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This is a really terrible picture but I got this cigar smoking frog from El Monga at Aloha Tattoo Barcelona yesterday. I am super stoked that he decided to attach himself to my leg because I think we're going to have some good adventures together. @bongsau Really sorry for your loss, and my deepest condolences. Sometimes it's the silly little tattoos that have the deepest significance.

Got my rose morph today... am super happy with it

well. i did not get my touchups. but i did get a new tattoo which did involve a tear-out: My pug. Winston. Riding the red rocket. Which was really hilarious. Until I got a call 3/4 of the way through the tattoo that my mother passed away. Shout out to my pal Ollie for working like lightning to finish the tattoo before my ride showed up to go see my family. So some more to add to the arguement that a tattoo is more than just a silly picture on your skin. It's not just about "what" the tattoo is of or the "why"...but the "where" and "when" and "who" of the experience is of equal importance. A colourful timestamp for this lifetime. And now I'm left with a lot of sorrow to deal with, a good laugh and a great tattoo. Laughter is the best medicine. And my Mom really loved my idiot pug. But I think my next tattoo will be little more serious and carry a lot more weight. Peace.

Thought I'd throw this in. I hope no one minds as I've not posted too much on here. Done by Stewart Robson - Frith Street Tattoo

Can't remember if I posted this here Sundancer but Valerie Vargas, Frith Street Tattoo

This is the worst. I hate it. So much negativity associated with the word addiction. Tattoos have been nothing but positive for me. A bit of traveling, cool and intelligent people, and I take better care of myself now because I want my tattoos to look good for as long as possible. Only negative is I spend too much time looking at instagram.

Oh, see, I'm so excited I even forgot to include the important bits of info...I'm planning to get a lynx head by Anthony Cole from Silver Needles in Southend. Was looking for a bit more of a neo-trad style but not too painterly, if that makes sense.

Or a big fucking bad ass dragon that goes from your shoulder to ankle...

My back is now officially done! :cool: We had a little 1 hour session today, which was totally brutal unfortunatly, probably a lot of places weren't healed enough from the previous session (about a week and half ago ;-) ). Some statistics : My backpiece was done in a 6 month period in a total of 31 hours :cool:

My lovely man took me out for dinner tonight for my birthday. Amazing food and wine, and great company. After 17 years together, we never struggle for conversation, he still makes me laugh and is my best friend. Sorry for the sappy post, but I feel so incredibly lucky, I would be lost without him.

Zillah, There are so many things I could say about you kiwis but some things I am too sheepish to talk about. Sorry I couldn't help myself. :) Cork, Both of my sleeves and back are in his instagram feed. But as far as your question goes I am the snake and warrior back piece guy. The backpiece was designed based on a Utagawa Kuniyoshi drawing which I will try and attache. BrianH, Still trying to sort out pics etc but I have attached the last session Instragram photo as posted by Kian. Doesn't show the whole back the best as the last session was just outline on upper right leg and right ass. On right thigh you can still see the last of my 4 original tattoos still being removed. That was my 1st and is proving to be the toughest to remove. If you look closely you maybe able to see the last remains of 2 decent sized pieces on shoulder blades.

Well, why not. My handsome masked dude by Ron Henry Wells, done at the Montreal Convention '13. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

"Tattoos are an addiction eh?" Tattoos make me happy, so very happy! And yknow what? So does ice cream. And I bet basketball makes other people happy. Motorcycles make people happy. "LIKE OMG BASKETBALL IS AN ADDICTION EH?" "YOU MUST BE ADDICTED TO MOTORCYCLES." "MY NAME IS ERIC AND I HAVE AN ADDICTION TO ICE CREAM." You see? It's just a tattoo, not heroin for Christ sake!

So sorry for your loss. Remember that others will be stressed and emotional at times like this, and may lash out through their pain. Remember the good times and dwell on them, time will take care of the rest.

Sweet advice all around here already. Again, don't be too concerned with a little blow out here and there. I'm with @Graeme on this, I actually like my little imperfections, makes them look real. Like with my hands, some places I've had a little drop out, I love it. It makes them look how tattoos kinda should look on the hands.

Whoa, I did it and booked an appointment for my first tattoo! It's not until early November, but the inevitable 'what have I done' feeling is setting in already...I'll probably scrutinize instagram hourly to make sure I've made the right decision. I wished it wasn't soooo long!!

What do you call an Australian with a bottle of champagne in his hand? A waiter.

Yes, I know. :) When the moon hits your eye, like a big pizza pie, that's Amore. But; When you're hit by a jug, in a South Auckland pub, THAT'S a Māori.

Give it a little bit of time before doing anything. You posted recently that it hadn't peeled yet, and often when a tattoo hasn't totally healed the lines don't have the crispness that they will once the tattoo is properly settled in. This is maybe a tougher pill to swallow, but sometimes, even if there are bits that aren't perfect on the tattoo, that's okay because you're talking about something handmade on skin. It inevitably will have flaws and imperfections and that those are beautiful in their own way.

Since my girlfriend moved to Canada I have been teaching her how to lift weights properly, she hit a 135 squat and a 200lb deadlift, I know it wasn't me that did it but it was great to see how excited she was after, she couldn't air squat 10 weeks ago

I haven't seen a thread that focuses on gender-specific advice, information-sharing and support for the wonderful ladies around here. Little gems are randomly sprinkled here-and-there within other threads. I thought it would be a nice idea to collect that type of stuff in one place. Questions like, "what do you do about wearing a bra after getting a tattoo?" and "does it really hurt more to get a tattoo the week before and during your period?" And the empowering stuff like the wonderful thread about using tattoos to feel better about your body - especially the delightful discussion of beautifying the horrendous "batwings." In addition to starting new topics here, when we find relevant nuggets of info elsewhere (I'm kicking myself for not making bookmarks of them), we can add those links here so we don't have to repeat everything or we can refer back to existing stuff. About responding to existing content: When you find good stuff elsewhere, if it's part of a well-encapsulated or dedicated thread, it would be best to reply over in that thread so content is together (and put a link here if there isn't one already). If the good stuff you find is randomly spread through a larger or unrelated thread, then include the link to the first post where the good stuff starts, and respond here so your new info doesn't get lost over in an unrelated thread. The boys are welcome, too, you know, because anything related to boobs and bras and the lack of bras surely has universal appeal, etc. - - - Updated - - - So I'll start with the period question - does it really hurt more the week of and during your period? Have you dealt with it in any special way...rather than praying to the menopause gods or demanding a hysterectomy just to get more tattoos? :D - - - Updated - - - Here's the start of a thread about bras and tattoos in the bra area: http://www.lastsparrowtattoo.com/forum/tattoo-after-care/32-best-post-tattoo-care-page10.html#post51734

Hello Everyone! My name is Kate, I am a freelance writer working with Barber DTS and a bit of a hobby artist - so an interest in tattoos is kind of a given, right? Feel free to say hi, I'd love to chat :)

Well not really from Asbury Park, I just felt it fits with the postcard. haha My name is John and I'm from Hudson County, New Jersey. A very good friend of mine suggested checking this site out so I've lurked it for a few months and decided to join. At 31 years old, I just got my first tattoo this past May. Though I've been into art for years, tattoos have been something I've been into since my teens. I was always hesitant because I didn't want to live with that "regretful" tattoo mixed with not being able to afford a good artist. Finally as i began my diet at 360 pounds, I kept saying to myself I'm going to get a tattoo when I lost 25 pounds. I got past 25 pounds then bumped it up to 50 pounds. Past that mark then 100 pounds. Past that and finally said when i lost 125 pounds I'm going to get a tattoo. FINALLY I got up to 128 pounds lost (currently weighing in at 232 pounds). I decided that's it I'm doing it. I began booking appointments with specific artists that I have either followed or researched. I have appointments this November 2014 and October of 2015. BUT Being a fan of Luke Wessman's artwork and life story since about July of 2013. I needed him to do my first tattoo. Went to Wooster Street Social Club and he took me as a walk-in. Having his talent, great back story and awesome conversation only fueled the fire of getting more tattoos that mark specific parts of my life.

@DevilMan good thing you got that done before the artist moved away!! It looks so good. I'm very happy for you and thanks for sharing all of the progress.

fyi that is about 5'8'' for metric impaired americans like myself :) still impressive.

I finally got my (Restricted) drivers licence today after sitting on my Learners for 21 years- second attempt, the instructor told me how shit I was at driving and then told me I passed. Go figure.

Awesome! This is one of my favorites so far - I love how the claws and thorns look almost interchangeable and are a consistent accent through the design. Congrats!

Mick, good to see another Aussie. Thanks for the comments, I had initially thought of a dragon as the main back theme, but then came across that pic and thought it would work well. Once the background started I knew it was the right move. I always thought the back would be it, but already have started discussions with artist on doing ribs and front. I already have chest panels so would be stupid not to continue on front. :) Then once that is done how can you not do the legs? Cheers Jason.

Horitomo posted a pic on instagram of the progress on my front. This is my right thigh. HORITOMO @horitomo_stateofgrace | Websta

I'm a long time gamer. Got sick of my xbox 1 and traded it for a.... Wii u. I actually love it, go figure!

I never got around to posting this Eddy Deutsche tattoo I got at Temple... What an amazing experience this was!!

I'm with @Shaun1105 on this one. I've never used the term collector, but I don't see anything wrong with the word. It's only a word, a description & probably a description that differentuates between a person that has a tattoo & a person that spends their time being tattooed. Makes sense to me, I don't think the word requires an analytical study of its' comprehension. But yeah, I've referred to myself on the odd occasion as an enthusiast. Like, when some fkn idiot asks me...mate, why so many tattoos? I say...I don't know what you expect me to say mate, I'm an enthusiast. Yeah, I'm fuckin' enthusiastic about tattoos.

Tough competition this month, but I guess I'll throw my hat in the ring. Panther from Aaron Coleman. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Related to this, I'm seeing a tendency among the "I'm a gentleman tattooer, I'm 20 years old, have a moustache and face tattoos, BOLD WILL HOLD" crowd for tattoos without outlines. They're all ripping off some European tattooer whose name I don't care to know but often pops up on those idiotic "HERE ARE 20 TATTOOS THAT WILL MAKE YOU WANT TO PUNCH YOURSELF IN THE DICK" kind of sites.

I've been seeing a lot of heads with the faces replaced with things like staircases or outer space. Been seeing a lot more hand poked work this year, and a lot of tattoos with backgrounds in various geometric shapes.

Experience tells me otherwise, but I'm happy for you.

Not sure what you are trying to keep from touching - but when I did parts of my back I used a more molded cup and actually just tucked one strap into the cup. Threw a tight camisole over it and went along my day. Just didn't wear a strap for a few days.

AoF:

OOoh, or you could take advantage of it and go braless for a couple of weeks - freedom!!!!

@LadyGabe you should read this thread. http://www.lastsparrowtattoo.com/forum/general-tattoo-discussion/3844-do-we-really-need-apprentices.html

lol 8 pages and no Crass !! No Crass LoL Some ENT Doom

Joining the ribcage tiger club with this little guy. Taken from Yoni Zilber's IG, and done yesterday while he's guesting in Asheville. Super nice and humble guy. Couldn't have asked for a better experience. Might be a new B&G enthusiast because of it. He has got some 20+ year old B&G tattoos that look no older than 5 - heavy and fine line stuff. Simply amazing. With that said, I will probably not get any more torso pieces for a long time haha. It was so worth the pain though.

Yes, people would. I think he more meant that I can't get face tattoos, but still, I'm going to get the tattoos that I want. Probably no face tattoos, but probably a skull tattoo. That is WAY down the road, though, so it's all speculation on my part.

a couple of days ago, some random douche, i mean dude at a local bar asked why i have so many skulls tattooed on me. i simply told him i love death and all dead things and that i'd wish everyone and everything was dead. he left me alone.

@Wilhell posting his back piece made me curious to look up Marius Meyer. Saw this killer front.

myke chambers in progress Tattooer Myke Chambers

I have a bad ass Pharaoh's Horses on my chest! I should get a healed photo of that one one of these days.

Hey there, @Daggboy! Nice to see you here again, buddy. I'm in a similar boat, as the back of my thighs are taken by my backpiece. I'm planning to get Americana pieces on the front of my thighs. Gotta keep doing squats to get more real estate. :)

somethings can't be lasered away, i wonder if he goes to used cd stores to buy his old albums so he can burn them to keep his kids from hearing it. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-eSN8Cwit_s

I haven't been tattooing very long, so I feel awkward replying to shit like this. But here goes. I like the act of tattooing. I love watching pigment go in the skin, seeing the line as it's being pulled across the stencil. I love it. So when I get requests for annoying shit, or things I'm sick of,(and denying that you ever get sick of shit is fucking retarded. We're humans. We get sick of shit. Period.), I try to just get past it in my head and think about the application. Not that I'm applying a tattoo that I hate, but that I'm applying a tattoo at all. And get right back into that mindset of enjoying the work aspect of it. Without trying to sound like a wagon jumper, I too like tribal. I love watchign the black just go in solid as fuck. I know this dude is just some dude looking to look just like his boys, but in my head I'm thinking, "man, this shit is going to make your buddies tribal look like shiiiiiiiiiiiiit!". I just try to get in that zone as much as I can. The clients though.... None of us can control the chaos that is our client base. That is the unknown quantity part of the job. Lots of shitheads, and lots of people who don't actullay want tattoos. They just want their very own "me too, guys! I did it too! See!" story. They spend hours trying to find the least tattoo-ish, most benign design possible and stick it somewhere no one will ever see it, because to them it's just proof that they did it too when the stories start flying. I try very hard to pick my battles, read clients and choose which ones would be receptive to some swaying. Not into something completely different to stroke my ego, but into a better planned out version of what they want. Just gotta pick the battles. Can't do it with everyone or you burn out, and you can't responsibly be the guy who says "fuck it, I know this will look, age and heal like crap, but i'll take your cash." All the time banging rainbows up their ass telling them how good of an idea it is to keep them and their dumb friends coming back for more. Regardless of how it will effect responsible tattooers who try to do a good, well thought out tattoo for the benefit of their clients. Just gotta do what I can to sleep at night, like trying to explain to people that upside down is upside down. I try. If they get it, awesome. If not, I'll at least try to do it clean. Sorry for the ramble. I just felt it on this one. I felt that I need to make an ass of myself on the internet. Word.