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Sorry to be the one who says this, but that "tattoo" is never going to look good. Like ever... (please don't stop reading here) If you didn't mention that it's supposed to be a pig I don't think anyone could have figured that out from just from looking at it. It just looks like you burnt your arm on the stove or something. Shop or not, friend of best friend or not, that guy should not be putting tattoos on people. My advice would be to give it a few months to heal properly, then seek a professional tattooer to get it covered. It doesn't look like it's going to be too hard to cover, but I'm not a tattooer, so that's just me guessing. There are really good tattooers frequenting this board that might be able to weigh in on that part. I don't mean to be a dick and tell you that your new tattoo looks like shit, but if you just save up a little coin and go to a professional tattooer you can get that covered with something that will look infinitely better than what you've got on your arm now. If you poke around this site a couple hours you'll soon find out what good tattoos look like. I'm also sure that the good folks here will point you to some great shops and artists in your neck of the woods if you're interested.

awesome.

Well hell, that doesn't surprise me, y'all paid Teddy the K's salary for how many years?!?!?!?!?!

San Francisco. Taken from a National Geographic magazine from April of 1932. No name given for the tattooer or the tattooed. I may be mistaken, but I think there are some more photos of tattoos done by the tattooist in the photo in that volume of Nat Geo. Some copies are being sold on eBay.

Just in case anyone was wondering or didn't read this. Dear readers, First of all thanks again for all the support! We can’t thank you enough! A lot of people are asking questions about the situation at the moment. The story is so complicated I can imagine it’s not really clear if you’re not in it as we are. It’s not even clear to ourselves actually… I will try to explain it as clearly as possible in this blog. Most of you probably don’t know me. I studied cultural heritage and started working at the museum 1,5 year ago, a few months before the opening. I primarily joined because I love what Henk is doing as a collector. There are not many people that have such passion for collecting as he has, these days. Henk spent a few years searching for a museum to take care of his collection. Curators and experts told him the collection had the most value if it stayed together. That’s when he started thinking about building a tattoo museum again. He met a reintegration company that was looking for working places. They had some money to invest, Henk had his collection, and so the idea of a cooperation was born. This company would pay the rent for the first 10 years and the museum offered working places to people who are fundamentally separated from the working community. Due to a lack of time and in good trust we started building the museum without putting any of these agreements in a contract. Part of the agreement was that the foundation Amsterdam Tattoo Museum was going to pay for departments like promotion, events, exhibitions, etc. But as long as there wasn’t a signed contract al the revenue went to “Partners aan het werk” (the reintegration company). And also the invoices because the museum was already up and running and you can’t have a museum without promotion, events and exhibitions. But during the short time the companies were working together it became clear there was somewhat of a cultural difference. Something simple as replacing a lightbulb became a bureaucratic process. And as you can imagine this is not really how Henk was used to work. I’m not saying the lightbulb caused the problems, but it might have something to do with it ;) Henk might have had a bad temper now and then, but I know this was always from his passion for the museum. Small discussions turned into bigger ones and the fact that there still wasn’t a solid contract didn’t help either. In the meantime board members left, some just gave up because of the nasty negotiations, personal accusations. This was not what they signed up for. The board members leaving slowed down the process and the whole negotiation thing turned in a vicious circle. In the meantime the Dutch politics changed and less money went to commercial reintegration companies, so also to “Partners aan het werk”. These changes hit the company hard, salaries were payed later every month. From the perspective what’s best for the collection the new board of the foundation Amsterdam Tattoo Museum decided to end the cooperation with Partners aan het werk. The unpleasant way the meetings went had a lot to do with this decision. There just were too many accusations and disagreements. Then everything went really fast. One day we where negotiating with “Partners aan het werk” and the landlord (the building is rented by “Partners aan het werk”) and the other day we received a letter that told us we were all banned from the building: Henk, Louise, his kids, the board and his employees. The letter also said we were given 14 days to get our collection out. We were surprised by this development and decided not just to give up. We see the design of the museum as an artwork on its own that Henk made and don’t want to just give this piece of art away. We tried to get the art we lent from Sailor Jerry out, because the owners don’t trust the art to be save in there without Henk around, but the answer was no. So much for them telling us to get our collection out… What’s happening next? I don’t know. The most important is to get our collection back. We hope we can stay at the Plantage Middenlaan but there is a chance we have to look for a new building. One thing is sure: we need money. For starting up -again- in our old building. Or to build a new museum somewhere else in Amsterdam. I know one thing for sure: we can do this. I’ve never seen something like this before, the support is overwhelming. Tattoo and art lovers got together and are ready to fight for what is ours. Even without a clear plan we already received a lot of donations. There are some events organized: auctions, tattooing, benefit events. I tried to make a complete list here, if you miss something or organizing an event to raise some money yourself email me and I’ll add it to the list. Thank you all so much for everything, all the support, donations & offered help. Hope to welcome you all soon in our museum. Tessa

That really sucks for that guy. This is also the reason why I have gave up wearing white shirts at work, they show tattoos REALLY easily (plus I always happen to spill coffee on myself). The way I see it in the proffessional world you are an "asset". Companies choose the best possible asset for the lowest cost. Simple really. When people start to realize this, they will hopefully realize to keep your personal life outside of work (at least for us office types). My clients/coworkers don't know I like metal music, ride motorcycles, have tattoos, hell some don't even know I smoke cigarettes. Why, you may ask, because they are not my friends and it is a "whatever you say can and will be held against you" environment. The less they know the better.

From the ages of 23-28 I was doing reservations for shows an all the fancy restaurants on the Las Vegas Strip. The money was good, which allowed me to a ton of traveling and get tattooed. When I first started the dress code was dress shirt/tie/slacks. They relaxed it down to casual (t-shirts/jeans) and actually saw productivity and moral shoot up, but ya still had to keep your tattoos covered. I didn't mind 'cause I'm a private person and didn't really wanna "show off to my co-workers", (It sucked during the summer, wearing long sleeves, the Vegas summer is hell!) but I had co-workers who would rally against the machine and engage our over-lords about revamping the dress code to allow exposed tattoos, it worked! An I believe productivity/moral even increased a little more. I was stoked, no more long sleeves during the summer! Plus, I got to see some of my co-workers tattoos. One dude had both arms sleeved with crop-circles, an each crop circle designed had a specific meaning. I wouldn't say the tattoos were good. but they were hilariously awesome!!!! I ended up leaving that place cause dealing with shitty tourists all day is lame. Luckily, I landed at a job that is pretty hip, progressive and forward thinking. (A co-worker friend is transgendered, female to male, an the insurance provided by work is covering his re-assignment surgeries!!) I can show up in a cowboy hat, tube top, pajama pants and flip flops and get a hi-five from my boss. with that kinda feeling in the work environment, everyone is positive and work gets done and it's a win/win situation. I just hope in the future more employers will understand : the happier the employee they better they will work and sometimes being happy at work is just wearing a t-shirt vs. shirt & tie!

Just got this Kano Hogai inspired dragon from William Yoneyama at the New Plymouth convention. - - - Updated - - - Those pics need to be rotated, can't work it out on this phone,

Just curious, Hank, but I've never heard of a guy wearing a "tube-top"...how does that work. As an empoyer, if one of my employees wanted our insurance to pay for a sex-change operation, they'd be down the road. I couldn't care less what a persons sexual proclivities are, but I wouldn't participate in financing them. .02

Hey there, I'm Hunter. Live in Austin, TX. Full time artist trying to break into tattooing. I have about 30-40 hours in the chair under my belt, and currently in the process of completing my right leg with the wonderful Nathan Haynes here in town. Here is a shot of my leg so far to break the ice (sorry its an IG rip, it's all I got). I hope to contribute as much as I can, and thanks for having me.

Just did two days at Yellow Blaze getting a front piece by Tomo. Day 1 we got it almost all lined, day 2 finished lining and started shading the background. Never been so pleased to move on from lining ... Particularly single needle. Tomo took a picture of what we did so far, but I think unless he puts it up I will hold off also- till we're finished. And now I am about to very tenderly soap myself.

If this is something you want to do, make sure it is completely papered. Everything Slayer says in the previous post is str8-up. I work with my familoy, and damn! Are they ever a pain in the ass. Right, guys? Anyhow. Talk to a lawyer, but I would suggest no matter what, make sure everyone's duties and expectations are clearly spelled out in an operating agreement and job descriptions done upfront.

Nate Beavers

I work in a corporate environment. When I first started with this company there was no policy against visible tattoos, I didn't have any visible at the time. About 2 years in the company got bought out by a larger corporation, the dress code changed over night, visible tattoos were no longer acceptable. We have now been bought out a third time by another larger corporation. There is no longer any company policies specifically worded for tattoos visible or otherwise. I have visible tattoos now and have many friends with visible tattoos but all of them are cover-able. I feel like if you are going to work in a corporate setting its best to keep your ink concealable if possible, you never know when that dress code my change. I was speaking with one of my co-workers about tattoos a couple of years ago (they have since moved on). He was in a management position and we were discussing tattoos. He told me that in an interview once they had a man that interviewed quite well but when he got up to leave the room they could see the outline of his tattoo through the back of his shirt and that was the reason he got passed over for another equally qualified candidate. It sucks that it happens but it is still a fact of life that people discriminate against tattooed individuals.

I'm sure that at some point somewhere that has really happened.

off to see OM tonight. Should be excellent.

That is something that's easily covered. Which in turn opens up a large amount of options that understandably makes it difficult to make a decision. It would be best to talk to your artist in person so that He/She can help read whats right for you and narrow down the options at the same time. Roses, Peacock feathers, and motion off a larger designs are my personal favorite to use covering up things like that. hope this helps.

scan0047 | Flickr - Photo Sharing! look at these fucking hipsters....

I have Victor Portugal continuing my backpiece in 2 weeks time. After Krakow I am driving to Italy and booked with Alex De Pase. From Grado Italy, driving to Genova where I am booked with Silvano Fiato for a leg piece. Then driving to the tip of Sweden for the northern lights. Around 8000 mile round trip by car. Will post some pics :)

It's a namanari, snake and flowers.

All booked in for Matt Arriola, Marco Hernandez, and the world famous Scott Harrison. All for the same day.

My right shin. Nathan Haynes @ Amillion Tattoo - Austin, TX.

Whatevs, someone is just nervous that he is not going to hold up as well when getting those spots done as his super tuff wife. :)

Yea lawyers are a must. There is a ton of small stuff most people miss. I recently got involved in creating a startup with another guy I work with. Stuff came up like "what happens if one of you is incarcerated/dies?". Technically if you didn't spell out these situations if say your partner is jailed/dies their spouse can become your "new partner" and can tank the company. Shit I didn't even think about! Plus there is a literal fuck-ton of paperwork in starting a business and as @Dan S said write everything out in plain-ol-english. Otherwise it becomes a game of he-said-she-said. Shit came up in my family where my Uncle could no longer go to work due to "stupid decisions" but he was still a owner of the company and still received a paycheck, damn did that suck. Also rembember lawyers and paperwork ain't cheap. Add that to the startup cost. Good lawyers (at least here in NYC area cost hundreds an hour). If I remember correctly my small company was about 10k-ish with a family discount to get going legally. Oh yea also don't forget insurance! Not just health insurance but building insurance, life, disability, renters, umbrella, etc). What happens if your business is sued? Been there done that, and without a big-ol-insurance policy you can get screwed. People these days are trigger-happy on suing, especially with this crap economy.

Smart dudes these fellas here.

My $0.02 I would avoid mixing money/business with family. It gets nasty quick. I have personal experience with this and know the issues that arise. My family owned a very successful business. As the business grew issues arose very quickly. Who own's the company? Who gets a bigger cut? Is <xyz> person getting a more favorable treatment than me? The list goes on. It's hard to be in business with the family. It screwed up my family really quick towards the end and we still don't talk to a few family members since there was legal shit being thrown at each other even after we dissolved the company. The wives even got involved. To this day my father still tells me "Never ever ever mix business with friends and family, unless you can happily walk away from them in a heartbeat" "Business is like war, and you don't want to being turning brother on brother." While I do know business that have run successfully in a family, I also know the behind closed doors issues that come up. There will always be someone who gets favorited. (In your case probably you favoriting your sons opinion over the other guy). Since you will just be financial backer you will be in a tough spot. Let's say the business tanks, you might end up getting mad at your son for "not trying hard enough, etc". When your son and this guy are putting in all the man-hours what happens if they decide to open their own shop and leave? At that point your business is just a building your renting since you cannot tattoo. I personally say it would be a bad idea, just because I've seen the massive shit-storm that can come from family/money. It's like water and oil. You don't think that emotions will rise now or you just want to make your money back but believe me ideas change over time.

That's one of the reasons I signed up, to show off my new work.

Nice. It does seem like a lot to incorporate into a three quarter sleeve.

Of the dozen sessions I've had on my back, the bookends were the worst--the first because it ran long and the last because my mental and physical state was shit. The ten in between don't stick out as being all that bad. Not to say I wasn't angry at the conclusion of a few. I tend to get irritated the longer I'm prodded with needles.

That's great to hear. I will say as an employer, I draw the line at tube-tops. No-one looks good in a tube-top.

Instead of trying to think of a design or an idea first, try either checking out some shops or some tattooers whose work you might like. I know not everyone wants to pore over portfolios, especially for a small tattoo that may be your first, but it can definitely point you in the right direction and get you thinking. Like @CultExciter said, let us know where you're at and maybe we can get you started.

Whoa, buddy. Leave that sucker alone. Looks like most of it ended up falling out..? @Iwar is not wrong, looks like you got a little brutalized there, so let it heal up. Not sure what it looked like fresh but if it's anything like how it looks now, we gotta get you in to a professional shop. Keep us posted!

I ordered it an impulse buy off Amazon last week. It's rad! I've been taking my time digesting it..the book is worth checking out.

Most people on this board are traveling across country to get tattooed or dealing with tattooers that are traveling the same distance. Going into a shop is ideal and yeah if it's possible I would say do so, but at some point if you want the business of serious tattoo enthusiasts, you have to use some sort of correspondence tool to arrange appointments. Working at a shop with mostly local customers I have not been used to answering emails, but lately have had a few people traveling from out of town to get tattooed. I know it can be stressful on the customer and it's definitely stressful on the shop end not being able to sit down and have a face to face with client, and just hoping they like the drawing. But at the end of the day it feels good, especially when you know people have traveled from a city full of talented tattooers and will take the added stress any day of the week.

A couple new flicks... By Richard Stell

Tattoo Convention in the Hilton Hotel Pittsburgh Pa in the Mid 90's Pittsburgh Hilton | Flickr - Photo Sharing!

Throwing in my tattoo in the hat. This was done by Eddy Deutsche a week and a half ago.

started today with my boss... we decided that since we put a backpiece on my chest, we should do a chestpiece on my head. EDIT: just realized i forgot to mention... by Josh Cruse, of JP Cruse Professional Tattooing, in Wichita, KS. i'm used to posting things to my friends on Facebook, where i don't have to clarify as much.

@jayessebee - just...yes. Yes, dude.

Man, I really miss getting my arms tattooed. I'm right there with you!

If you don't like pain, by all means, go for a backpiece. Total cakewalk. :)

What an inspirational thread! Picked this one up today. Tony Nilsson Blue Arms Tattoo Oslo, Norway

Just saw this on reddit today.

A lot of people do great tigers, but none of them do them better then Tim Lehi.

I think it's time we all break out a ruler and see who's is bigger. Mine sounds REALLY BIG if you measure in centimeters!

lets not get into a pissing contest. these quote reads as someone who thinks walk-in flash pickers and getting names are somehow less important and of a lower stature than someone who comes in as a regular to sit for a few hours on a sleeve. if you didnt mean it that way, fine, no big deal, move on. this back & forth shit is tiring.

on my partner kayla. done by scott harrison.

Dang Lizzie, almost a hundred???? I remember in 1983 in Taronto there was D's Adventure Tattoo and Empire Tattoo with Tatu Manotu as the owner, both shops on Queen street and the basement shop of the old fella people knew as The Chinaman", wow have things changed! As to the shop owner thing, it's burning down the industry, "Boutique" shops with everything from bar owners to somebody who viewed something on the net as to what "expected earnings" come form tattoo shops simply buying into the industry. But not to worry, trends rise and fall and come back around but to do good tattooing and being true to a customer base will win out should the "image" of tattooing burn to the ground from these jackwagons. There are the areas of the past where it reverted back to what it was before the trends and always there were those who held fast and kept busy. The pisser of it all is that those shop owners will move onto something else and toss our baby back at us like an over the hill abused hooker who once was our kid Sister, like a neighborhood bully who took off with a kids bicycle to return it only after it was broken, but back in our hands it will return. Look how things exploded in NYC in the 50's, the easiest solution was to ban it after it came to be too large to handle and regulate, underground for nearly forty years it opened up again but this time starting out with regulation and revenue that everybody could deal with, this is not to mention how it exploded and there were the 3 month shop locations with people no learned in tattooing taking every customer to the cleaners or dermatologist capitalizing on it's new infancy just to grab the buck and move out. But holding onto what is ours and standing our ground when the time comes that the general pop may turn from the reality program consuming idiots that bring us their money now to becoming a disrespectful lot wishing they hadn't followed a trend, it will then bring those who hang in there a wealth of property from the shop owner/proprietor magnate that dumps their "investment idea", flash, chairs, mirrors, tables, lamps, and equipment for everyone! Pennies on the dollar! And most gratifying of all will be that we will still have the customer base we built if not the second or third generation of those customers simply from doing honest good tattooing through all that time. Tattooing isn't just the "Americana" Norman Rockwell painted, it rolls up and down from sub culture to pop culture historically but part of our culture just the same and never in our history has it ever "left the building", the trend may have "shot it's load" as Tuttle so eloquently put it, but if it's what we do, then we will have work. Also, I see allot of people who came from the art school area that are doing as well if not better selling their artwork. As overcrowded as it gets, there is still areas for extra income. Reminds me of Walter Cleveland, traveled in the hay days and owned shops in several locations but when times were when he had few coming through the door, he went to part time work at a saw mill, zipped the fingers of his Left hand off, he was a lefty, learned to tattoo right handed by redrawing all his flash with his right and got back to it! Now that is drive to do what you do! The way I see it is this, these people coming onto the scene with all the EBay import stuff and their scratchers making Doctors and Dermatologists rich in a field that is practically impossible to institutionalize will wither away with the trend, we will have to swallow the blame of their invention until it comes around again in a form we can't predict, but tattooers true to the trade will still eat. The blame we swallow is the trouble they will or are causing that's hurting the reputation that so many worked hard to elevate from what it was years before they came on the scene. Damn if it don't play like a broken record, but when we were playing records it was Milton Zeis School of Tattooing days, now we are using "Media Player" and look at the amount of 40 hour classroom diploma toting "Professional Tattoo Artist" we have now, cranked out every two weeks like some checkbook biker wearin their authorized leather clown outfit and callin themselves "Bikers", ha! And we all know that a new bike and leather outfit don't make you a biker no more than a self respecting S&M catalog would carry "soft cuffs", ha! Damn, little did I know that when I was doing interviews talking about how it's not just for sailors anymore that I was tradin sub culture customers for yuppie scum wanting a Kanji on their wrist. I didn't know how big of a plate I needed for all the words I'd have to eat......... Sorry Lizzie if I ramble off topic, but just one more thing, I enjoy having fun with some of the people who start talking the talk of getting into or buying into this business, like ask those that think it's their direction because they are "really great drawers" to define MRSA, ha! As for the people who buy into it and are NOT loving of the life, they are the train wreck waiting to happen and will be their own undoing, just wait for the time to pass to split up their gear.

For me it's the 90lb 18yr old kid who wants this huge detailed tattoo down his ribs, I say, "Man thats a big tattoo for your first one, you sure you can hang"? I proceed to tell him that maybe he should get it somewhere more tolerable. He says, "Aww yea man, I aint no punk"! So I say, "Ok Skeeter, lets go". In the first 2 minutes he pours sweat to the point the stencil is almost gone, so I draw it back on, do a few more lines and he says, "Man I don't know....can I come back later to finish this outline"?