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Got this on the back of my knee by Tim Pausinger today at The Pearl Harbour Gift Shop. I was really surprised that he said he didn't tattoo this before (or anything else on that sheet). Saw some really cool Bill Baker flash in there of all these different wrestling holds - awesome! If I'm back I'm getting the sleeper hold one for sure. Most importantly met LSTer @markbee and his wife - really good folks. Next time In in town we'll have a proper coffee / bite to eat ... Although then again can't beat a meet up in a tattoo shop either.

It was great to meet you, your wife, and your wee one today! It was also a blast getting tattooed on the next table over. It seemed a fitting way to meet a fellow LST-er. That tattoo looks great in the pic and even better in person. Tim's a great guy. I'll post a pic from my tattoo at The Pearl in Toronto. This diving girl is by Glennie, one of my favourite tattooers. And ya, Baker's flash is pretty great. Its my goal to get tattooed by Bill sometime soon.

From @monmoncats a couple weeks ago... https://instagram.com/p/1BJPmbxR2g/

I'll answer your questions, I think they're important questions and not outside the realm of reasonable inquiry. While I do think that a veil of secrecy is important to the artistic and technical aspects of tattooing, this is stuff that the customer should know about especially if you are concerned about your health and safety. In my opinion, the quality and transparency of your sanitation practices should be comparable to that of a physician. The information I am about to give anyone reading this right now IS NOT LICENSE TO GO INTO YOUR TATTOO SHOP AND SARCASTICALLY GRILL THE TATTOOERS ABOUT SANITATION PRACTICES IN A KNOW IT ALL MANNER. BE POLITE AND RESPECTFUL OR SHUT THE FUCK UP. Also don't take my word or anything you read on the internet in blind faith. This is how I keep my customers safe: Saran wrap, drape sheets, and dental bibs covering every surface of my workplace including station, armrests, and massage tables. Anything that I touch during the tattoo will have saran wrap, barrier film, or tape covering the surface. I use stainless steel tubes which are scrubbed with a detergent and then autoclaved for 60 minutes inside of sterile pouches which have steam indicators on them to let you know that they have reached the appropriate sterility temperature. I use single-use stainless steel needles which have been ethelyne oxide gas sterilized by my supply company, also with an indicator strip. Every part of my setup is single-use and disposable except the tubes which are autoclaved, the soap bottle which is autoclaved, and my machines which are wiped down with a hospital-grade antimicrobial chemical. We perform weekly spore tests on the autoclave to ensure that it is sufficiently killing all of the nasties. Once my supplies are disposed of, I also spray and wipe down my entire workspace with hospital grade antimicrobial chemicals according to cross contamination practices I have learned and am tested on according to my Blood Borne Pathogens certification that I am required to update yearly. I have been vaccinated for Hepatitis A and B, although no vaccine for C exists as of yet. I am also licensed to tattoo by the Alameda County Department of Environmental Health and will gladly show you my paperwork for both my license and BBP certification. I have been asked by customers in the past to explain and demonstrate all of this information and to me it is never a hassle because I am doing my part to keep myself and my clients safe, and I do not want to tattoo someone if they are uncomfortable getting tattooed by me.

Horitoshi family has you pull your knees up to your chest to really get that stretch and get in there when the time comes. Cannonball style!

You are clearly a beautiful and intelligent person, and that sounds very hurtful. My partner was sitting across from me on my laptop as I was reading your post - knowing that he doesn't like tattoos, I asked him what he thought about your friend's statement. He looked baffled for a moment and then said, "What the fuck? Why would anyone say that?" So this person doesn't need to be into tattoos, but he does need to not be an asshole about it. In a broader sense, I think we're deluding ourselves a bit if we think we have any idea of what our partners are going to look like as we get older. Not to be morbid, but accidents happen and limbs are lost, faces are scarred - people have stayed with their lovers through much worse than an aging tattoo. Yet, for instance, the Internet loses its shit if a woman ages the "wrong" way (trying too hard to look young, looking too old, etc etc etc).

@Rad Kelham For me, personally, it's about more than just the aesthetic of it. Yes, I agree that the full pre-planned bodysuit is the apex of tattoo art. And every time I see one it blows my mind. Not just the tattoo, but also the dedication, care, and thought that went into it. With that being said, there's a certain satisfaction that accompanies the one-shots as well. Yes, it can be impulsive and instantly gratifying. But that's just part of the experience. It allows us the opportunity to relive that magic with every piece. Maybe it's a new city, new artist, new shop, new idea - it all allows us to connect to new people and have new experiences. Where as, maybe, with a much larger project it starts to become a chore and we just want it to be over so we can see the finished product. I am wayyy too ADD to stick with a single style or theme anyways. I love so many different things that it would be against my nature to dedicate it all to one cohesive suit, as beautiful as it may be. I just like the way it all looks - piecemeal and full bodysuit.

@beez you are beautiful and I agree with everything that has been said in response to your post.. Sounds like he has some growing up to do. Meanwhile, of course it hurts, but now he can get out of the way of you finding a more meaningful relationship...when you are ready. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

@beez - This is shitty on so many levels, I am so sorry. My husband is currently plainskin, but by August he no longer will be but... I've been getting tattooed for a few years now, and when I started I was partly concerned that this would be an issue with my husband. Thankfully, he respected that this is my body and he loves me for me - no matter what my body looks like. He's also very pragmatic in that he knows we'll all look like we're 80 regardless of tattoos or not - something like this is not an issue. For me, it would sting so much more because it is a choice to get tattooed. You love the you with tattoos, so he's rejecting your choices, your body, your life. It's much more hurtful than saying, "I just don't like you" because it is so specific. It's also saying, to me, that he wants someone who would be willing to change (or deny) their essence in order to be with him, that he wants his partner to be who he wants them to be (in order to love them) and not who they are (wrinkles, tattoos and all). Big hug for you.

Pics after first wash!

Some people's tattoo worlds seem really small... (In my own world, there are lots of cool different ways to get tattooed.)

I think what would bother me about it, @beez, is that behind it there's an element of 'how you look when you're older will matter more to me than who you are as a person.' It would bother me that someone would think ahead to the point when I might not be young and fit and attractive and just cross me off of the list because some part of me may not age gracefully, in their opinion. That some nebulous future involving my aging body might matter more to them than the years until then, or all of the years we'd already shared. And that's crazy, isn't it? Nobody has any guarantee of aging gracefully (and obviously tattoos look pretty goddamn rad on older people, but I get that this is a subjective opinion). We're all going to get old and wrinkly and whatever else. It's just life. When I decided to get tattoos, I told my mother that if I lived my life with the ultimate goal of being bangable at 60/70/80, then I'd have surely fucked up somewhere along the way. If I'm hot and older, so be it, but what I want to be at 60/70/80 is interesting. I agree with everybody else -- I think he's saved you some time, and maybe even some worse heartbreak down the road. It doesn't make it any less bitter, I know. It's a very myopic position for him to take, imo, but at least he was honest about it. He'll have to own that in the years to come, for better or worse.

That snail with boobs wouldn't load on tapatalk when I was traveling. It's like 500% cooler than I was picturing.

@sophistre absolutely gorgeous sleeve, the color palette is so smooth and unique. @DavidR you also make excellent decisions hahah

Sorry Beez, what he said must of been a harsh slap in the face - I think his words go even beyond body shaming, it's also getting older shaming - like you need to be perfectly preserved at 25, forever. Wow. I think this maybe be the type of person you don't want to spend your time/energy with as much. I'm so sorry. Even if he tries to backtrack - what has been said cannot be unsaid. I find it strange that he has never mentioned any of his feeling about tattoos throughout your relationship. This was a really shitty way to treat someone. There are people out there who are of good heart and sound mind that won't let such things as tattoos and the inevitability of aging distract them from enjoying life and love.

A truly loving person would never say that or think that. Sorry.

So gross. But the outline is complete and most of the shading is done. Now to heal up and get the ninth off!

From a personal standpoint: I have one-point tattoos so far. I am sometimes impulsive. Don't really see an issue with my tattoos possibly conveying this about me...

Hokay, cross-posting by request, cos SeeSea is such a flatterer. I was going to wait until Greg posted the pictures he took of the new stuff, but he may not. Sun came out today when I was about to head to the gym, so I tried to get some myself. I got a diving girl, and we started a cobra, though we didn't finish it. They're looking a little bit foggy/chalky because I peel fast; they'll probably start flaking by tomorrow. It makes it hard to see the blue details in the diving girl, sadly. Sorry for the terrible angles! These links are just an overview of the whole thing, before we added the cobra. https://instagram.com/p/1gugZ7TBPK/ https://instagram.com/p/1guZOxTBO-/

Although I see your point @Mark Bee, I still stand by those comments. I wouldn't walk up to a stranger and say that, but on a tattoo forum amongst cognoscenti, it's fair and honest. Now you've edited your comment and mine has no context. Basically he said I was being a dick to people with traditional tattoos - which was fair game.

Still doesn't mean I have to like it, dickhead. Don't have to be a great artist to have an opinion on art. I'm only a few months into drawing. You think you are the king of this place and I can't figure out why. How about saying something intelligent rather than publicly insulting people?

I don't understand how anyone can make absolute statements about the value of one type of art vs the other. It all has value to different people in different ways.

@RoryQ Excellent! That wrestler flash is really great and I've been wanting something from it myself. Was Bill there? He's a great dude, and I don't think it's an exaggeration to say that he's a big reason why so many of us get great tattoos.

So sorry that you have been hurt, but... count blessings it has finally come out, and you can move on. My wife has no body mods and was a bit shocked last year when I started. She seems to mainly be concerned that I get good work safely, and am pleased with it. She has never indicated an objection. It hasn't changed who I am.

Sick bro!

Doesn't he know that tattoos just get better with age?

^^^ Thread title didn't give it away?

Yes, I do. I anticipated it being terrible, but honestly I am so accustomed to being in pain 24/7, that it wasn't bad at all. Just the few real tender areas. Lastly, I have not noticed any issues during healing or afterwards.

@sophistre fucking beautiful arm :) @Isaiah118 like the broken rosary for the wording :) @knucklehead211 shame you didn't get a pic before the cling film went on :( As regards the coverage chat, always had planned mine from when started getting tattooed that they would be individual pieces that would all eventually be merged. Which is starting to slowly happen.

I think you've got it right there. Neither of you will be having fun when the needle goes right into the Grand Canyon though!

Dammit @sophistre, you're killing me! Is it possible to die of arm envy?

Unrelated to the last post, here's today's session with Derek Noble on my ass and thigh.

Thank you very much!! I am thrilled with it. You aren't alone in those feelings. His instagram gets comments frequently from people lamenting the passing of his 'animals wearing necklaces' phase, though less these days than before, since he refuses to tattoo it anymore. That original style is what first drew me to him; it's beautiful artwork and seriously impressive...but maybe not very optimal for a tattoo. He's told me that he was really into it while he was doing it, but he was tired of it, and he said he's realized they're all going to age very poorly. Listening to him talk to one of the other tattooers in the shop one night, he also said he finds doing the actual tattooing with traditional much more satisfying and enjoyable -- that he used to enjoy when he achieved the effect he was going for with the neo-trad, but he didn't actually enjoy the labor of it. This last time I was down there, he talked about how he admires the simple economy/elegance of the designs...that he's played with altering some of them and most of the time he discovers that the thinking that went into that simplicity is actually extremely complex, and most of the designs he likes best just cannot be improved on; that it's difficult to change parts of them without compromising something else. As for the sleeve thing, originally I did want a full sleeve. I've known I wanted to be tattooed since I was pretty young -- early teens -- but I wasn't much for American traditional. I made a lot of the same ill-informed judgements about things like flash and whatnot that I hear other people making these days. I did love Japanese traditional, though. I wanted to be covered with it! I even exchanged faxes with Horiyoshi III back in the day. (Faxes. Seriously.) I don't regret the way things worked out, though. Like Bmore, I find the use of negative space extremely striking. It's fun to show up to the shop and not know what you're going to be getting; it's sort of like getting a present. And you can get all kinds of different things -- so many different artists doing different takes on all kinds of styles and subject matter. Full sleeves (and squid pants :o) are gorgeous in their own way, but they eat up real estate. It's a trade-off, I guess. Also, I sort of feel that piecemeal sleeves like this one ARE full sleeves, in a way. You may not know what the full character of the sleeve will be until it's done, but when I see people who have whole limbs done in this style I still get a very specific impression from the overall collection of images -- something with no less an identity as a cohesive piece. It's one of the things I was thinking about when I read all of the nice comments on the other thread...I almost wish I could get some distance on my arm and see it the way other people see it, as a whole thing rather than a collection of parts. It's hard to do when it's on myself, for whatever reason.

i'm buckling my seatbelt for this thread... ok - i'm ready...

God, I'm so horny right now!

Hi @Beans yes I had Fibromyalga from around 2000 to 2012 / 13 . As far as getting tattooed I found the tattooing process probably a little easier as I was so used to feeling uncomfortable most of the time with the condition . Mentally tattoos also helped me because looking at them and finding out about the history etc gave my brain a break from Fibro and allowed me to focus on something each and every day that I really enjoyed which didn't wipe me out totally like most of the other activities I had previously loved . Particulary I think this site helped me a lot too so stick around and I hope you get out of it what I have .

monkey morph! done!! i only have four monkeys on me... 3 wise ones together and one separate smoking a pipe. no matter what you decide, it's gonna be badass. simple as that!

every artist is different and can probably stand different levels of inquisition before they figure out you're micro-managy head case. ;) per the prior comment, the artist's vaccination status doesn't really impact the sterilization methods since they're not the ones with open wounds bleeding all over the place. you might have to look at all the records of their past clients! what you should realize is that they are (or should be) just as concerned with cross contamination as you because they have to deal with bloody clients all day long. go to a reputable shop or reputable artist and relax. your list could drive yourself crazy, let alone the artist. i kinda want to help with the crazy list... - mop schedule/log (signed and dated) - mopping cleaning agent ingredients - mopping cleaning agent expiration date - last time you changed the mop - last time you cleaned the mop bucket - pH of the water used to mop - pH of green soap mixture - green soap expiration date - vaseline expiration date - calibration records of autoclave - lot number and expiration of vaccination - lot number of needle used for vaccination - vaccination records of last 5 sexual partners

Here's a couple - - - Updated - - - Then one of my and my newborn for the heck of it. I'm just not sure how my other arm would look if it was half b/g and half traditional color since there's no way to add color to what I have. I'm not worked about mixing themes. I like the look of traditional with a Japanese background. Just wish my traditional arm wasn't so dark and had more flow. Next thing I'd like to change is darken up or do something to my mandal. Just seems a little bland. Maybe some dotwork inside or something to make it more detailed.

In my opinion.... I think is about others not wanting too look stupid in front of the guy who is about to tattoo him... Some what of a fear... So they use the internet to ask questions like this... I would agree with you if it was about after care, etc... But questions such as the OP... I see them as people doing research... - - - Updated - - - Understood. :)

You're good dude. I'm possibly in the wrong here. I just think it's weird to chat about here on teh internetz. Standard, across the board, if you have concerns about your safety, always ask the person you're getting tattooed by. Everything you want to know about tattooing can be found on the internet, so just don't be surprised if, when talking to people you don't know on the internet, and some of them may/may not be tattooers, they may not the most forthcoming. If you want the answer, you can find it. But I still enjoy a certain veil of secrecy around this business.

New member here. Finally getting to get tattoos I've always wanted and loving it!

Yup. It is. He is now on Instagram @Victorytattooing

I am stoked! Saw a post from Jon on instagram that his appointment did a no show no call and was looking for somebody to fill the spot for 8hrs. wwww00000tttttt!!!! I am game homie! 1st Session 6hrs.

@bongsau - Shad is super nice, and SO FAST! We got that snake done in 4 HOURS! 4!!!! Outline, shading, color!!! He does use bactine, as you mentioned, and that helps so much. He said he is going to be up in Canada, so I hope you get in to see him! This was a really painful session, all in all. The upper back is like hot fire. Not fun! I am so stoked to get to this point in my tattoo, though, and I can't wait to continue the collaboration. We were talking about a dragon on the rest of the back of my legs looking up at the snakes. !!!! Anyway, for those who might have missed it on IG, here is my new snake!

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

Not all religion frowns on tattoos. I worship with a congregation that has three members of the praise team all with tattoos (visible), and I know several ministers with tattoos. There is one verse in Leviticus that forbids tattoos for the dead. That same chapter forbids cutting the hair at the sides of your head or edges of your beard, harvesting from a fruit tree less than five years old, or wearing clothing of two kinds of material. There were reasons - good reasons at the time - for each of these. Doesn't mean it all applies today.

My spouse is kind enough to wait with me in line for the rollercoaster, but ducks out at the last sec. Me, I ride every one I can. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Bless his heart, my boyfriend thought I would be excited by these: Temporary Literary Tattoos | Litographs

Forgive the lengthy post, but I went through the whole thread and wanted to add a few things to the conversation: That is an excellent type. This! Women have to contend with so much douchery while dating, anything that reduces it is great. The problem I consistently run into is that men are “intimidated” by me (I’ve been told this over and over for years, by girlfriends and guys alike). I wear too much black, I look too stern, tattoos make me unapproachable, my job is off-putting — my opinion is that if a man (or woman) is so insecure and frightened by my outward appearance, I want nothing to do with them. I’ve only had one serious, long-term relationship (6 years) which sunk for reasons far more serious than my tattoos. But, as I started getting work done towards the end of it, he very clearly expressed his dislike. I’ve had other flings with plainskin guys, but they didn’t seem to feel strongly either way about it. I have quite a bit more work now and I plan to become heavily tattooed, and I can’t see myself with someone who doesn’t support it. I think it would be cool to share ideas and discover artists, and have someone who gets exactly what it means when I say “don’t touch it, it’s fresh”, haha. With that said, I wouldn’t want to get tattooed together. Getting tattooed is something I very much enjoy doing solo and I’d like to keep it that way, whether my SO is tattooed or not. Girl, I feel you. Putting your phone in front of someone’s face and going “isn’t this the most amazing tattoo you’ve ever SEEN!?!?” to hear a nonchalant “it’s okay” just crushes your enthusiasm. At first, I got side-eyed by friends and guilt-tripped by my mom all the time (she was a single mom; as a rule, how I spend my money gravely concerns). And yeah, when you add up all those hours of tattooing together, it looks like a lot, but it’s spread out over a long time, with carefully chosen artists whose work I love and find extremely beautiful. People outside of tattooing only see the number, they don’t understand the attachment you have to your own work. That shit is priceless.