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Got this from Timothy Hoyer last month. Really stoked about getting a tattoo from one of my absolute favorite tattooers.

Got this from Greg whitehead in Portland. Instagram

Hi everybody! I've been reading this forum for the last couple years and it's saved me from getting some really terrible tattoos. I just put down a deposit for an appointment with Steve Byrne in January. I'm really excited to be able to contribute to the community here and keep learning as much as I can.

I love this post, and especially the last sentence of it. I wish I'd understood earlier that spaces and asymmetries are ultimately temporary and to not worry about looking lopsided and needing to balance things out right away. Then again, while I never planned on getting just one tattoo, I also never planned getting as much coverage as I currently have, and I think one the super cool things about tattoos is that you end up with a more or less permanent record of the process of figuring things out. I may not have always made the choices that I would knowing what I do now, or will in the future, but that's tattoos. I totally agree with the sense of freedom that comes when you decide you're going to be more or less fully covered. Having a back piece in progress has been pretty wild in terms of how much of my body is getting tattooed in a fairly short period of time.

@Cork - nearly done - 3-4 sessions and he wants it done by the end of the year. FML. With much trepidation, I'm booked every other Friday through Jan 2. Through the Thanksgiving and Christmas seasons. I think it's quite insane, but we have a dive vacation at the end of Jan and he feels very strongly about not going more than 3ish weeks between sessions. UGH! I think I'll be burning some sick days trying to stay healthy. Red and irritated at the top, and some of the marker is showing through. We have to fade out the sides around my ribs (joy) and a few more little critters below my waist to come. Aside from final whites and highlights most of this is done, EXCEPT for the eagle rays in the very center. It's pretty obvious they are still the first coat of paint. Those eagle rays were the reason I wanted a tattoo - I may have described this elsewhere, but that was a picture I took very early one morning right off the dive boat, and their beauty and strength I wanted to capture with a tattoo on my back. (Every critter here is a picture I took scuba diving and my tattoo artist created the scene from my photographs.) So, in the tradition of bringing the dragon to life by filling in the eyes last, we are saving the eagle rays until the end to bring this around full circle and bring the ocean scene to life.

Last Sunday I had an appointment with Deno. Got this on the back of my left leg. Sorry if the pic is too big. @CultExciter - Gave him the SOIA dragon and asked him to do his version of it.

This is the best thread! This picture was taken a few months ago at my sister-in-law's wedding and I was immediately struck by how much I LOVE the way the tattoo looks with the flowers and the floral print dress. I would like my whole body to look like a floral dress one day -- Since taking this picture I've gotten a few more big flowery pieces and I am slowly inching toward the goal :)

@BrianH the artist is Mike Young. He's a local guy here on the East Coast of Canada. @Cork doing some poking around and thinking a Tibetan skull with the right flowers and color pallette could look awesome. Will update once I hit the library.

So who is going to say where we're going to meet up in two weeks? Because if nobody suggests anything, I'm going to make a suggestion based upon consideration of yelp reviews, proximity to Times Square, and possibly most authentic Irish experience not because I don't know any better, but because I can be a prick. Let's meet up, it will be fun.

Go to the library! Google sucks for this stuff, but our nearby library has a pretty fantastic collection of art books including lots of Japanese print books, etc. It will be a much more productive use of your time than filtering through all the junk on the internet. I know we all forget that libraries exist these days, but it is the best place to look for reference.

Got this little fella from the very nice jason Ochoa at Greenpoint tattoo co.off to Smith St next! Pic pilfered from his IG because my phone is a potato.

I Did this one on a Coworker at a convention this year, its on her thigh. took about 6 hours i think? anyways, Enjoy! i may repost if i can find the healed pic she sent me it healed immaculately. Open to input but try not to be an a-hole haha so yea, done by me (Marcus Hardy) at Planet Ink Tattoos in Hiram GA

Go in Friday to get foodog outline done by Will Lollie. Super stoked...will post pictures Friday evening.

This place looks like it might just fit the bill? Guy

This. Don't forget your local reference librarian if you're really stuck, too. (Disclaimer: daughter of one.) Interlibrary loan is also an amazing resource for art books.

Not sure if this fits with this thread, but Mark Cross is hitting up Liberty Tattoo in Seattle in December. I'm gonna see if I can get something from him. Instagram

In relation to your second point, you could check out Chad Koeplinger (Rock of Ages, TX), or Robert Ryan at Electric Tattoo in NJ.

Yesterday did four-plus hours of blasting black on my arm with Seth Wood, guesting at Memoir this week. Three more sessions to go. Can't wait for color. I like getting tattooed, the pain and everything. Is that weird?

Last minute appointment at Kingsave NYC with Chris O'Donnell

I'm always interested to see what tattoo related books/items people have purchased. If you don't have any photos of what you've got, post a list of your books! If you've acquired anything tattoo related such as Japanese masks or something similar, I'd love to see those as well! Man I love tattoo books! :D EDIT: Oops, should've posted my picture to start this thing off! I just finished moving all my school and science related books to a different shelf to make room for a couple new tattoo books I've got coming in, which is what prompted me to start the thread. The only tattoo related book I've got that isn't on the shelf is Bloodworks: Bodies! The book is so massive it won't fit anywhere! The shoeboxes up top are filled with stickers and tattoo business cards!

On Saturday I was back in Kincardine to finish up the lines. Starting background Dec 12 I'm booked for the whole day so hopefully get a lot done

Thanks for posting this picture! I LOVE looking at pictures of regular people doing regular things where you can see some tattoos. It helps me immensely as someone who is admittedly kind of anal about placement -- I want to know what I would look like with a tattoo on certain parts of my body, and seeing other people with tattoos in those places I am considering is helpful. Google image searching only goes so far, because usually the photos are taken with the intent of showing off the tattoo(s), so it doesn't give you a good idea of what the person would look like in regular life, regular clothes, and regular postures. Incidentally, I think it's a great photo, and it shows how well the tattoo on your arm fits your personality! :) More pictures, people! ;)

Heading to the library tonight to see what to can dig up. Tibetan skulls were really the only other idea I had. I'll see what the library turns up!

Two sessions 3 hrs each.

@jonnyw - Is there really a need to take the pain down to a 3 or 4? A 7 isn't acceptable to minimize the side effects for a 4ish hour session? You really can't handle an upcoming 3+ hour session without being seriously drugged? And even then, you still have to split it into 2 sessions? So 60mg Vicodin+valium+muscle relaxant for what sounds like less than a 2 hour tattoo? I haven't read this entire thread in a while, but I doubt your conclusion that the general consensus is to dope up to this degree. Unless you have some medical pain issues you are being treated for, my only reaction to this is to man up. In full disclosure, I take 3 Advils at the start, and also 1/2 a 7.5 mg Vicodin pill at the start and the other half around hour 3. It is prescribed while I work through some very painful pelvis/spine problems that make it impossible for me to sit without a lot of discomfort. This very low dose makes sitting in a massage chair vaguely possible, and I find it does nothing for the tattoo pain.

Maybe I'm thinking way too hard. Well then if that's the case I gotta start looking into a new piece. Thanks gents appreciate the feedback.

Thanks, @Mick Weder - I got up late but when we we went for lunch, I tried 4 different ciders. You've probably already commented on my editorial in the Cider Snob thread :-)

Hence why there are so many unfinished back projects walking around to be forever covered by cloth, never to be revealed. Nice work @SeeSea. If the only tattoo we ever wear is a full scale back tattoo, that within itself holds significance on every level. I reckon you've earned breakfast ciders forever [emoji106]

A terrible picture of my little book collection

Oh my gosh, yes! Last night he was grinding away on my upper back and I was getting this really horrid burning sore muscle sensation in my left forearm. Like, What?!? The body is so freaky and interesting! LOL!

I had the pleasure of hosting @keepcalm and it was really nice. I hope more people of this forum will tune in to couchsurfing.org and start travelling and meeting people this way. So far it has been nothing but positive for me, allowed me to see great things, have good experiences, make some (now very dear) friends and develop a new attitude towards life and other people. </preaching> Seriously, you wont regret joining and getting active :)

My recommendation is to stop looking at your tattoo with a flashlight. That shit is just weird.

its already on the site so i guess i'll throw this in from jeff rassier last week

Got this German Kaiser wolf today by Murray Sell at Flying Tiger Tattoo in CT. I love it and it's definitely unique.

Got this from Theo Mindell while he was visiting Austin for a few days. The guy might be the straight up nicest dude I've met in a long time. And Paco Cendon at electric13 was super nice too and has an awesome shop. I very much underestimated the pain on the back of the thigh, just above the ditch of my knee. It's 3 days later and I'm still limping around.

Round 2 with Chad yesterday. Sorry about the sideways picture I can't fix it on my phone

Front of my El Monga leg. Done at Tattoo City in March. Pic is from today (healed). Entered the back of it a few months ago, figured the front needs to toss its hat in the ring.

His instagram yesterday showed him filming again. Hopefully he'll putting out another instalment in his series!

@Lance I have bonji from Horimitsu of the 8 Buddhist bosatsu at the end of my 3/4 sleeves. For my right arm, I chose to highlight my birth year character in red ink (Fugen) while the remaining characters are in black. Fugen is also associated with my birth year zodiac sign, the year of the dragon which I also have on my right arm so that goes very well together. On my left arm, I went with the same bosatsu but chose to highlight the Fudo character in red as he is the immovable one and I always love the look of the written bonji character. My own personal research indicates that with multiple characters, it normally variations of the 8 bosatsu or just a few of the characters. There are also mantra's that you mentioned. One I really like is the mantra of light from the Shingon school of Buddhism in Japan. Try this link for a little bit of research: The Mantra of Light Also, do you have a specific artist in mind? A lot of the Japanese artists that I've encountered are very well versed in Buddhist imagery and might be able to make some recommendations. Some non-Japanese artists like Jondix, Yoni Zilber, etc who have studied the Buddhist religion may also be good choices. (Both Jondix and Kiku did separate bonji characters around Troy Denning's neck)

I hate posting the same pic over and over again, but i want a LST shirt! Done by Shige. Pics do this piece no justice.

I have sometimes taken a prescription anti-inflammatory in conjunction with some over the counter pain relief medication, but in my view it's not necessary except if you are really pushing the boat out: A very very long single day's tattooing (6+ hours), or if you are getting tattooed many days back-to-back, and need to get as much done as possible. I have never bothered for a 'normal' single day's tattooing, or if the place being tattooed is an arm or a leg - somewhere where the pain level is simply not comparable to the back, ribs, belly, sternum etc. My experience is that, particularly when I was doing 2 days of tattooing back to back (or in one case, 3 sessions in 2 days back to back on my back piece) taking something can allow you to go that extra 2-3 hours when otherwise you might have to stop. It can slightly blunt the edge of getting tattooed somewhere very unpleasant. It's definitely not some kind of silver bullet or ticket to a pain-free tattooing experience. I feel like the healing process has never been affected. In fact, anecdotally I would say that the dramatically reduced swelling and discomfort from the anti-inflammatories might actually help the aftercare process overall. It's certainly easier on travelling afterwards. In addition to remembering that it's not going to make the whole process a walk in the park, I'd also echo @Pugilist when she says that prescription drugs aren't something to take a gamble on if you're already stressed out about being tattooed in a tough spot. It could result in nausea, disorientation etc. I have a friend who is a doctor and I ran things by him first. The final thing is the question of whether this interferes with some 'authentic tattoo experience'. I can only say that, having been tattooed for long sessions both with and without, at the end of the day there is not such a big difference. In my book, when I travel to get big work done, I want to get as *much* done as I reasonably can during my visit. This is a way to do that.

During the outline on my stomach, I definitely crushed two beers back to back. I think that's only the second time I've had a drink during a tattoo but I gotta say it helped a ton and healed fine (it was just the outline).

Here is the list that I think would get you going without breaking the bank: Stoney Knows How Sailor Jerry: American Tattoo Master Bushido: Legacies of The Japanese Tattoo New York City Tattoo Ed Hardy's Tattoo Time

i just want to look like Walt Disney threw up all over me :cool:

Recent shot with the Flatmo sleeve completely healed! :D Visiting a friend who just got a bull terrier puppy!

Ok, now I thought TLC were bad, but this takes the biscuit. These guys are offering to teach people to learn how to tattoo in a day, and just so you know they are quality, they have a 100% success rate ! :mad: UK Official Tattoo Academy | Tattooing Tuition + Tattooing School This has to be illegal, I mean what can ANYONE learn in a day that makes it ok to tattoo? We should start a secret society of anti tattoo school ninjas, operating on a global level, with the sole objective of making putting these type of operations out of business.