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I got this from Tom Yak at Electric Tattoo on Saturday. It's not a great picture because it's hard to take a picture of the back of your own arm, but you get the idea. Electric is a great shop.

Squid stance and all the glory of being a foreigner busting out kung fu steez in front of the famous Beijing Shi Cha Hai Sports Institute (where Jet Li trained):

Went to an NA meeting in SF tonight. It was marked an atheist meeting, but they still had the traditional 12 steps. Seemed odd. Anyway, I went, introduced myself, and heard the stories, all of which I related to in a very deep way. The speaker held the room without any seeming effort, and I enjoyed what he had to say about changing the way one views life. One word of advice, and I can't speak for all NA meetings, but do not drink the coffee at NA meetings. It was beyond scalding and there was only powdered creamer and refined sugar. What possessed me to drink it in the first place is beyond me. Took one sip and politely set the styrofoam cup under my chair. After the meeting, I took some of the pamphlets, and chatted with one of the members about taking the first step and how he was working on his higher power. After the meeting, I took it upon myself to get lost for an hour and a half trying to find my car. Just got home and wrote this post. Going to a meeting tomorrow, perhaps with my sister's boyfriend, who has attended meetings before. Yay me.

Plopped down a deposit for Wendy Pham when she visits NYC in September. Emailing ideas back and forth with her. LOVE her work and SUPER excited!!!

by Stewart Robson On a side note, me and @ThatGuy crossed paths in Frith Street without realising, Crossing the online/reality divide. It's a Fantastic back piece! Gets my vote this month.

stoked...yearly appt with Scott Sylvia booked in the fall :)

Lol! Umm, yes mate! I jumped into croc infested waters in the Territory to save this young female English backpacker when suddenly a 6 metre salt water croc latched on to my leg. As we started to death roll, I reached for my Bowie knife, lunged it through his jaw and brained the fucker. Hey! That's just how we roll in the outback. Ya can't let the truth get in the way of a good yarn now can ya! Ok, so maybe it didn't quite happen like that. More along the lines of slipping off a rock wall, picking up the sharp corner which sliced me open like a scalpel. After Mum flogged me for disturbing her house cleaning (that part is true) off we went to the surgery to get stitched back together again.

I headed over to the Okey Doke tattoo shop on College St. in Toronto this morning to get a tattoo by Franz Stefanik. What an amazing experience. Here is my latest tattoo, as I continue to work on my legs.

Doesn't look like anyone is slowing down for the summer? I guess we are all committed a lifestyle of sitting in the shade and avoiding swimming pools.

Get a kanji fighting a snake. Did I do it right Graeme?

This thread has really encouraged me. I started on my thigh today!

I have an appt with Steve bryne in august

Getting tattooed in the summer is the WORST! And yet... we are due to go to Spain (for "work") next month, so...

Just finished. Mask by Anderson Luna. Hopefully the detailing will hold and not turn into a blurry blob down the road.

I would like to think many a good times started with this introduction

it should be written vertically - top down. And the stroke direction of how you write a character can change the meaning. You should know though there are actually 2 "alphabets" which are phonetic and don't include a number of english sounds, as well as roman script and the Chinese Kanji characters in Japanese - so 4 ways to write one thing - each having different implications. Hiragana is the script for native Japanese words, and Katakana for foreign words. So if I was writing my name in Japanese I could write it 4 ways - Erin, エリン(elin- a foreigner), えりん(elin - if i was born in Japan - also how my name was written on my bank stuff), or 英鈴 (Ei-lin which translates to English Bell - if I was a Japanese national). Be careful with tattoos of a language you don't speak - or have a native speaker to correct for you. I lived in Japan and speak some Japanese, and still don't trust myself. I have a Kanji as part of a larger tattoo on my back for my Japanese astrology, the year of the ox (or ushi). Google and most tattoo flash said to use the Kanji 牛 but my native speaker friend, who is also a calligrapher said the symbol for the year was actually 丑、as 牛 basically just means cow - like on a menu. Always double check. Also things do not always mean/ translate to what you think- for example my stepbrother named his dog what he thought was "child of the forest" in Japanese - what he actually named her was Kuniko- it means mushroom.

There's really no way around the 12-step format, just take what you need out of it. I took some AA meetings as part of a DUI conviction many years ago and had to attend and get a booklet signed saying that I was there. And the coffee was all you said. Someone did bring in milk though. I got 2 brothers, both self-admitted hardcore alcoholics and both sober for many years. I have to be careful myself with just about any substance that crosses my path. One day at a time. Rob

Sounds gnarly Mick. Do I dare ask what happened? Something involving a crocodile I presume?

Hello and welcome to LST! Pfff.... Your English is great, and you know it! ;) First off I would advise you to poke around this site for a while. Check out the gallery section, watch a couple interviews, work your way through a chunk of the http://www.lastsparrowtattoo.com/forum/general-tattoo-discussion/15-latest-tattoo-lowdown.html thread and get inspired! I'm sure you'll eventually find something that strikes you. When you stumble across a tattoo that you like, then look up the person who did it. Chances are you'll like more of that person's work as well. Finding the right tattooer is just as important, if not more so, than picking the right design. If you tell us where you live I'm sure the community here will be more than happy to suggest some great tattooers in your area. In my humble opinion there's also no need to force a meaning/story/"reflection of one's personality"-type deal into a tattoo design. A lot of first timers may feel a little anxious because of the permanence aspect of getting tattooed, and they think that linking it with some personal meaning will help take some of that pressure of (at least that was the case for me back in the day. Lots of thought went into the design, none in the execution). If the idea works, then great, but if not there's no shame in getting a tattoo simply because you like tattoos. I suspect that a zipper design or a lightsaber might get old real fast, but who knows? Maybe if the right person did it, I'd have to swallow those words. I have definitely seen a lot of cool Star Wars tattoos over the years. This awesome Seth Wood piece suddenly sprung to mind: But anyways, I really hope you post it up once you get it done. If I were you I'd keep that scar, and just surround it with good tattoos. This is of course unless it holds some kind of negative association for you. And remember, the internet is great and all, but nothing can ever replace or equate to a good old-fashioned consultation :) Good luck! Is this where I'm supposed to write "or just get a crawling panther...."?

I realized that besides for instagram photos in the Latest Tattoo Lowdown-thread, I haven't uploaded any proper hi-res healed pictures of any one the tattoos I've gotten since I first registered here 3 years ago. I'll make sure to get to that. Anyway, here's my twiggy pale legs at their current state: Left leg, top to bottom: Rose - Eli Quinters Judas wearing devil mask - Iain Mullen Heart factory-thing - Rudy Fritsch Dietzel masked girl - Joel Albertsson ACE-script - design by my friend, tattoo by Iain Mullen Swampy horned skull - my friend Isabel Crocodile bird - Joel Madberg SOOS Man with birdcage head - my friend Isabel Ancient aliens UFO with wings and bird claw - Iain Mullen Gorilla in tower holding skull - Deno Crossed bones RMA - my friend Isabel Återkomst - some scratcher named Jens (traded for a small photo) Badly healed heel tattoo - Iain Mullen Upside down skull - my design, tattoo by Iain Mullen Right leg, top to bottom: Shaman and hyena - James McKenna Rock of ages, upside down cross - Peter Lagergren Girl sleeping in moon - Jaclyn Réhe Human cuddled in egg shape - my friend Isabel Whispering devil + indian symbol and three moons - Iain Mullen Baboon head - Matty D'Arienzo Saraswati/indian looking head - Adde Ramstedt Behive - Knibbe Pallius Upside down eye of providence and snake - Ville Prinsen Big angry snake head - Deno Cat reaper - Joel Madberg SOOS Funky tiger coming out of flower - Cezilia Hjelt Equaly badly healed heel tattoo - Iain Mullen (both to be redone in a few months) Bum dreaming "C.R.E.A.M." - Frej Lind Hårda Tider-band logo on toe - my friend Isabel Edit: Oh wow, long post. Thought they were thin enough to go side by side in pairs. Well.. enjoy

in the car.

And where does the panther go?

Haha yes, and that would look super badass especially if you add some flames.

Had a consult with Grez on Saturday for my next one in mid-July. We also chatted a little about my arm that I'll finally be starting in January.

Appointment on Thursday with Joey Ortega at Triple Crown Tattoo in Austin for a Raven Tattoo on my ribs Thursday. Super nervous.

I got a serving job at a new sushi restaurant in town. Work starts at the end of the month. Pretty stoked to have a higher level job since I've been doing mostly underling work in restaurants for the past few years.

Couple more. Inside thigh. Front knees.

AND I JUST GOT ATTACKED AGAIN!! This time it yanked my glasses off my face!!! MY FACE!! Two weeks ago another crow dive bombed me and chased me for two blocks. It is TERRIFYING. Lessons learned: - Late May - Late June = fledgling season, and crow mothers are no different from mothers anywhere and will attack any perceived threat to their babies. Any perceived threat like walking under a nest you don't know is there. Walk somewhere else for the month. - Crows remember up to 200 discrete faces and also talk to each other. Don't piss off crows. - They like to nest in big, tall trees. - If you hear warning caws (I did NOT get a warning just now) then GTFO. Just do it. I like to walk and my walk to my chiropractor's office is usually quite pleasant but I think I will take the bus home BECAUSE SCARY BIRDS SWOOPING AT YOU FROM THE SKY AND FROM BEHIND IS FUCKING TERRIFYING! I dealt with this as a kid in Oklahoma. Kite hawks, anyone? My friends and I took to walking to each other's houses in the summertime with bike helmets on. One day a bunch of high schoolers in an open jeep drove up and started making fun of us for walking with helmets on....guess who got swooped?! Lesson. Don't fuck with birds.

Thank you! Yeah I really like color tattoos, I'm not particular in that way. But I think when you start to get many not too large tattoos and they're all in different color schemes you end up looking like a explosion in a paint factory. Not that there is anything wrong with that, some people pull it off , but being of my particular kind I would find it impossible to dress and end up only dressing in black clothes. Also I would probably be like "man.. I really wish this blue was a little bit more teal" after like 10 years. I don't know, I can only speculate on what it would be like. Black and gray on skin looks so nice. To each it's own I guess.

More progress on my back piece this weekend. Artist: Jill Bonny - State of Grace (The bird and side piece were already there)

@bongsau You look very excited about introducing your opponent, those flowers, or all involved, to the velvety darkness of encroaching death. I'm pretty sure you have perfected the art of kung fu.

No, it's a bench press, but lying on the floor. It's also an inside joke between me and @Cork, as it appears to be the one lift I can best him on (for now).

Hey! Want to go down to the market today? Heh heh heh

Yeah I was thinking about getting the next stage on my arm done - but thinking about walking around for a month with just the outline doesn't really appeal - but I am a glutton for punishment.

If you mean the Japanese writing system using Chinese characters that is called 'kanji' in Japanese, then it can be written and read both vertically and horizontally. Make sure you don't get a tampon advertisement tattooed. P.S. Vertical would be the more "traditional" thang.

I second Iwar's point about the consultation. I have multiple tattoos that I didn't know what I wanted, just who I wanted to do it - so I went to them, showed them the space available and asked for some ideas and went with the least objectionable answer. People who aren't "into" tattoos will harangue you for getting something that doesn't have the "Miami Ink" story to it, but don't let their foolishness dissuade you - if you appreciate art and like the artist doing it then that is more than enough meaning.

I got this one done by Phil Hatchet Yau this weekend at Ink-n-Iron. He's a great tattooer and also really fast.

Hi Phyllis, Here's a thread discussing exactly that: http://www.lastsparrowtattoo.com/forum/tattoo-advice/1561-white-ink.html Good luck!

I ended up going down the the Okey Doke and getting a tattoo from Franz. It was a great experience. He is a really nice guy and I'm super-stoked with the results. I'm about to post it in the Latest Tattoo Lowdown thread. If you get the chance, get a tattoo from Franz. I'll be going back for a few more from him.

Tattoos should be done by professionals, no matter the setting. Some professionals tattoo out of hotels when conventions can't be booked, or some similar situation. What it seems like you're suggesting, on the other hand, is probably not a good idea, especially if the artist you are working with is only tattooing outside of a shop because he or she doesn't work in one at all.

The words "tattoo" and "party" in the same sentence usually mean it's illegal. And even if it's not illegal, at least ill-advised for anyone getting tattooed, dangerous for all involved, and irresponsible on the part of the tattooer and organizer.

OK, I'll play. These show most of my legs. I won't bore you with the sides of my knees or ankles. And I'm too lazy to type out who did what, but I'm happy to answer any questions.

It's been a couple months since some serious butt work, I forgot how fun it was. My glorious buttocks create quite the shadow in that lighting, but I've got myself a nice new pink and purple lotus. Also referred to as the big ass lotus, or the big ass ass lotus. Whichever you prefer. Also the blue is finished, and the snake got touched up a little. Very productive. Picture is as always from Dana's Instagram because I'm lazy, and I can't really get a better picture either. Damn my rear end constitution.

A full back tattoo to kick off the month! Nice one. Better follow suit then. Tattooer CP, Australia. About 6 years old. Cheers.

Back-piece finished a few weeks ago. Valerie Vargas, Frith Street Tattoo, London

Well, my backpiece was started 4 months ago, and is already nearing completion. After day after a session I was looking forward to the next session, but everytime when that time came, and the needle hit my back somewhere I thought 'Why did I want a backpiece?!' 'Luckily' putting the lines in was pure hell for me, so everything else after that is like a breeze (well... it still hurts like hell on my back and ass ;-) )

i clicked on this thread because I thought there was a chance it was Game of Thrones related.

Super cool @Mark Bee. I've been really digging on Franz's work lately too. So bold. His lines are like magic marker thick lol The brand new tattoos look old, and I mean that in the most positive way :) Congrats !

It was fun overall but I would agree with your assessment. There was some great tattooing going on though and i came home with a really nice eagle from Phil Hatchet-Yau (picture below). That definitely still made it worthwhile. I'd love to come check out the SFO convention. I may need to make it up there this year.