WETA BUG SCOOP: 3 July 07 I've just been talking to a graffiti artist who has a Weta influenced Kong design permanently tattooed onto his back!

I did a double take when I found Jeff Becker, a graffiti artist on MySpace.com, because he had a tattoo on his back featuring designs from our very own World Of Kong book! I had to learn more about how this design came about, so I emailed him for a quick chat about this very cool design.

Jeff's tattoo on his back, featuring World Of Kong images.

Weta Bug: Tell me a little about your art and what you do for a living.

Jeff Becker: "I have been drawing for most of my life. I still have places I need to reach with my work but for now, I am very focused on the figure and my graffiti art and characters. I will be graduating from Florida Atlantic University in the Fall of 2007 with a BFA in Painting and plan to pursue a career in illustration."

Where abouts are you based and what is your art background?

"I've lived in South Florida for my entire life and always loved fantasy and science fiction. I can remember copying Mortal Kombat characters as a child and was introduced to graffiti in high school which really gave me a reason to seriously continue my art. I learned how to abstract letter forms and include my own characters in the compositions."

Check out the Kong illustrations from the World of Kong!

How did you become familiar with Weta's work?

"I was strolling around Barnes and Noble one day right before the King Kong movie was to be released into theaters, not even thinking about that, and came across The World of Kong book. I was instantly attracted to the artwork on the cover and only flipped through the first couple pages before proceeding to the checkout line and purchasing the phenomenal collection of digital art I had just discovered. It also gave me motivation to practice more with my Wacom [electronic drawing] Tablet."

Can you tell me more about your tattoo, and exactly what you have featured in this design?

"Its basically a fantasy jungle scene featuring various creatures, some plant life, and a night sky. Some were hand drawn by myself and others were inspired by Weta's World of Kong book. The tattoo isn't even finished yet, so some of the elements aren't as bold as they will be. I also owe credit to my phenomenal tattoo artist, Gilbert Machado, who participated with the composition, layout, and of course the best tattoo skills I know of."

A piece from Jeff's personal art range.

Getting a tattoo is serious business. What made you decide to feature Weta designs in this piece?

"As much of a fan and participant of creating art, i am equally or more an admirer of nature. The World of Kong book that the Weta worshop put together is an unbelievable combination of the two. The technical skill that these artists showcased and the subject matter they used as a matrix to display their skills impressed me greatly and inspired me to incorporate certain elements into my back piece. I had just started the tattoo before I had found the book so it was perfect timing."

The World Of Kong book recently sold out from Weta's NZ, US and UK warehouses, so if you want a copy, best to check out our distributors and see if they've got one you can buy. You can check out illustrations from the World Of Kong book here.

If you'd like to see more of the illustrations, check out the Weta 'Koncept' art files, at WetaHolics.