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Session five yesterday, lining and shading background on the ribs and love handles. Goddamn the love handles are a shitty fucking spot. Next session we'll shade the background on my other cheek and thigh so we'll be going into the new year with a substantial chunk of the background done. I love how it's coming together.

Here's my progress so far by Diego Azaldegui. Got another session in a few weeks which should hopefully finish it off.

The X man cometh go follow duncanxtattoos on instagram .

got this a couple of days ago. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Got the ladyhead by Max Kuhn yesterday! Not the best pic. It wraps a bit!

First pass at a label. I think I am going to go with Horibrew or I just thought of Irebrewmi.

@Graeme, I suspect the tattoo Horitomo did is a depiction of the priest, Ikkyu. Not exclusive to only Kyosai, but he has an image or 2 depicting dancing skeletons with Priest Ikkyu and the Hell Courtesan, Jigoku Daiyu. I'm not positive it's the same client as I've only seen the pieces seperately, but I think it's a bodysuit with Ikkyu on the front and Jigoku Daiyu on his back. It makes cohesive sense and both are black/grey so I'm rationalizing it is the same Client. Couldn't figure out how to attach the image directly from my phone, but here's a link that shows an image. Third image down. http://kiritz.jp/2012/08/kawanabe-kyosai/ That said, I'm not sure if Shige's back piece is tied to any story or idea in particular.

Sorry for picture quality. Still swollen.

Still continuing to fill my left leg with band "The Prodigy"' songs.... "OUT OF SPACE" and "RUN WITH THE WOLVES"... + the official Prodigy's ant logo - - - Updated - - - And also started my right calf with one realistic owl.... Only session 1... I plan to add below the owl one old haunted house, graves, dark dead tree and a full lighting moon... Can't wait for the owl is already awesome (at my point of view)

first session - tiger on ribs... finished 2nd session with Scott Sylvia tying in new & old...super happy!!! :)

@Sergiozoolander Thanks, glad you've been following my blog about it. I sometimes wonder if anyone actually looks at it other than me haha. Yeah Rosie has some lovely work from Diego, her back piece is really beautiful.

I have actually been trying to travel more rather than go to conventions....I really am not a fan of conventions but I was going to this one every year up until Billy passed away! Too many people I'd like to add though in one place for me not to pass up the opportunity! ;)

Thanks @Lance, it's Monju Bosatsu

@Graeme I don't know if it is the same but rubendall did a back piece with similar dancing skeletons. Try googling "citipati".

@Graeme They almost look like something out of Tibetan Mythology rather than Japanese. "In the sacred Tibetan Skeleton dance two Dharmapalas (Protectors of Truth) appear, played by Monks, deities whose role is to protect the cemetery grounds. Their presence also reminds the audience of the ephemeral nature of this world and of their own mortality." I know in Japanese mythology there is Gashadokuro, who are giant skeleton who bite the heads off of people and drink the blood. Maybe it's an amalgamation of the two ideas? Maybe I don't know what I'm talking about! Either way, they are great tattoos!

I've never had an interest in boxing, but the mom of one of my kindergartners told me I should take a class at her and her husband's boxing gym. I laughed at first but then I thought, what the hell?! I got my other kindergarten teacher friend to join me for a class today. Holy crap it was grueling, and so much fun! I want to go back!!! Every time the instructor (my student's dad) would bark out orders, my friend would go "This is BULLSHIT!" and we'd crack up. Hopefully we didn't laugh too much for the more serious fighters in the class. Seemed like the music was up loud enough that it didn't matter. Great time. After the workout I asked the mom if this was payback for not giving her son enough stickers. Of course they did not even react in the slightest to my tattoos, not even the little kid! I knew they'd be cool like that. I have a feeling I am going to be wicked sore tomorrow and possibly Monday.

@marley mission - thanks! I love the hammerheads. We were under schooling hammerheads a couple times in Galagapos, and in a parade of them all swimming by. They are a little spooky up close, though. O.O My artist is Sean Zee. @misterJ - haha - I know what you mean! Thanks - it's gonna be a hell of a final stretch and I'm looking forward to the end. Getting NUTS! @scubaron, @Pugilist, @graybones, @Fala - thank you! @sophistre - yeah, the eel has a special place - that teethy smile :-) It's kinda funny because he actually had to change the species of eel. I love my spotted moray eels, but they are black with mottled white spots. My tattoo artist said that it would start to look sloppy earlier because the coloring is kind of slopping looking to begin with. So, that was one of the "artistic license" things I gave him - so he picked a honeycomb moray instead. It as a more regular pattern so it should hold up better. I think the ending will be emotional in many ways.

few recent ones.

The upshot is that we identified the need for a female moderator, and @Pugilist has kindly accepted our offer! ;)

When it comes to pain and tolerance I think it's important for you to find your sweet spot. The longest I've ever been tattooed was roughly 5.5 hours and I realized right afterwards that I never wanted to go through that again. It wasn't bad but unless your getting tattooed by an artist that isn't local or traveling great distances there is no need for it. For me I've learned that 3-4 hour sessions are the sweet spot depending on location of the piece. It isn't too short and it isn't too long.

Brewing a Belgian pale. Nothing special with the recipe, but I'm going to be giving a portion of it to Dana Helmuth this Thursday in celebration of completing my back piece. I want to come up with some good labels, but I'm having a hard time coming up with a good pun name. Because that's what all the cool home brewers do. A good pun beer name goes a long way. Back Tattoo Brew Back Piece Pale Yeah, 15 minutes of brainstorming and that's all I have. This is why I don't name any of my beers. This one is a pale, that one is an amber.

As promised I have now managed to get some pictures of my fully outlined back. I never imagined it would be so many lines when I started but after 5 sessions and 15 hours in total we have completed the first stage. Very happy with it and can't find enough mirrors to look at all the detail.

Colour! Pic pinched from Clare's instagram as I am sore, having a beer and don't have anyone at home to help me take pics yet. Have another appointment in two weeks to add on. We are doing a peony on inner bicep (couldn't resist with all the peony envy going on right now) which will wrap around and fix up the gap in her arm, mallard duck and fox with fruithat. Unsure if we will add on piece by piece or use the next session to get everything else lined.

According to an overly excited drunk fellow who was admiring flash in the shop, "tattoos invented skulls"

Ya know mate, this is how I see it. Weather you sit for 8 hours or 2, the thing about being tattooed is there ain't no short cuts. It's all time under the machine. If ya working on a 30 hour back tattoo, or a 10 hour rib panel, ya still gotta come back to it, ya still gotta work for it, ya still earn it. There ain't no shame in in any time under that hammer man. :)

This is why we can't have nice things.

This is a picture from right after it was finished a few years back. Done by Hugues Lauzier at Imago in Montreal.

Got this lady head from Max Kuhn on Monday! Wraps a bit!

If you think it may get in the way of your professional attire, I'd generally avoid it. Or make sure it's easily covered up (leaving people to believe you are a prude- not a bad thing, ha). Button ups can be your friend. I have my collarbone done and can manage to cover when needed. Typically I just pretend it's not there and dress as I choose, occasionally tossing a chunky necklace on it. Example-

Got this from Greg whitehead in Portland. Instagram

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

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.

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

got this one Halloween. A reward for losing 40 pounds. Kind of a spur of the moment thing. I had a couple ideas and really wanted to get one, but couldn't decide on one of the ideas I had, walked around for a couple hours while searching the internet for ideas and other designs, finally picked this one and walked in before I could change my mind. really happy with it. the first one that my mother actually liked, kinda, she still hates tattoos.

Got this photo realistic elephant I once saw... spot on by Eli Quinters yesterday, at the Bay Area Convention.

Fun times in New York with my newly immigrated fiancée. Bug is on her by Bert Krak, torch and rose are on me by Eli Quinters and Beau Brady, respectively.