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Morning LST, after a long trip I made it home. As promised here is a pic of my finished (for now) back. Not the best pic but I'll see if I can get a better one ASAP. Completed over 5 sessions by Horinao at The Catclaw Tattoo-z Kyoto... I'm going to go pass out for a bit lol.

Saw this on FB today.. Kick ass piece and awesome to see it getting recognition!!

After 15 months of no ink, I'm back in the saddle and strapped in for a long ride. Randy Muller at Eye Candy in New Orleans finally started my back (partial cover-up) this past Tuesday night. We got 90% of the line-work done. Skull and dragon. He's asked for no internet pictures until we're close to finishing - so I've got to respect that. Obviously will be posting a series of photos some time (hopefully) later in 2014.

I hope you didn't misunderstand me. Your rework looks great!! Hair and all... I just dug the old one too. I can only hope that my own tattoos will be as relevant and look that good when they're 30+.

Those Trevino skull beads are my favourite. I love those. When I was trying to figure out how far down my arms I was comfortable going, and what I would later get to extend the sleeve, something along those lines definitely came to mind. Then I realised that if I was already thinking of extending a 3/4-ish sleeve before I'd even started it that I should just suck up my hesitations and get it all the way to the wrist to begin with. The skull beads still totally rule though.

Thanks man. I will keep searching collecting reference. I'll ask my artist next time I'm at the shop, he knows his stuff when it comes to Japanese and I'm sure he has got some good books too. A few more.

Hector Fong

Here's my stab at it. Let's start at the top row from left to right: Gobu sleeves (five tenths) with hikae (chest plate), Shichibu sleeves (seven tenths) with hikae, classic munewari with gobu sleeves and thighs or basically a gobu munewari, next is a variation of the munewari with hanzubon (shorts) where the inner thigh is completely filled in with tattoo work, full body suit or donburi soushinbori with nagasode (long sleeves), the back piece diagram is kame no koh (turtle back) then the last suit is a shichibu munewari (seven tenths).

Hi Libby! Welcome! As a rule, the members here will be glad to point you in the direction of a good tattooer, and then suggest that you take your ideas to them and let them do their job with it :) That's why they make the big bucks, right? ;)

For those who like Meshuggah here is a band I just ran across not too long ago. (Dual vocalists still feels weird to me) I consider this fantastic DSBM (that is if your into it) Then of course all out brutal black metal from my northern neighbors in Canada. Im actually seeing them tonight in Brooklyn.

i entered the top part last month now i am entering the bottom part. done by jeff gogue. sorry for the blurry pic and this pic was taken the day after so it wasnt "fresh"

Knee hurts like fuck! 5 hours on this by Piotr Deadle :)

Just finished last night! Chris Garver , Invisible NYC Timeless tattoos Rock!!

I got this from Chad Koeplinger earlier this year. I love it, and I want to share it with you:

You are almost correct: Air Freshener 3-Pack | Waverly Color

Here is my back-piece from @Stewart Robson Started - 11/25/2011 Completed - 11/24/2013 The tattoo has 78 hours in total.

Keeping it sweet and simple. My name is Natasha. Natvenom is where I identify myself, so please address me by it <3 My nickname is also a promise I made to myself to become a professional tattoo artist. :o & & I reside in Miami, FL. My love for art lead me on this journey. I'm 21 y/o. I believe in equality and freedom from the labels of society. Video games, cartoons, rap/hip-hop, culture, spirit science, and fat fluffy kitty bellies! (Me in a nutshell) & & & To scratch the surface of my personality, I'm friendly, open-minded, well-rounded, passionate, and very silly. It's my pleasure to introduce myself. Good vibes ! +

There are a couple in here: http://www.lastsparrowtattoo.com/forum/tattoo-designs-books-flash/2668-collar-tattoos-necklaces-chains-ropes-wreaths-no-script-please.html

Hey guys! I've never entered a contest before but thought I'd try this month. This is my anchor and bow tattoo, my second tattoo, done by Steve at Cloak and Dagger Tattoo in Dayton, OH. :)

A couple eagles from the book. Bob Shaw, Oscar Bouchard, Colonel Todd ect. - - - Updated - - - Floyd Samson

Looks fantastic, @Duffa!

Welcome! Who are you getting tattooed by?

Review of the book is here: Wabori: Traditional Japanese Tattoo | The Japan Times I can't wait to read it myself

My opinion probably shouldn't count for anything, but I think your sleeves already look great and "finished." Would adding a rosary create too many bands around one part of the arm? On the other hand, if you love the way they look, why not?

My understanding of the shutdown in NYC from reading what has been said by a few tattooers that were tattooing back then is that it was due to to there being an outbreak of hep in the navy (nationwide according to Jerry) that the navy passed the buck on to tattooing across the nation. NYC tried to get the tattooers there to get together to come up with a set of reasonable health regulations, but since there was so much in-fighting and territorialism between tattooers there, that they wouldn't come together so the city just shut it all down. I believe it was both Crazy Eddie and Stan M that were quoted as saying that. Tattooing was regulated or shut down in many places across the country at the same time, which tends to support Jerry's story. Anyway, this guy in the article is a turd regardless, and is doing a dis-service to not only our trade, but to his "friends" as well.

A few more. Really considering having this done around my wrists, but can't decide if it would look right with what I already have.

Ended up booking in with Frank Carter this coming January at FST. Can't wait to get tattooed there, having heard and read so much about this shop over time. Hopefully just going to pick something out of flash or drawings.

i have a full back suit, full leg suit, full sleeve all by one artist but the rest of my pieces are from different artists.

Funny thing is one time I was at a public function couple of years ago and there in my official government capacity. Think town hall style type of meeting. Most times these things are pretty civil with people inquiring about quality of life issues and who is responsible for such and such. This go around I get the luck of the draw and it's a tow truck driver (a business type which my agency regulates and oversees) and he's laying into me saying how terrible we are and I'm sitting up there all high and mighty and looking down on him cause he's an average working joe with tattoos on his arm. I told him he was wrong and we treat everyone fairly and he was mistaken if I'm judging him on his appearance. He continues to rant and said he noticed me sneering at him when he first walked into the meeting and gawking. I tell him if I was staring, it was probably more in admiration of the artwork on his arms and I basically tell him he is unfairly judging me based on my professional appearance to which I take off my suit jacket and role up one of my sleeves to expose my 3/4 sleeve. Couple of people in the audience laugh, some applauded. He catches me at the end of the meeting and apologizes for pre-judging me and states he's just frustrated with the regulations thats putting a strain on his business. I give him my card and tell him to call/email me so we can discuss his concerns further.

Finished my first session with Katja Ramirez at Perfection yesterday. I'm super happy with the result and I'm going back for another round in February.

Thanks mate, interseting stuff. I also really like the small tattoo under the sleeve. My tattooist told me about this tradition, not many people are aware of it so it is quite rarely seen especially by western artists. Here is mine Now I am considering these type of roasary/beads.

Amazing! I doubt I will ever do my hands but if I was going to do them I would want him to do them.

I sat in the chair for 4 hours last nite having an old fu-dog freshened up. My forearm is still swollen and bruised up here and there. I have the 2nd appointment for early 2014 to finish the whole forearm. Rob

Started my back last week. Definitely one of the craziest things I've ever done... Can't wait for the next session!

Second session just finished on my thigh. 6 and a half hours in. Swollen, bloody and inky but here is a pic. Tried to get some details in on the right side pics.

This time around when I had the back to back sessions on my front coming up I stopped drinking alcohol about 7-10 days out, with a view to being well rested and hydrated. Probably a bit OTT, I felt no major difference. I think steering clear of booze for the preceding 2 days or so is probably 90% of the benefit with less painful self denial involved. For a shorter session or one shot tattoo I wouldn't even bother.

Going to be getting a tattoo from Ron Henry Wells in the spring. (Hopefully I won't drive him crazy. I think I got my predilection for nervous talking out of my system with the first tattoo, though.) So excited for this one and amazed that someone whose work I love this much isn't even far away.

Please keep in mind that I am in no way trying to attack you, as I don't get any sort of malice or any other such tone from your post. The problem with this is that you're asking people to work on spec, and then maybe you'll pay one of the people involved. This is all going on your word, of which, keep in mind, no one here has any examples of the integrity. For future reference, it rarely comes across as anything other than rude and condescending to suggest that an artist of any sort work on spec. It suggests that what they do is simple enough and that so little work goes into it that they shouldn't mind whipping something up on the off-chance that the prospective client likes it. I, for one, won't begin a piece of art for a prospective new client without a significant deposit.

by Tim Lehi So stoked on how this came out, will definitely be going back to him for more once I save up.

By WT Norbert today. Its a bit bloody in these pics. Saw Chad Koeplinger at the shop, if I knew he was in town I'd have booked in with him too! Bummed by a missed opportunity there.

Yes, because us "artistically inclined" people really love to work for free. Go to a good shop. Show him/her your tattoo and discuss possibilities. This forum isn't really for satiating these kinds of questions.

My two latest lowdowns! Cat-lady by Valerie Vargas at Frith Street Tattoo, and start of tiger and dragon thigh piece by Marius Meyer ( will post a better picture of this later!)

So the knee torture is finally complete. My knee/thigh demon by Matt Van Cura done at Invisible NYC.

I'll be going for my longest session to date on Nov. 7th with Brian Bruno. Pretty much spending the whole day with him which is either 7 or 8 hours. Wish me luck.

Nobody in the world cares about my tattoos. But I really like them. I've got a bird friend on my shoulder who will be with me always. Poor little Squeaky, the real bird, died when I was away. I never got to say good-bye and now I don't have to because Squeaky is always there on my shoulder. I've got a story of hiking a long trail on my leg. If I ever get Alzheimer's I will probably at least remember that experience since it's right there on my leg to remind me of all that I saw and did out there. I've got big blue roses. Lots of color. I was hated and criticized mercilessly all my life for being ugly but now I have pretty colors on my skin to make me happy. And finally, my butterfly. First time I went to a tattoo shop the artist there told me of giving an old lady a tattoo of a butterfly on her arm because she had always wanted one. There are so many things in life I've always wanted to do and it took me a while to realize that someday never comes. Do it now. And even though a barely-graduated apprentice did my butterfly, he cleverly mirrored the motif of the leaves of my roses and tied it all together. I feel like I carry a flower garden and a little bit of spring around with me wherever I go. I claimed my body from those who had prior claims, defined it my own way, not theirs, and made it my own. Nobody cares about my tattoos, some people probably scorn me for them, and for that I even feel more grateful because against their disapproval, here I am, taking up space with my garden and my memories, just being me.

I met Frank at the Philly Convention last year (2012) as he was sharing a booth with Mario and my girlfriend and myself both got tattooed by Mario. Couldn't get tattooed by him at the convention due to lack of funds but we made a trip to CTC a few months later and I got tattooed by him. Super nice and does real nice tattoos.

Here is my tattoo, done at Cloak and Dagger by Steve.

speaking of new artists who joined state of grace, Beau Brady is to die for. I want to head up to San Jose now

Although not a tattooer, I work in a shop and can I please add: 5 friends + 3 iphones taking pictures should not equal 1 tattoo. That is annoying math.

I like freddy's