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@InkedMumma Outlines and some shading done, but I can't seem to get a good picture of the whole thing so I will save it for later! Here's a teaser from Marius Meyer's IG account though: :cool:

Ed tattooing a sweet unicorn on a dude's hand. Cause Ed Hardy + Unicorns = Magic.

First off, it's hard for us to determine if you are a quality "at home" tattooer since we have yet to see one tattoo. Also, listing a relative and a professional as tattooers you know does not answer the question of who have you been tattooed by and who you aspire to. Some people may respond negatively, but that is only because this forum is NOT a forum that teaches how to tattoo or discusses the inside of the trade. This is a forum for PROFESSIONAL tattooers and collectors to immerse themselves in the culture. And tattoo culture is in shops and conventions, not any one's home. Yes, many tattooers started tattooing in their homes at a young age, but all of them will admit that it was stupid and where they really learned how to tattoo was through an apprenticeship at a reputable shop. That was also a different time. Yes, it is 2013... Tattooing is way more accepted nowadays and there are shops everywhere. I urge you to read through the newbie guidelines and watch the interviews. I think bullying you off of this forum is the wrong approach. This forum could open your eyes to the real tattoo culture and help your artwork and ambitions. Also, I hate to play devil's advocate, but if you have an illness that prevents you from working outside of the home, then tattooing is most likely not for you. Not for the basic fact that you should be working out of a shop (since they are licensed, for one), but also because it is a grueling, fast-paced line of work.

This exists somewhere else on here but I'm stoked on this thread! Here's my left thigh from last year from Nash Hogan, great dude. I'll be doing something bigger on the other one soon! Soonish. When I can. So.. at some point. - - - Updated - - - I've also had a couple other things added around it on the knee and inside of the thigh but don't have a picture. Probably for the best, nobody needs to see all up in my business.

I can't tell is she, or the 4764846578 others trying the same thing, is genuinely convinced she will somehow do it different than anyone before her (because surely nobody else before her has ever done it 'right') and it will last forever, or if she doesn't care and just wants to get paid. Gogue said something that I can't recall to quote word for word but it was something to the effect of knowing that his tattoos fall apart in just a few years, and I still give him 10000% more credit than this other tattooer.

You just made an amazing point. It's true, I personally do not celebrate watercolor tattoos because it is a bit of a lie to the client. Because she posts it publicly on her website, I don't think it is a problem saying this, but she charges $300/hour for something that isn't going to be there in 5 years. That, to me, is a travesty. Same with Bose! You can spend the same amount of scratch on an audio receiver that is superior quality and with more longevity.

Well considering that she didn't invent color blobs, I don't see how its copying her style if someone does it. I have no clue who this person is and I imagine that whatever fame is created is based in some type of internet parallel reality. I was prepared to write some profound thoughts regarding ones personal style and influences and the relationship to the ego but I think that its not important what I think. People are more worried about their opinions and seeking clarification or validation in their views. Its been said, their is nothing new. If someone appears to be breaking new ground it is part of a seemless formula of blending their influences and how they build on their inspirations. The only thing that makes someone truly special isn't contained in their renderings but in their willingness to continue to improve their abilities and their interactions with others on this plane of existence. The tattoo experience isn't about just some unique design applied to make you feel special. It was being part of something bigger than yourself and the person giving you this experience having the ability to do more than apply a nice tattoo. My favorite tattoo experiences have been the conversations and the stories exchanged as well as the persons ability to entertain, educate, and share that experience. Those other elements aren't something that show up in pictures on the intervebs. You can't craft personality the same way as your drawing abilities and application of tattoos. The tattoos I have from these folks are a permanent reminder of that interaction and the impact that moment in time had on my life. But now I babbling and rambling. And I said I wasn't going to say a bunch of stuff...so yeah. Haha. Carry on!

I don't believe you because anybody who actually spent some time here, watched the interview videos, read the threads and so on, wouldn't then start an account saying that they're butchering people out of their kitchens but that they hope this place can help them fulfill their tattoo dreams. Stop tattooing.

I am lucky enough to have a tattoo done by Scott Harrison that is two pieces of Devita flash mashed together. One of them Thom tattooed on Scott. I don't know if it carries any thing spiritual or transcendental, but i love the tattoo, and I am extremely proud to have it.

Who have you been tattooed by? Which contemporary tattooers do you like these days? Which tattooers from the past do you look up to? It's 2013. There is no reason to tattoo out of your home. If you can't get an apprenticeship from a respectable shop and learn to tattoo the right way, from the start, you shouldn't do it, period.

;) Hello LST. I am Steve Johns from Huntington Beach,Ca. I work and own Black Umbrella Art Studio (Tattoo) in Huntington Beach, Ca. Before that I was in a few different shops but mostly at Goodfellas Tattoo in Orange,ca with Steve Soto. Been tattooing for over 7 years now. Love the Website and the community of artist and topics. Awesome stuff. I will try to attach some of my work. I usually work in the realm of traditional with surrealism mixed in.

It means you're magic

this :)

Got to catch up with Austin Maples when he was back in town @ third eye, he squeezed me in for this fun little gap filler, if you are in SF he's at idle hands.

Well, at least you're humble.

I've thought about this plenty of times. I want a Devita piece, but obviously I won't be able to get that. I've always thought the next best thing is to get someone that knows him, understands him, etc. to do it. Granted, I know I can't get Scott Harrison to do it (maybe I can?) but if he were still actively tattooing, I'd ask to get something similar to a Devita tattoo. While it won't be a Devita tattoo, I know it'll have the essence of a Devita tattoo since someone that knows and appreciates Devita is doing it.

I'm just curious, did you spend any time lurking here to get a sense of what this place is about before you created an account?

Is this a reference to Amanda Wachob? Because I don't take her seriously.

You know where there are better references than the internet? Tattoo shops. You know who has a shit ton of flash/books? Tattoo shops. You know who is well acquainted with these collections? Tattooers. Do some initial poking around, then find a tattooer or shop, then go say, "Hey, I saw this Jerry wolf, the full body one with his tongue hanging out," or whatever you want, and they'll say, "Oh yeah, lemme see, was it this one?" And more than likely, they'll pick out one of the SJ books they've undoubtedly got and flip to the page and you'll say, "Oh yeah, that's it, that line drawing is way better than the one I found online."

I spoke to another Veteran at my work yesterday. He was pretty covered, and out of curiosity I asked him politely where he got his tattoos (or pieces of crap, as he called them) done at. He couldn't remember the artists who did most of them, but he pointed out two specific ones. He told me that he got two (on his outer biceps) done by Charlie Wagner in Portsmouth, Virginia. He told me Charlie mixed the ink with his spit then said "tattooing has changed a lot from those days". I wish I could have spoke with him a little more, but I didn't want to keep him from going about his day.

General tattoo news that's worth sharing, but doesn't necessarily fit in any of the existing threads (or deserve a new one) Like this... I checked out Black Heart's official website/blog today, and was suprised to see that it had gotten a big overhaul since I last visited. It looks really nice, and it had some pictures of tattoos that I had never seen before. Check it out: Black Heart Tattoo |Black Heart Tattoo | » Bad Ass Tattooery | Bad Ass Tattooery

Oh, what the hell. I'll post mine here, too: By Paul Dobleman at Spider Murphy's. I didn't give him a ton of room to work with, but he still pulled a great, unique take on an iconic image.

It can hardly be all pinterest, as bad tattoos existed long, long before it. But I agree that pinterest helps them spread at an incredible rate. And I know pinterest isn't really 'for guys', or whatever - but I'm just trying to do my part to stop/slow the madness with this board. Good tattoos only - artists always credited.

hey guyths.. I think it was this thread I remember someone talking about a sort of satanic version of ROA well this one was started at Saints and Sinners in Dallas not mine but I Just thought I'd share. Artist: James Yocum

recent ones! forest gump flash cast away flash and some other sheets i did for fun

I had the exact same reaction as you. Goddamn that is going to be incredible.

i think i just saw the outline drawn on on instagram??? holyshit

No rest from healing this winter...got more work coming up in 2 weeks from some guest artists coming to my city. Getting hilarious with Bryan Turnbull (Gov Street Tattoo Victoria) and getting weird with Jon Gray (Mata Mata Hamilton). And some touchups on my neck piece and mini insect tattoo. My wife is pissed I will be sidelined from the hot tub at her work christmas party. I will gladly stay dry on my colouring book quest!

The general public......and the tattoo community are two separate concepts. I don't try and push people around with what they should and shouldn't get, I'm not a social worker...... But I do try to present them with options when I can. I still give em the haircut they ask for....... I just try and comb it real nice for em.

Yes, I can imagine that... in fact, I have this very one! I found the original design (of course, doh!) on the Internet. Turns-out that the person running the website had apprenticed with Tattoo Ted Nelson (who gave me my first tattoo on my 21st birthday, back in late-January 1972, in Fairfield, IA), and Ted had apprenticed with Bert Grimm. Small world. Anyway, this piece was inked on me by "Painless Jimmy" Hankins (yet another "old timer"), at Louie Lombi's Tattoo Paradise, in 2005/6. I'm pleased with it. Jimmy's still slingin' ink here in South Florida, but Louie Lombi retired and gave the shop to his long-time apprentice and worker, Clark O'Dell... it's now called Tattoo Paradise of West Palm Beach.

Myself, I go to whichever tattooers I'm familiar with and whichever tattooers who's quality of work I think is good. I've been tattooed by 16 different guys with 160hrs (and counting) over ten years. Tattooers with different style/vibe, different equipment, different processes, different touch. Hammer hands and gentle-gentleman. I've gone to most of my tattooers for more than one piece. This has really expanded my experiences and journey becoming an illustrated man. By going to different tattooers I've had the opportunities to be tattooed in new shops, old established shops, local shops, travels, private home studios, different shop setups and so now I know what I like, who I like and where I like to go to receive a tattoo. I've been tattooed by apprentices and I've been tattooed by some legit people that have been doing it for decades. Having Some tattooers are great to just slap on a banger and have some fun. Some I know will squeeze me in at the end of a day and sharpie one of my ridiculous ideas on. Some I know give that little bit extra in terms of refining a design/idea and being very particular about placement. I am lucky to say I have had nothing but positive experiences and NO REGRETS which is an important thing I attach to being a tattooed person. If you have one tattooer you trust, that's great and enjoy it. I like to think that variety can lend itself to a wider range of opportunity and experiences.

The only advice you can give someone in this situation is to go get tattooed. Get tattooed often. Get tattooed more than you tattoo out of your house. Don't buy supplies, buy tattoos.

@MsWing have you thought of entering InkMasters, its this really great competition/'reality' tv show that you would be perfectly suited for.

Damn Beau is the man. I really want him to do my ditch I hope I can get him while I am in California.

Welcome to LST , nice work and also it's great to see more and more tattoers coming to this forum.

Thanks for all the replies guys. I've honestly never really looked into the flash side of the industry too much, I was always more interested in custom stuff until recently. Now I'm really giving flash some thought and it's kind of confusing what's considered appropriate and what's not.

Hello everyone. I've been a lurker for a bit now, I figure it's time to contribute. My name is Dave (Resp), I tattoo at Art Machine Productions here in Philadelphia. I've been tattooing for about 13 years, I mostly do large Japanese style pieces. I've uploaded a bunch of finished tattoos in the gallery here, and if you are interested, I post progress photos to my IG. I've currently got about a dozen full backs in progress along with an endless number of sleeves: full/half/legs. Glad to finally join this community :)

Seen the outline drawn on n finished and wow! 4.5 HRS to completely outline an entire back is disgustingly fast. Kudos to you for getting that done in one session. Going to be incredible when it's finished.

I'm going to elaborate on this from the report @Lance gave of Shige's seminar from this year's SFO convention: So based on that I'm going to say that doing straight copies of Shige's tattoos is garbage and that even if the copy is technically well done it's soulless and completely misses the essence of the tattoo.

I'm getting a pair of foo dogs with peonies wrapping around my lower leg.

Nah, won't happen.

Agreed! Some styles are so unique to the specific artist that any attempt to capture it from a different party will fall short 99.9% of the time no matter how qualified or talented the 2nd tattooer is. Can anyone else do a deVita tattoo? Nobody can channel that. Not entirely unsurprising that Higgs falls into the same 'lineage' of styles that can't be duplicated. Probably 50 other artists that I'm not taking the time to think of and list. That's enough of me seemingly like putting anyone on a pedestal; partially because those people wouldn't want that and also because I'm not trying to seem like a fanboy. Just someone that appreciates tattoos with soul. My 2 cents sorry if I derailed the thread.

There is most definitely a "vibe" or "resonance" with anything Higg-ish... If the tattooer doesn't know the art off the top of their head or the shop doesn't have the actual real flash, I would say, "bad vibe"... Higgs is a language, you wouldn't wan't someone that can't understand or speak the language to go interpreting something completely foreign on your skin for you, especially, if YOU know what you want.

@hogg @TrixieFaux @jpm06 @dirbab @RoryQ @LastOrders @MadeIndelible Mindblowing stuff!

Well, since you asked, here are a few of my recent concoctions! I'm still getting the hang of watercolors, but I'm pretty happy with my progress.

This is a pretty common thought from clients....... ......I explain to them that tattoo "collectors" are different than people with tattoos.... I push clients to explore the world of tattooing and collect tattoos from folks who create the kinda stuff they dig. Especially if your already interested in travel. Work a tattoo appointment into a vacation..or a trip.... Get work from outside your bubble. So...whether it be from 3 guys in one shop.....3 shops on one block or 3 shops around the map.... The goal should be to get excited about your collection. Any shop that has tattooers tattooed by many, should endorse you getting tattooed by ANY... As long as it's good solid work.... Go get it... Anywhere you find it....

My home shops are NY Adorned and Kings Ave., so i'm not sure i'll have any skin left by the time i've run through all the options at those shops. I never realized how lucky i was to have those two in my backyard until i started coming here.

Living in London, I'm pretty fortunate to have Frith St (and all the amazing artists that come through that shop) near by, add in The Family Business and Into You as well and it'd be pretty difficult to stick to just one artist. Having said that, I can see myself landing up with a lot more work by Valerie than anyone else, provided I can get in fairly regularly. I guess it's partly because I'm into the aesthetic of lots of individual pieces next to each other, I can see how it's a different ball game if you're getting large Japanese work.