Ryan Bly | Artist Spotlight

Some moments in life feel like they were meant to happen, and for me, discovering Ryan Bly, Melancholy Club Tattoo (previously known as pvppet) was definitely one of those moments. Ryan is an Ohio-based tattoo artist, illustrator, and digital designer who has captivated a growing Instagram community of over 40,000 followers (@melancholyclubtattoo) with his unique approach to graphic design.

During a tough time mentally, when everything felt overwhelming and chaotic, the concept of someone melting really hit home for me. It perfectly symbolised how I often felt. Like my emotions and the weight of life decisions were just too much to handle. The Face Melt design resonated deeply with me, reflecting that internal turmoil. As we worked on the project, we kept referring to it as the "Face Melt" design, and it just felt right. The name stuck, and it became the perfect fit for the products that followed, carrying that raw, emotional essence into everything we created.

I first stumbled upon Ryan's work in a way that feels almost coincidental. As I was scrolling through Instagram one late night, just aimlessly doom-scrolling, I came across an image that instantly caught my eye - a tattoo of a female face melting, and I was immediately taken by the power behind it. Something about the distortion, it felt like it had a voice all on its own. 

It was at that moment that I knew I had to reach out to him. I shot Ryan a message, letting him know how much I loved the design and throwing out the idea of collaborating on something together. Little did I know, this simple message would spark what would become one of our most meaningful projects and one of Fixative’s most iconic designs, bringing our vision of a unique graphic t-shirt to life.

Ryan’s journey into tattoo artistry is rooted in his background as a freelance designer, and it shows in everything he creates. His work is heavily inspired by vintage comics, sculpture, and digital distortion - elements that allow him to blend storytelling with a modern, almost surreal twist. You can see it in his tattoos, his illustrations, and his digital art that there’s an emotional depth that makes everything he touches feel alive, embodying the essence of artistic streetwear.

When we started brainstorming for our collaboration, we both had a vision of creating something that would stand out and resonate with the Fixative community. The idea for the Face Melt T-Shirts came together so naturally. Ryan had already created this incredibly striking design, and we knew it would make an unforgettable back print. It was the perfect, bold design to make a statement, and with that in mind, we decided to create a complementary Fixative logo for the front.

We dove into the design process with the energy of two creatives in sync. We made adjustments, polished the details, and before we knew it, we had the finalized designs ready to share with the world. The result? A collaboration that not only captured the essence of Ryan’s artistry but also pushed boundaries in a way we both felt proud of. And to this day, that design remains one of our best-selling graphic t-shirts.

What makes this collaboration even more special to me is the genuine, organic connection that came from it. It wasn’t just about creating a product; it was about coming together with someone whose artistry and vision I deeply respected.

Thank you, Ryan, for letting me be a part of your incredible journey. I can’t wait to see where your art takes you next.

- Fletch