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Hi. This is probably my favorite thread on the internet. New here, and have got a thread up in initiation but thought I'd post a few of my recent pieces here. Feet done by Danny Reed. Dragon by Will Lollie. Both work in Asheville, NC.

Awesome! It is an honour to win against so many tattoos that I would love to have myself and given what people have lined up in September, I can't wait to see what next month's competition brings!

Looks like @Graeme came out on top in the August contest! Such a tight race between him and @Wilhell all the way to the end. Can't wait to see what this month brings!! Congrats @Graeme!! Your arm is fucking AMAZING!!!!

I always love seeing the stuff you post, even if it's not the type of work I would get on myself. I think most of us here can at least appreciate good tattooing in all forms and nerd out on seeing people really dedicated to getting quality tattoos, regardless of style.

IG folks already saw, but I finished my back yesterday. I love it, although finishing it was very bittersweet! Here is the photo that Stephanie posted. She did everthing but the map, which is an old tattoo that she worked to integrate into the whole thing. She is a great tattooer and human being.

Went out with that guy I said I met a few weeks ago... Went pretty amazing. Very happy

Yesterday by El Monga at Spider Murphy's....There's a better shot on his instagram, but you get the idea.

What's up, everyone? Been lurking a little here and there for a while. Recently got much more interested in tattoos, so thought I'd create an account. Lived on both coasts in the last few years. Grew up in VA, tried to make it work in Seattle, messed around in pretty much every part of the country (Alaska included), now in NC. Collected a few tattoos along the way ;). Anyways enough talk, picture time!! Hope this works: Dragon by Will Lollie in Asheville; swallow rose by Mario Desa; feet by Danny Reed also in Asheville. I have a lot more including some older pieces from Koeplinger, Jason Scott, and a couple peeps from Liberty tattoo. But I have a thing about posting my tattoos online. I'm just posting these because they've already been IGed by the artists, except for the Reed feet - I just wanted to show those off :p. Enjoy - - - Updated - - - Better shots, too big for one post :cool:

I know a lot here are not really into the new type of stuff but i will post anyhows :) First was with Tofi 11 hours of sheer hell on my shin, by far the worst session I have had. I know this tattoo will not last long due to the way it has been done but I like the quirkyness and I can laser it at some point and get something new lol image upload no compression ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Next day did 4 hours with Victor Portugal just to finish my backpeice. online photo storage ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2nd day with Victor Portugal was 6 hours and we are starting down my legs and arse cheeks :) screenshot by lightshot ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3rd Day with Victor he doesnt want me to post till complete :( ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Next day Silvano Fiato for 6 hours to fill in above the lady he did last time :) online photo storage Sorry for the knacker shot lol application screenshot

It's a convention, things usually run late but it's cool because there are a hundred rad things to look at in the meantime.

Not a great photo, but this is part of my back after my 2nd session on it today. Photos stolen from Chad Woodley's instagram (@tattoosbychadwoodley).

for sure let me know your schedules I am so geeked for this to get here, I will probably continue to post jibberish in this thread until I board the plane to SFO. Seems silly but I actually scheduled surgeries around SOG

That Will Lollie sure does some pretty tattoos.

Agreed on the above... It's not my cup of tea either, but clearly guys like Victor Potugal are good at what they do- so kudos to you. Here in Ireland the tattoo scene in Dublin (what there is) is massively into realistic black and grey and the more 'out there' realism, they love all the Eastern European Robert Hernandez type work.

This is one of those threads that ends up costing me a small fortune on Amazon or ABE.

I am from Virginia, lived in North Carolina, have messed around in pretty much every part of the US, and have gotten tattooed at Liberty Tattoo. Maybe we are related.

I'm florescent green with envy.

Just had confirmation of my appointment on the Sunday, with Mr Jack Rudy. Lady head in arm ditch!!!! Woohoo!!!

Alright, image heavy post incoming! So at @BrianH 's suggestion, I posted a scabby piece, here are some more pictures of the heal and a couple of tattoos I've gotten since. (healed) by Sean Perkinson at FTW in Oakland By Rempe, also at FTW during a guest spot. and then this one is from a couple weeks ago by Casey O who is new at Chicago Tattoo Co. and spent a week guesting at our shop. One of my favorites so far I think.

With permission from Curly, i'm posting the direct links as it's easier that way.. Tattoos & photographs by Curly.. Tattoos by Curly - Lionel's Tattoo Studio (Tattoo Club of Great Britain), Oxford, England. - https://www.facebook.com/curly.moore.77 https://www.facebook.com/pages/Lionels-Tattoo-StudioTattoo-Club-of-Great-Britain/146864455350309 https://www.facebook.com/curlytattoo66 Curly Tattoomonger Lionel's Tattoo Studio - Oxford

I got this from Matt Howse while he was visiting Portland a couple weeks ago :) I had the pleasure of meeting up with @David Flores for a beer while I was in town. Super charming and sweet fella that David ;)

Finished my sleeve with Mo Coppoletta. He did the upper part of the arm too, a koi, out of shot.

My research into the tattooed ladies of yesteryear, botany in tattooing and the historical basis of truly feminine tattooing (WRT WTF I want on my skin and via trying at ascertain the names of the various styles) has brought me to Charlie Wagner but I'm a nosy bint and always want more information. There seems to be some evidence of (much of) the circus tattooing tradition having come over fro Germany but I'm having trouble finding and following the threads. This lady, who I now know to be Jean Carroll an ex-(genuine)bearded lady who had her beard removed and tattoos applied for the love of a contortionist, has been one of main my references and inspirations for the style I'm after since before I found you lovely lot or had the foggist of information about the history of tattoo. Turns out she was tattooed by Charlie Wagner. Take a peek between the figurative work. This lady, another long standing inspiration, turns out to not only be a circus artist and Americas first female tattooist but Maud Wagner the wife of Charlie Wagner. See palm trees and botanical work on the arms. So, yeah, looking further I found this lovey example of his work including really rather botanically correct 'growing' roses, some primroses and few other bits. The use of negative space seems to be beginning to develop. I also found this old flash (no idea of date or artist, maybe 40's) with fabulous botanical poppies. I must admit I'm most happy to find genuine historical references to follow up my gut feeling that there must have been more flowers included in design at some point in tattoo history and that they probably looked rather like the work of the early botanists (specifically Basillus Besler and others from the 17th and 18th century). So, yeah, I'm after any information that's to had about this period in tattoo history in America and I'd love it if there was anything anyone could tell me about European tattooing pre/during this period. Anyone?

I've tried all types of methods and I've found that what works best for me is largely determined within the first 24-48 hours of the new tattoo. By that I mean if I can prevent my tattoos from scabbing then I know they'll heal beautifully. I've used both the dry heal method and the aquaphor re-wrap that @Old Rose Tattoo described above. They both produced excellent results. And I don't think there is one method that fits all situations. For example, in cases where I know I've got the time off work and can baby my tattoo, I've used the dry heal method - washing it 2-3x a day and keeping those weeping fluids from forming scabs. In cases where I didn't have time to baby it I've put a thin layer of aquaphor on and wrapped it in breathable gauze. That usually keeps the weeping fluids from forming scabs, too. Then once it dries out and starts peeling like a sunburn I know I'm golden, just gotta make sure it doesn't get scratched, sunburnt, etc. And by scabbing I mean big plate like scabs. The small, really thin scabs always heal fine as long as they don't get prematurely ripped off. I also think how the artist applies it plays a big role in how well it heals. My foot swelled up like a tick ready to pop after getting tattooed. It scabbed quite a bit - not thick scabs but large areas of it. Still healed fine, just took much longer and I had to be more careful with the scabs. Second foot, the artist zipped through it much faster. The two tattoos are the same size and same amount of detail but he was able to adjust his application and work the skin less (the feet being very sensitive). Which resulted in my foot not swelling at all, very minimal scabbing, and it started peeling in 3-4 days. Just my experiences, and what I've found works for my skin.

Welcome to the forum! I hope you stick around and learn a lot about great tattoos. I do think it's important to say that you should really be learning the "basic information" from an experienced tattooer during your apprenticeship. Also I would say that getting tattooed is the first step towards becoming a tattooer. Second step? Getting tattooed some more.

Thanks for the info i have super sensitive skin and was worried that it would be there forever like a scar. It's been three weeks for me and hasn't gone away completely.. Then again the ribs have always been a slower healing area for me. My other side healed completely in 2 months ..

Congratulations @Graeme !!!

Congrats! I really thought I had a chance this month! OH well..

Congrats @Graeme! You deserved to win. Love the raven!

Grats to @Graeme !

My 1st one is about 2 layers down in cover-ups. I got it in 1977 when I was 22, very recently married. It was 2 hearts and a banner with my wife's name and my name in the banner... which I know now is a hex on a marriage or relationship. I got it at S&W Tattooing in Amityville, NY. Walter was the artist and he slapped it on me in about 20 minutes for $25. This was the type of shop that had a line out the door on any Friday or Saturday night, 100% walkins. The actual tattoo was very good and had great color. Rob

Welcome @sighthound. Rad tattoos!!

Love the color on that dragon.. Coming from a black/grey man haha. Welcome

Welcome. Great tattoos!

Really great tattoos. Thanks for sharing and welcome!

Welcome! I love that dragon!!

I was scheduled with Chad at noon and I think we started around 2:15p

So this book has absolutely no written information other than side-annotations, but it has an unmatched wealth of old photos -- especially those of tattooed women. ISSUU - Brochure ATM Publishing by KIT Publishers Don't mind the price tag, there are almost 1300 photos in this book. It's an essential in any collector's library. I've thought about posting a bunch of them here but I don't know if that's really an OK thing to do. I'd love to share some valuable history, but I also want you guys to give all of your money to the Amsterdam Tattoo Museum. :) Here's one of my all-time favorite pictures:

Idk, it's totally your decision but I would go to a different shop to get it touched up/reworked. Yeah, te artist that did it will touch it up for free, but getting a quality tattoo should never be about money. And like @David Flores said there's something wrong with the shop, artist, etc. Considering your tattoo is infected. IMO, every one recommending you "don't go back" includes getting a touch up. Just my $0.02.

I started my back last month, neck to knees, a large Oni/Hannya faced lady holding a lantern - taking reference from the scale of Shige and Calle style backpieces, but painted by the artist. I was incredibly nervous going into it, I had built it up in my mind to be the worst thing ever, and I was stressing out about not even being able to get through the first full outlining session...I have had a lot of work done before, and this kinda added to the worry, because I know how bad it can hurt, and how much I do not enjoy getting tattooed! The first session went really well though, I think the fact I had been waiting and wanting this for so long really helped - I wouldn't have ever let myself quit halfway through. The back is NOT an easy area, there are some really bad spots, for me it was behind the kidneys, thin lines on the spine as well as the whole coccyx area...it all sucked, those areas just stood out as being particularly bad! I have had two big shading sessions since then, healing is tricky, thank christ for my girlfriend helping with the bacitracin, also it has been hands down the itchiest tattoo I have ever had! Maybe because it covers such a large area, and everything is itching at the same time! it has been an eye-opening experience so far - It feels like a long, daunting task to get the whole thing finished, once session at a time I guess!

I just saw that @Scott Sylvia is going to be at the Richmond Tattoo Convention. IS THIS REAL LIFE???

my computer has been broken for a while, so I havent been able to get on here, but I am still alive, and started school again.

apologies in advance for large pics. Too many to resize. Summer tour 2013 Baltimore One Shot! RIP Cosmo Philly just a quickie in St Louis NEW JOB! Joel Long's art show Boulder - - - Updated - - - More later

Haven't posted in a bit... Session number... 7 or 8, I think, from Mike Rubendall today. Finally hit the ass, which made my ribs seem like a breeze. About two months ago Thomas Hooper finished my torso: And then one from Scott Campbell about 3 weeks ago:

1974, just days after I turned 18. Skinny, long-haired rock-n-roller. In some name-unknown parlor on Chippewa Street in Buffalo, NY (which at the time was skid row = Junkies, Prostitutes, rank bars and tattoo parlors). Flash from the wall. As with the times, I don't remember much if any of the experience. Here's what's left of it:

I got my first piece in remembrance of my brother. He hung himself in 2010 in a small TX town.. He was terminally ill and dying slowly and painfully.. It was somewhat ironic he chose to hang himself as he had huge barbed wire noose tattooed around his neck.. He had many tattoos, some professional and some from prison.. Including him I have two brothers and two sister.. Him dead at 37 and a sister dead at 17. He was adopted and she was my step sister.. My other brother and sister are halves.. My adopted brother and were closer then the others combined, I won't bore you guys with that.. But Heath was wide open in everything he did.. 'Laugh now cry later' was his favorite saying, he truly lived with no regrets, maybe he had a few at the end.. So I got the drama masks as skulls on my left fore arm with banners that read 'brothers forever'. I've lost a lot of close friends and family in my short time and my left arm is dedicated to them, save for my ditch tiger.. All the ink on my left arm is my remembrance of them, some straight forward, some subtle... He is the reason I've always been fascinated with tattoos.. For me, each tattoo feels like the first because of its meaning, even though I'm talking it up with ray while he does his thing, in my mind I'm thinking about getting my first tattoo.. I'm not one to get something just because it 'looks cool', for now all my work will have meaning, even if its just a piece of flash like I'm planning on for Sunday.. Maybe once I catch up with the memories I'll start getting some things 'just because..' Anyways, there ya have it.

He's well-known in these parts, but I haven't seen much mention of Dave Cummings from PSC Tattoo, Montreal on LST: - - - Updated - - - Another local guy who I feel deserves some recognition (again, pretty well-known locally) is Pol from Pol Tattoo, Montreal.

Maxime is going to be tattooing in LA at the end of the month, if I can convince the wife I"m going to try to have him do one of my palms... here's one that he did...

Robert Ryan: