Leaderboard

I had these done last November. It was a fun tattoo to honor my kid.

There are a lot of little known people out there doing spectacular tattoos. The tattooer doesn't have to have a 'name' for me to say "wow that's a great tattoo".

Fun little Impala on my forearm from yesterday. Artist is Clare Hampshire at Korpus in Brunswick, Melbourne AUS. Photo from her Instagram.

2nd sesh with Seth Wood on my dragon 3/4 sleeve. Knocked out about half the background today, which he first drew on by hand with a Sharpie. Prob won't post any pics until there's a little more progress tho.

My signed Horitomo cat prints just came in the mail ::happy dance:: Have to get to Michaels for some frames tomorrow. :D

******** IREZUMI MADE AN IMPORTANT POST EVERYONE!!! ********* There is ALWAYS someone better you have never heard of........You DON"t have to go to people who have a "name" just because they have a name! I think most people here don't do anything like that because everyone here usually posts about liking the style of the tattoo artists they seem to be choosing! It's like in music when you see an incredible musician BUT you know there is some kids sitting in his/her basement jamming away who could probably already blow that other guy off the stage! It's like that with anything....including tattooing! My heroes.....especially now that i am tattooing....are those people who just go to their shop everyday and tattoo for the love of tattooing! They put in their time....make beautiful tattoos that last.....if someone walks in and wants a name they do it....if some one wants kanji they do it....and if someone what's a full on dragon back piece then they do it! Usually no egos.....just a humble person who loves what he does and has been blessed with the talent and skill to pull it off! ;)

Here's my buddy Stanley...a 12-year old Sun Conure. And, of course, the matching tattoo...

I had a not the same, but similar type of experience with a tattoo I was kind of embarrassed of after joining LST--because it was a stereotypical printed-out-from-google-images solid black stock image of a lotus...certainly nothing that would get anyone excited here... But when I went to Spider Murphy's last summer, 3 of the tattooers were looking at my tattoos and I had to show them that one because it was directly under what I was going to get from Paul. Paul --and the other guys specifically said they liked that one. I was like, "really??" They liked that it was solid black and the simplicity of it and thought the placement was good. They liked my arms, too, with my more recent work from Memoir, but it just surprised me that they said such nice things about that one. That's one of the things that makes the shop experiences so good. If you are only on this forum, you might think all your work has to be this or that...but the more time spent in different shops you realize, it's all good. My black lotus was done at an L.A. street shop and the guy did a solid job.

I have one really bad tattoo... It's on my ankle, it's small, old, faded, fuzzy and almost impossible to recognize. I got it as a skate punk kid way back when I was underage, in a biker shop, in 1990. It was destined to be questionable. Needless to say I was surprised when I hesitantly showed it/ talked about it to the artists at the Pearl (while @Mark Bee and I were getting work done) not only were they enthusiastic about my weird little blotch but told me to never cover it - because old crappy tattoos (depending on subject matter of course) are their own kind of awesome. Funny that they appreciated my youthful folly - which I'm sure is helped by my acquisition of several new and particularly awesome tattoos. Or I suppose I could always blast over it with a panther :)

Hahahahahahahaha, holy fuck this is such blarney. I dunno if any of you noticed how they cut out the video right before the circle was joined but if anyone did notice, it was because the line trajectory didn't come to the origin point. I honestly don't think that anything like this will ever take off. Tattooing involves such an immense amount of critical thinking and on-the-spot decision making. Not to mention adjusting technique for various skin types, stretching the skin, adjusting needle depth per area of the body, and any other number of important variables. Waste of money.

I never get too concerned about other people's tattoos. I don't know their story or how they came to have their tattoos. I also never crap on anyone about their tattoos (or clothes, or taste in music, etc). Life is too short to waste time and energy harshing on other people. Historically, I look at older tattoos and appreciate the tattooer and the client for paving the way for the things that came next. I have enormous respect for people who blazed the trail and made things easier for me. (Full disclosure - I got my first tattoo in '91 or '92. And yes, there are times that I shake my head and wonder what people were thinking - I just keep it to myself) Interesting question - thanks for posting it.

Happy to oblige! My first tattoo was a long time coming. I'd been watching my friends get tattooed in the 1980s and was fascinated by them. Unfortunately, this was an era when everything (around my crowd, anyway) was wizards and vikings. Black and gray. Never really appealed to me, though the artistry and talent was clear. I kept thinking about getting one, but kept failing to find a design that really appealed to me. I kept visiting shops (there were not nearly so many back then) and I finally just said "fuck it" I'm getting one. I walked into a shop that recently opened near my home and pointed at a tribal armband and said "I'll have that one." I didn't look at his portfolio, I didn't know what questions to ask either. I knew even then I wasn't getting exactly what I wanted in terms of design, but more important to me was the act of getting tattooed. I never covered the tribal up. I simply got lots of tattoos surrounding it. Its dated, but the artist did a good job and its held up very nicely.

The thing about this is.......the people I have mostly chosen have put their time in, in the craft/business of tattooing! It would be very hard to get a bad tattoo from some of them honestly......but then some of these guys are getting up in their years and the tattoo i get now may not be the one I would have gotten 10-15 years ago! Some never were the most technically great tattooers maybe BUT like I said....I am honored to have their work on me because they tattooed in a time when it wasn't mainstream and they made a good honorable living from it....it was their profession and they did it not only for the money but because they truly loved what they did! And on the flip side of this....the tattoo I got from them now will never be replicated again because if these guys didn;t share some of their "tricks"....it dies with them! ;)

First - I love this thread - thank you for starting it! When I read this, I felt exactly the same way! I have 1 little tattoo (my first and only other one) that has *lots* of personal meaning, but at LST there have been many comments about hipsters, etc., needing to explain all the personal meaning behind the tattoo and that tattooers just don't want to hear out it, blah blah blah. So I never posted that tattoo, even though it means more to me than the full back I am doing. And seeing the work here, I've found myself not saying who my artist is, in case he's not considered up-to-par around here. So, I certainly understand the shame part - but a lot of that is on ME, who is sensitive to being judged as lacking in any way. Thank you for voicing that, @Zillah But ... then @Bunny Switchblade comes along and says this ... Thank you for saying that. I get nervous about being judged by my tattoos because no one in my family has any and I don't share at work or with many friends (yet). I don't want to be the person anyone is standing behind in the grocery line thinking my work is unfortunate. Thank you for saying this as well. Is this why I feel like I need to get a tattoo from one of these "names" in order to feel fully accepted here? My guy has some great stuff out there (in my inexperienced opinion) but jeez I find myself worried that my work wouldn't be considered a quality tattoo. So, I just have to buck up and say fuck it, even if people here don't think I'm getting something "good". Eh, I'm rambling, but like @Zillah, I'm kinda going through the little wondering-if-I-should-be-ashamed thing. But everyone here has been really nice and helpful, and for that I appreciate LST very much. And my post is not directed at anyone. Thank you for listening. It's actually pretty cathartic for me to share this.

What's up everyone ? Happy to be here an meet some fellow people involved in this tattoo society. I'll introduce myself as Mandy. I'm 21 and I've just moved to Las Vegas from California... Bring on the heat! Well I've been getting tattooed ever since my "secret behind-my-parents-back" Chinese symbol tattoo at 16. And then went on to tattooing my entire back with a guy who would tattoo a minor and I'm sure we ALL know how that turned out... I did learn my lesson tho putting my trust and love for tattoos in to a friend of mine who had been tattooing for fun for years. I allowed him to tattoo a Hendrix portrait on my thigh and well, it ended up being one of the best Hendrix portraits I've yet to see, especially considering it was his second black and grey portrait. He has now moved on to winning many first place portraits and is an expert is black and grey and color portraits. (David hamburg) Becoming friends with my artist today is really what launched me into this tattoo world. I was blessed to be in the right place at the right time, asking for the right piece from the right artist. Coty vondrachek created an amazing Indian girl thigh piece and there I went traveling the US to conventions and showing his work. During those years I grew an incredible love for this industry, understanding the history and dedication that created what it is today. I was lucky enough to me my boyfriend at ink n iron two years ago, a true traditional artist and machine builder, and have learned a great deal about machines and tattooing itself. I don't plan to tattoo professionally myself but it's always fun to buy apoundofflesh and screw around with some ideas. Today at 21, I stand with 3/4 of my body covered with random ideas, personal memories, and artists creations. I deal with the normal stares, gasps, and judgmental jokes and comments but part of me enjoys it and I'm sure some of you can agree to this that tattoos help ward people off that you shouldn't be associating with in general. I'm not one for people judging others, so if you run away when you see me, I'll wave you goodbye ;) I'm not sure what else to say here, but I am glad to be meeting fellow tattooed individuals. Currently healing my calf, need more Advil! lmaooo xxo Amanda

Hi everyone my name is Peter I'm 31 years old and i'm from Sweden. So far i only have 3 tattoos one of which (my first one) will be covered starting next week when I'll start on my Japanese style full sleeve. I'll be happy to post pictures as we move along if I can find a decent camera, my phone one is whack.

I try not to judge people on the way they look including tattoos, but we're all guilty of this to some extent because we're only human. But "if you don't have something nice to say, don't say it at all" is a pretty good rule to follow, and saying shit behind people's backs isn't very nice either but I'm sure I've done that too.

only good tattoos* ;) a point of view that I fully agree with, sidenote

uffgghhfhghgnnnhggh piercing guns are the equivalent of walkman tattoo machines

That is so true. When I was younger (I must have been 10.. 11?) and got my ears pierced for the first time we went to Claire's or an equivalent at the time. I don't know how they train their workers to give ear piercings, but... I was nervous, so my mom (who was trained to pierce) held one gun on my right ear and the woman working at Claire's held the other gun on my left ear. Let's just say my left earring hole is forever set significantly lower on my ear than my right. It bothered me a lot when I was younger, but I've since gotten over it. It's more noticeable when I wear dangle-y earrings that pull on my lobes. F-in Scratchers... or Pokers? Haha

I agree with this 100%. As a whole we have a tendency to mostly recommend a select group of well known tattooers/shops even though there are plenty of other experienced professional artists that do solid quality work. I think this is a good definition of a "quality tattoo". We should all be getting quality tattoos. Maybe they lack the "wow factor" or don't have a name brand artist attached to them but it is still a quality tattoo.

Got my shin and knee done by Marie Sena in Dallas at Saints and Sinners. Can't say enough nice stuff about Marie and my experience with her. She's doing some 2nd layer/blast over stuff on one of my arms next and then she's doing the side and back of that thigh. Can't get a good picture of my leg...its either too dark in the house, too weird outside, or has to be too far away to get it all in the shot. You get the idea though.

Last one by Hugo from Siha Tattoos (barcelona) the pain was bearable and it was about 3 hours of line. shading and colours at the end of the month! Teapot by Mors from Chiale Baby (Lille) and calf by Servadio from AKA London the lettering reads "DOOM"

Just got back in from another session...knocked off the top section of the koi, Oniwakamaru's hair, and a few maple leaves. Next session in two weeks on the 18th. Mike

And here's my progress picture of today. It doesn't seem like much has happened, but my ass thinks otherwise :) Today the shading on my leg was finished, the black 'diamonds' in the clothes, and that large patch of black on my ass :) Next time (in two weeks) we are going to start with some color :cool:

Battered and bruised! Had my first session on my back with Chris over at Kings Ave this past Thursday. I managed to get through 4 hours to complete the basic outline with the exception of the hair on the severed heads. Saving that for the next session along with the remaining background. I'm super excited to continue to work on this and see it progress over time as this is what I've been busting my hump at work for the past year now and it's absolutely completely worth it.

So you failed to get a perfect tattoo*! Stop worrying about it, and go fail better...by getting more tattoos. If you want to add more colour, go ahead. I think it looks fine as is though. *is there even such a thing?

OH they've got bigger problems than her. Even if they won the lawsuit, they're still Nickelback.......and no lasering can erase that...

@Graeme I kind of want to read Open City after reading some of the quotes on Tumblr. I'm in my early twenties, as you referenced. Save me from myself! HAHA!

He also did a lot of roids and beat up his shop help, and the animals in the cages in the basement were not exactly well kept. I mean, what kind of a decent human being locks up wild cats and animals in the basement? The reality of the sentiment and the nostalgia is that some of these people were just lousy human beings.

This doesn't really answer the question, but is related; I always liked my tattoos that I had got in my early twenties before I came here last month, but now that I know that they are not great quality (or perhaps not good choices?) I have become a bit ashamed of them. In some ways that's a shame, but in other ways it is good because now I have a better idea of how to look for quality work.

You sound like a hyper 5 year old naming his favorite candy. Love the enthusiasm!

I'm really looking forward to the Lost Love flash book. I already have the Milton H Zeis: Tattooing As You Like It book and I think I'm more excited for Lost Love than I was the Zeis book. Also, if anyone knows what movie is played in the video, please share...I've tried looking it up and came up with nothing.

Sorry for the poor phone shot but there is progress...background finished up this past weekend. Mike

Had my oni coloured yesterday.. Took about 4 hours and some work still needs to be done as you can see..

Final session on my back with Rubendall today. It's bittersweet. So happy to have this portion of my back finished but will miss the fun times with Rubendall. Great gentleman, incredible artist and shrewd businessman. The complete ball of wax and then some. I still have some appointments booked and I'm thinking about starting something new with him. Henning will top things off end of this year when he'll be visiting and doing his usual guest spot at Kings Ave! Enjoy the pics! Eyes, spine, and the orb/pearl Filled in some more flame work as well Rubendall said when after the orb/pearl is full healed, it'll lighten up to a bit of an iridescent affect. Full moon close-up :o

Here's a fully of the progress so far, not just butt teasers from Dana's Instagram (though no one was complaining.....). I had a little fun and struck my best rear "relaxed" pose from my bodybuilding days. My internet personality is way more interesting than in real life. But hey, we're all just in it for the "likes" anyhow, amirite?! :cool:

Haha, I'm not sure how I'm all of a sudden an authority on good tattoos.

Not just yet. We still have various spikes and the back bone (horns/scales?) the horns on the head, the tongue and teeth, the eyes, some more flames, the pearl/orb and the spikes on the tail end. I'm sure there will also be some touch ups and embellishments as well. Funny thing, Rubendall had a client in the morning and he was filling in scales on a dragon and then in the afternoon is me and...filling in scales on a dragon. I asked him if it gets tedious or if he just gets tired of seeing the same thing. Mike said he loves it and each one is different. No cutting corners or trying to make due here, just doing what he loves. AMAZING to be part of that creative process.

I think if I'm gonna get a full back piece then Chris Crooks is the man. This is amazing !

@ironchef looking strong as hell! 6 hours straight in that location...tough. Going to be hitting my lower half on the 26th. All work being done by Rodrigo Melo at Northstar NYC Mike

Welcome dude! It's not as bad as I thought it'd be but this is one you can file under Difficult Subject Matter That's Not Super Tattooable. There's a way to make it work and it looks like whoever is tattooing you is trying their damndest. Not a tattooer myself but I've seen similar stuff with a space theme that's come out great but it's tough.. Looks like this dude bit off more than he can chew. I would wait before you do any more work on/around it. Where are you located? We've got shop suggestions out the yinyang here..

Here it is, my naked self on a cold winters night...finished and healed pics of my back by Dean Sacred.

After nine sessions and around 55hours we have finished my back piece tonight. Healed pics to come....I am extremely happy with the end result and relieved to be finished.

Matty D Mooney from Melbourne,Aus does some awesome back pieces

Just been going through this thread and realised I never posted a healed photo of my back. It's all settled in nicely and is about 9 months old now

5th session. 5 hours of arse and hamstrings background. Im glad I only have one arse crack and that I don't have to get it tattooed again,its a fun spot.

After 14 sessions spanning 15 months, I'm thrilled to say that my back piece--courtesy of Jay Cavna--is finished. It's a rooster/boar/snake battle royale with peonies. We just wrapped it up a few hours ago. I couldn't be happier with it and am blown away by Jay's skill and commitment to his work. Here's the pic.

The same applies to haircuts. And faces.

Got this outlined Sunday. It's off a Dan Higgs original painting that hangs in the shop. Healing this has been such a pain in the ass for me. It's only been a couple of days and I've probably lost 4+ hours a sleep a night. Does anybody else get that weird goosebump/chills/itch combination thing, or is that just me? It's very strange. Aaron Francione, Rumi Tattoo.