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Don't know who the Cheyenne Randall guy is who runs it, but nice stuff. ☜Shopped Tattoos☞

People prefer and are more comfortable with different methods. Nothing wrong with that.

From Kim Saigh's instagram, progress from Saturday...maybe one more session to go:

It's not unusual for a professional to charge for advice and opinions. Especially if that advice can save you money or make your life more pleasant in the long run. Quotes for various jobs are often free when they lead to more, higher paying work. Many professions are purely advice based too. Leave it alone. An extra-thick black arm to the star does not make it look better. If you're planning on getting more tattoos near it, if they are of a high quality, eventually you won't notice the wonky star.

"What are we? Pirates or pen pals?" There is no standard. Do what works for you.

Something that bums me out sometimes about the culture of tattoo "collectors" is a preoccupation with being a "cool" client, i.e. someone who seems "down" and who the tattooer hits it off with. I wonder if this is maybe where these kinds of anxieties come from. Fuck that. You sound polite and respectful, which is probably how most of us aim to be in most customer service situations. That is how I try to behave in most of my day-to-day dealings too. Beyond that, I try not to worry about whether or not I am "cool", or anyone's fave. That shit gets a bit too high school for me. Also I am not cool.

I posted this in the latest tattoo lowdown a couple of months ago when we got them, but me and my wife @Pugilist got matching tattoos (again) in December. Chris Hold at Sacred Heart in Vancouver did them and they're from Doc Forbes flash because what else would you get as a souvenir tattoo in Vancouver? Mine is on the left, hers is on the right.

*Hugs*

This is my latest from Nick Colella at the motor city tattoo expo. Pretty fricking sweet.

I wasn't trying to say don't use this or that someone is wrong for doing so or anything like that; pretty sure I did say it seems like a decent product. The word gimmick was not used in a negative light or intended to be taken in a way as negative; just that some methods that have always worked over time still will. And I'm the first one to say that everybody heals different with different methods. I've skinned the cat 20 different ways and they all work. Some are better with some people than others. Perhaps music media was a poor example; media has decreased in sound quality with each new advancement in technology for the sake of making it convenient. Analog tape is still the best but the most impractical. I wasn't trying to make it sound like this is worse because it's newer.

Whoah that was pretty quick @Graeme! Yeah I should have some on here, gimme a minute to figure out how to put them up. - - - Updated - - - They're all pretty healed and hairy but here goes.

I'm worried y'all are not joking.

I would ignore this tattoo it for now. Maybe see if you can get any of your unused "deposit" back then save up some money and seek out some higher quality artists. It may take a couple months before your have the time and money but you will be much happier with the results. It would be insane to keep returning to an artist after you lost confidence in their ability to design and apply a quality tattoo.

Go talk to your tattooer dude. You can draw on yourself with Sharpie all day, and we can give you advice (definitely get a panther) but you should really just talk to the person who can physically fix this.

Funny, I was just thinking about this recently. I have a bit of social anxiety, and am pretty awkward in general, so I think when I started getting tattooed by more widely known people I cared about them really liking me more than I should have. Because they were people that I really admired, you know? I don't recall resorting to overly blatant name dropping or anything desperate like that, but I definitely remember their opinion of me being a concern in my mind. I use past tense here because I'd like to think I've moved past that--as long as I'm courteous, I'll sit in silence if that's how I feel, IDGAF.

"I use being a woman to my advantage...especially because guys are dumb enough to do what I say." Direct quote from ashley. Fucking ambassador for feminism right here.

(Mine is obviously the best one.) ;)

Finished these ones yesterday. @Scott Sylvia did the skull on the right, Freddy Corbin on the left. These were done over a week and a half. It was a fuckin honor to be tattooed by both. Fuck sorry about the size.

Hi i'm Jake, 24, I'm from a small town about an hour outside London. I've been getting tattoos since I was 18 but have only been seriously getting into it in the last 2 or 3 years thanks to this site helping me to understand good tattoos. I have mostly smaller tattoos at the moment, but I'm working up to getting some bigger stuff. I've had the pleasure of being tattooed by Chad Koeplinger, Valerie Vargas, Eli Quinters amongst others. I'm also going to be travelling to New York next week and have appointments with Steve and Dan at Smith Street. Thanks for reading and I look forward to meeting some of you.

You were the one who asked for downsides, those are the downsides. The cost is not negligible, for a large studio of full time artists it would be insane to order enough for everyone to use for every tattoo. Plus you have to use cling film for a variety of other things anyway, surfaces, chairs, armrests, spray bottles, you always have some very close to hand, it's always there, its much more convenient. It sounds like you are a lobbyist for one of these companies!

Industry standard? It's not because if you ask the thousands of tattooers they will all tell you different ways of how you should handle your aftercare. Do what works for you.. If you don't think this product is for you then don't use it!!! HAHA!! Anyway I think it's not used by more shops and artist is because it is more expensive . I think it's worth it because at the end of the day touch ups can get expensive for various reasons. Any aftercare can be messed up by human error so go by whatever you like. This tread is for those who are interested in using it. Feel free to take our advice or move on and not use it. Plain and simple.. - - - Updated - - - I wouldn't exactly call this a gimmick just a different way to approach aftercare. So far I haven't heard anything negative from users that I know. I'm sure someone has something they don't like about it but that is with everything.

I hate this kind of thing.

I'm out! It was nice to meet you all though;)

feels like i've got chicken pox...last session I had, OllieXXX stipled the rest of my torso gaps, added filler on the eel on the side of my knee, touched up a leg tattoo he did 3 years ago and added a smart ass hot stuff. healing four parts of the body at the moment and i've got another session coming up next week. jesus christ. then i think i will be good for this season, going to start my backpiece after getting my sunburn on this summer. so what to get next week? i had booked an appointment with one of my favourite local tattooers Shawn O'Connor (The Timber Tattoo Company Blog) since he is moving away from Edmonton to Nelson (which rules because I love road trips to Hippy Country, Canada). Thinking about getting a bad ass panther...is there really anything to think about there?!? My wife is away this week which means I don't have my rational partner to talk me out of doing something ridiculous, like adding blue balls onto a muscle sex panther tattoo. It's going on my inner thigh, seems only appropriate to add some innuendo.

^Like the above said, ask your tattooer about fixing it, for sure. Also, as far as other people's suggestions to "get more tattoos". That's pretty solid advice. In the event that your tattooer can't fix it, and you don't want to go through laser treatments and cover-ups, adding more tattoos around it can help a lot. A regular poster on here @TrixieFaux I believe has a similar tattoo and added around it rather than covered it up and it's a good example of how well crowding out a less-desirable tattoo works.

Nice one buddy!! I am in with Valerie on Monday - I'll say hi if our appointments overlap!

Haven't posted in quite some time but i've just booked an(other) appointment with Frank Carter on monday to fill in some space i have on my right forearm. Probably gonna be something knifey, which makes me happy. Bonus happy points because monday is my 30th birthday, i've always thought the best presents are the ones you buy yourself!

As for awesome things, @DJDeepFried and I saw the Dalai Lama speak yesterday at the Forum in LA. It was great. He's a pretty charming human. (Sorry, old news if you are on our Instagram.)

Man, this is one of the raddest threads I've stumbled across on here, so much inspiration! I'm re-enrolled in college and I'm totally nervous. I have been interviewing a few local tattoo artists for some research I am doing for a children's book, which has been really fun and interesting. I am also recently stepping back in to the dating world... totally like riding a bike, including the falling down and getting back up again. What else? I quit drinking 4 months ago to see how my life would change, so far it's been pretty good. Definitely more productive! It can also be a little challenging to find new ways to be social. I am excited to make new friendships and explore my beloved city outside of a bar... haha. Suggestions??

Looks nice but what will it look like in twenty years? Who cares what it will look like that is awesome Peter.

Maybe we'll make it out again for round 2! @Graeme

Sorry! Random... but HOW does this thread have 103 pages? ...:confused:?????

While I was in Germany for Carlos not so long ago Dmitriy Samohin was there also so he had the chance to finally take shots he wanted of the whole sleeve healed. I am guessing he didn't want to touch contrast or anything to show how its healed so they are raw shots with nothing added :) Here they are for who is interested in professional shots rather than my own shit ones :)

If you're willing to go to LA to get tattooed, I'd suggest checking out Tattooland. Chris Brand, Stan Corona, and Mike Suarez could all give you a great tattoo. I'm not sure all these images will work, but let's try this: Chris Brand: Stan Corona (kind of wanted to find a picture of a dragon he's done, but this backpiece is just too good to not share): Mike Suarez: Personally, I wouldn't worry about things like waiting lists. You might have to wait, you might not, but it's far more important to get the tattoo you really want.

Booked an appt with Chad Koeplinger next month at Congress St in NH. Snake and roses on my leg. Thinking pretty decent size... ankle to knee. @eisen777 area you getting your back piece worked on this visit?

I was just about to post this, ya beat me to it. Jackie looks great with tattoos.

Watch enough reality TV competition shows and you can see how they select contestants. A few that really have a chance to win, a bunch of middle of the pack people and a few that have no chance at all, but create drama and interest. They typically keep the no chance people around for a while to up ratings. At least with Ink Master, the artists skills and experience are typically much better than on Best Ink. Are there any other decent tattoo shows out there ? Can't stand the 2 shows about bad tattoos and cover ups.

I've been collecting from artists that I admire. My first few tattoos were less informed choices, but I'm up to 18 artists and I'm pleased with what I've got. So far my plan has been to get one or two pieces from a given tattooer. I'm a little torn when I see the cohesive look of a limb covered by one artist, but I think variety will win out for me. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Good stuff! I quit drinking 4 years ago, it was a very good idea, so glad I did it. Just gets better.

This guy sounds like a community college philosophy major.

Did anyone watch the season premier of Ink Master last night? I liked how they made everyone do convention-style tattooing to earn their stay...I don't see Polynesian Roland sticking around that long based on what he did during the convention competition--that cat he did was terrible, not to mention his "redemption" tattoo.

I don't believe I have ever asked for anything to be changed from a drawing, but I did ask for the preposition "to" to be changed to the adverb "too" after a sketch was drawn on me in sharpie. My mentor always tells clients that when they come in for their appointment and they want to see something adjusted, let him know, because ultimately it is their tattoo. I suppose, however, that I am so confident in the people who tattoo me that I really don't care if it isn't exactly what I envisioned, because I can't draw that well and I trust their ideas.

Personally I've never asked a design to be changed but my approach to collecting tattoos is to choose an artist and let them have complete control. I'm just happy to have a cool tattoo from a talented artist. I should also note that my ideas are usually so minimal/basic that the artists sometimes ask a bunch of questions to get a better idea of what I'm hoping for.

@bucky685, very cool and I love the placement.

First session of my eagle/rose done this weekend, second session to do the color in a few weeks. Done by Karl Williams. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

My $0.02: Those of us here may not judge people negatively for having tattoos (obviously!), but the reality is, some people do. I think it's your right to present yourself the way you wish -- if you want to cover up and not have to deal with any repercussions from those people who might judge you, especially when it comes to your livelihood, you can. It doesn't mean you're not proud of your work or happy to be tattooed; it means you have a grasp on what it means to live in the real world, where there are people of all kinds, and consequences that aren't always "fair."

Got this from Scott Sylvia over the weekend, very happy with it (stole the pic from blackhearts IG). Gonna go back to Blackheart for their walk in day in a couple weeks too.

I kind of feel like I ruined this month by posting my back piece, no one else wants to enter so I'll post some more :) - - - Updated - - - Done By Tim Hendricks at Frith Street Tattoo

I stay pretty busy trying to make sure that my five year old daughter, and two year old son don't grow up to be assholes. It is not glamorous but I like it.