Leaderboard

got my neck done by chris conn - - - Updated - - - also started my back with bryan burk

Eagle battling a snake by none other than Chad Koeplinger, finished in 3 sessions, outline in Denver, shading and color in Austin. Sorry about the glare in the photo, my apartment has the worst lighting of all time.

D'aww. Come on over and get some tattoos! :) Edit: Oh hey, @cltattooing put up a picture of what we got up to today.

Finished my minogame, Gemma Pariente - Full Circle Tattoo.

My just completed full back piece based on the tale of Mimi Nashi Hoichi by Fil Wood at Black Crown Tattoo in Leeds For those who would like to know more of the tale please look here The Story Of Mimi-Nashi-Hoichi And you can check out Fil Wood's work here https://instagram.com/fil_wood/

Had my final session with Fil Wood @ Black Crown Tattoo in Leeds and I'm totally drained. Check him out at https://instagram.com/fil_wood/ I'll post more pics in the future once it's healed and touch up have been done, but for now I'm done and ready to jump in a bathtub full of bep

The winner of Tattoo of the month May 2015 is @Scott R with this bad ass Tony Hundahl tattoo. Congrats!! Since @Scott R has won Tattoo of the Month once before, the LST shirt will be awarded @cltattooing who came in second. Congrats!! Please PM @steve1461686340 with your shirt info (size and male or female) along with your address.

hilarious! and original! no one has ever made that joke before!

Almost done!!! 1 more session needed for grey wash background. By Mark Duhan, Skin Deep Ink in New Milford, CT (hummingbird was already there) Back of the arm is swelled up pretty good. This is all about my boys. The flowers are for their birth month. Artist did an awesome job of rolling with my idea for a watercolor/ feminine polka trash colorful mish mash!

What, no books made out of real human skin?

I was at a wedding too last week, and a grown man, who managed to reach 35 years of age, with a family, asked me if I was working on my backpiece myself. From neck to knees. Full backpiece. Was I tattooing it on myself. I just told him I wasn't flexible enough to do that and left forever.

It looks that way, though I'm still not keen on getting my arms covered. Other than my partner, hardly anyone knows I'm tattooed, and I like that. Well, people on here know, but no one on here knows me in person so it doesn't count ;) It's not that I'm embarrassed by my tattoo, I just don't like people knowing everything about me.

I get the same comments about the leaves on my arm. I have a Japanese maple in my yard. It's handy when the family comes over and starts making comments about my tattoo. If the debate ever gets technical I can just pluck a leaf off for comparison. I'm waiting for my weed enthusiast sister to bring over a pot plant as a counterpoint. In general though I'll just give the general public who comment a chuckle and let them think I am a stoner.

does that page have a butt crack?

I just used this stuff again on 2 more pieces and I'm still pretty in love with it. I had my inner bicep, from elbow to arm pit done. I made sure to have the scraggly hair in/around my arm pit shaved. Placed the -derm partially into my arm pit and around the area where my upper bicep meets my arm pit. The stuff is so flexible, it didn't inhibit any movement and was super comfy. I also had the outside lower leg/ankle area done and same thing, -derm placed on my foot/ankle ditch with no problems. ...again super flexible. My method was similar to @Dan except for step 2, I used a small amount of auqaphor. The coolest thing about the -derm for me is, it greatly desenitizes the areas it covers. Instead of having that freshly injured, raw nerve feeling, it makes it feel dull and easy to deal with. I've never been able to sleep directly on a fresh tattoo for 3-4 days until I tried this stuff. The only small downside I've experienced with the -derm is taking it off. Patience is the key here and it has to be done S L O W L Y. I can't stress that enough!! If it's applied to a spot that you can't easily reach, you'll need some to help you. The 4 times I used it, it was removed to reveal an almost healed tattoo with ZERO scabs. The latest 2 (inner bicep/ ankle) didn't even peel. Most people I know who have/get tattoos are astonished how -derm healed work looks after 4-6 days...like "WOAH..you just got that?"

I put both my sleeves on my arms! My artist said that was the best place for them. :-)

He would probably have been just as creepy whether you were tattooed or not. Creeps gonna creep.

...I can't believe this thread has been dormant for 6 months. Last night we went to a wedding. I wore a little black dress with thin straps so the top third of my backpiece showed. I had my hair up. Overall, I got positive reviews or no comments - it was very cool. However, "Jackass" (as he was come to be called), came up to me at the bar. Picture 60 y/o paunch, light pink button-down, partially untucked - all the guys were all still wearing suit jackets. Partially in the bottle. So he is chatting me up and then sees my tattoo. Him: Wow, I just saw your art. It seems like the entire back is a "new thing." The first time I saw one was when we took our son to a dude ranch in Texas and a girl had one. It was quite alluring. Me: ::eesh:: Him: So this was probably more than one session? Me: Yes, it was two. (Actually, it was 20). Him: So, how is your Hepatitis C? Is it under control? Me: Excuse me? Him: You know, your Hep C. And your Hepatitis A and Hepatitis B? Me (deadpanned): Everything is under control. Him: You know, I ask, because you had more than one session, so there was more than one needle. So you have to keep it under control. Me, (skeeved out and walking away): It's fine. So I tell my friends, and we all get weirded out. Shudders. So anyway, later in the night, I want to go back to the bar and get a drink for me and the Hubs. But Jackass is there talking with another guy I don't know. But I go up anyway and talk straight to the bartender and order. Him to buddy: There are a lot of women in those same little black dresses. They must all shop at the same store. Me: ::Stars straight ahead:: Him (announcing into the air): Well, I guess no one heard that. Me (walking away with my drinks): I'm sorry, it must be my Hepatitis C showing. Him: Excuse me? Me: IT MUST BE MY HEP C SHOWING. Him (huffed up and offended): I was just being concerned. ?!? Super shudders. Eeeeesh. One of my girlfriends said I should have rubbed my arm over his and "gotten my Hep C all over him." But I was too skeeved out to even consider touching him. I hate people who play these little word power games. I have to come up with a few more standard answers to assholes. Happily, I did get the chance to smack him back down.

Second sitting with Alex Binnie at Into You. Mainly on my backside, but also lower back, and some further up. This sitting was probably about 3 hours of tattooing, bringing the total tattooing time for the two sittings to around 6-7 hours.

I just had an apple turnover and a chocolate milkshake. It was glorious. But I'm lactose intolerant, so I may be posting an update in the "Post shitty things you have been doing recently" thread LOL.

Session #8 ...a respectable 2.5hrs (27.5hrs total...what the seriously?). I was a bit anxious about this session. It was the first session that deviated from our regular routine (Mondays @12pm, take the day off work, wake up early, workout/train/stretch, eat big-large, pack my thermos and meal). I worked a really intense half day at my day job in engineering. Slammed a coffee, ate a sandwich, arrived at 3pm and ate a bunch of rice and beets. Steve took some time to draw-on the dragon into the monk robe directly. Dragon was quickly outlined. Coloured in with gold and yellow. The robe was coloured in with a dark cherry red. I made it through a heavy 2.5hrs on the spine, shoulder blades and bbq-back-ribs. Damn, my right side hurts more than the left! We were both happy to call it for the day. I'm still bruised from the section below 2 weeks ago too... I'm feeling very connected to the details of this piece. The symbolism of the good luck dragon in the robe - I've been part of my kung fu school's dragon team for the last 10 years. Before Sifu passed, he reminded me that the Dragon is the signature form of his kung fu school and to keep his legacy going. It is with great honour that I carry the image and power of the Shaolin monk on my back. And as I was getting this work done, I drew strength from some of my junior kung fu brothers and sisters who are presently over in China training at Shao Lin. We came close to busting the needle bar at the end of the sitting, joking about my iron shirt technique haha. No seriously though, you could hear a nasally phase shift in the sound of the machine response, sounded like a jews harp! I'm back at it in early-June for Session #9 ...likely the final session in which Steve will tackle the robe trim details and skin tones and eyes on the monk. Then it's time to relax and enjoy what is looking like a busy exciting summer for me. Go lake swimming, camping and burn my shirt in any fire pit that crosses my path haha. Steve and I will regroup in the fall after the ink has settled in for touchups and we will hit ALL the black again to really saturate the shit out of it. Then the real fun begins...filling the remaining small openings in my suit with fun little tattoos. "Eric, I'm bummed we are almost done! I'm never gonna see ya again...I really enjoy tattooin ya man!" Shout out to Steve Batt in Edmonton, AB. One of the most underrated and skilled tattooers in Canada...seriously this cat is on a different level, constantly striving to improve and progress his drawing, composition and tattooing. amituofo :cool:

Yesterday, I finally got tattooed by my teacher. I told him I wanted a tree on my leg and that was it. This is just the first session, all shading, drawn on with marker. The canopy on the thigh will come later. Afterwards, I got bandaged up and tattooed one of his clients, into a piece he had started last year. It was such an honor for my teacher to take a day out of his (booked out 6 months) schedule to tattoo me. Also, to have him allow me to incorporate my tattoo into his was amazing. I did this little mockingbird and drew the branch on, so it was also my first time freehanding something for a tattoo. I'm still buzzing from it all... or maybe that's just my leg healing? Haha thanks for looking.

The first time I saw tattoos, or counterculture for that matter, was on some spiky punk rockers. It would have been the late 80's. My parents told me not to stare and locked the car doors.

i'm 6'3'' and it took 12.5hrs to outline my full back from neck to knees. i we were shorter it would be faster and cheaper...

Actually, just an honest light hearted comment. Thanks though, for being so awesome.

hahahaha that reminds me of my cousin, his first tattoo when he was 14 (also done in some guy's kitchen) and his mom took him b/c he wanted one sooo badly. My brother looked at it and said "jeez, how many Doritos did you have to give the guy for *that*?"

Disgusting, I hate religious zealots! I Had an older man approach me the other day and asked WHY I did that to my beautiful skin. I told him I had waited my whole life for a beautiful piece and I love it. He then asked about when I get older like 40 and changed my mind.......I answered that I'm 43 and I'm quite able to make permanent life changing decisions. BUT Thanks anyways. It's funny though, that he would feel so uppity about my work since he had been panhandling before I walked up. I also had another man ask me what my tramp stamp said. I said excuse me...1 I'm not a tramp and 2 I don't have any tramp stamps. He answered It might help you get pregnant. :( WTF? Oh then last night, Hubby and I were getting a beer at a local pub when some skezie guy started talking to me about my work then started stripping to show me all his....He then asked about hourly wages. It didn't bother me since he didn't ask how much it cost. I told him....He said HOLY SHIT! I NEVER pay more than 40 an hour and my guy even does it in my kitchen....I smiled and walked away quickly.

Nice when the tattoo comes in under budget. I think the artists want you to come back and don't want all of your $$ at once. I'm sure they lay jedi-mind-tricks on customers all the time.

I'm really hoping to get there for the friday, i have a friends wedding to go to the next day so i'm not 100% sure if it's doable yet but here's hoping.

I have never heard this before and I love it!

@JasonTO I'd say with your example, just go for it! Sounds associative and good to put blood next to a reaper, maybe there is blood on his scythe. I've seen it many times, it can look just right. On a personal note I can really enjoy when things that don't seem to fit together are tattooed next to eachother. In my head it creates this strange dynamic synergy effect and all sorts of makeshift associations open up. That's part of the fun with smaller tattoos in my opinion. Over time you will see how the "interpretation" of compositions and individual tattoos change or get more complex, depending on how you change and the things you learn.

Urgh, what a creep. It gave me the shudders just reading this. I can well imagine the guy and how you really wouldn't want to come close enough to touch him... Good reaction anyway, I would probably just have been grossed out and not able to say anything intelligent at all in that situation.

Nice one for finishing! Looks great! I cant wait to join you...

@SeeSea sounds like you handled yourself pretty well there - ignore fools like this i do this thing where i pretend people like that are just furniture - background anyway i find that reactions to tattoos tell me an enormous amount about a person unfortunately it aint always positive meh be psyched about your upcoming tatt :)

I agree with @DavidR this guy sounds like he was more interested in being demeaning towards woman in whatever way possible than he was in your tattoo. What a sad scary person.

Saw an owl today at work in the tree. incredible to see them in real life. I recommend to go see them in the zoo or maybe with a guide for some owlspotting.

This is difficult to selfie!

o-z-z-y

Something a tattooer told me that I wish I'd known from the start: get the big pieces first.

The situations when being around kids are the hardest. I was almost always shunned by other parents in every situation involving my kids and social interaction. It always took a while for other parents to get to know me before they stopped rushing in to rescue their kids from the "weird tattooed guy". Although I had tattoos for 10-12 years before my kids were born, it still took me some time to adjust to strong/negative reactions I got from other parents. The strangest thing anyone has ever said to me regarding tattoos was "you must be so sad every day that you ruined your life with all those tattoos"....... my reply was a surly, "yes, I asked our lord and savior to forgive me everyday, please pray for my soul" as she was clearly a religious kook... Even though I'm not from a small town, it was still rough in the late 80's, early 90's having a lot of tattoos. Rough as far as stares/comments and general disdain for "my kind".. I was a delivery driver for a beverage company for many years and my company thought it was a great idea to send the 6'3" long haired tattoo guy to all the worst, inner city stops they had. Their reasoning was "he won't upset the upscale store owners and who will mess with him in the bad areas?" It suited my personality, so it didn't take long to adapt. I think the people in the inner city areas were baffled by my tattoos but pretty quick to accept me as they knew what it was like to be outcast too... At one point, I got so sick of answering the same 3-4 questions I got asked 1000x a day, I had business cards made to give to people instead of having the same exhausting discussion over and over. They said: TATTOOS....YOU BET!!! a: Yes, they're real !!! a:Yes, they're permanent !!! a:Yes, it hurt !!! a: No, I don't regret a single one !!! The back of the card had a rant about "if the card didn't answer all your questions, see a reputable tattoo shop near you" and the quote "the only difference between tattooed people and non- tattooed people is tattooed people don't care if YOU have tattoos or not" Anyway, I don't get as much attention now-a-days now that plenty of younger people have hands/feet/necks/faces tattooed and every pop star and NBA player is fully tattooed!

after almost 7 years of getting tattooed i just finally got my FIRST eagle the other day... thanks to tony sellers while he was guest spotting @ tattoo marks for the week.

I don't notice stares much lately and haven't, to my knowledge, been called a thug before. At least not to my face anyway. I don't really feel self-conscious much, but then there are areas I visit where I put on a jacket by habit. If I get comments, they are usually positive. These days I have more people saying I look like Steve Aoki. I don't really. I'm just Asian with long hair but I do remember a couple of experiences. There was a time once while standing in line at the Market, an elderly woman was staring at my arms. She told me my tattoos were beautiful and they looked like shirt sleeves. I thought that was really cute. Awesome, really. Another time, I was at a close friend's birthday for her 2 year old daughter. I was probably the only single person there, the only visibly tattooed person there and I have long hair and a beard. I definitely stood apart and one of the kids there noticed my tattoos. You could tell she was really curious, staring and smiling, and wanted to look closer. The problem was while I knew 80% of the people there, I hadn't met this particular child's parents so unfortunately my internal alarms went off and I went into self preservation defense mode and had to disengage. The little girl's curiosity was cool but it kind of sucked I felt that way and felt the need to do that. They could have been cool with it, but you never know how parents can be when it comes to their child and they are just trying to look out for their kids. I guess I'm keenly aware these days I'm not as inconspicuous as others and I've never been good with babies and children to begin with. Another experience which was interesting, was a time in London. I was out with someone I was visiting, and met a few of her friends at a bar in the eve. It was winter and cold so I had a coat on. We were all sitting and chatting for a bit. All was good, then I realized I still had my coat on inside. I took it off and didn't think much that my shirt sleeves had been rolled up so everyone saw I had tattoos. Most covered it well or knew I had tattoos but for the rest of the night 2 of her friends kept staring at my arms. It was very obvious and a little uncomfortable. Mostly just weird. Neither of them said anything. I ignored the stares but it would have definitely been better had they just asked me about the tattoos or said something. I mean I won't shank people just for speaking up. Really I won't. Interestingly I've actually felt self-conscious a few times while visiting the UK. I don't know why. Love visiting there though. Oops that was long...

Just got home with this one. Still swollen...

Got this done by Steve Byrne at Rock of Ages the other night.

Not on me (I wish!) but I couldn't resist posting this here. https://instagram.com/p/2XMZmTnXSj/

Not sure how realistic you like your realistic tattoos. Myself, the hyper-realism, and even most of the photo-realistic stuff is not my cup of tea. They look really cool, but not my style. My personal preference is toward the realism built upon a traditional "framework", for lack of a better term. Darcy Nutt is really good at tattooing what I described above - because pictures are worth way more than my crappy descriptions. One of my personal favorite artists, and a super chill lady - I hope to get more work from her one day. I think a black and grey realistic owl would be cool. Have any idea what kind of owl you want?

Honestly, I saw it as a compliment that you have found something that you are not only good at, but appear to be enjoying. Some seem to try to find something wrong about everything they hear. Some try to find something good in everything they hear.

"Tattoos are an addiction eh?" Tattoos make me happy, so very happy! And yknow what? So does ice cream. And I bet basketball makes other people happy. Motorcycles make people happy. "LIKE OMG BASKETBALL IS AN ADDICTION EH?" "YOU MUST BE ADDICTED TO MOTORCYCLES." "MY NAME IS ERIC AND I HAVE AN ADDICTION TO ICE CREAM." You see? It's just a tattoo, not heroin for Christ sake!

Once people quit tattooing, or in rock n roll die, they become more desirable due to the "unobtainable factor" Never got tattooed by Dan Higgs either but lived and worked close to him and met him on more than one occasion. So I guess I didn't want one that bad. And back then Higgs was an anomaly rather than an unobtainable ghost leading a pack of confused newbies looking for a place in tattooing. No offense to anyone on that. we all start somewhere knowing nearly nothing.