Leaderboard

posted this in the backpiece thread but i'm gonna give it a shot in here as well. finished yesterday thanks to Max Kuhn.

wrapped my back up yesterday with max kuhn and it is a great feeling. 4 sessions total, around 13 hours.

Had franz stefanik put me through some pain yesterday, he was really fast and just a really nice bloke to get tattooed by, very happy with it and it dosnt look out of place next to my Santoro gorilla, he also did a butterfly on my girlfriends leg which I got her as a birthday present, which is always a win win I get a girlfriend with tattoos n she gets a new tattoo Obviously stolen from his Instagram, we all know how hard knee pics are to take

Got this from Steve Byrne yesterday, super excited about it: Based on this World War I German propaganda poster about the dangers of Bolshevism that I saw earlier that day in a World War I exhibit in town.

mega excited to be able to say that I have an appointment with Valerie Vargas tomorrow, managed to bag a cancellation :-)

Beautiful tattoos, and could someone please give my boyfriend this idea?

What’s In a Name? | TAM Blog Hope you like it

People like that that need to get acquainted with Mr. Baseball-bat for sure! Hope you can get him out of your life soon!

repost here,but I have waited a year and it's close now,08/16/14 to be exact ,a day with Phil Garcia !

Ha! It's not fun, but don't pay attention to me. I've been having back trouble recently and the thought of lying on the table for any length or even getting tattooed on my back is a really unpleasant prospect at the moment. I'll get back to it when my other back problems settle down. In the meantime - I work on legs. That said, I think backs often break people. There are a lot of people out there with unfinished back pieces. I wont be one of them, though I am taking my time.

I'm off this morning to spend a few hours with my tattooer, to talk and plan one of these fuckin dreaded foot sleeves we're stepping into. A few ales, in a smoke filled room, toggling a few ideas, havin a laugh. Yeah, sometimes I prefer that part than the actual tattoo itself.

Hi, Exume, I'm in the midst of getting bats and peonies down my back. Five bats, topmost one on my left shoulder, bottom-most on my right butt cheek. I think my artist wants to put in a rope cord winding through the flowers in the next session, too. Here's a shot from my first session.

Can't remember if I posted this here Sundancer but Valerie Vargas, Frith Street Tattoo

Tough competition this month, but I guess I'll throw my hat in the ring. Panther from Aaron Coleman. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I'll enter this one because I love my eagle. Happy to see her every day, and she has a name :o By Chad Koeplinger at Congress St. Photo from his Instagram.

Reasons I love getting tattooed as a "bigger" person: 1) More space! Man, I can fit SO MANY MORE awesome big tattoos on my thighs than skinnier girls! 2) A reminder that I gain nothing by feeling as though I am "at odds with" my body; tattoos reconnect me to this imperfect skin I live in and close the mind/body gap a bit. 3) I often think about how some fat activist feminist critics comment that women, in particular, feel guilty for being fat because we "take up more space" in a society where women are expected to take up as little space as possible. I am constantly trying, in my life, to feel more at easy taking up space, being present, and not hiding - tattoos and their incredible presence obviously helps a lot with that. 4) Tattoos are like an awesome treat/adornment for my body - a reminder that it deserves to be treated kindly. 5) As others have said, tattoos have totally changed how I feel about parts of my body I am most insecure about; cellulite seems pretty insignificant when there's a huge colourful dragon over it. 6) Basically, we all deserve to feel like we have agency over our bodies. Tattoos remind me of this. Some extra fat is like, only a small part of what my body is - it's a whole lot more than that, both physically and aesthetically, and it's mine to do what I please with.

This is a blog Dan Henk wrote for Tattoo Artist Magazine blog recently. In it he discusses some of the issues with super realistic stuff and aging. I was just wondering what other people may think of it. Dan Henk: Sometimes The Old-Timers Are Right « TAM Blog

Hey there, I'm Ashley! I'm 19, from MI and work with a ton of exotic animals! I May have a slight obsession with tattoos! Ha! I'm new to the tattoo world. Got my first one in the beginning of June. It's a wolf paw with a black/silver wolf with the night sky and a moon inside! I needed another..so I got another! I started a black and grey half sleeve of a snarling wolf stepping over another wolves' skull! My next appointment is in the beginning of August to do the background to finish the half sleeve! Now, I already set up another appointment in the end of August for another! Not sure what to do yet, either something my artist drew up, a snake and dagger, or an undead horse. Well, I don't mean to toot my horn, but I'm suppose to be getting a Raven tattoo by Bob Tyrell in September as well..fantastic, huh?!

Yes, but kinda going off the mantra off this site make sure you have to tools to be happy with it for a long time. That for me is losing 20 before my front

Yes. This makes sense to me.

I've lost and gained a bunch of weight with tattoos. Shit doesn't change as much as you think. I mean your skin is going to change throughout your life anyway, and the tattoos will never stay perfect and fresh. I have not found weight loss or gain to accelerate that process very much.

Pick up my '78 Tiger Trumpy tomoza. Had it complianced, registered, new tyres this week. Meeting a mate, then take a belt through the hills for a 200k run, nice and easy. I'll attempt to rip a couple of photos on the road and rip 'em up. Fkn woot.

I ment my back haha probably get my knee ditch done soon, but yeah it's mad how much we all moan about the pain isn't it

@Mark Bee You are starting to scare the shit out of me because you're getting tattooed on your kneecap instead of on your back. What am I getting myself into next week?

Oh man @heathenist, that is just so so good! Got a spot with him at the London convention in September, seeing this makes me all the more excited! Congratulations on such an amazing tattoo.

A rose and a horseshoe. From Sukre One, in Superfly tattoo, Leon Guanajuato Mexico.

I like traditional because it looks fucking cool. Ask anyone on the street to close their eyes and name a tattoo, what will they come back with? Traditional! Japanese! Tiger/Skull/Panther/Rose. These decisions have been made over generations, there is a reason for this. There is an elegance and power in their simplicity, is it not harder to convey a message in a few lines and few colours? They hold up (BOLD WILL HOLD!) So when I'm old and saggy you'll still make out what tattoos I have. When someone comes up to me and asks why I got a tiger/skull/heart and dagger on my arm? I get to say cool shit like ' it's a tiger,/skull/heart and dagger what else do you need to know!' Someone once said to me your tattoos look like tattoos. I thought that was awesome. You can tell what my tattoos are from 5 feet away (back piece 20 feet, take that!) It's a tattoo, its on me, my bodies a temple etc etc but I ain't the sistine chapel. All that said, I appreciate the technicality and application of portraits etc, still not sure how they'll hold up, hopefully very well and it'll prove a few cynics wrong, but it ain't my bag. As for this forum, just a little more tact maybe...

@Jack Wright Where in Spain are you? I just got tattooed at Aloha in Barcelona and I would enthusiastically recommend it.

Chad Koeplinger eagle? Aaron Coleman Panther? Stewart Robson Pharaoh's Horses? SO GOOD!! All the rest are great too - a great month and we're only halfway finished.

I'm gonna wait til I get a better pic to post, but Grez did the whole back of my leg today. Topped off with the back of my knee. One of the longer sessions I've had in a few years, but it was totally worth it. We also got to talk a little bit about my left arm, which he'll be sleeving starting in January.

Hooper. Left side of my squid pants.

There are too many great replies to quote, but @cltattooing, @mmikaoj, @suburbanxcore, @smiling.politely, and @DJDeepFried are killing it. @Steele, to quote one of cinema's greatest characters, "That's like, your opinion, man." And you sound like a missionary trying to convert us. So stop doing that, stop scratching, and go get on Carlos Torres' waiting list. PS You diss Ed Hardy, you diss yourself.

I have no respect for anyone that likes apples. Those are snacks that second graders eat. I mean, you don't even have to peel an apple. Where's the skill in that? Seriously, explain to me why I should like apples!

I like apples AND oranges. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Dude comes on here, introduces himself as a scratcher, and we argue art with him? We can do a lot better than this, folks.

Sweet advice all around here already. Again, don't be too concerned with a little blow out here and there. I'm with @Graeme on this, I actually like my little imperfections, makes them look real. Like with my hands, some places I've had a little drop out, I love it. It makes them look how tattoos kinda should look on the hands.

well. i did not get my touchups. but i did get a new tattoo which did involve a tear-out: My pug. Winston. Riding the red rocket. Which was really hilarious. Until I got a call 3/4 of the way through the tattoo that my mother passed away. Shout out to my pal Ollie for working like lightning to finish the tattoo before my ride showed up to go see my family. So some more to add to the arguement that a tattoo is more than just a silly picture on your skin. It's not just about "what" the tattoo is of or the "why"...but the "where" and "when" and "who" of the experience is of equal importance. A colourful timestamp for this lifetime. And now I'm left with a lot of sorrow to deal with, a good laugh and a great tattoo. Laughter is the best medicine. And my Mom really loved my idiot pug. But I think my next tattoo will be little more serious and carry a lot more weight. Peace.

Thought I'd throw this in. I hope no one minds as I've not posted too much on here. Done by Stewart Robson - Frith Street Tattoo

I never got around to posting this Eddy Deutsche tattoo I got at Temple... What an amazing experience this was!!

Yep. And people think New Zealanders fuck sheep.

Lol. No mate, I didn't really fight crocs...but hey! ya can't let the truth get in the way of a good yarn :) It's a bit of a joke...a lot of people overseas think we have Kangaroos hopping down the footpaths in suburbia & that we all wrestle dangerous killer man eating salt water crocodiles. Probably ol' Mick Dundee had something to do with that. Thanks for the positives on the tattoos anyway :) And @polliwog. I didn't vote for your eagle for nothing Miss. That is definitely a winning tattoo that I too would envy owning. Your lucky to have such a kick arse piece :)

Filler done by Chad Koepinger a couple of months ago:

little dragon foot by Chad Chesko at Fat Ram's Pumpkin Tattoo in Boston, MA:

Throw me L side in. Crocodile (from my Croc fighting days :)) & my ugly looking bat. Tattooer CP, Australia. @polliwog. I love that Eagle. F_uck_ing rad.

I know plenty of people with work from cha who part progress pics on social media all the time, whats this you speak of? has anyone PMED this dude and seen his body? im wiling to bet lots of money he dosent have any of these tattoos from Jun he/she speaks of

And/or fire.

Just because you got something stabbing through your head doesn't mean that you're having a bad time

Love this thread! Interesting to hear how tattoos have changed people's perceptions of their body. When I was considering my first tattoo I wanted it on a part of my body that I liked. I'm not obese but I am overweight, and have always hated my upper arms in particular. Anyway, next thing I know, I'm getting a full sleeve... and to my surprise, I view my body in such a different way. My upper arms haven't seen the light of day in around 10 years, well now I get them out all of the time. And not to show off my tattoo, I love both my arms now, even my none tattooed one. I don't know what it is and I certainly wasn't expecting it, but it's totally liberating. My sleeve isn't even finished!

I finally got enrolled in college again after about a 10 year "break".

i didnt read the article but heres m2c. by nature pastel colors fade quickly do to exposure to light. so it stands to reason that that would happen when you put them into the skin. i also do believe as i said in a different thread that the technical ability of the person putting them in comes into play a great deal. but in the end all tattoos will change, some will spread some will fade. to what level, i believe really depends on how a persons body deals with the ink and the technician applying the ink. ultimately if the client is happy and business is good then its a success. even the people who have bad tattoos that love them, see a great tattoo in their head. figuring out what tattoos are better than others is a moot point. as tattooers we all pretty much are on the same grind so what difference does it really make. as a collector that loves their tattoos what difference does it make if another collector doesnt.