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First session on this ROA tattoo done by Grez at King's Ave in NYC, still red and swollen. More pics next month after it's finished.

Sorry it's been a while since I've been here. Looking at other people's tattoos makes me want more, and my wallet can't afford it. I recently changed jobs, and to celebrate I got this. This was done by the same tattooer that did my other pieces (Papa Joe in Boise, ID). My back is nearly complete. This is a pic of the fresh tattoo.

Sorry you are going through all this with your Dad. Unfortunately, many people let their own prejudices, likes and dislikes get in the way of meaningful discussions and relationships. What I love about what you write is that you are obviously happy and confident with who you are. Lots of people never get to that point. Never lose that. People who are true friends and who love you won't impose their own beliefs on you - they may not agree with you but they accept that you have the same right to your beliefs as they. As a (as of today) 61 year old, and president of a small college, I get lots of my staff, faculty and students wanting to know if my tattoo is real or not. They want to see it to be convinced. The reaction has been overwhelmingly positive. I was at an event last evening out in the community and I had several people asking, again, if I really did it or if it was fake. Too funny. My wife just rolls her eyes and smiles.

Lol! I actually did this! I didn't actually have a design on my wall or anything though. I decided on a subject matter, style, and placement and gave myself a year. I could tweak the concept, but as long as the core of it stayed the same I would get it. Lots of tweaking happened, but it stayed the same. I made a mistake of choosing a bad artist though (hole in the wall shop but I was dumb and the artist took my deposit and then refused to do a sketch until the week I was coming in so cost wasn't set and he wouldn't give me my deposit back). It took me several years to save up the money to get a good artist to work on me because life kept happening (medical emergencies, emergency vet bill, car problems, my ex running off with my savings...) so I decided to go for a smaller piece on my right leg (9 square inches between ankle and calf). I gave myself a month to really research artists, hammer out a rough design (a broken infinity) to give him an idea of what I wanted for him to refine, get feedback from friends, get aftercare down pat, and save up the last bit of cash I would need for it. My experience was head and shoulders above my last one (thanks in large part to my artist) and I'm more determined than ever to get my full left calf piece of a fairy with butterfly wings and a nature background. Yes there's a lot of symbolism there because that's just who I am, but she's gonna also look awesome. ;) I'm really enjoying having my first tattoo at 30 and already brainstorming how to incorporate it into an interesting right calf piece (Very rough, but I'm thinking either black work or black and gray to contrast the bright colors that will be on my left calf. I'm currently researching my genealogy and was thinking adding symbols and objects that show were my ancestors came from with maybe a couple symbol from different zodiacs in either neo traditional, new school, geometric, tribal, or an interesting black work). A lot of people are supportive, but some... not so much. A friend I've had for a long time is probably not my friend anymore. I told him I was getting a tattoo and was cool with it until he found out it was a broken infinity to mark the year I finally came out as an atheist after hiding it all my life (I'm an agnostic de facto atheist, not an anti-theist by the way). He threw a fit saying stuff like "You know it's permanent right?", "What are you gonna do when you get over this phase and come back to God and are stuck with it?", and "Are you a satanist?". Considering he acted the same when I told him I was an atheist, I'm pretty sure I'm stepping back from the friendship. My dad (who I moved back in with a few months ago after I lost everything) is mad that I wanted a tattoo, that I researched and designed a tattoo, the I went to get a tattoo, that I got the tattoo, that I wanted to show him the tattoo, and that it was "too big for a woman" (3 in x 3 in). He's told me "You had to get the tackiest ugliest thing in the shop didn't you?", "A tattoo that big looks ugly on a woman.", "What are you gonna do when you meet a nice guy and find out he hates tattoos?", "I hope you get an infection and your leg falls off! Would serve you right.", "It was a waste of money and looks like shit.", "You always get obsessed with stupid shit! First it was books, then it was tattoos, and now it's [family history]." (I read all the time, been wanting a tattoo since 13, and found someone who can help me get past where I've been stuck on my genealogy), and "How long do you think it's gonna take for you to regret this?" I went to the hospital yesterday with a massive asthma attack which scared the nurses and got me a stiff lecture from the ER doctor for waiting so long to come in and for driving myself there (40 minutes). I was wearing short pants, so my ink was showing. Still weak, I ended up having to drive myself home. My dad proceeded to give me an earful for having "that ugly ass thing" out in the open, not doing my housework, and smelling like "stinky feet". So after he went to bed, I went in his bathroom, put my foot in his sink, and washed and moisturized my ink. I had to clean my tattoo anyway and I didn't want to get in the shower. Besides, fuck dad and his tattoo hating ass for making me drive to the ER in the middle of an asthma attack (my meds wouldn't stop it, but he thought I was exaggerating even though I've had it all my life). After how my dad and my former friend acted, I kinda welcome the "did it hurt" (it varies, but mine wasn't in a painful spot and felt like a knife scraping across the skin without breaking it), "how much did it cost" (it varies but my guy charges $50 for every 30 minutes), "where did you get it" (Kilted Raven. They're really nice.), "how can you tell if a shop is any good" (clean, new needles, premium ink, willing to show both fresh and healed pieces, reviews and pics online, guarantee work as long as you follow instructions...), "how do you take care of it" (aftercare information) questions with gusto. I also had a decently inked young woman start talking tattoos with me at the library soon after I had mine done. She asked if she could touch my fresh tattoo because it was covered in tegaderm and she wanted to know how it felt (I let her). Then asked how it worked and where she could get some for her upcoming tattoo. I was even nice to the people that think tattoo shops are dirty, dangerous, or just for bikers and military people. One did test my patience when she went on about how "It's better to get your ears pierced at Walmart jewelry with a nice clean gun (...um) than from a dangerous tattoo parlor piercer. Who knows where that stuff has been!?!" which I think is one if the stupidest things I've ever heard in my life! She wouldn't listen to me about autoclaves, inspections, or internships either. Her mind was set. Also, as a random note I seen a post on a Facebook group from people who hate tattoos (I was looking for a way to understand my dad) stating that tattooed parents are something like 800% more likely to spend money on a tattoo than food for their children than untattooed parents. Uh... no shit! Of course people with tattoos are more likely to spend money on tattoos than people without them! It's like saying people with dogs are more likely to buy dog food XD

oh hell yeah got a little ROA action coming in a couple weeks

gonna repost in this thread cause i'm super stoked on my latest n greatest Snake by Scott Rusnak / Lucky Strike Tattoo Edmonton 2016 body wraps onto the inside of the wrist. i'm really happy with the placement which was tricky because I didn't want to lose the dragonfly above. i'm stoked about the negative halo to keep it pop'd. the snake tongue is super legit. Dragonfly (aka Snakedoctor) by Shawn O'Connor / Ink Machine Tattoo Edmonton, AB 2014 considerably lower anxiety during the healing. it's 1 week old now and the snake had it's first shed. the tongue is really scabby but so far everything is holding. hands are a bitch to heal. so now both hands are done and sleeves dropped down all the way to the edge of the wrist. ink is leaking out of my long sleeve shirts yeeehaw

Just finished Jack and i couldn't be happier with it! So excited! Done by Zaed from Radical Ink in Bucharest.

Almost everything that can be said about this case has been said. But when it comes to price I allways either tell the artist my budget, ask for a rough price before we start or agree on a price on forehand. Telling an artist your budget or agreeing on a price isn't and shouldn't be anything to be afraid or ashamed of. It's a business, and you're a customer.

Just got to the hotel from the studio. Planning to add to sleeve out the calf. Looking for ideas. Shane O'Neill at Infamous Tattoo. Sent from my XT1254 using Tapatalk

My tattoo is not finished yet. Im traveling from the netherland to greece for it and i often get asked: Why dont you let someone in the netherlands finish it? how about no?

When my feet were fresh....

I got this on Saturday by JF Bourbon (Bait and Schlang in Montreal) at the Vancouver convention. Sorry for the shitty photo..

Oops. Introduced myself as a tattoo collector in my initiation thread. Ah, well. The phrase doesn't bother me.

What he said, you would regret that big time, just choose the artist and get there as often as you can to finish it - - - Updated - - - What he said, you would regret that big time, just choose the artist and get there as often as you can to finish it

best of luck with your treatment. - - - Updated - - - best of luck with your treatment @Mushu Seeing this thread pop up reminded me that my dad excitedly told me one of my tattoos was starting to fade. He kind of had an "I told you so quality" in his voice that both myself and my wife picked up on. Sorry dad, my skin is just a little dry. One quick application of lotion and the tattoo I got last summer in Japan still looks amazing.

Here's an article that might be of interest in terms of defining cultural appropriation: Fashion's Cultural-Appropriation Debate: Pointless - The Atlantic Another one: http://everydayfeminism.com/2013/09/cultural-exchange-and-cultural-appropriation/ (unsure about what exactly "western culture" means in this context though, if there is such a thing as a western culture, so there are some issues w/this article) It's tricky because many people who try to comment on cultural appropriation specifically within tattooing often don't know anything about tattoos (I'll include myself here, trying to do better). Knowledge complicates things. I agree that this isn't a great conversation for the internet, though here we are, and I have learned more by talking to artists in person about religious iconography and stuff like that. I do think cultural appropriation is a real & worthy issue, but a lot of the discussion around it is pretty unfortunate.

Nearly a year ago I moved away from the City to start a new job in quite a small Town in a fairly rural area, there are a few shops around here but most are pretty poor quality and most of the work you see is black and grey "Footballer Sleeves", Tribal and really tacky "girly" tattoo's with little to no Colourful Traditional or Japanese work on show. Anyway since starting my new job and until last month I've managed to keep my arms covered up by wearing long sleeves, not that I am hiding anything but it's generally how I dress when I work. I also like to keep my private life to myself at work and knuckle down at so getting Tattooed had never really came up in conversation. Recently though the weather has improved a lot so a few weeks ago I went to work with a short sleeve shirt and some of the reactions and questions were priceless. "Do you keep getting them touched up? My cousin got Tattooed a few weeks ago and the colour has already faded and your Tattoo's are older and still so bright!" "Those snakes and wolf are they some sort of Hells Angel thing?" "That Indian Girl on your arm what does she represent?" Then came the awkward moment when one guy showed me his really shitty tattoo on his leg telling me I should go see his Tattooer and that he would do me a good price If I mentioned him, as usual I politely told him I'd check him out and that his Tattoo's were real nice.

rofl. I love this thread. You guys have had some horrrrrifying experiences, though. I must just be lucky. Maybe it's because I live in the PNW, where people are either a) pretty laid back and progressive or b) too pass-agg to tell you what they think directly...? The other week I did have someone grab me without asking to look at my arm. It was a little old Japanese man working at the post office. I went in to buy stamps and reached out to pay him, and he grabbed my wrist and said 'let's see what you've got.' First time for everything, I guess. Mostly, I just get people telling me they really like my tattoos, and asking me where I got them. Sometimes I get asked if they mean anything. The cutest was this weekend at my family reunion, when my cousin reached out to touch the one on my forearm (second one I got, well healed by now) and then yanked her hand back quickly with big eyes and said, 'Oh sorry, does it hurt?' She is 30. haha. I told her they all cause me perpetual agony and she hit me with her napkin. ...I wasn't sure how my extended family would react to the tattoos -- they are all Talbots people. Boat shoes and sweaters around the neck. It all went better than expected, though! Most of them were just curious. It was kind of nice.

When I was feeling extra surly (read: often) and people would comment about how I'd "obviously been in prison with all those tatts" I would tell them "Yep, beat a guy nearly to death for touching my "tatts" and making asinine judgmental comments"

Right on! I got this fun little Geisha that he had pre drawn from some old Hardy flash. I was even representing LST whilst getting it, haha!

I get asked about my blackout all the damn time. "But why would you want to just get the colour black? I mean, did you just run out of ideas?" "Are you just trying to look dirty?" My favorite one: "But what happens when you get old? You're just going to have a black leg." The second I tell them that you can tattoo over it, that spawns a whole new era and stupid questions. Don't even get me started on my ears....

I knew what he meant, and I passed it off jokingly. I made it clear what tattooing is to myself, my coworkers, and those who take it seriously. As I said, some people don't know how to phrase what they mean, and I helped him learn, hopefully. Also, whenever I hear someone say "Do something you love, and you'll never work a day in your life" it strikes me as infinitely uninformed... I love drawing, painting, and tattooing, but it's very hard work. Who knew that all those nights with two hours sleep drawing the same thing 20 times in a row didn't count as work? And it implies that you're supposed to hate your job (and, of course, usually do it to a subpar level because you don't care about it), which is a poor mindset to have as a standard bearer.

It's more that it's a disrespectful and ignorant statement, due to how hard we all do work. A hobby is a passing interest... Playing guitar is a hobby I really enjoy. Just because you're having fun, doesn't mean you're not working extremely hard.

The latest one would be, "what is it"? Seriously.

When I first started researching tattoos I had a bunch of dumb cliche symbolic type ideas. I looked through a bunch of online portfolios looking for an artist that made tattoos similar to my idea but I kept thinking "wow these japanese pieces are really cool/powerful. i wish i could get something like that...." Then I got a koi half sleeve, then some traditional pieces, then a hannya sleeve, more traditional, more japanese. So I think the solution is to force your cousin to look through portfolios and instagram accounts that are overflowing with great tattoos.

It's been true summer for a week now in Stockholm and I've been in t-shirt and shorts most of the time. I am starting to grow tired of talking about tattoos with people with no tattoos/really bad tattoos. I think during this time I have talked about tattoos with most people that I work with, many of my friends (that I do really love by the way) and a few random folks. And I don't see the point… or rather, it gets very tiring. Maybe because many people don't know jack about tattooing, only from what they have seen on tv and they ask you the most rude and stupid questions. And then proceed to show you some horrible work on "a buddy" by making you browse this persons instagram feed. Normally I am a very polite and patient guy but after a week of this.. I don't really think I care about talking tattoos with people who are not deeply into it. I feel like an elitist for saying this but, I guess right now, that's me. I think one of the problems has to do with how tattooing became a mainstream and "cool" thing. Much like skateboarding right about that time when Adidas and Nike decided there was money to be made. Skateboarders used to be the weird smelly kids, the outcasts of the school. It used to be something the general public had no understanding for. I wrote this to a friend recently who thought that my skateboarding hobby was cool "I don't think skateboarding is so cool, obectivly speaking. Same with tattoos. Or, I don't want it to be cool and hyped and a lot of attention and money into it. I prefer when things are underground, wierd/repulsive to the general public and only cool to the people involved and active. Outsiders and tourists destroy everything genuine (especially as soon as money is involved) It's cultural gentrification." /End of angry rant. Back to trying to be a nice person and talk reasonable and in a friendly tone to people who wants to talk tattoos with me. Shit, I did not get these to be a conversation piece. One of the rudest things that I've had to respond to in a number of occasions is about the cost of tattoos.. like "Woow, dude that's a lot of money on your legs right there!". Few people would talk about the cost of the paintings on the walls of a friends place the first time they get invited over for dinner, am I right? ps. I am a really nice guy in real life

Getting a big tattoo has really changed my view of my skin health. I've got several bottles of good quality SPF 50 everywhere and several UV 50 shirts, 2 UV hoodies and coverup. And now that I am thinking thigh, I've found myself slathering lotion over other parts of my body in preparation for possible new tattoos! (You know, because it's an addiction and all...) No, I'm excited to wear my tattoos! - - - Updated - - - I get the standard "does it hurt" and "how much is it costing" and I have no idea why people think it wouldn't hurt. Are they assessing your degree of masochism? Secretly thinking you deserve it? (Rhetorical...) I was on a diving vacation a couple weeks ago and there were three distinct responses. We were diving with the same group of 13 on the same small boat. I wore a rash guard all the time and no one saw the tattoo until the 2nd or 3rd day, so people got to know me as a person. A nice couple our age who'd traveled the world teaching English were so interested and curious (we were diving, my back is an in-progress montage of underwater photographs I've taken) and we talked about the different critters and how a tattoo like this progress. Very nice and completely accepting. They have no tattoos. There was another group, three of whom had small tattoos, and they either didn't say anything and treated me the same - one told me a guy she knew was getting a full suit and was to be featured in a book. She was cool and open. The other group was a family who initially was friendly to me. The dad and I are in the same profession and somewhat muckity-mucks. I could possibly have been a useful contact to him. Then when I showed up at the (inside) tiki bar wearing only a bikini and showing my tattoo off the first (and only) time, the father came around the back of me to look at the chalkboard menu above the bar where I was sitting. My husband told me he stood there for a good 5 minutes staring at my back while pretending to read the menu. After that, they didn't talk to me for a couple days, but a couple of them (including the dad) warmed up to me somewhat after being stuck on a small boat together and having to realize I was a real person. Interesting to see the reactions.

I get some random things said to me about my tattoos. One thing that really drives me nuts, more so than the "plainskins" term, and more than a "tattoo gun" ( Im a tattooer so that really urks me), is when someone calls a tattoo a "tat". I usually have a thermal under my T-shirt so my tattoos arent shown very often, but when a little bit poke out of my shirt I get the "wow you have tats?" or " can I see your tats?" that really bugs me. As far as the typical meaning questions, people are shocked with my answers. I tell them most of the tattoos are just because I like it, or one in particular I got it because "Im NOT supposed to like it" I have a hello kitty day of the dead. I am a guy I am straight, but I got it because "Only girls like hello kitty" I dont always go with the grain of life hahahaa

After spending the weekend with lots of aunts, uncles, and cousins I have a new "plainskin" comment to share: "What is it?" Are my tattoos really that shitty and unreadable that you can't see a snake/rose, demo head, or a skull??? Does a person need some basic knowledge of tattoo imagery to easily recognize the image? Also I was told the thigh is a very girly place to get a tattoo. And tattoo inks are filled with carcinogenic poisons.

Today A women in the gym said my tattoos were the most colourful she'd seen then asked how I kept them so colourful, I said I keep them out the sun and she said oh must be why my foot looks like this. And showed me a very light blue flower that I'm presuming was once a bold blue

Yesterday I was in my car sitting at a red light and the guy to my right motions to roll down my window, I do. He points to one of my tattoos and goes "'EY WHAT'S THAT MEAN??" The light turned green so I yelled out "I just liked how it looked!" as I drove away. Weird place for that conversation.

For future reference Sean Sinha, no worries, most "40 year olds" can handle being told off; we don't have dementia yet and do not need to be treated with kid gloves because of our feeble minds (although I think in this case, you actually did get a 40 yo with seriously compromised brain function).

I told a co worker of mine that I'm getting a rattlesnake and a skull tattooed on my torso. He said "are you getting a Harley with that tattoo? hurr hurr hurr." From now on when someone at work asks me what I'm getting tattooed, I'm just telling them I'm getting a dead relative tattooed on me.

Good one while tattooing a girl's arm today, from one of her friends. "I mean, I know you have to have a steady hand, but tattooing doesn't look that hard." Told him it was the hardest thing I've ever done, with each day being both easier and harder than the day before, a really quick list of about twenty things you have to think about the whole time, and ended it after 10 seconds of awkward silence with "If tattooing were easy, there wouldn't be so many bad tattoos out there," followed by a laugh to make it obvious I wasn't mad at him or anything. He just didn't know. Still... wow.

This is going to sound snobbish but does anyone else have a really difficult time having an enjoyable conversation about tattoos with a non-tattooed person? It seems like they always push the conversation towards: laser removal, their super meaningful/personal tattoo design idea and the long story behind it, reality tv, infection/disease, or other similar non-sense.

good thread :-) one of my favs is 'must be nice to have money to burn'

At this point, I don't have too many exposed tattoos so I haven't had to deal with gawkers. I have had a girl once tell me that I looked "too normal" to work at a tattoo shop, to which I took offense. Most of the people in my circle are very open to tattoos as most of them have tattoos. I do have an uncle who is in law enforcement who love to trash talk tattoos and people with them. He doesn't support my career or the art form. I can attribute the hostility towards tattoos to ignorance in most cases.

I can understand that. I am so glad I didn't get any of the stuff I wanted when I was 14, I'd be covered in nautical stars and metalcore song lyrics. I "sit on" ideas for a few months to make sure I still like it and to help me formulate my opinions about what I want from the piece (I currently have several ideas in that stage :D), but it's not specific designs. And when someone who knows way more than you about something (anything, not just tattoos) tells you they think what you're doing is stupid, you listen. People like the guy I'm mentioning think they know everything there is to know about something, with no experience and no research. On this board, I'm still very much a "newb" and that's humbling and makes me want to learn and experience more; however, compared to this guy, I'm an expert on the subject. So when I tell him what will most likely happen with his design, and he goes out of his way to defy me and get his way even after I explain why it's a bad idea...that's not just a nervous first timer, that's someone that's choosing to remain ignorant and gets what they deserve.

A guy at work last night wanted my advice on a design his friend had drawn for him (sigh), because apparently I have the most "bad ass" tattoo of everyone at work. That's not exactly difficult when everyone else has tiny little wrist/ankle scribbles and swirls. The design is apparently "the only thing" he would ever want to have tattooed on him, and he's been holding onto it for months because he's too scared to actually go through with it. It was basically a question mark with an eye. Of course, it had some deep, literal meaning that he had to explain to me (the question mark is because he's always questioning things, the eye is because he's always seeking the truth). The whole thing was just so poorly designed and pretentious that it took all I had to not roll my eyes at him. I basically told him he'd be better off coming up with a vague concept and letting an artist draw something, instead of having someone imitate this design, because it was awful (I didn't say that). Then I got the whole "Well, this is really personal to me and I want to have some say in its design" response. At the mention of another artist changing it, he said he would just go to a friend of the guy who drew it, who, of course, is an "amazing" tattoo artist and would copy it exactly the way he wanted it. Funny how everyone knows someone that's amazing at tattoos. At that point, I just kind of nodded and went back to work, it was a hopeless cause.

Incense and green soap take me way back. Now they don't use the same type of green soap and the smell isn't nearly as strong. - - - Updated - - - My a-hole brother and his dipshit wife are in town and popped in on short notice earlier today. I have a very fresh tattoo on my forearm and the outline has some red around it in a few places. It happened seconds after the lines were done and the artist said it is bruising. It has gotten much better since Wednesday. So the dipshit sister in law is (was.. currently disabled) a nurse and starts telling me my tattoo is infected. I say no, she says yes. We go back and forth and I question her knowledge of nursing and tell her I do not normally discuss tattoos with those who are without them. This shuts her up somewhat and I ask her how long it takes for an infection to be visible. She goes into some clinical rant and I get her to agree it would take at least 12 hours to a full day. Then I tell her how they showed up. She had very little to say and her and my brother made an exit shortly after that. Rob

One summer's Friday down the pub after work with friends the conversation turned to tattoos as a 'celebrity' had recently posted photos of her tattoos (roses over both butt cheeks) and it had been all over the papers. One girl at the table went off on a massive rant, something along the lines of "How could someone disfigure themselves like that? It's disgusting." I'm sat there with shorts on sporting my brand new calf tattoos so decide to call her up on it. "So you're saying that I've disfigured myself by getting tattoos?" I ask, as nicely as possible. So began the furious back-peddling. "No, your tattoos are different!" and "That's not what I was trying to say at all!" Which I didn't believe for a second. I also had a weird one from my Mum when talking about one of my sessions. Referring to the tattoo parlour, she asks: "But doesn't it get a bit smelly in there?" After inquiring what the hell she was on about, it turned out she thought that part of the tattoo process involved burning the skin!

I live in a very conversative country where 90% of population is catholic.I get stared alot and hear people whisper behind my back while I commute to work how I ruined myself but rarely to my face.I do get irked often and turn around and tell them off.There is good days and there are bad ones and I never regretted getting tattooed. Sent from my GT-N7100 using Tapatalk

This happened in Subway about a month ago. Some inebriated guy came up to me as I was ordering: "Woah, look at your tattoos...your sleeves...you look dynamite! Can I lick your arms? I want them on my tongue!" I said maybe another time and he gave me a high five and left! Hahahah

just tell them you like to colour them in w/whiteboard markers to match your outfit :)

guy wearing tattoo sleeves, saw my arm and was telling his buddies, that his didn't hurt to get.. pull on ones like this... i mean, srsly, who wears these things???

I was sitting in my lawyer's office earlier in the week (deposition for my car accident case) and we were talking about people we both knew from my town (mostly drug dealers and shady lawyers...) and we got around to kids today, how hard it is for them to find jobs even with 4-year degrees. Then he mentions how they are into drugs and getting inked. I was going to pull up my shirt cuff, but let it go. Other lawyers there have seen my ink, but this was my first meeting with the big kahuna. After a tough few hours, it was the highlight of my day. Rob

I'll take one. Also- my wife's mom, upon hearing we planned to get some new tattoos, commented that she would regret it when she was 80. Hell, if I make it to 80 I will be pretty damn happy. People need some new material.

It doesn't matter what you call yourself or what others call you........just get good, solid tattoos....and enjoy yourself while you are doing it!

A few months ago, I approached an artist about doing a re-work to an older existing tattoo. He seemed ok with it at first, but later sent me an email explaining that he knew I was a collector and would be happy to tattoo me, but wanted to do something new and not re-work someone else's work. He explained that since I was a collector he wanted to put his best foot first and do something new and original on me. I didn't take it negatively. I thought it was refreshing honesty and made me even more eager to get work done by him.