'Almost done and almost time to break out the tequila,' the actor joked on Instagram.
Dwayne Johnson is giving fans a behind-the-scenes look at his latest tattoo process!
The 49-year-old actor has been taking to Instagram the past few days to share updates on his revamped bull ink. Johnson originally got a tattoo of a bull on his bicep decades ago during his pro wrestling days and evolved it dramatically in 2017. Recently, he endured over 30 hours with tattoo artist Yomicoart to enhance it even further.
"Evolution of the Bull tattoo is almost complete. Day 2 and inking over 25 hours so far with my brother and hyper-realistic specialist @yomicoart in my basement," Johnson explained. "Yomico’s masterful in his skill and we've spent many months (almost a year thru Covid) collaborating on details and story that the tattoo will represent. Almost done and almost time to break out the tequila."
"Day 3 and we’re almost finished," he added in a second post. "Close to 30 hrs of tattooing (pretty challenging as my whole upper arm and shoulder wasn't a blank canvas but rather enhancing and adding to what was already there so the level of detail, precision and specific color for my skin takes a lot of time) with my brother @yomicoart. He’s a master of hyper-realistic art and a great collaborator with me as we took months to fine tune the story and information this tattoo has to tell."
Back in 2017, Johnson explained the meaning behind his original "evolution of the bull" with artist Nikko Hurtado via Instagram.
"I've engrained this bull in my DNA for two decades. My core. Humbly, it's also become a symbol of strength, resilience, heart, power and defiance to so many people around the world," he said at the time. "I got this tattoo when I was just a kid. Now I need it to reflect me as a man."
"All my ink is a rite of passage and spiritual and the MANA (power and spirit) has to be right before we begin," he continued. "Mana is strong with world renowned Nikko. We talked for hours about the man I am today, compared to who I once was. And who I'll always be. We all desire to grow and evolve. The mana is right.. let the blood and pain begin."
"After 3 sessions and 22hrs of tattooing with world renowned @NikkoHurtado, the story's almost done.. Every detail is a reflection of my own personal history," Johnson captioned another post of the before and after pics. "From the cracks and heavy damage in the bone representing life's hard lessons I've learned over the years. Just like scars and wrinkles - I'm so grateful to have 'em because they're earned."
"To the horns, not pointing up or out to the side, but pointing straight ahead representing relentless energy and forward progress. The core and anchor of this image is in the eye," he continued. "Look closely and you'll find the life, energy, power and you'll feel the MANA (spirit). The eye tells the story of a disruptive positive energy always ready to dent the universe. Depending on the light and angle, sometimes the energy's subtle and sometimes it's glaring. But it's always alive and ready to disrupt the universe and love and protect my family and all things I love with intense passion and gratitude. Cheers to living, learning, evolving and growing. And to the positive disrupters ready to dent the universe."
Hear more in the video below.
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