Leaderboard

I think Scott's tattoo needs to be a little more 'in your face' instead of just an attachment... @Scott R hope you don't mind :D

Scott sylvia blackheart tattoo SF done in 2 sittings 4 hrs for outline of eagle and shading 7 hrs for roses and color its also going over old lasered stuff!

picture not working - - - Updated - - - Mike Bruce @ Inksmith & Rogers Wilford Brimley dragon by David Bruehl @ redletter1 (forgive the picture its tough to photo myself.) next saturday ill be getting tattooed by Mike Wilson @ Inksmith & Rogers

Valerie Vargas was kind enough to do 2 tattoos for me and pretty up my thighs at SFO

While I probably don't have a right to step into this conversation as I am anything but an artist, but I do see very similar parallels in my chosen profession. There is a razor's edge when it comes to using something as inspiration vs straight up theft. That on top of the fact that inspiration vs theft also has a million shades of grey to add to that argument. While some people would say that an instance would be theft others would be flattered that someone used their idea. Another problem is the way information is shared nowadays and how far of a reach people have. You look at my lifetime (which is pretty damn short compared to many). You went from having to haul your ass to a library or actually be physically in the presents of something to copy it. Most of the time if someone was showing you, they wanted to share it. Yea there are magazines, and the such but they were still filtered. Now you have the internet, and all of it's interworkings with information being sucked up and spread EVERYWHERE. Nobody usually provides the source and information moves quickly. Once someone posts something, it lives forever somewhere in cyberspace. Even if you are on top of it, shit can get out. A person can take out their phone, snap a picture of your tattoo, upload it to (instagram, flikr, facebook, LST, whatever the hell else), then someone copies it from their and uploads it elsewhere, and so on and so on. Simply mind boggling. (I could also get into the technical aspects of the fact that once uploaded, NOTHING is ever deleted, ever, period.)

Thanks for the kind words, y'all. I was in the midwest (Montrose, Iowa) up until September, and now have made my tattooing home at Blackheart Tattoo in San Francisco. I will always be a midwestern girl at heart :) The best midwestern tattooers in my opinion: Josh Arment (Aloha Monkey) Nick Colella (CTC) Mario Desa (CTC) Josh Howard (?) Josh Palmer (Aloha Monkey) Tim Beck (Freedom Ink) Jeff Zuck (Name Brand) Brad Fink (Iron Age) Jef Whitehead (Taylor St.) Miles Maniaci (Deluxe) Turbo (Taylor St)-- currently out with a broken hand Erik Gillespie (CTC) Zack Kinsey (Uptown) I could go on and on.......

This is my newest tattoo Work is by Capilli Topoou. He usually works at Sacred in Auckland, New Zealand but I got it while he was guesting at Hunter and Fox in Sydney.

Bloody hell, what a start to the month!

The only way to learn how to draw a tattoo rose is to look at those that have already done it. I feel like tattooers almost instinctively look at Mike Malone or Scott Sylvia for reference. But, once you have drawn enough of them, you're able to understand the anatomy enough to design one without looking at reference. It's just how tattoo art is done. I don't understand the copyright issue behind tattoos. Because it definitely brings into the question of "ownership," and that could go further down the rabbit hole.

I was just making a lame pop culture reference! I knew what you meant. @slayer9019 ps...i might have had a few beverages when i wrote that.

Well, I was excited to post my tattoo, but the stuff posted here already is some serious shit. Hopefully I can still hang with you big dogs... Proud to wear this piece from Josh Cruse, JP Cruse Professional Tattooing, Wichita, Kansas

here you go Loch and thank you and LST so much for the help!

^I know this video was posted already, and this response was made, but I feel like it needs to be emphasized again.^ It's been this way since tattooing started. It's just easier than it used to be.

Too soon, but also too funny.

Just got back from a day trip to Amsterdam. Got my inner bicep tattooed by Guen Douglas at Salon Serpent. It hit parts of the armpit and ditch and it hurt like hell. And now my arm is massive. But so worth it! Probably a little girly for some of y'all's taste.

stuart cripwell spider murphys sfo

got this one from mark cross last weekend

It's funny how when you pick just one basic design the possibilities are endless. So since we're talking about panther tattoos, tiger tattoos, etc., what do you like in a lady head? And who do you like for a lady head? Contemporary tattooer or past tattooer? I'm not a tattooer myself, but I like dark eyes/eyelashes and the heavy makeup/color thing. And lots of dark hair. Bailey Robinson does some really great ones.. http://copperbeehive.wordpress.com/2010/03/02/a-piece-of-you-for-a-piece-of-me/face/ http://copperbeehive.wordpress.com/2010/04/20/i-have-no-idea-what-i-meant-to-be/lady-2/ On the other end of the spectrum I also like Todd Noble's softer ladies: http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=497092566067&set=a.468392576067.266608.620436067

I know... I put the "class" in "classy".... Hell no!!! Seriously, his mother was horrified! She informed me that her son was not like this before he met me. We have been together since 1984... You would think she would get over it?????? I am a bad influence!

congrats to dan for being well informed. I personally cant stand racism, but to hate on a symbol for what you view it as is wrong. if you dont want to do the tattoo, then dont. but you shouldnt hate on the symbol, it was around long before one crazy asshole used it to promote hate and intolerance.

True, any art is up for grabs once it hits the internets. A continuation of the guy who invented the wheel.. still getting fucked in any way imagineable. Rob - - - Updated - - - I had a tattoo done back in May. It was something I saw on a site that makes stencils for airbrushed tattoos. I emailed the site owner, asking him if he had a line drawing of the stencil, which I offered to pay him for. He sent me back a real good picture of the finished product, all he wanted in return was a shot of the finished tattoo. I imported the picture into my CAD program and fixed it up quite a bit, then I printed it out and it was used for the stencil. I would have felt funny about it if I had blatantly ripped off the design. Rob

First one to say that you're not here to make friends gets my vote.

You mean 50 shades of grey? My lips quiver at the thought.

Wouldn't it be crazy if Scott R got 1st and 2nd places with the same tattoo. HAHA

We are all guilty of theft at one point or another. Intentional or not. Doesnt necessarily have to be an actual tattoo or flash. "One day someone will steal your secret sauce and the cycle will be complete" ~Steven Powers

Just when I thought I couldn't be more impressed with LST.. @Scott R and @ian are champions among men. - - - Updated - - - AHHHHHHH!!!! (Yep, went outta my way to comment again. And make it really succinct.)

Once you put it online.....it's as good as flash! I directly said that to Kristel and it wasn't really received very well......but it was definitely traced and even shaded in the same manner as two of her tattoos....so i can see her point! BUT......once you put it on someone or post the drawing online....it's as good as flash and someone is gonna straight up trace it at some point and put it on someone else! Isn't this why a lot of tattoo artists and collectors don't like to post the custom tattoos they have on them and have done? I still don't want to watch the show....and all this just adds to me staying away from it all!

I couldnt let that jondix goodness go unchecked! The new LST shirt is so good but I think if I won It could go to someone on east coast - - - Updated - - - yeah I should post seperate 4 tattoos against most peoples one isnt fair. Also how do I insert without thumbnail? and do you have those pics?

@YOMONEY What you're asking isn't as uncommon as you'd expect. That is if you want a black arm and a Japanese arm. It's a common misconception that heavy black is the solution for covering unwanted tattoos. I'm ny opinion, Japanese style tattoos can be way more effective in covering-up tattoos. If the tattoos you have a raised, or scarred, even slightly, that will certainly show through the black. Also in my experience, if the unwanted tattoos have colours that were mixed with white pigment (bright green, some yellows, light blue, some oranges etc) then that white-based pigment can be very difficult to cover with solid black. Colour Japanese will cover it much better if you go to the right tattooer. While I'm spouting my opinions, here's another: It's easier to find a decent japanese style tattooer than one who can fill solid fields of smooth black these days. Regarding the awesome black/japanese combo by Ian Flower, above: Nobody said it was japanese before it was covered. It's testament to Ian's design and tattoo skill that it looks that way. The peony on the guy's chest was also tattooed by Ian. Laser is not a magic wand for removing tattoos. But the line we always use at Frith Street regarding black for coverups: "Once you go black, you don't go back" There are also other ways to use heavy black in cover up tattoos but there's a difference between being helpful and giving away all my secrets. @YOMONEY there's a thread somewhere here about coverup tattoos.

I guess I'll pop this threads cherry :D Done by Jeff Gogue, Off the Map Tattoo in Grants Pass, OR. Done at SFO Convention... Done by Jondix of Barcelona, Spain at SFO COnvention...

I use arches cold press and I love it. I've also recently started using Waverly liquid acrylics (previously I used FW exclusively) and I really enjoy them. I've been doing a ton of marker stuff lately but this thread is making me itch to get back to my liquid acrylics. When I transfer the image to the arches, I use a super fine nibbed pen, and after doing all the shading and color I go over all of the lines with a brush, and that's honestly my favorite part of the whole process. I'm not perfect at it but it's a fulfilling challenge I suppose. Here are a couple I did earlier in the year with Waverly liquid acrylics. Sorry if the images are huge >.<

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.

valerie vargas frith st SFO

The Japanese images that appeal the most to me consist of some animate (or spirit) object, plant life, and weather effect. e.g. 1 Tiger- peony - wind bars 2 Koi - cherry blossoms - waves 3 Kitsune - spidermums - fire 4 Snake - maple leaves - vortex ...any more or any less seems to screw it up for me. I didn't read this in any book, but my theory seems to hold try for my own aesthetic anyhow.

By Chad Koeplinger at the London convention a few weeks back

I'll try to put together a good photo with the newest additions, it's hard to take a decent looking picture of it because it wraps around my arm, though here's a picture of it from Seth's blog from when it was first finished about a year ago: Seth Wood Tattoo - - - Updated - - - I have a couple of tattoos from Ron and, yes, his tattoos are amazing...like "holy fuck, I can't believe he did that" amazing, especially with some of the negative space tattoos, and he's all around a really awesome dude to get tattooed by. I highly recommend the experience.

The details that Seth added: And the start of my sleeve, by Thomas Hooper:

best of craigslist: Woman DM needed for D&D based Adult Bachelor Party best of craigslist: Horse in a hotel

Done by Topper at Philadelphia Eddies.

got about 3 hours of work done on my whole front by an amazing artist in North Carolina named Brandon Munday, dude kills it reminds me alot of tony hundahl super awesome tattoos check his instagram out and spread the love @mundaytattoo

ehh i more so set up the appointment with antonio because i already wanted to get tattooed by him and since my band will already be in frederick that day for recording... why the fuck not? i'll have to check out those guys though. baltimore is only a 2.5 hour drive or so from here so i could always drive down another time. - - - Updated - - - p.s.. posted this in the full backpiece thread but i figured i'd post here too. got this lined yesterday by max kuhn.

It's a very fresh photo.....and not even a good one....but I had Dana Helmuth tattoo me this past Saturday at Read Street Tattoo and he decided to add a dragon head and claw in the area I had saved for him! :)

Your kids are always going to be your kids, even your step daughter really. I got my first son's name tattooed on my arm, about a year later me and his mom went our separate ways and found out during custody hearing that I wasn't the father. Long story short I still have the tattoo, in fact I am glad I have it because I don't see him that much and it helps me not forget him as a baby. I got the skull below while my son was in the womb (I used to joke that it was a portrait of him in the womb.) and added his name after he was born. I haven't got my wife's name but I do have a cookie cutter heart with keyhole and she has a skeleton key.

Forget all that bullsit about names. That's why they make black ink-if you want the name there, go for it. As for step-whatevers, lose that too. Just my humble little opinion. MY fiance came with a daughter that I love as one of my own.

I am perplexed by you Brian wermwood. did you want sympathy from this post? after you first realized that being a scratcher meant no love, why would you even think that going into a shop as a random dude not laying a dollar on the table, and spilling your scratcher beans out was gonna work for you? you actually told them your stealing their hard earned food from their table and then go on to say you want to suck up some info from them.. and you thought it would go down any other way? you kinda got off easy! my mentor/shop owner literally refers to me as his bulldog, as its one of my shop duty's to physically remove scratchers/solicters/douchebags from the floor. and i take it personal with scratchers cause im here busting my ass all week for peanuts with a wife and 2 kids and some dudes out there trying to take easy street and by pass the hard work to clock dollar.. basicly your crossing dudes picket line

Thankgs, gents...I can only say I yam what I yam!

Oh man... you have to watch out with drunk Finns. Last time I went drinking with Finns, we ended up screaming perkele at the tops of our lungs while trying to buy mustard.