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Scuba skull by Dan Trocchio. Have to take a picture with better lighting and color. For you scuba divers, I know it's not accurate. A rebreather doesn't create bubbles, but for my tattoo, looking cool took priority over accuracy.

My grim reaper done by Dusty Neal at Black Anvil Tattoo in Fort Wayne, IN

been in labor and delivery for the last 9 hours. my nephew is on his way. came home to sleep for a few hours, but super stoked

I've been on a tattoo hiatus which was supposed to last until October, but this weekend I kinda sorta fell off the wagon... By Nico, Blue Arms Tattoo (photo stolen from his instagram)

When I think about people I actually know in real life with bad tattoos, a lot of them want their tattoos to be "meaningful" or "representative" of something above all else and they basically don't care about the art, history, or culture of tattooing. They have somebody they go to, they're happy with what they get, and they go back to that person. I don't really talk tattoos with them because I think that even though we're both into tattoos, that we're both after very different things. You can't make people care about art. It doesn't make them bad or stupid people.

The only time I might even remotely judge someone is when they approach me and try to compare. Sometimes I am shown things that blow me away and I'm like, shit, I need to go get tattooed by that person. Other times I feel a bit baffled that the person doesn't see the difference between some of my tattoos and theirs (not all my tattoos are great, but I learned early on enough who to seek out). So, I suppose it isn't as much judging as it is trying to understand that persons level of cognitive comparison. That said, a lot of my friends are tattooers, and I cherish the tattoos I have from them even if they aren't great (and I will probably get more). The other day when my friend Chris tattooed a small dagger on me, he also thanked me for letting him tattoo me during his first year of tattooing. He knows I've covered up one of the ones he did, but I'll forever keep the black Viking from Malone flash. It looks spotty, but it's as much a portal to his past as it is mine.

Yeah... went through something similar. I was embarrassing myself all the time. Had to give it up- 10 years sober last July...

Derailing into what is most likely a can of worms. I think that having 3 or 4 tattoos and one of them looking like complete shit is a bit different than having a good 20 to 30 good tattoos and a very good understanding of them and after that getting one that you know will be like shit. Not every single tattoo is always result-oriented; chew on that and agree or disagree but I stand by what I mean in the most vague of terms. I do think that it's an 'earn your right ' (stupid fucking cliche term, but in this it has to be used) situation and in this case I really mean it above and beyond other 'earned rights' like hand tats.

Welcome! I checked out your site and it's pretty much the opposite of what we're about here, but you should stick around and learn that good tattoos aren't passing off clipart as "tattoo designs".

Hahaaha this thread. I've been drinking too much (..forever) and now seriously toying with sobriety. Thank god my wife was there as my handler this weekend at a friend's wedding and got me back to our hotel before I could fight the entire place because my sunglasses went missing. I'm a gem sometimes.

Completely ignoring most mainstream media publications on topics of pop culture has saved me a lot of frustration as a general rule. Reading that article helped remind me why I do that. [/snob]

It's not in the same league as some of the beauties in this thread but here's a little black and grey number I did last week.

Haha no I'm far from it I live and work in Alberta Canada and I'm from Middlesbrough in England haha, I usually go for two days at a time and we just do whatever we fancy, I should upload my arm that he did on here think a lot of people would appreciate it,

My advice for discrete placement is the thigh area. Easily covereved most of the time and If you forget your phone you still have something to look at while using the restroom. Sent from my SGH-T989 using Tapatalk

Ok back to report, my nephew Jordan was born at 5:45 this morning. He's adorable and big. Havent been able to hold him yet but I will get to when we go back to the hospital

Or download Vuze and torrent that shit.

I'm surprised you haven't already read the books. Those are filled with spoilers :)

YES! This drives me crazy! One here or there, meh, but sometimes I have a person go crazy posting one right after another. But hey, first world problem, right? ;)

@cltattooing Well played! My local newspaper put a spoiler on the front page today. Not a happy camper, here.

Looking at your thigh is a religious experience. So. Good.

got these 3 by Steve Byrne last week and a couple from Bert Krak and Eli while i was in new york for the day they've all healed really fast and and looking very clean really happy with them all Instagram Instagram Instagram

IT may not be all that recent, but 5 months ago I pulled the plug on Facebook. Last month we finally ditched cable. Feels good. Very, very, good.

Happy to oblige! My first tattoo was a long time coming. I'd been watching my friends get tattooed in the 1980s and was fascinated by them. Unfortunately, this was an era when everything (around my crowd, anyway) was wizards and vikings. Black and gray. Never really appealed to me, though the artistry and talent was clear. I kept thinking about getting one, but kept failing to find a design that really appealed to me. I kept visiting shops (there were not nearly so many back then) and I finally just said "fuck it" I'm getting one. I walked into a shop that recently opened near my home and pointed at a tribal armband and said "I'll have that one." I didn't look at his portfolio, I didn't know what questions to ask either. I knew even then I wasn't getting exactly what I wanted in terms of design, but more important to me was the act of getting tattooed. I never covered the tribal up. I simply got lots of tattoos surrounding it. Its dated, but the artist did a good job and its held up very nicely.

Okay.....I haven't started a thread here in a very long time.....if ever.....LOL Hang in there I will get to my question I promise....... This seems to be a newer thing......with the age of technology and media capitalizing on the tattoo community people who never would have been tattooed 20 years ago are now seeing tattooing as a type of art form and because society deems it okay now....they have now done a flip flop and are getting tattooed! There was a time you had to rely on just magazines or word of mouth to find a tattoo artist of a higher caliber and most people back then really weren't concerned with the quality as much as just getting the mark! Now with technology it is easy to find a tattoo artist who can put in a solid tattoo that will still look good in 30 years if taken care of.....of course most people still don't seem as concerned with that still.....but that does seem to be changing! BUT....with the media being so involved now in the craft and the internet being the source of most people's information on tattooing......it seems to have given rise to the people who want to be "tattoo collectors" I never really enjoyed being labeled that by tattoo artists BUT as time went on it is what I actually became...... BUT.....in my "collecting" it really was never about the quality of the tattoo BUT the person doing the tattoo.....people who had put their time in and had a history in the business! The new "collectors" seem to be totally about quality tattoos AND there is definitely NO shame in that......it's awesome!!! So here it is....and thanks for hanging in there and reading all this...... Do you notice people being treated (or do you seem to treat people differently) who have a lesser quality tattoo??? I mean sometimes I find myself just shaking my head anymore and thinking WTF were they thinking......but I still do my best not to treat them as a lesser person because they made a bad choice...... I do however see others and hear others making comments behind backs and I am sure I am even guilty of this too in the past! I am however trying to correct that behavior in myself even though I know these people would never listen to me about trying to steer them in a better direction! Any thoughts or comments???

Must. Not. Scratch. Back.

So good. Gives me hope that I can still learn kickflips.

Really, it looks legit? When you see FDA approval on the proprietary solution used and the process itself and are shown complete removals without scarring on all parts of the body, I'll become a believer. I've NEVER seen anyone try this stuff on a knuckle, throat or other area of the body where there isn't a lot of muscle or fat tissue. Not my website, found via Google search, MD Cosmedical Solutions Tattoo Removal Sydney | Laser Tattoo & Tatt2away Removal Specialists Sydney - that is NOT acceptable to me. Tatt2Away official site, Tatt2Away® - How Tatt2Away Works - again, nothing looks right about that. Again not my website and found via Google, Bad Tattoo Removal Treatments

Watched the episode last night. Woof. Finally. However, I fear the fate of the homey Tyrion.

Hello fellow Kiwi - - - Updated - - - Not a fan of gendered tattoo sites (just saying). I'm a lady and I can get whatever the hell I want tattooed, not just flowers and shit :p

Socks Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk - - - Updated - - - I'm tempted to see if that actually works logistically. Possible instagram post to follow.

Just got word that my colour in my woodblock print half sleeve is going in on Wednesday with Daniel at Pearl Harbour - very pleased to have it finished!

Looks like tickets are still available for Om, so I just might try to get to the show after getting tattooed by @cltattooing . If not, I'm always down to go to SF and hang out. Will also PM you.

Highlight below text to reveal spoilers~ ------- I just want to say that watching Jeoffrey's stupid squidgey face choke to death last episode was deeply gratifying for me, and such a long time coming. Long live the king, ehehehe ------- (:<

I hope essay #2 in the series is titled: "Crawling black panthers make great coverups!" I really have no issue with the tattoo. Nothing exciting to look at but she seems to like it so good for her.

When I got to the end of the article and it defined it as an essay in a series... I may have overreacted a tad. Not an essay, more like a rambling pretentious blog post. Also, I think initially she recognized her newbie-ness to getting tattooed, but then through these random confrontations as a result of the tattoo felt she was suddenly catapulted to understanding what it is like to be "tattooed". None of us on here are without experiences full of people prying into the meaning of our tattoos, even when none exists. What did this lady expect? And why would you get a tattoo as a result of a break-up? And a quote that basically states you understand all human suffering. Please. That epitomizes the douche-y white person mentality and it's getting old. I'll place it next to my deep-seated hatred of the hashtag 'firstworldproblems'. Not to mention that the artist suggested making the tattoo into an image. And all she could imagine was a dragon with a thought bubble. Tell me how that idea doesn't have the text in it. What?!

He's speaks truth - I am not (ok a little) ashamed. But this little guy was scared - how could you not want to cuddle him!

Woopwoop, down with the clown!

Yup, I'll be one of those graybeards on the hill. Call me Old Man Stalefish.

clearly we aren't the target audience.

About a year old - fresh on the left and healed on the right. Still learning about this and in retrospect would have done things a bit different - nevertheless a fair outcome!

Got this koi a year ago - still learning and acquiring knowledge about the art and culture. The artist is a guy in Thailand tattooing out of a private studio and still new in the game but versatile with what he does, this isn't finished and I'm due for another session. The language barrier isn't too bad however I think for something like a tattoo - communication is key and though things turned out well for me I now know it could have ended a bit differently. In retrospect like many of us - I would have done it a bit differently - but overall I think he did a good job barring a few obvious details that could have been better.

THIS

At my bar last night, a 40-something woman asks me "How come your tattoos can stay so colorful and the lines stay so sharp? My husbands faded after just a few months!" I asked where he got it and found my answer right away "Oh, his friend does tattoos out of his van. If you ever want more work..." I interrupted her and told her I had to change a keg. Mid shift. Just to avoid her stupidity.

There are a lot of little known people out there doing spectacular tattoos. The tattooer doesn't have to have a 'name' for me to say "wow that's a great tattoo".

Fun little Impala on my forearm from yesterday. Artist is Clare Hampshire at Korpus in Brunswick, Melbourne AUS. Photo from her Instagram.

Good mail day... finally got my copy of TattooTime, Perseverance catalog, Shige and Chris Brand Tengui and "What We Do Is Magic" poster from Brent Vann with paintings from 30 different tattooers

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.

Awesome! Love those! Here is the start to my outer thigh Tsuru Kame [/img]

I got both my thighs tattooed this year by Ade Stacey at Nine Tattoo in Brighton. Awesome guy and I love the pieces that he did for me. Baku on one side and Kirin on the other. Something a bit different. The picture of the Baku has come from Ade's own website as you might have guessed from the water mark. In terms of the twitching I got a bit of that towards the bottom of the muscle near the knee but otherwise it wasn't too bad for 5hours+ of tattooing each time.

I´ve already posted this one in this months contest, but here it is. Mike Rubendall 5-6 hous. Most painless tattoo session ever,