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@petiloi and @beez, such great work on both of you! I love Diamond Club. I was lucky enough to see Bill and Junii yesterday at the Japanese National Museum in Los Angeles. I also got this in LA from Horisuzu: Perfect fit. I'm so happy with it.

http://imgur.com/93pGHLl My new tattoo by Toni Donaire at Blue cat tattoo (barcelona) We did the whole shin in about 7 hours. The pain was completely bearable but man was i tired by the end of the session! We finished at 00:30. The guy is a young promise who has only been tattoing for 5 years. Really nice guy

Soooo, I was trying to take an all-things-tattoo-hiatus until October but the boys were getting tattooed so I thought "Oh, I'll just get a little gap filler from Paul" (like I did the previous day with Bryan Randolph)...and this happened. No really, I can stop whenever I want... Paul Anthony Dobleman - Spider Murphy's Tattoo, San Rafael, CA

Social media being what it is, my mom saw a picture of the outline of my backpiece and while she wasn't as upset as I expected her to be (she doesn't like that I get tattoos, but she seems to respect that I get them because I like them), she wanted to know that this would be my last tattoo...but after a certain point what does it even matter?

Thought I would throw in this little tatty from Kirk Jones.

Thrown me sides & a leg in, not me back yet I think. Anyway, back tattooed by CP, Brisbane Australia. Cheers.

Hi guys!! For those who have not seen on Instagram, I was a dumbass and scheduled three days of getting zapped on my last trip to SF. That shit is hard on the body!!!!! @cltattooing made an awesome stabby skull for me, and then we hung out w @CABS, who is an alright type of guy (understatement of the season!). Junii added color to my froggy, some shading and background and outlined a peony on my thigh. We started the first snake! Matt (dr claw) started on my serene butt snake. Shad will be starting the mean back snake in October, and Junii is doing the thigh snake (I think?!) I was not the only one getting my butt drilled (word choice?) in the shop that day. I had the pleasure of watching Drew Flores begin one of the backpieces that is part of the 108 heroes of LA project. How cool is that?!? Also @petiloi was in the shop getting some work done by Bill Salmon. Hi!!! I did not identify myself bc, you know, tattoos. But it was cool anyway! Pics attached. Warning: Butt ahead!! (Nice asp, I know. Tips hat to @CultExciter for that one).

Crappy photo, but just got this done at Kings Ave. this Sat. - by Phil Slzosek.

@beez I thought Matt Deverson did an incredible job of place my snake skull chrysanthemum on my leg. I really really liked that about him though, it was one of the reasons I chose him to do my more visible part of my leg, He seems to have a natural eye for placement. And yes the Geisha Spider is gonna be dope, Ive given Matt (Dr. Claw full artistic liberty, so I know it'll be bad ass. Your quite the beast getting that much work done in such a short span of time. I don't think I could handle that. After a long sitting I need a week of break to gather myself back up. As goes pain referral leg are very strange. Ive got most of my butt done and god damn it sucked, One of the worst Ive done yet. @Eilin that is a wonderful piece, Not my style but solid work. It always amazes my when somebody can transcend a style with the quality of their work Heres a pic of Matt (Dr Claws) work so far Matt Deverson's piece and my wifes arm with work by Deverson also And finally a little sumthin sumthin by the boss man himself Bill Slamon

So Chad finished my back recently. Here it is.

I started volunteering for a wild bird rescue center. It's literally a crappy job, but I love being around and interacting with the birds. Usually they are baby birds that fall out of nests, or birds that were injured by cats/dogs/cars. I get to clean cages, floors, aviaries as well as prepare food and maintain the facilities. Occasionally they'll have me help with the feeding and care of the birds. So far my favorites have been the hummingbirds. They'll buzz around your head because they're just naturally curious and not too fearful of humans. I also get to work with swallows, ducks, sparrows, finches, pigeons, doves, and quail. I do this for 4 hours per week and it's been very rewarding despite having to constantly clean up bird poop.

I've never heard the term clickbait, but now it all makes sense. I cannot articulate myself nearly as well as you guys, but I agree on the general consensus that this article sucks balls. :D CLICK HERE TO LEARN THAT ONE TRICK THAT WILL TURN YOUR LIFE AROUND

Finally finished this backpiece by Valerie Vargas at FST :)

Remember I know nothing - I'm trying to go through the whole forum to understand the different types of tattoos, especially the traditional. I just saw the Ed Hardy video on black panthers that someone linked to on this forum somewhere - omg I had no idea of the tradition and wonderful simplicity of these panthers - I have so much more appreciation of them, now. I don't think I want one (yet!), but maybe I would like a traditional white tiger in the style of the panther - just black and greys (except for those blue eyes). I never would have thought I'd go for something that traditional - maybe the panther or tiger coming out of the traditional rose. Perhaps to get an appreciation for any art, it's important to see many good examples of it - the gallery is really helping me, and I'm "making" my way through the "What makes a good tattoo" thread. After all, I was attracted to tattoos from the beginning looking at my Uncles WWII Navy ones. Hope this is not out of line here.

Looks fine as is. Let the artist, who seems pretty competent, take care of it.

so here is my contribution to this old thread. Done by Amy Kinsell from Modern Body Art UK. Done at the Cardiff Tattoo and Toy convention, the theme was Star Wars (at the con) so naturally I had to go with the same theme for my tattoo... :)

Wow @beez! You are a trooper! Can't say I've ever tried or wanted to try 3 days of consecutive tattooing. I bow to your stamina. It's all looking fantastic. I like how your tattoo has organically turned into a quasi-3-way collaboration piece. I knew you were going to get Shad to work on a snake but not Dr. Claw too (Or perhaps I forgot?). Was this part of your plan? Or did it just pop into your head one day? I dig his work. Really nice guy too from what I could tell, chatting briefly with him, when I picked up the Horitoshi book from there last year. Drew's work is crazy good! Lucky you, getting to see him work on a Suikoden piece. He and Chris Brand are blowing my mind with their interpretations. That skull is awesome too! Some good stuff there @cltattooing. Really good. Stabby indeed.

@petiloi Bill and Junii tattooed my feet about 4 years ago. I love them! My wife also has some beautiful flowers by Junii!

I'll throw my hat in the ring. Kevin Marr owner of Godspeed tattoo in San Mateo ca. We are getting close

I didn't find my shin to be that bad, actually it was my calf that was much more painful. I found the vibration a bit wierd but not much pain. My sitting was about 7 hours. My leg swelled up real bad though. I had a kancle for about two weeks

Yeah they are! I'm super excited Kyle and Mike opened up shop here in Hamilton. I think I'll make it there for 1045 then, just to be on the safe side. Yep, saw the IG post about their move - hopefully I can find cheap parking close by.

I think I'll be heading down to The Okey Doke in Toronto next Sunday to get a snake n dagger walk-in with Franz. Just gotta figure out how early I should get there to make sure I get in with him.

"Rutting unicorns and a lunar landscape" is a killer tattoo idea.

Why do we really write articles? A postulation. (How common are opinion pieces? Exasperatingly common!) ;)

@KBeee. Of course we can stop, sort of. We just choose not to eh ? ?

Shit got real

@beez Speaking as somebody who recently acquired a butt snake of my own, BUTT SNAKES FOREVER! Also, you're completely nuts for getting tattooed three days on a single trip. @Eilin That is superb! I love it!

No shit @beez it's a small world. Butt snake all the way, I also really enjoyed watching Junii work on your leg. My wife has a big peony piece on her side by Junii and if all goes well might be her apprentice soon. I consider myself very lucky to be getting a sleeve from a living legend like Bill Salmon. And Bill and have built a friendship over the last few years so it makes it that much more meaningful. Matt aka Dr claw will be finishing my thighs piece and start into my inner leg with I think a big geisha spider. Its goona be rad. Looking forward to see in ya at the convention @beez. I'll be doing another few sessions on my leg woth Matt Deverson, if you haven't seen his work check it out and hopefully I'll be getting my chest done by Myazo. What's your plans

Here's a healed picture of my back piece by Valerie Vargas at Frithstreet tattoo :)

I'm gonna submit the smallest tattoo to win the monthly contest (ok, not really, that back, gahhhh)! RAT HEADS GET NOTHIN' BUT CHEESE Y'ALL, done by Cody Miller at Blackheart. Photo pilfered from his Instagram.

SMART MAN - - - Updated - - - I'm successfully down from over 1000 to about 750. And I kept all of you LST folks. The things I do for internet friends...:D

Shameless bump for good buddy Dan Nelson @ Greenpoint Tattoo in Brooklyn

if there is a thread for this, I didn't find it. Seth Wood Brian Warnekros Adam Hays

Hey everyone, new to this site obviously haha. I'm getting my first tattoo in about three weeks and none of my friends or family have tattoos, so I thought it'd be cool to be in an environment where I can have thoughtful and helpful discussions with people who understand! Looking forward to chatting with all of you. -lindsay

Iwar, yes I have several tattoos. I am from northern California, in the San Francisco Bay Area. I was actually in new orleans when I posted this. I did a search for places to get tattooed there and came up with electric ladyland tattoo. I went there with my wife and we both got tattooed there at the same time. I was done by Lester Garcia and she had Matty Runks. I have to say that it was a great shop and Lester did a great job. - - - Updated - - - This is the picture of the piece right after he was done. Still in the midst of healing now though.

@elcapitanosparros everybody seems to heal differently and what works for some doesn't always work for others. If you're new to getting tattooed you should do your best to following your tattooers advice down to the letter, as you go on you can figure out the best method for you.

Here's something I've noticed from reading a variety of articles similar to this one recently, that assume it's edgy to trash tattoos now that they're everywhere. It's OK to display your uninformed attitudes with pride, as long as the subject is tattooing. This is weird to me, the idea that you can decide not to educate yourself about something before spouting forth on it - because you've already determined that it's beneath you - and that this somehow enhances your argument by making you look like more of a badass contrarian. I guess it's the way that a lot of clickbait is written but it sure is disheartening. I find Simon Doonan intermittently amusing, but this article is not, and he mentions aging as if he's being forced to pick up a dead mouse. I would much rather read an article on the pros and cons of tattoos' popularity by someone who's been getting them or making them forever. At least we can agree on Joan Rivers.

Very nice @hogg, thats an awesome gap filler, and thank you, I can see you are quite the collector yourself, Compliments from those who understand the value of tradition and legacy in tattooing are the best. You should try to get yourself into Diamond Club. Its my favorite place to get work done, Best atmosphere ever. And of coarse seeing Bill Junii and the gang is always a blast.

Matt arriola is the bestttt!:p

This particular shit is ALWAYS real! :cool:

Well, it's on. I'm booked in with Fil Wood at Black Crown on the 29th September. Thanks for all of your help with the selection process, it hasn't been easy. I'll be back on here to post updates at a later date. Also, thank to everyone who was kind enough to show off their tattoo's, it really helped to set a bar. You all have some amazing pieces to be hella proud of :D

Just got word one of the boys is returning home to Australia after over 12 months in Canada. Viewing a beautiful 2013 Road King for him this Sunday, and if this motorcycle is good as it reads and looks in the pictures, we'll have the brother stepping off the plane, straight back onto two wheels and riding again in 3 weeks on a welcome home 2 day run. Sandy beaches, open fires & away from the city lights..again. Happy days.

I have stopped drinking alcohol while I'm working 6 day weeks and am amazed at the difference I'm feeling after only 3 weeks. My head is so clear and focused, my anxiety has pretty much taken a back seat and I'm making great gains at the gym. Really excited to see where this takes me.

When I started dating my current partner, he was actually against tattoos, and it became the cause of a lot of friction between us. I think his perception of tattoo shops and tattooed people in general was very stereotypical. The whole dirty trashy tattoo shop, drugs, alcohol, crazy, out of control thing. As I began to collect more tattoos he was actually pretty ticked off about it. I finally convinced him to come with me to get the shading finished on one of mine. He was surprised how clean and professional the environment was, and how talented my artist and other artists were. He has one of his own now, and thinking about a second! I think the main problem is the negative perception by others most times.

Just a follow up to post #345... So, while at my in-laws watching the world cup, I sank deeply into a chair and was just zoning out. My wife yelled out, "What's that on your shoulder?". Apparently, my sleeve crept up and revealed my sweet and sour babies. "Do you have any others? Let me see your back!" I showed her my bouy tattoo. She asked when I got them and I told her the first week of November and that she hadn't seen my bare back since last September. She was completely dumbfounded to say the least. My mother-in-law almost fell over in her chair trying to listen to our conversation. My wife was pretty upset, but not really because of the tattoos. She had gotten used to the idea that I had them. The fact that she hadn't seen them in such a long time showed her that I could be respectful around her. What she was really upset about was the fact that I went to great lengths to hide something from her and what else was I hiding from her. Completely understandable. I apologized for that, but told her that I just didn't want to go through the drama after every time I got one. Luckily she put everything in perspective and she knows I'm a good husband and father. She asked if I was going to get any more. I was honest and told her that I probably was going to fill in the center of my back. She understood that and I only got the silent treatment for a couple of hours instead of a couple of days. She wasn't too crazy about the sweet and sour babies. She critiqued them and thought they were too plain compared to my others. She liked the new buoy tattoo but didn't like the meaning behind it (solitude/being alone). She also insisted that when I get my back filled in, that there be a small blue bird to represent her. I agreed to that. So, everything worked out and I can now sleep with my shirt off again. I'm going to get my center back piece done during the first week of September, while she's gone on a business trip. It's going to be a ship and a lighthouse (the lighthouse of the town I grew up in). I recently sold one of my motorcycles, so I have a little extra cash.

Now that this is (mostly) healed up, here is my latest from Grez. What do you do when you love Catholic imagery but haven't gone to church since you were a kid? You throw the best mascot in sports in a virgin Mary shroud. Grez is a big baseball fan, so he took the idea and ran with it, including adding the Liberty Bell in place of the sacred heart. Edit: he also did those cats last fall. They've settled in nicely.

After 28 years of being tattooed, I've never had any words tattooed on me, until about 4 weeks ago when I had an old time bird with my 2 kids names written in the two scrolls. Not because I disagree with names, but for me it's a matter of utilising to the max my real estate for punch in solid tattooing. Each to their own. Every mother fucker has an opinion on what ya shouldn't do. I like it when I'm told I shouldn't do something. That's a green light to go ahead and do it.

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...

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

Rob Noseworthy painting: For total nerd reasons, I love the Star Wars/samurai crossover stuff because of the Kurosawa influence on Star Wars.