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me and my girl made a daycation to the netherlands on saturday and i got this from jelle on my left food (Instagram). we also had some frikandel speciaal with fries, stroopwaffels and vla.

First session, the next one we are going to salvage the owl if possible. Kemer at Superfly Tattoo, Leon Mexico.

Please try and not let me stunningly beautiful bum distract you from the artwork :) 10 hours in total, so quick quick this time and I am glad! Some of the arse is brutal, specially where the cheek meets the thigh..... Victor said doing bums is awful, the skin is too soft and for him its not a very good place to tattoo but we are happy with the results. We still have a largish gap for the centre of my bum but we will just fill that next year with just a few shaded bits and pieces. We also have the back of that thigh to do next year. Maybe add a devil horn to the devil hound. My arse is red raw and swollen so sorry for the pics. :)

@smiling.politely is a long-term poster and tattooer who brings a lot of insight, intelligence, first-hand knowledge and experience to this forum and is dedicating his life to both getting and giving people good tattoos, and everything he said above is correct. Who are you again?

Just like Iron Chef isn't made for chefs, Cops isn't made for police officers, and Cake Boss isn't made for bakers, all of the mainstream tattoo reality shows aren't made for tattooers or tattooed people. They are made for mainstream reality show fans. I'm also making a distinction between people with tattoos and "tattooed people," as pretentious or exclusionary as that may seem.

Starting my chest with Jason Phillips at FTW this week.

Finished

Bring your reference picture to http://tattooparadisedc.com/home.html I'm sure they'll work out something cool for ya!

Odd question for a tattoo forum

I find sticking to one area makes for tougher sessions but much easier healing!

Ok I'm just going to write something short about my back piece in progress since I am healing after the second session now and feel psyched about it. Since I first started getting tattoos I knew that I would want to get a back piece. I figured I'd wait and let the idea evolve over time, save up enough money and start doing it on my 30:th year. Two years ago I got tattooed by Iain Mullen for the first time and since we've done something like 6-7 tattoos and they are among my favorites. We also became friends and I usually stop by the shop at least once a week to hang out and talk with him and the other guys. As time passed I decided to give him my back when the time was right. However last autumn I went down to Italy and got tattooed by Rudy Fritsch at his shop and felt like he'd make me an amazing back piece instead… Eventually I told Iain that I wanted the two of them to collaborate. I was a bit uncertain if he would be up for it but the next day when I came in to pay for a tattoo he told me that it was on (!) About two months later it was time for the first session. Up until this date I had not seen the sketch or been allowed to make any wishes about what the tattoo was going to be. I put my trust in them and I am very happy that I did. The first session was two hours with both of them working simultaneously on me. Rudy starting low on the left side and Iain up on my right shoulder. I found being laid face down on a massage bed, having only the floor to look at and no visual way of telling when or where the pain was going to hit… this was the most psychological challenging thing with the whole session. I've gotten some pretty rough spots done before but this was the worst two hours I've had to endure when it comes to tattoos. Two machines are not twice as bad but still a lot worse than one. I'm happy that they both work quick but it also meant a lot of brutality when it comes to long lines being nailed into my ribs in fast succession. I tried to zone out and focus on the breathing but that only made time slow down more, I could not think of anything else. Second session was this thursday, I sat up on a gym bench and me and Iain were talking the whole time through and it was such a walk in the park compared to the first one. I feel good about having had that experience anyway, it was special.

I've been out of shape for my entire adult life and have just started running. Well, running with a lot of walking in between. It's been pretty difficult, though I can feel myself making a tiny bit of progress every time I go out and have managed to avoid hurting myself. If anyone here has been in the same boat, is it always this much of a slog? At least it's good for your mood, and it's a beautiful time of year in Massachusetts to start running. Also, I'm just going to leave this here: Police respond to report of gun, Northampton man tells officers only 'guns' present are his biceps | masslive.com

Poking my head up from lurking again to post here, because I'm excited. After my last appointment fell through (artist cancelled visit to the states), I tried to get a booking in with Greg Whitehead at Scapegoat, closer to home. Took 3-4 months (and a dropped ball by his previous assistant), but now I'm booked for Sept. 18th. He's been doing more traditional stuff lately. I'm not exactly sure what we're doing! Mermaid or fish and birds and flowers? Dunno, don't care. Gonna be a good time. :)

Hey now, don't forget Tattoo Age, Gypsy Gentleman & True Love. Tattoo Wars wasn't half bad either.

It's really not all that large. Has to be bigger than you would think to permit detail. Remember that the biggest remembrance of her should be who you turn into!

I FINALLY made up my mind. I picked a picture of her in her prime and had the artist make her into an angel. I picked her prime because this is how I now picture her young, beautiful, happy and most importantly NOT suffering. The artist picked the wing, and background. This tattoo is ALOT larger than I wanted but no turning back now. I sat through 17 hours of inking. I still have to come back for another full day session. He still has to do the other dove, clouds, sun and finish the rose. He really got into this and worked on me as much as he could. I still didn't know it would be THIS BIG. Still not sure how I feel about it because it's SO LARGE. I am very happy and excited with the detail of my mother, which took the longest. Please let me know what you think .... thank you - - - Updated - - -

@Cork Thank you! We'll do the fifth session with two machines too and if needed probably a sixth. Next one is the rest of the solid black and then the fifth will be start of actuall shading and textures. So much looking forward to seeing the end of this, but enjoying the ride so far :)

This exhibit opened my eyes even wider as to have breathtaking Japanese tattooing is. This exhibit also really put me onto Brian Kaneko. His work is phenomenal.

Here is mine. Old picture. Fully healed now. http://www.lastsparrowtattoo.com/gallery/uncategorized/16917-raven.html

@hogg it was based on an image I brought in of a female ONI called "ibaraki doji." Although I agree "tomomorioni" would be a better name ;) @CultExciter I preferred everything about tebori except for how long it takes. I loved the quietness and sometimes there was no pain--I heard the JIK JIK JIK but the only thing I felt was the hand stretching the skin. I nearly fell asleep once.

Session two on my back. Mercifully we stuck to lining and shading the background on my upper back. Next time I think we're hitting the lower back, ass, and thighs, which I'm sure is going to be a lot of fun. Can't wait.

My first tebori by Horitoshi 1--just finished and still a bit bloody

I finished this yesterday and I'm really happy with it. Which isn't to say that it's perfect, because there are a lot of things I'll do differently next time, but it was the best I could do and I'm proud of it.

Since we are posting Hardy backs, this one is from the panther tattoo thread:

To clarify... Example of a person with tattoos- a few Pinterest designs, maybe a few other things they might get after they learn a little bit more about tattooing, but think of tattoos as not much more than personal decoration at best, or a fashion accessory at worst. More of a fast-food mindset. Example of a tattooed person- someone who, whether a tattooer or not, wants to know about tattooing a little bit, wants to know what makes a good tattoo (Beyond someone telling them "This person is good." They want to understand it themselves). May have goals of a full bodysuit, may only want half sleeves, but they care. I said neither was better than the other, but when you talk about marketing things towards people into tattoos, you're not saying the same thing marketing towards the average tattoo client. Most of the millions of viewers they get are of the former category, not the latter. Which is fine. Most of the people I have the pleasure of tattooing are people with tattoos, not tattooed people. I treat them exactly the same, if not a bit nicer, hoping they come away with a bit of education, and perhaps appreciation of tattoos beyond an iPhone screen. EDIT: Small addition... you wouldn't say the guy in front of you in line at Olive Garden is the same type of customer as a gourmand, or that frat douche hammering Natty Ices is the same as a trained sommelier.

I just got a crow tattooed, well a Valkyrie with a crow sitting on her shoulder. I say go for it! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I say follow his advice. There are quite a few members on here who prefer dry-healing.

Thanks @idyllsend, yeah mine is supposed to be a raven but I don't mind when ppl call it a crow--they are both cool birds... Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

right section though

That's where I got my only current tattoo! (By Eric Wilcox there.)

Crows make for awesome tattoos! I believe someone around here is sporting a crow, or is it a raven? sleeve. Ah, it's @TrixieFaux. Absolutely stunning. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Got some new small stuff from Matt (Dr. Claw) at Diamond Club. First knuckle piece and inside finger. Very small and simple. Its for my wife and my anniversary. Oh and inside the finger was rough apparently you have to break through the pad. And you definitely know when you break through. Having done a very small piece inside, puts my palm, tattoos on hold for a while. Gonna have to prepare for those

It almost is like an Oni Tomomori or Tomomorioni. Which should be a type of pasta.

Well, I have been planning this tattoo since I was about 15. Almost 20 years later it is coming to fruition. I decided to let the apprentice at our shop start out doing the black since it would give him some skin time and I knew he was capable of saturating the black properly. I had finished up for the day so we started around 7 at night. We didn't finish up until 4 in the morning. It was AGONIZING, every last minute of it. I didn't sit the greatest, but I wasn't a terror either. I knew that letting our apprentice dig in, I was gonna' be in for a little extra chair time and maybe a little extra points on the pain scale. My back is a little larger than I actually envisioned it in my mind, also. I guess I am a pretty broad guy. At one point I was drooling all over my iPhone as I tried watch Dexter in and out of envisioning myself strapped to his table. I am gonna' try to get it hammered out in 2 or 3 more 8 to 12 hour sessions. Knowing that I actually bossed up and rode through it made it that much more cool to me. Finally getting started on this after 20 years of planning was pretty damn satisfying. I am lucky that I don't have to pay for any of it and that financial concerns for new work are non-existent. Cool beans.

Second session today with my buddy Iain Mullen on his collaboration with Rudy Fritsch. Beyond happy with how this is progressing. We did the lines with two machines almost 2 months ago and I had gotten used to seeing it that way. Now with some of the black in I am amazed by seeing it come to new life again.

If you like it get it. But make sure it is a good one because nothing is more offensive than a bad tattoo.

i remember the feeling i had on my first session of my back when the machine started up and then cut into me for the first couple of lines. i thought, this is completely retarded. i'm never even going to see this thing..

I have a full slevee Tebitan skull & lotus tattoo ! I want to share with you ! have a nice day !

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

I don't do tattoos,but I paint...

Don't listen to other people. (Haha = that includes ME!!!) Go with your gut.

such pretty dogs!

As I was leaving Walmart tonight there was a older gentleman named Art running carts/security. He was happy to tell us all about getting these done on the west coast in the '40s. The rope was to protect him from drowning, and he's happy with how solid the panther still is.

Meh. Being hated on by the Daily Mail is usually a sign that one is doing something right.

That's Fred. And Higgs, also by Hardy.

Well, I had to pull my bandage a few hours early due to an early day tomorrow. had it bandaged exactly 64 hours. Feels amazing. Zero scabbing. Skin completely smooth. I've just never had a tattoo heal like this before. Usually on day 3 after being tattooed I'm full on in the midst of scabbing, harshing my skin with Dial soap, and obsessively washing, aquaphor, repeat. It was amazing to actually forget I had just gotten tattooed. I'm still interested to see how long the "sunburn" phase of the heal and how it heals completely, but I'm pretty impressed so far. I just wish I had this amazing healing experience with a better tattoo, haha. But this old garbage tattoo needed a little reblast... At least now I know for the future so when we go in to lay in skin tones I'll heal it the exact same way again, honestly I don't think I'll ever heal a tattoo another way. For those wondering, here's my exact protocol in one summary (sorry for all the dumb and very exact info, but people are gonna ask): 1. Tattooing ended at 7pm Friday. 2. Friday - 8pm - An hour after tattooed, scrap old bandage, wash, and air dry. 3. Friday - 8:05pm - Re wrap with plastic wrap, leave on overnight til morning. 4. Saturday - 5am - pulled plastic wrap, washed, air dried, and Applied Tegaderm, left on for 2.5 days (64 hours to the minute). 5. Monday - 9pm - Pull Tegaderm off (in shower under hot soapy water... VERY easy, not painful at all) 6. Monday - 9:05pm - Wash , air dry, and immediate begin "lotion protocol" for the next week or so. Here's a couple quick pics I just snapped 3 days and 5 hours after being tattooed (sorry for bad angles and quality, took these quickly with iPhone)