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I don't have many tattoos yet but I love the ones I do have. New one done last month at Frith Street by Stewart Robson... (I hope it works)

Was done at Randy Englehard shop in Germany. 7-8 hours more progress now, artist Carlos Torres!

Done today by Paul Slifer at Red, Hot and Blue Tattoo in Edinburgh,

Got my walk in at Frith Street yesterday. Happened to get Oliver, he was an absolute gentleman, was a really nice experience overall. If any of you guys know the shop, Dante, Jordan and everyone else were hanging out joking, was so chilled. And I came out with a perfect tat :)

Tim at The Pearl finished my left shoulder on Wednesday. My chest piece is now fully connected. There is just a little spider-webbing left to do on my pecs and the chest, she is done. I'll post next week. So close...so close...

That looks great but how is it going to hold up? ( Just trying to fit in here ;) I really don't care what it looks like in 20 years because that is one sick ass tattoo now)

I got this from Josh Adams a few months ago. I love it but it healed up a little weird in one spot (between the hands). It's probably just cause I already had a dry skin patch right there and never noticed until it was tattooed. I just set up an appointment with Frank William in a week and a half and I am stoked.

Blue tiger/dragon by Danny Rossiter of Rain City, Manchester, UK. Fell in love with the painting when he posted it on Instagram so had to snaffle it up :) pleased and sore.

My old boss had been putting money in the stock market for something like fifteen or twenty years planning for his retirement. Then the recession hit. If he'd spent that money on tattoos he'd at least have something to show for it.

Thank you mate, I'm with you. It will last as long as it lasts:)

Mine is really simple. I shout from my station to my colleagues station 'I've had a cancellation/no-show too. Do me a tattoo NOW!' Then I spend the next hour pissing and moaning, accusing him of specifically trying to hurt me, saying how I'm sure I don't hurt my customers this bad, asking what have I ever done to him to deserve this terrible treatment, and swearing profusely. I then go back to work and moan to my customers about how much I hate being tattooed, which really helps them suffer the pain I'm sure! Tattooers make the worst customers. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I am gearing up to move into Oakland or SF in the coming weeks. And I have started a zine project. Also, looking for a new job/jobs. Big life moves for me, but nothing extraordinary.

I forgot I posted Louie in this thread, haha. Since then I got a dog, she'll be a year old next week. Louie's friends with her now but it took awhile. Bonnie: Bonnie kayaking: (well, taking a break from kayaking)

I looked over a couple of posts and realized I could have gone a little more in depth. It's been my experience with forums so far to tread lightly until you get the feel for how people interact there. My actual name is Darrell. Yes, the Sausage King, no not really. I just have an affinity for 80's movies and sometimes reference them. I'm from Birmingham, Al, although I've been just down the road in Tuscaloosa for the last 3 years. I decided to go back to school and so I'll graduate from the University of Alabama College of Commerce and Business Administration in December 2014 at the ripe young age of 37 with a double major in finance and economics and a specialization in macroeconomic and monetary policy. I haven't always been a stiff, so y'all don't hate me. I spent 15 years in the service business with 7 of it running a poker game in the Birmingham area. My hope is to apply for MBA programs in the Atlanta, Ga area after graduation and most hopefully find a job there. I have family there already. So that's me, and I want at least 3 large tattoos so the people I'll end up working with, where we'll all wear long sleeves and buttoned collars, won't have a clue that I'd be inked until the first company picnic, then they'll get the surprise. I'm not talking sleeves, but shoulder and back for now.

I second @Killercook76. Definitely tell them your budget and also know it's OK to ask for a ballpark even when the design is in limbo. I ask all the time and they usually give me a range, then I save the amount of the highest figure + tip.

Cheers :-) Alright then, there is still loads to go, even just planning certain bits out we haven't finished yet, need to get the fingers finished, bloody loads to go on the lantern, try to fit the background into the Jess Yen work on the left thigh, then put lots of sweeping hair across the face - but here's our start! Will be full colour in the face/hand/lantern, and loads more black in the background. Will take quite awhile, trust me! I will update as we go if people are interested, cheers :-)

not the best picture but i got this from Josh Adams yesterday while he was guest spotting @ Old Soul

That still works out to $500/hr, which is still pretty ridiculous. And as if just nonchalantly mentioning "regularly" spending $5000 a session (plus travel fees) didn't seem enough like trying too hard, you also imply someone is a pussy if they can't sit 10 hours. Wow.

Just dont worry, let it heal and if it needs fixing , get it fixed :) It will heal so don't fret !!

WTF?

Welcome Dano. It sounds like your on your way to becoming a pretty good collector.Uncle Allan does real nice work,and so do the other artists at his shop.I would like to visit Berlin too,there's just so many good tattooers there.You should come to Jersey,and get tattooed by Kevin Leblanc. Instagram Some of these guys do neo traditional like Uncle. Derek - Dark Age Tattoo Instagram Name Brand Tattoo Instagram

I agree with the no outlines statement. That's why I said I'm rethinking that tattoo. Definitely still want it. Just need to find the right artist to help me translate that vision into something that works. I spoke with one in Miami who indeed told me that was not a great idea. I have read the What Makes a Good Tattoo thread, about half of it so far. I'll finish that later. I plan on reading a whole bunch of threads when I have free time.

Damn @peterpoose you have been getting nailed!

Before I go into, I'm using the term greyscale for all black. Is there a more accurate term the community uses to describe that kind of work? Hmm. I'll tell you about them and perhaps you can tell me if they fall into a style. I've tried reading about different styles so that I could communicate with artists about the work and I've yet to find the right vocabulary. The first I thought I was a little set on and the more I look into it I'm changing my mind. I want a phoenix on my left shoulder, I'm a pretty big guy so there's room to work, I had kind of envisioned a pastel look with just orange, yellow, and red flames and no real outlines. I wanted the feet holding five roses, three turned to the right with blossoms, and the other two to the left that are wilted. So get back to reality, after talking with artists and researching, that vision needs to be changed. I really wanted this to have vivid flames on the wings in place of feathers, that still might be possible. On Ink Master season 2 the lady did a phoenix in greyscale I think and there were elements of it that I liked, I don't want to copy that, just some elements that would work for me. So when I find the right artist for me I'll be asking his or her opinion, telling them what I'm getting at, and see if they can help me interpret into a workable piece that will hold up. Next two are kind of companion pieces. On my left shoulder blade, kind of large taking up about the upper quarter of my back, I want kind of a fallen angel. Not Lucifer, but it's female, but not sexual, she's kneeling and either looking away or down. This would be greyscale. I have some pictures and images I've saved kind of about her body, but the artist I work with would really have to help me out with the wings, I'm a little lost on them. The third is on the right shoulder blade, takes up about the upper quarter of my back and is the angel of death with his scythe. I like greyscale on this, but possible with some blueish or greenish tinting, maybe like a green fog in the background. The color, if any, I would look at the artist and ask if they think that is a good idea, if not then the whole thing could be greyscale. Plus with the two pieces on my back being so large, and being companion pieces, they might just run into each other and be turned into one large piece. And so then I don't know that it would make sense to have a green or blue fog on one side and the other side be greyscale completely, so the color might go. - - - Updated - - - I welcome any comments or suggestions on the above idea. And let me state that just because I mentioned Ink Master doesn't mean I watched the show and decided to get a tattoo. I'm sure some people do that and to each their own. It's just that for the many years that I've been wanting the phoenix tattoo I've always kept my eye out for ideas or inspiration. So any art that sticks out at me I might save on my computer, get a pic of, or tuck it in the back of my mind.

Excellent username choice.

Maybe not. But I was down there last January and enjoyed being there so much. Then through my research I found a website that listed it as the best tattoo city in the country. I'm not trying to start a fight with those words right there and offend people in other places, anyway. So there was that combination of things that told me I wanted to go there. I didn't limit my research to there. I have also researched shops in Atlanta because I travel there a lot. There are definitely shops there that have good reviews as well. Maybe I can find an okay artist closer, there is actually supposed to be a guy right up the street from me who has a good reputation. Part of it is that these tattoos have so much meaning to me that I want the whole thing to be kind of an experience. I swear, I'm really joking with the part about surprising coworkers. These are for me, no one else. That's in part why they'll be so that they are pretty much covered if I have a t shirt on. I mean if the one on my shoulder comes below a short sleeve a little it won't bother me. But, that's part of the reason I'm here is to find that tattoo artist, or artists because I want one color and the other two like grayscale, that will give me that experience. So I'll be searching around for threads where I can join the conversation about what I should look for in a shop and an artist.

Just booked an appointment with Dusty Neal at Black Anvil Tattoo 3/28/2014 and I can't wait. I'm getting a grim reaper with a yellow rose and a banner reading "Death Makes Life Worth Living" on my left thigh. Can't wait!

Finished my first tattoo 4 days ago. Second session was a nice 5hours of colouring. Sort of a bio-organic thing :) By Yliana Paolini

My sister asked me to touch her stomach tonight.... and I felt my nephew kick for the 1st time. I think I am the only person outside of my sister to feel him kick

sunscreen is good defense...i was pretty overzealous during my early years living with tattoos. then i got a lot more ink, got lazy of lathering and tired of smelling like a god damn pina colada all the time. coverup, wear long sleeves if you are going to be out in the sunshine for long periods, don't stay exposed long enough to get a burn. i mean that is good sense whether you look like a colouring book or not. yknow that pesky thing they call skin cancer... the gent who did my first tattoo told me that tattoos look the best ten years after they were made. they look worn, the look weathered, they have aged gracefully with you. the tattoos have mileage and your stories attached to make them alive. i looked up this tattooer 10 years later and stopped by his shop to show him that decade old first tattoo. and to tell him he was god damn right! take care of your body and keep healthy. healthy skin will make the tattoo look better and keep it looking like a good tattoo. that is the best long-term tattoo care advice i've been given and that i can share.

Healed from the London Tattoo Convention - by Chriss Dettmer

Welcome to LST! We're not here to help you break into the business of Tattooing, please read the forum rules carefully: Last Sparrow Tattoo - Forum Rules ;) Cheers

just a little Indian action and tiger from Kemer here at Superfly tattoos in Leon Mexico

going to la to finish this with bryan burk in a couple weeks. and i just booked a flight to austin in february emailed steve byrne! sorry if the pictures big

Okay, per request, one Monmon Cat by Horitomo. HORITOMO (@horitomo_stateofgrace) | Just finished | Intagme - The Best Instagram Widget

I like the idea of that burpees challenge. I got into the best shape of my life in last 2012/early 2013 and was setting PRs at every distance from 5k to the marathon. Then I got stupid plantar fasciitis and have spent more time eating pizza than I should have...

Thanks for sending me in the direction of Blood Ceremony lads I brought the new album and really like it , the singer really reminds me of Siouxsie Sioux .

I've just got back from Mexico, WOW! love that place, will definitely be going back for sure. Good food, Bad Alcohol (but lots of it!) I Also spotted Oliver Peck, met Liam Sparkes (nice guy) and physically bumped into Jared Leto. Crazy trip, Bring on the next one. Happy New Year!

I had really worked on getting fit in 2012 and it culminated in me completing a Tough Mudder that October. then the holidays came and I got out of the habit and never really could stay consistent in 2013. So now I'm trying to commit to doing more in 2014 and have completed my first day of a 30 burpies for 30 days challenge. That should get me back on track.

1st day at my new job today. My commute to my previous job averaged 1.25 hours one way, the commute to my new job was 10 minutes one way :D

Me and @Pugilist got matching tattoos again. This is from Doc Forbes flash and was done by Chris Hold at Sacred Heart Tattoo in Vancouver, BC. It was a super fun one and Chris was a great dude to get tattooed by. Couldn't be happier with the tattoo and the whole experience.

@chrisnoluck Tattoo Marks in State College? I got my first few tattoos at their old shop behind McLanahans.

Friday the 13th tattooing at Kings Avenue!!! Sorta... Short 4 hour session today with Mike Rubendall at Kings Ave in Long Island. It's been freezing cold in NYC and I braved the train ride out to Long Island to continue work on my back piece. Added more color to the dragon. Here's the report. Enjoy! Alpha Omega original hanging in Rubendall's room. Details and colors are AMAZING!!! Straddling the chair and about to throwdown: And the results from today's work: Really digging the vivid colors: Slowly coming together: And of course I couldn't go home without grabbing these. I have a copy of the Fingerwave Book which these prints were made for. Saw the original hanging in the shop. LOVE the waves and happy that I own some Rubendall waves on my backside, hahaha

Been 2 sessions since my last update on my back piece. Saturday was my last for 2013 and going to start back up in January. All work being done by Rodrigo Melo at Northstar Tattoo NYC. Mike

This is what I've had done so far. Four sessions; the rose and yet more black went in last Friday. By Grez at Kings Avenue.

Latest session. Two more to go!

About 4 more hours on my back today with Max. I'm going to try to make another trip down to Richmond before the end of the year. Sorry if it's huge but I'm on my phone right now.

Hey all, I just joined and started flicking about thoroughly enjoying this thread only to come across this guy here! I live in melbourne and the guy with the chad koeplinger in Rough Operators post is my good friend who I was drinking a beer with only hours ago. This piece looks amazing now that its fully coloured and complete, I'll see if I can find a photo somewhere! Small world, great thread! Here's a sizzler from El Bara, from Madrid.

Yesterday my wife had her 4th session on her backpiece, and the background brought it to life and we are so stoked I just had to share it with you all :-) The piece is made by Bonel from Corazon Santo in The Netherlands, which also did both of my sleeves and chest pieces :)