The "Tattoo Artist"

  In this cover, the sailor having just pulled into port, has already
acquired a new girl friend, Betty.  Considering the list of names visible on his arm, it is plain to see that he has already visited numerous ports throughout the world.  His conquests are many, much to the delight of the local tattoo artist, whom he keeps quite busy.  Both sailor and artist are posed against a backdrop of the tattooist's sample sheet.  Notice that the tattoos being offered are shown in same color density as they would appear on the skin.  We also see that the old salt is quite a meticulous fellow.  The hair comb is held in place by a pack of cigarettes in his pocket.  As we glance upward, however, we see the gentleman's less-than-abundant hair, and we wonder why he need the comb at all. We also have to chuckle at  the color coordinated clothes of the tattoo artist, for his shirt and socks seem to have come from the same bolt of cloth. True to his total attention to detail, Rockwell has captured the weather beaten complexion of the sailor.  Just below the confidently perched cap, and especially below the ears, various shades of sunburned-turned-tanned skin are visible.

The tattoo artist cover, Rockwell maintained, was very well received, as were most of those he did bearing on the war.  The model for the tattooist in this picture was his good friend and fellow
POST  illustrator Mead Schaeffer.  Schaeffer claimed that Rockwell
painted his posterior larger than it really was:  Rockwell claimed that he didn't.  Judging fro this picture, it is evident that the argument was never really settled.