spirit
    October 23, 2012 Catherine Nessworthy Mayhem & Muse
  • Photo Realistic Fantasy Tattoos by Robert Litcan
    April 9, 2013 Catherine Nessworthy Mayhem & Muse
  • Alex de Pase brings Beauty to Skin with Artistic, Photo-realistic Tattoos
    February 28, 2013 Catherine Nessworthy Mayhem & Muse
  • Tattoo Artist Dodie Delights the Ladies with Lacey Animal Tattoos
    July 3, 2013 Catherine Nessworthy Mayhem & Muse
  • Jukan Tattoos Abstract Watercolor Awesomeness
    April 17, 2013 Catherine Nessworthy Mayhem & Muse
  • Amazing Photorealistic Tattoos by Dmitriy Samohin
    January 8, 2013 Catherine Nessworthy Mayhem & Muse
  • Inspiration and Ideas for Peacock Tattoos
    May 8, 2013 Catherine Nessworthy Mayhem & Muse
  • Jesse Smith creates Cartoon Graffiti Tattoos
    September 19, 2012 Catherine Nessworthy Mayhem & Muse
  • Peter “Walrus” Madsen Breathes Modern Spiritualism into Tribal Tattoos
    June 11, 2013 Catherine Nessworthy Mayhem & Muse
  • Eye-catching New School Tattoos by Jee Sayalero
    January 15, 2013 Catherine Nessworthy Mayhem & Muse
  • Glamorous Geisha Tattoos by Venus Flytrap
    July 17, 2013 Catherine Nessworthy Mayhem & Muse
  • Animals, Illusions and Dot work Tattoos by Gregorio Marangoni
    April 3, 2013 Catherine Nessworthy Mayhem & Muse
  • Tentacles and Tattoos: Octopus Tattoo Designs
    October 1, 2012 Catherine Nessworthy Mayhem & Muse
  • Chaim Machlev brings Spiritual Magic to Sacred Geometry Tattoos
    June 4, 2013 Catherine Nessworthy Mayhem & Muse
  • Tattoo Artist Karolina Bebop reflects the World in Patterns on Skin
    November 20, 2013 Catherine Nessworthy Mayhem & Muse
  • Petra’s Vibrant and Expressive Watercolor Tattoos
    May 20, 2014 Catherine Nessworthy Mayhem & Muse
  • Artistic Abstract Tattoos by Xoil
    February 23, 2013 Catherine Nessworthy Mayhem & Muse
  • The Sweetest Sea Horse Tattoos
    October 17, 2012 Catherine Nessworthy Mayhem & Muse
  • David Hale Tattoos the Textures of his Imagination
    March 18, 2013 Catherine Nessworthy Mayhem & Muse
  • Let Yourself be Mesmerized by Pierluigi Deliperi’s Hypnotic Tattoos
    July 15, 2014 Catherine Nessworthy Mayhem & Muse
  • Art Deco Tattoos give Body Art a Beautiful, Antique Flavor
    July 12, 2013 Catherine Nessworthy Mayhem & Muse
  • Noon’s Abstract Character Tattoos Redefine Fine Art
    November 1, 2013 Catherine Nessworthy Mayhem & Muse
  • Geometry of the Soul: Nazareno Tubaro’s Mathematic Mandala Tattoos
    November 8, 2013 Catherine Nessworthy Mayhem & Muse

Tags

    abstract america animal art artist artistic asian bird body body art cartoon character color creature cute death design dotwork europe feminine flight floral flower geometric girl guys illustration images ink inspiration life man mandala meaning of men painting pictures spiritual symbol tattoo totem video watercolor wings woman
© Copyright 2012 - 2019 Ratta Tattoo.