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With this being your first tattoo and all, you're just get excited about any change or something new with your tattoo. Try to just chill out, you wont know what it will look like until it completely heals, and your body is doing what it is natural for it to do... and thats grow back skin if you get injured. To make it very simple, a tattoo is just a cut with ink pushed in it. You should know if its infected, and if its not just keep putting lotion on. After that if theres a problem with it, go back to the shop and ask the tattoo artist about it.

I've never referred to myself as a collector, but I've heard many other people describe me that way. The best was when I was visiting shops in Japan and artists would say, "Tattoo artist?" I'd say, "No, no, no" and they'd say, "Oh...tattoo corrector!"

Eagles to me are like Rock of Ages, classic/timeless tattoos! The mental association with the word "tattoo" within the top five images that will pop into my head are eagles. Something about them always catches my eye in tattooers portfolios and flash at tattoo shops. I'm often drawn to the older flash at shops and will look for long periods of time at each eagle. I love seeing old tattoo pictures as well with people who have large eagle chestpieces (I couldn't find any online so pls share if you have some). I have seen some amazing ones pop up on this tattoo forum as well and hope the users will post theirs here that they have collected, tattooed, and drawn. I have quickly gathered some eagle pictures from tattooers who I think do great eagles: Lindsey Carmichael, Nick Colella, Thomas Hooper, Chad Koeplinger, Stefan Johnsson, and Tim Lehi. Share your favorite eagle tattoos and tattooers who do the eagles you like.....have at it!

I was digging in some older threads and this topic has been mentioned before, but I thought I would restart it with the hope of a little more success. This is not just for the tattoo artist out there. This is to anybody that is looking for ideas for their next tattoo and those that are always looking for inspiration for their own art. I have seen everything from the expensive fine art books to children's coloring books in the library of artist. I would like to know what everybody here has and uses as some of their favorites. If it's books, magazines, a specific website, or whatever gets those creative juices flowing.

did this one the other day. mariachi t-rex.. OLE!

Another Lehi:

Thinking about making this my FB status.

y'know, i like the squid pant's name for leg tattoos. i don't even like the term sleeves for arm tattoos. sure there are proper sleeves worked out on someone as a full arm tattoo. but if i'm out somewhere and somebody says, "ooh, can i see your sleeves?" i think, "fuck off, retard", unless it's a hot girl, but i would still think she is stupid, but i would use her stupidity as an edge to get her to sleep with me. because you have to be pretty stupid to sleep with me. and customers that come in for a "sleeve", or thinking "i want to get a tattoo here and turn it into a sleeve someday", annoy me to. they're just tattoos.

honestly, "collector" bothers me (sorry robin)! generally speaking people who refer to themselves as collectors are a bit smug and see themselves as above other clients. no offense robin, or anyone else who use this term, it's just been my experience and bothered me for years. the guy getting his girlfriend's name is just as important as a "collector" getting a custom "cool" tattoo. sometimes these "collectors" scoff at having to wait while i do a regular walk-in on someone they deem "uncool", and it eats me up. but i guess this is a whole other discussion!

Say what now? (ps: this drawing is still better than the tattoo I posted earlier. As such, I get a free pass to say "I wanna use my tatgun to tattyzap this, bro".

i dont even care. im saying this.

All those terms are fine by me.... As long as a tattooer is using them. If the person doesn't tattoo and uses them, I wanna smash their head down into their neck. I'm a jerk

Here is my eagle. It was done by Matt Arriola.

It's courious to me that anyone would be suprised by spiritual and religious tattoos being part of the tattoo world. It is, it's place of origin. Tattooing did not start ouit as a political tool,nor a purely decorative one. It is in it's essence a way of altering the body to represent the inner life's changes. or as in "Right of Passage Rituals" Passage from one age to the next from childhood to adulthood, from death of a loved one,to moving on passed the mourning stage. It has to do with totemic practices where there is a beilieved passage of the spirits of a Slain enemy or a loved ones energy to the bearer. Get a tattoo like UNcle Bill's? well that is totemism in a modern form without the concious idea that you are calling forth Uncle Bill's energy his "power"in you when you wear this mark. All great religious forms have had rituals inwhich there is blood letting for instance the Roman Catholic Confirmation has a small slap on the face by the Bishop to confirm you into adulthood and commitment to the church-- IN the old practice this would have been a cut to your face producing blood. "killing of the old self to release the new born soul!" It is the death and resurection and so are all tattoos a kin to this idea. So on and so on Tattooing has always been the tool of the Shaman -- a tool in magical service to the "HEALING" process of the individual. Early Christians Like the "Coptics" when persecuted by the Romans; and I mean sent to the Lions for sport. They had to have a small crucifix tattooed on the inside of their left wrists --this meant they could enter the secret meetings in hidden places -- and could not be Romans. This practice still exists today. Most pilgrams to the holy lands of the world collect tattoos as proof they were there. In oour culture there are no clear cut rituals so tattooing reaches into the place of our deepest connection with the fears and desires of mankind to his spiritual self. Athiest or no this is a place where we all wonder the deppest thoughts of why we are here? what is purpose? what happens after death? What is love? Although you may not be aware of its origin --I'd say most all images relate to this process! Prhaps Not specifically but in the act of Doing or collecting a tattoo you are doing and collecting a spiritual amulet a way of saying you are protected you are Human and you are Mortal. Anyway that's my two cents! Shotsie