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I got a thing today. Hard to believe it too me almost 33 years to finally start. A fun Percy Waters bird from Greggletron/Greg Whitehead at Scapegoat Tattoo. I stole the picture from his instagram. Side note: I really appreciate this forum. I went to my appointment totally prepared and actually knowing more than the average bear (which is still only a very little, admittedly), and he kept asking me 'are you sure this is your first tattoo?' He kept talking about how pumped he was to work on somebody who'd give him creative license, who knew about Good Tattoos and what makes them good, and...yeah. It made me feel really good. I'm pretty sure I learned all of that here. He would probably thank the forum too if he could. Haha. Booked my next appointment for October. IT BEGINS.

Filler fun c/o Nick Oaks (from yesterday).

Most of you saw this going down via Instagram but here's an AMAZING peony I got from the fantastically talented Wendy Pham aka Wenramen. This was on my inner thigh and it connected my Henning front thigh piece to my Rubendall rear back thigh backpiece. I don't know what possessed me to have my inner thigh brutalized but the results were OUTSTANDING. I'm so happy with how this turned out and Wendy is just AWESOME!!! ASIANS....still smiling even after the beating I took ;)

Been in correspondence with Rob Noseworthy Rob Noseworthy - @Robnoseworthy Instagram Profile - INK361 and just got an email that we will be starting my back in January! He's giving me the option of multiple sessions in a row if I want to cut down on travel. From all accounts he is an awesome guy, and I'm looking forward to visiting that beautiful area. I haven't been this nervous/excited since my first tattoo. Going to have to recruit the wife to take pictures of my bare back to send to him for reference tonight. That should be an interesting conversation. Hah.

Beautiful tattoo. I really like the new direction that Greg is going with his tattooing. He is putting out really strong and beautiful work.

I think he's pretty much left his older style of work behind, save for when someone specifically asks him for it. He talked about how much better this style of tattooing wears in, how classic and timeless it is -- basically everything I heard here. He also said another interesting thing toward the end of my session with him, to one of the other guys who was watching...he said that he didn't even really enjoy the tattooing before, mechanically, and he got most of his satisfaction from achieving the effect he wanted, whereas now he really enjoys putting the lines down, and that it was more instantly gratifying. I thought that was kind of cool. He also said that I'm one of the only people to come in and ask for this stuff instead of his older work, aside from his assistant and his wife, so I'm sure he'd be THRILLED to get flooded with LSTers. :) This is all he wants to be doing anymore. @Graeme : We'd originally talked about a mermaid or a fish, but I kinda want a peacock. He wants to do girlheads. Somewhere in the middle of these things, I figure an awesome tattoo lies.

It's cool that you noticed that as well. He gets tattooed by Jacob Redmond a lot, and I think that may be influencing him. As you already know I love Jacob's tattoos, and everyone else at Atlas. In fact I sent Cheyenne an email this morning about getting tattooed again during our next Portland visit. If that doesn't work out I think I may try to get in with Greg.

Actually scratch that. Dunno why this slipped my mind, but if I wanted any sort of religious imagery I would take it to Freddy Corbin, Temple Tattoo, Oakland. (Sorry I'm not tech savvy enough to link to instagram accounts, but google should turn them up easily) Edit: we'll see if this works http://i.instagram.com/jeffrassier/ Jeff Rassier http://i.instagram.com/classicjuan/ Juan Puente http://i.instagram.com/downtownoakland/ Freddy Corbin

Session three down. A lot of ass and thigh lining today. So brutal. Really loving how it's coming together though.

I am not sure whether it was posted or not on here BUT it seems I got to be tattooed by and visit with Peter Giaquinto just in time! Peter was laid to rest last weekend! He was very welcoming to me and told me some really cool stories as well as sharing with me a few things on tattooing! :(

Nick's such a rad dude and a great tattooer! - - - Updated - - - I still haven't uncrossed my fingers hoping that you and Kim will be able to make it down to Portland with me next week while I'm getting tattooed by Cheyenne (and hopefully Dan too)...

Rob is a fantastic tattoo artist and a really nice guy as well!

Agreed with this. I think this new, simpler direction he's going with his tattoos is really great. That's a really beautiful tattoo, excellent start @sophistre, what's up next?

I would look into Juan Puente or Jeff Rassier, both at Blackheart Tattoo in SF, on Valencia near Market st. Actually everyone that works there is top notch... If I was getting that tattoo I would take it to Juan personally, I just really want a Jeff Rassier tattoo myself!

DAMN, but that is a nice peony, @ironchef! I love how she connected the pieces, right down to nailing the background continuity. And what a cute picture of the two of you. Love your jammies!

Ha! The sign of a true initiate (with a very nice dragon half sleeve on your arm).

Matt Howse just did these two awesome travel-themed tattoos:

This isn't work-related, but on that point, when me and @Pugilist were flying to Spain earlier this year I had the misfortune of having my seat next to this uptight, middle-aged woman who couldn't stop fidgeting in her seat for the entire length of the flight. Anyway, I wore long sleeves onto the plane, but when I was settled in, I rolled my sleeves up because we were crammed in economy and it was warm in there. It didn't really matter that I have nice tattoos (or that I was wearing a nice shirt at the time either), that lady saw a guy with long hair, a long beard, and tattoos on his forearms and it made her uncomfortable to the point that when she got up to go to the bathroom during the flight she took her purse and ipad with her, presumably because somebody who looks like me is going to steal her stuff. On a flight. And whatever, I don't really give a shit because a) I've made a choice about how I look, and part of that is understanding that some people associate that look with unsavoury characters (as if the real crooks aren't the ones with the expensive suits and haircuts); b) I like that tattoos still scare at least some people, and I hope this is always the case. But basically the point I'm trying to make here is that for people who aren't interested in tattoos, they're not going to notice artistry and craftsmanship. A tattoo is a tattoo to them.

OMG yes! Tenure necktat club!

I respectfully disagree. To non-initiates, a tattoo's a tattoo. They just see that someone is tattooed--not what they have. I have to remind myself of that from time to time. I once asked a non-tattooed coworker to describe 3 of my tattoos. This was a job where I wore T-shirts every day, and he and I were friends. He remembered my kid's name, but admitted that he was stumped beyond that.

@sophistre, that's just beautiful. Third appointment for me, (for my first tattoo) in a little over a week. It's about six weeks between appts because I have to travel, and that is just too many weeks to sit and think about color, lol.

hello, this eric, the owner of bulldog tattoo studios in fort lauderdale. im celebrating 20 years in business and 29 years tattooing. i got my start under lou sciberess at tattoos by lou in s beach. recently ive been trying to lighten my long list of worldly possessions. i have collected 35 tattoo machines over the past 25 years and other kool stuff. in anyone is interested, : [email protected] you fellow tattooers...

Great Lakes is the place to go in Chicago now.

@sophistre - KILLER, especially for a first tattoo! Well done! @ironchef- I love everything about your post. Amazing.

@ironchef that is one meaty thigh and sexy tattoo.. and such an Asian photo :D @sophistre awesome! Always amazed when people start off with such a bang. @camusllionaire great filler, looking to get a scorpion in a weird spot soon.

Haha love this and congratulations! :)

@sophistre STUNNING!!!! I'm a huge Greg Whitehead fan. He's been KILLING everything he puts out. I saw the pic on Instagram and was wondering if it was an LST member. So glad to confirm that guess! Enjoy it!

Huge fan of Wendy's work @ironchef, and that peony is no exception - simply fantastic.

That's funny, @hogg, cos I've only met you once and I can name at least three of your tattoos and who did them -- not including your backpiece that I've only seen in a book.

You'll find out how they are soon enough. - - - Updated - - - Dave is so good. There are a lot of really cool things in the way he designed it that aren't obvious in the photo like how the water on my arm carries over onto the back and how the water on the back of my thighs is readable as a continuous wave from the right angle. The background is so pretty and gives this really great balance to the toughness of the tiger and snake. He's such a good dude too, and that really really helps during rough sessions.

I waited until I was 50+ too. It reminds me of an old story I heard. A man was walking through the desert one night when he heard a voice that told him to fill his pockets with the stones at his feet. The voice then said, “Tomorrow you will be both happy and sad.” So the confused man took a handful of pebbles and stuffed them in his pocket. The next morninghe examined the pebbles and discovered that the stones were really precious gems. He was happy and sad—happy he had obeyed and picked up some gems, but sad that he had not picked up more.

I would think the quality of the tattoos counts for something as well as the subject matter. A flower or a mandala is bound to be seen differently than a shrieking zombie dripping with blood and gore -- especially for a schoolteacher. Don't want to scare the kids.

@Pugilist I also teach at a university and your comment really resonated with me. I'm not young but I'm perceived to be. I'm actually more concerned at this point about hiding my tattoos from my students than colleagues because I don't want the students, many of whom have tattoos, to see me as their peer. And I also fantasize about getting a very visible tattoo--my son's name on my neck by Freddy Corbin--once I'm tenured. Ha.

Just wear your loosest pants and you'll be fine! I usually do yoga pants post-cold-weather leg tattoo until I need to go into the office, then my loosest (and ideally most breathable) slacks.

I agree with @Mick Weder's reflections - there is no dress code in my line of work, and no one would ever say I can't show tattoos as a prof. One of my colleagues has some crappy tattoo on her bicep and she'll wear tank tops in the summer and expose it, so not everyone is as uptight as I am about it. But I feel like even though most of my colleagues think they don't judge a book by its cover, and if asked most would probably say that they don't care I'm tattooed, I am already a young-looking woman in a profession where you typically imagine people with my job to be old white dudes in tweed. I already do a lot to "convince" people to take me seriously professionally, like dressing more formally than many of my colleagues, insisting on using my fancy titles more, etc. And I feel like if I showed my tattoos, it would not help people's general perception of me of not being "professor-like" and that would affect how I'm treated, even if no one explicitly cared about the tattoos. (Maybe it would help my students be more scared of me? Haha.) I remember that in grad school, the prof who led my doctoral seminar had a tattoo on her wrist. At the time I was stunned to see a professor with a very visible tattoo, especially at my very old school university. But she was older, and she was a pretty huge name in her field, so I think she could pull that shit off by virtue of being so on top of her game that there was no question as to her reputation or competence. I joke a lot that I'll go super visible as a post-tenure gift to myself, haha. :) But as I've said before, I work at a small conservative university, where many of my colleagues are like, nuns. Literally. At bigger, more progressive universities, I would probably be making very different decisions. So I feel you, @TrixieFaux, in terms of how contextual these decisions are. It's totally a matter of figuring out whether or not the culture of your particular new workplace would have people judging you, explicitly or implicitly, even if your job hasn't changed.

Just finished "the ocean at the end of the lane", and Neil Gaiman delivered perfection as always. Amazing story and one can easily finish it in one night. As autumn is approching I think I'll re-read some of my favorite scifi, almost anything by Alastair Reynolds is awesome, and of course Isaac Asimov. Do any of you read while getting tatooed? I find it helps when there's some awful spots to be filled in, like elbow (hellbow!). (I apologize if this has already been discussed in this thread, feel free to ignore me while I browse through the previous pages.)

The best way to keep it from rubbing against your clothes is to cover with something that won't move. Either under armor type clothing, or saniderm/tegaderm/tatuderm. The derms will keep germs (and your picky fingers) off the tattoo. If those aren't an option, your best bet is just to leave it alone and let it heal. Don't start worrying about how it looks until it's fully healed Also, make sure to read the several pre existing threads on aftercare instructions on LST.

Here's mine!

@bambi PLEASE DO NOT GO TO THAT TATTOO STUDIO, even a quick look shows up terrible work, this will be on you for the rest of your life. Do not be too hasty in making your decision. We are here to help! I agree with the above, just some butterflies would look great without the stars in my opinion. Are you willing to travel (1-2hours?) to get the work done? We can help point you in the right direction

(Re: the above, isn't this poster in her late teens, though? Late teens = peak years for Knowing Some Shit.) Maybe look at script/letting tattoos a bit more and wait a bit longer to get this tattoo? You have a lot of time to get tattooed!

I have an ass/back of thighs lining session tomorrow. I'm going to try to keep this "magic" and "mystical bond" in mind while I'm getting tattooed to try to convince myself that I'm not the stupidest person in the world.

@daveborjes that is exactly what i was imagining. i would get something like that but i don't know anyone named Rose.

Your tattooer will have infinitely better font references than the internet. Or at least, he should... If he reaches for the computer instead of one of the many lettering books out there, BJ Betts will appear like a genie and smack him in the face.

with a smaller panther.

panther?

You'll find you will be judged on your professionalism @TrixieFaux rather than your tattoos. I completely understand the testing of waters though. I had a Nurse Unit Manager say to me the other day....the staff love it when you come on to the Wards Mick. Now they know you and have attended your training, they're no longer scared, they think it's cool when you bounce the Wards, talk and laugh with them and just be yourself. On the flip but, I pick my kids up from the extra curricular activities from school rockin jeans and singlets, all the parents avoid me like I'm the plague. Until recently, a couple of them started striking conversations and shit. One mother asked me last week...so Mick, what is it you do for work. I said...oh, I work for the Qld Govt, look after mandatory compliance to assist in National accreditation reviews for 5 major Metro Hospitals. The look on their dials were like pure shock. I love that shit. Yeah, not just some no hoping, tattooed Harley riding thug you envisioned hey. I love educating the straights that we might have a brain too.

Very astute; this is one of many reasons I don't care for this particular style.

Haven't entered one of these in a while so thought i'd enter the ring with my parrot by Chad Koeplinger from the Amsterdam Convention earlier this year. Looking forward to seeing everyone elses entries!

So I got my palm tattooed by Stewart at Frith Street several years ago and it was a walk in the park, super easy. I have also been getting tattooed by Thomas Hooper since he was at into you about 9 years ago and am fully aware of how heavy handed he is. So, I'm over at Saved and I think it's about time for Thomas to do my other palm. what could go wrong? I'd had the other one done at FST for christ's sake, it was easy! Boy how wrong I was!! Alarm bells started ringing when I was sent down the street to Alligator Lounge to have a couple of shots of Whiskey on Hooper's orders whilst he drew up the design. I get back, and within a few minutes we are ready to go. My first palm tattoo is a circular design that does not stray to far to the edges of my hand. This new one however is a lot bigger, covering my entire thumb pad and up to my fingers. The thumb pad can't be that bad I think, Thomas asks me where I want to start and I suggest that area. Boy how wrong was I!! Within seconds I had Gob from Arrested Development in my head saying 'I've made a huge mistake'. I am dripping with sweat almost instantly, this is the worst pain I have ever experienced in my life ever. Worse than Hooper hammering my chest or Koeplinger tattooing my ribs for 3+ hours. Just instant, horrifying pain. I tough it out, concentrate on my breathing and go to my happy place and 45 minutes later we are done. I am so glad I only have 2 palms because I would never ever ever do that again!