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This is what happened to me today: Rudy Fritsch, of course. I encourage anyone who as a chance to get something from this man, very inspiring and unique in every way. Well worth the trip to Trieste (nice town!) where his studio is. I think that's it for me, no more tattoos until spring. Ciao! edit: not really necassary to comment on how much I love this tattoo. I do. A lot.

A few more hours put in on my back piece. Also did last night background from under the pits on both side to mid rib cage. All work being done by Rodrigo Melo from Northstar Tattoo NYC. Super stoked at the progress. Mike

Finally got a new laptop, so guess who can finally start being a part of the forum again?! It's nice to actually have a computer again

eventhough I agree with this to some degree, it's not a spa. I want people to be comfortable but also sometimes I may pick music that I am going to work best to that particular day. in regards to feeling someones personal chi, they best keep it in their pants. that's gonna cost extra and i don't think my wife is going to go for it. petting someones chi. that's like 2 steps above and handjob.

My wife and I will be in and out of the convention all weekend. We would be down to meet up whenever. Unfortunately, we will not be getting tattooed. My wife had an appointment with @Valerie Vargas but had to cancel because she is pregnant. (A very positive thing coupled with a bit of disappoint in not being able to get tattooed.) Anyways, I look forward to meeting everyone.

Well thankfully I went with the advice from all the veterans here. I chose to use Nick Colella. I posted this elsewhere but wanted to keep my progress all in one thread. The pictures below are where I am at and go for color on October 25th. I am so excited I can't wait. I do have one dilemma, I am not sure if I should try to get one more image in the spot between the racing flag and dogs ear in the last picture. I don't really have anything else in mind for this arm and looked at daggers, roses etc and don't think they will mesh will the other tattoos on my arm. I plan n asking Nick his opinion too. When I left, we planned on 2 more sessions. One for color the other for filler. So I have to decide fairly quickly what to do. Picture before last is the filler I planned on asking for. Thanks again guys, great advice! Sent from my LG-E980 using Tapatalk 2

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Man I love this tattoo done by Chris Anthon. I would love to get something like this on my back or front. Only problem is I have a session booked for a similar design on my forearm.

This isn't super related to the thread, but kinda. Anyways, a few days ago I noticed a pretty nice looking rose tattoo peaking out of the shirt sleeve of the professor who I'm a TA for, and I asked him about it, something like "Hey I saw you had a tattoo on your bicep earlier, I didn't realize you had any it looks pretty nice." And he tells me that he has that one and another one, a panther on his other arm. So I knew he lived in San Francisco for a while, so naturally being the tattoo nerd I am, I ask him where he got it. Apparently, in the late 90s he just happened to walk into Ed Hardy's Tattoo City and ended up getting a crawling panther from Tim Lehi when he was working there. He said at the time he had no idea who Ed Hardy was or anything. He was also pretty surprised when I started nerding out about how big of a deal Tim Lehi and all those dudes who were at Tattoo City at the time are now (Dan Higgs, Tim Lehi, Jef Whitehead, etc). Anyways, the tattoo is pretty rad and it blows my mind that there are so many people out there who just stumble into getting amazing tattoos with no idea that the artist might be one of the most well known and respected in the world, meanwhile, I (and probably lots of others on this forum) spend hours and hours and hours looking up artists in different cities, traveling 10+ hours in a single day (some of you are flying halfway across the world) just to get tattooed by these very same artists.

I think that Nunez made an absolute ass out of himself on the finale.

to me that's the cool part of actually leaving the house, going to a shop and seeing what's out there. so many people are timid or worried about getting some "mindblowing" piece from someone who's got a waiting list and a ton of internet recommendations that they never take a chance. it's one of the coolest things about tattooing that so many people are missing out on. you'd be surprised at how many amazing tattooers have zero internet presence and are close by but it seems like many folks would rather do whats easier and safe.

Joshua Hibbard = STANKMADE y'all will figure that one out...

I have no idea what any of this means. Chill, non-chill, as long as it's good, I probably won't mind or care much. Like JAllen said above, it's not a day spa, it's a tattoo shop. However I would be pissed if I had to listen to Alanis Morissette while getting tattooed, and would heavily question the taste and values of the tattooer/shop that put it on.

Hello and welcome. It's always kind of weird to hear people say that they aren't *that* kind of person who gets covered in tattoos because, well, what kind of people do you think we are? Most of us are just more or less regular people who have chosen to decorate our bodies in a particular manner. I'd also say that most of us never intended to get covered in tattoos, it's just something that happened as we got tattooed and fell for the art, the experiences and stories, and the community surrounding tattooing. There isn't anything else, at least that I've experienced and had a part in, however small that is, that matches tattoos. There's also a thread here about wolf tattoos that will hopefully provide you with some inspiration.

I think commas are the least concerning of the issues here...

No luck on the German connection but found some nice botanically tinted George Burchett stuff. Just wasting time really! Finally have my appointment on Thursday. - - - Updated - - - http://www.google.nl/imgres?imgurl=http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2234/2482649571_356637f725.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.photoree.com/photos/permalink/5404722-9209225@N06&h=500&w=395&sz=237&tbnid=M5WkfY7PLas1jM:&tbnh=90&tbnw=71&zoom=1&usg=__eh0BOGwlouZfcamL0P8zPnZuhC0=&docid=_lF7GOS5wXWhhM&sa=X&ei=sWJdUpevKOGc0QXp7YDoBQ&ved=0CDQQ9QEwAQ

welcome! 2 great artists. the solution to your dilemma is to get a tiger from mike wilson and horses from david bruehl.

Hi, and welcome to LST :D I'd vote David Bruehl, i'm travelling to Orlando in March and i'm planning on taking a trip down to Tampa to get something from him :) And, first tattoo, Go Big!! In the grand scheme of things 2 hours travel is diddly squat. Where abouts are you planning on placement?

Dude that tiger is one of my favorite tattoos ever, no kidding you want another from him. I say fuck it and get another one, some other variation naturally, but who gives a fuck, it's going to look awesome.

@else, haha yes I do remember that. did I mention i have actually two sets of bars? haha :)

Ahhh... by now everybody here knows I'm a sucker for the bars, eh?? ;)

This for sure. I just talked to a friend of mine that got 2 shit tattoos because he was afraid to go to a "big shop" aka the place I do. It took a long phone conversation to convince him the tattooers are people too and to just come with me when I get tattooed. Hell I even offered to walk him to three other shops I like in the area. Maybe it's just me living through him because I am locked into two huge tattoos. Most of the fun is all pre and post tattoo. Actually getting tattooed sucks

Peter Lagergren:

Hi there! I'm Dan, currently a student in Orlando, Florida. Currently working on getting my first tattoo. I did a great amount of research using this awesome forum, and from there I went through portfolios all around my area. Especially the artists recommended on LST. Now, I am choosing between two artists: Mike Wilson & David Bruehl :cool: I really like both of their oriental-mixed-with-neo/traditional styles. So my main requirements are that I want that oriental/traditional or similar (or something even more creative/unique?) style in the tattoo of a horse and a tiger. Preferably yin-yangish in pose, and I dislike anything cartoony. Are there any reasons you can come up with based on my desired basic design, that would make you choose one artist over the other? I've heard Mike Wilson can do everything, but I've also seen great things in David Bruehl's instagram. Or should I just flip a coin? :cool: Edit: Side question. Would that design (horse and tiger) be able to done (well) in a medium tattoo or require a large tattoo? Or, would it be able to be knocked out in a single 3 hour session? I'm willing to go for multiple sessions, but both artists are (just 2 hours) out of town so I'll have to plan ahead in my calendar more if necessary.

Here is a picture of a lion tattooed on my friend's father. He got it done in San Francisco in 1975, got the colour redone in out west in Canada in 1985.

Pretty much every time he opened his mouth. Hibbard was created and encouraged by the producers- believe it. For Nunez to call him out re: "real" tattooers implies that he (Nunez) isn't selling out tattooing as well. But hey. S'long as the check clears, right?

I completely agree. I don't even care who reads this, I think that dude is a talking dickhead. Like obviously both Oliver and Chris are well-versed and talented tattooers, but I think the crucial difference between the two is that Oliver is pretty comfortable in his position, whereas I feel that Chris is always kind of pushing it in your face and the finale was a fantastic example of that.

this was done by me (kohen meyers) at dogstar tattoo company durham n.c. on a buddy of mine

Welcome dude, sounds like you've put some thought into your prospective tattoos. Have you started looking into shops yet? If you're not too far from Luxembourg check out Dan Sinnes' place Electric Ave.

I think that living in SF has a lot to do with this. :)

its awesome that you came down to these 2 guys for your first tattoo. @David Bruehl has done 3 tattoos for me and he quietly kills almost everything he touches. Mike is a guy who seems to come up in conversation often when other tattooers talk. You have done very well !

Ahhh... my first "one true love" had two sets of bars as well :) Bestill my teenage heart!!!

Welcome! For the side question, ask whoever you choose to get tattooed by what they recommend. And yeah, you can't go wrong with either Mike Wilson or Dave Bruehl, congratulations on doing a good job with your research and let us know how it goes!

I'd go with David Bruehl, but that's just because he's from the same town as me, and I've seen a bunch of his work in person, more than anything else. I'm actually in discussions with him for a piece... currently delayed because I'm on a longer contract than normal and it'll be awhile before I can get to Florida. - - - Updated - - - Oh! And welcome!!! :)

just took a look at my arm and it's more: 7seconds logo, anti cimex reaper, g-anx bird and a shitty skull design thing with my old band logo and shit. shit.

I got some Higgs flash put on me the other day. It's the little flaming sword, I'm not gonna bother with a picture since most of you have probably seen it before. It's on the back of my knee, a little off center so it's not quite in the ditch, but it was still pretty tender.

Not sure I feel comfortable asking him for a photo just yet, but maybe sometime in the future.

Tiger kneecap by Destroy Troy. Timeless Tattoo Kansas City, MO This was done earlier this summer. Awesome dude. I cannot wait to get some more work done by him. If you look closely there's a scratch on the bottom right, that happen a week before the tattoo and was not done during the session. Split in to two 2 hour sessions, with a short touch up afterwards. This was taken directly after the second session, I just can't seem to get a better picture than this. I highly suggest getting a tattoo from Troy if you're ever in the KCMO area.

I'd say if you're worried something is too masculine for you, then it's not the right tattoo for *you*. If it's right for *you*, it shouldn't matter if it's...I don't know, what's masculine, a big ole monster truck? If that's what you like, then that's what you get. and if someone says they don't like it, then you say "Yes, well, maybe it's not your taste, and that's fine. I happen to think you're a fucking knob, however I have too much tact to say it." And then you punch them in the throat.

I just mean that you could get an eagle or a dragon or a dagger or whatever and have those "mean" or "represent" whatever you want. Me and my wife moved a couple of months ago from an apartment we'd lived in for six years. It was the first apartment we had together, we got married in the neighborhood and walked back to the apartment the night of our wedding, we had two cats and a dog there, my wife finished her PhD there...there were a lot of significant life things that happened in that place, and there was a tattoo shop around the corner from it, so we wanted something to mark that time and that part of our lives. My wife got a Sailor Jerry anchor, I got a tiger-faced hannya. Those tattoos are very meaningful ones to us, but the meaning isn't obvious and out there. That's what I mean about not having to literally represent what you want the tattoo to "mean". - - - Updated - - - I've never been to Chicago but I think if I wanted a tattoo to represent Chicago I would absolutely go to Nick Colella at Great Lakes Tattoo and get a Phil Sparrow or Cliff Raven design.

ok, minor threat sheep, black flag bars, neurosis thingys x2, social distortion skeleton, flipper fish, misfits skull...probably some more i don't recall for now. so, am I the only one who likes flipper?

Yeah, fuck all you sociopathic corporate tattooers. ... What?

^I think the level of awesomeness has gone down, but people's perspective of what constitutes as awesome varies, so... each to their own. Big news for me, sort of. I've decided to make a career change, well really going back to my initial plan: Teaching. I completed my degree in Psychology and have been working as a caseworker for almost a year now and surprise! I'm one of the many that have become disillusioned by the stressful workload and little pay-off (monetary and satisfaction-wise). Teaching doesn't pay much better, but at least I'll be doing what I enjoy. I've also started writing on the side and it's brought way more happiness to my life. Just goes to show how important it is not to doubt yourself and stop doing what you enjoy. Back to school for me! *Excited cringe!*

One of the biggest lies reality television has created is that you need a "reason" to get a tattoo. If it's cool, and makes you feel awesome, then that is all you need.

Wear long sleeves.

I have two painful areas left and im done,although I want to start laser on my left sleeve but only after those areas are finished.... Ribs, god damn ribs!!!

I'll throw this one of my cats in the ring. Done by Grez at King's Avenue.

part two is here! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NRi4fpvzefs