Leaderboard

Jake Arnette does some pretty sick traditional frogs https://instagram.com/handsomejaketattooer/

I told my teacher a funny story that had to do with a gardening experiment and the law. One of his clients canceled the night after so he tattooed this design on me. :cool:

http://www.lastsparrowtattoo.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=12185&stc=1&d=1427281314 http://www.lastsparrowtattoo.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=12186&stc=1&d=1427281314 frogs from Nikita Kiryaev https://instagram.com/nikitakiryaev/

Heres another sick one along with a painting I did a little while back.

Somehow managed to get Gogue to do my leg sleeve. Start feb 2016 2nd and 3rd full days.

Ha, thanks. No color, just black and grey shading. Lots more to do with it. I went to the black and grey master, so hopefully it will finish up photorealistic. It's funny, I showed my back at the start of the session and the only reaction was "lookit all that white skin!" It was a relief for sure.

Sorry, I don't see fat. I see an awesome turtle on some nice skin with beautiful hair. Is color planned? I've only seen one sea turtle in person (and the light filtering through the water may have shaded it) that had green/yellow tones.

Ok, this is my fat back after 7 hours. It is just roughed in and needs a lot of work still, but it's a great start! Go big or go home.

Hello! I'm tattoo artist from Ukraine. I made tattoos about 2,5 years. My favorite styles of traditional and neotraditional..:) and my first tattoo work I will be glad to new acquaintances:D

The mechanics of a coil machine vs a rotary are different, the way the needle moves in/out of the skin and the feel/feedback it gives the tattooer. To use a coil machine effectively a tattooer needs to understand how to build/tune/setup the machine for the way they tattoo. And that may be why a lot of tattooers use rotaries these days...convenience. Rotaries are more forgiving in terms of overworking the skin, lighter weight i.e. reduces strain on the tattooer, they are easy to procure, good to go out of the box and can facilitate faster tattooing (if you they know what they are doing). Coils can achieve the same things but come with a steeper learning curve to understand the mechanics, optimize the geometry of the machine build and dial in the tune for their method. My tattooer who uses coils exclusively, he knows how to setup his machines and can spec a machine build to compliment his methods. And boy, you can feel that control when he tattoos. wow. He can really achieve the subtle details, the smoothness in his gradients because of the way he can achieve finer control with coils, that perhaps could not be achieved with the out-of-the-box characteristics of the rotary. His coil tattoos heal like butter everytime like clockwork. Because of the optimized setup, experience and skilled hand doing the tattooing. I also have another tattooer who is on the rotary train (the first rotary I experienced) and runs it bastard hot (sounds like a coil) and can utilize the rotary to compliment his speed and methods. His rotary tattoos hurt like hell, however go in smooth, colours stay ultra-bright after long-term healing and he is FAST. Me...I like the LOUD noise, I like the pain, I like the mechanics. So whichever side of the rotary vs coil debate my tattooer is on, doesn't matter because I gain a better understanding of the big picture of tattooing when I'm on the receiving end of either method. I just love good ol ELECTRIC tattooin! The louder the more electric the better :cool:

My opinion = this one is way too small

Yeah, my post was kind of a "put up or shut up."

Hi all! I'm a research scientist who studies paleoclimate, climate change, oceanography, and archeology/anthropology through stable isotope geochemistry. Stuff about me. My grandfathers pretty much raised me. Both were WWII veterans. My grandfather on my dad's side was a BAR-man in the USMC with the Pacific from 1942-1944. He was the embodiment of the Greatest Generation, I loved the man to death. He essentially raised me: he taught me how to shoot a rifle, how to fish, and gave me my moral compass and innumerable life skills. I miss him every day. He fought on Rennell, Bougainville, then was assigned to the First Provisional Marine Brigade, where he fought in the Second Battle of Guam, losing sight in in his right eye to a Japanese Grenade, sending him home. The Brigade would go on to Iwo Jima. The grenade probably saved his life. Yes, he was tattooed. My other grandfather was a total badass, as well. Field Artillery in the battle of Kasserine Pass. He was captured by Rommel's troops, and was a POW at Stalag III-B in Furstenburg. From which he escaped. Twice. Ratted out both times by refugees. They used to trade red cross cigarettes to the guards by making them give a salute and yell "Heil Roosevelt!" My dad was a 3rd generation Marine, of the Full Metal Jacket era. He was also a real POS of a human, and being in the Corps did that part of him no favors. He told me, to quote, that if I tried to carry on the family tradition, he'd kill me himself first. So, having grown up in Florida, I pursued what interested me. I'm not the kind of person who could ever have a job just to pay the bills. I get totally enrapt in whatever has my attention and interest. So science was a natural fit. I went to school for way too long. I paid my way through undergrad (chemistry/marine science) working in a boatyard, at a public aquarium and TAing/tutoring. I did research and taught more to survive through getting an MS in Oceanography and a PhD in Geoscience. Now I wake up and get to do what I love every day. So my main fascinations are the history of tattooing insofar as to be tattooed is to be human. Then, secondarily, American Traditional. As a scientist and person who tries to be an autodidact (and has sailed in the South Pacific, and was raised by Veterans), it's impossible for me not to be fascinated by and deeply respect Sailor Jerry. And as a general person who loves tattoo history, Paul Rogers, Cap Coleman, Amund Dietzel, Thom DeVita, etc. etc. etc. I am not a tattooer or artist. I don't have a visually creative bone in my body. To me, good tattooing is an ultimate and purely human art form. As human as paintings of mammoths and ungulates on cave walls. It's a truly special, endemic form of tool use that pushes the human brain out to the max. As a final note, the university I work at has a very conservative student body and is in a very conservative town. It's also too hot for long sleeves all year, so all of my past and future work is necessarily coverable by short sleeves, and preferably shorts as well. Thanks!

im flying to la to start my back with bryan burk next week, appointment got pushed back a couple times, but finally after hundreds of wasted airline tickets were doing it haha. hes flying out that night so my appointment got moved to 10am. oof. going to be dead tired and after have no where to go until my friend gets off work at 8pm hahah

I'm going to try to post a picture from my phone here: By Steve Byrne at Rock of Ages. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Another one by Brian Via, picked a drawing off his wall of stuff he wanted to do. Inner bicep and it hurt like hell, especially the stuff by the top near my armpit. So happy with it though.

I looked and couldn't find a thread on this topic, admins feel free to delete or merge this thread with an existing one if there is one. I love tattoos of frogs and toads. I'm not sure exactly why that is, because they aren't an animal that I think about that much in real life, but I think there are few tattoos that have as much folky charm as frogs and toads. I saw something on Instagram the other day, I can't remember where, but somebody was commenting on how toads, especially Japanese toads, can also have this real sense of menace. I think it's super cool that they work so well as a subject in both kinds of tattooing: Western traditional and Japanese. I know that a bunch of you here have frog tattoos, so let's see them, and post some of your favorites. Here's mine, done by El Monga at Aloha Tattoo, Barcelona. Monga does some of my favorite tattoos, they're so fun and playful and have a real magical feel to them. The tattoo is obviously healed.

Ive seen guys use both. Most just tell me they use the rotary because it's a quiet machine. In the end, you're getting bunches on needles dug into your skin. It hurts and there's no way around that unless you use numbing cream (which is very expensive if you want the stuff that works.) There are two things I know about tattoos for sure. Tattoos hurt and tattoos are permanent. That's kinda why I like em

Good luck dude! Show us!

Unlike allot of people here, My shop experience has been limited... Mostly because I like to stick with one artist's, I didnt even know that shops like this even existed but like some had said there is shops that cater the 50 Dollars tattoo. Good luck to them and I hope everybody is happy :) .

that's cool, and the meaning to you is great.

They're everywhere today!

Indeed. There's definitely a place for this stuff, but there's no way I'd give em my skin. I personally think the shops that don't go full bore with social media, specials and adverts are a bit more classy. Plus it preserves that feeling of being almost part of an underground community.

You guys are so kind. I used to be a body builder in my 20s and just cannot get used to the way my 40s look on me.

I saw your recent photo and must comment that; a) the turtle is awesome! b) your back - you should not call it fat. It is curvy and seems to have great complexion. c) we have what genes give us. Sure there are reasons for some being overweight, but most of it is genetics. Love what you have. and d) the turtle is AWESOME!

Who, Chase Tafoya, What everything in my pic just started working on the King yesterday. Bend Oregon - - - Updated - - -

@BrianH @Diehardonvhs You two are DESTROYING this thread!!! WHOA!!!!!!

Because people bring attention to them?

@BrianH in my experiences thus far, the shading is a lot easier to deal with than the line work.

I don't know how to share this type of Instagram post, and certainly can't from my phone, but here's a link to my chest tattoo, done today by Steve Byrne at Rock of Ages. http://instagram.com/p/0i-naeNBEe/ Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Hi folks, Search the iOS Market Place for 'Brag Art List' Well finally the first phase of the app on iOS has gone live and can be downloaded. (The remove ads doesnt work still i dont think but is being fixed this week hopefully but the ads are not as bad as on Android so shouldnt be too intrusive) I would really appreciate if people could 5 star and write a review on it as the best thing since sliced bread lol on the actual app to help it climb in searches. But I would really like the hard truths, feedback's, criticisms, suggestions etc here please. Please be brutally honest here! There is a small icon in the top left corner for searching, Country, City, Town, etc or you can manually use the touch screen. In device use of apps for the links should be working on Apple. Artists working at the same location will show as just one marker until pressed and then it will split as it zooms in to more markers for the other artists, so don't forget to check those out Anyhow, please let me know what you think, even if you think its shit, I want to know and wont be hurt or offended and how it works on your devices as we could only test it on a few handsets as I don't own every phone in the world lol So I hope it works on everyone's devices. I tested it on my phone which is a flag ship phone, so it runs super fast for me but I tested it on some cheaper phones and it was slower due to all the markers but that is to be expected I guess. It has been made for both mobiles and tablets. The fonts and home screen is being re-designed as we speak All and any feedback welcome Cheers!

Horitomo September 23rd! Woohoo!!! :: happy dance ::

The obvious elbow tattoo. Scott (Skotydont) Fox, Columbus.

First one since June (aside from a little Halloween special). Matt Arriola.

I was going to DM you, but I suppose this is universal. I am not fat but was overweight for many years. I am older, and have the delightfully attractive back flaps. Not bad, but you know we obsess about things that we focus on more than others do, so of course, that's where my eyes went. HOWEVER, I was/am amazingly delighted how my back tattoo hides them! My tattoo artist placed the long dorsal (top) fin of my eel right along that area, and it's gone! It even gives eel life in a way. There is another thread somewhere around here - maybe it's actually this one or the ladies thread - that talks about tattoos as cosmetic surgery. I've also got the dreaded batwings - but I see women with some awesome upper arm tattoos, and you know what - the batwings end up so secondary to the tattoo. A tattoo completely changes what you and others focus on. Try not to escalate it into something so encompassing. Believe me, when you get that tattoo, the focus is gonna be on the art, not on back fat. Hugs.

Can't go wrong with a Lehi tiger.

Got my study from Kore Flatmo today. It looks absolutely amazing. Getting started on my back piece (a turtle back) in June. Needless to say, I'm extremely excited!!

About to head down the road to the Summit Tattoo Invitational, picking up a little something from Mr. Lehi! Roommate is tagging along and is gonna try to score a walk up with Myles Karr.

Hey everyone, it's been a minute. I'm really sorry for denying you all my deep insights and inimitable perspective this past year or so. I haven't been posting mainly because I haven't gotten tattooed since January of last year, but that's about to change, as I just booked a spot with Matt Arriola during his visit to Philly next month. It's actually pretty crazy—just a week or two ago I decided that it would be awesome to start my left arm off with a tiger head from him (he does some of my favorite big cats, no controversy there I'm sure), but figured I'd have to make it out to LA to do so. But then I got on Instagram today and lo and behold, he's coming here. Planets aligned, etc. Needless to say, I'm stoked.

Getting something by Jeff Zuck in a week. Really excited.

A bit way far but starting full back with Shige in Sept !

Finally finished. This one took about 25 hours. The artist asked me if I liked it. I told him yes. He said good, because you're stuck with it now. No panther is going to cover this thing. Ha! The colors are brighter than what I expected, but they are growing on me. Overall, I'm pleased with how it turned out. The coolest part about this experience, is that I feel like I can just go down to the shop and hang out and have some beer and pizza with these guys. It's a really fun place to hang out and I'm definitely going to get more work done by him. But the artist knows I'm also getting pieces done by others in the area. He recommended several to me.

I always look forward to the start of the month because it means another 3 hours of work on my back, and another step closer to completion. This session I just could not zone out at all. The whole thing just hurt. On the other hand we have now basically finished the background and I'm stoked with how it's looking.

Some more pics!

Rib toad

This is my toad - I'd really like another too. - - - Updated - - - Rather fancy a newt too.

Here's my frog, done by Tim Pausinger at The Pearl in Toronto.

warrior frogs on my arm by Ryudaibori, June 2009

"don't lick the frog" Shawn O'Connor / timbertattoo.ca

awesome thread already...