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@Intomyskin You will be fine. I am a brewer which is a physically demanding job (on my feet all day, lifting 55lb malt bags, climbing in and out of brewing vessels, many many flights of stairs, etc) and I was working the day after many sessions without issue. It was nice if I could get tattooed on a Friday or Saturday to have that weekend off but it's not necessary. The day after one session I took a five or six hour train ride and, again, it was fine. Same thing with aftercare. The day after my final back session my wife went into labour and my child ended up in the NICU for a couple of weeks so I healed my back sleeping on hospital couches and maybe taking one shower a day. No problems with healing. You're overthinking things.

I posted an update in the Initiation forum, but realized it isn't as widely seen. Here is a condensed version: Session 3 on the dragon sleeve is done. I went in thinking we would color it in and I'd be done or nearly done. Nope! 5.25 hours of green and red. In the ditch. Ouch. April: May: Last week: I'm very happy with it so far, but dying to get the final touches of detail into the dragon. I count 120 cherry blossom pedals all the way around. Given that 2 min each average is four hours, I'm doubting we will even finish next time.

Started this in January (i posted the lines here before)... this is 5 sessions in w/ 2 hrs each time. Again, I want to thank the LST community for leading me to Jason Brooks -- I could not be happier w/ the results :D

Going to Hong Kong next week...so once I get back it's open season on tattoo time (re: winter) haha. I've got a bunch of fun ideas (in painful spots, not fun!) percolating in the brain so will see how things develop and how crazy/creative I'm feeling once I get through my trip. Hmmm maybe I'll postpone my return flight a few days and see what kind of mischief I can get up to in HK...my bud did get a bare-hand Jimmy Ho tattoo last year but damn it looked gnarly and took him months to heal. My wife is also getting tattooed by Jessie Beans in a month. I'm really excited, probably more excited about her getting tattooed than she is! cheers

This is Gunner. He's a dork. ♥️

Going to be discussing my back/ribs with Dave on Sunday while he tattoos me. With just my own input as of now, Im thinking full "turtle" backpiece extending down the thighs, just before the knees, and wrapping around the torso with 2 opposite images on either rib, with the "river" down the front. I already have a traditional chest piece so we will have to work around it. Im stuck between the goddess Benzaiten with her bowa and a white dragon, the pearl diver and dragon, or just a dragon. As for the ribs Im thinking a Nue on one side and a Kirin on the other. I enjoy the contrast between the two. As for the back of the thighs Im not sure. It depends what goes on my back. Im thinking Tennyo would be nice. I look forward to his input.

I guess these aren't technically my newest, but they are only a few months old. (Friday 5/13) they were new to me in several ways, and I love them. I also wasn't' sure where else to post them!) I wasn't really that big of a Traditional American fan until I saw Dave Kruzeman's winning back piece from Ink Master. Side note: I'll be seeing Dave for a piece on my knee in a little over a month. I'm super pumped. It pretty much blew me away, made me dig deeper into tattoo culture and to do a ton of reading and researching on Norman Collins and his apprentices. That lead me to the Friday the 13th tradition and got me thinking about some fo the bad luck I had with tattoos when I was younger. When I saw this rework of Jerry's "Superstition is for Sissies" black cat, I knew it was time to choose my own tattoo luck, and pick better artists and tattoos So, I made sure I always have a black cat in my path. Ian "Jonezy" Jones did these for me at True Tatoo, Hollywood and was insanely fast getting them in. I think the whole thing was under 90 minutes and the shading was my most painless shading I've ever had. After the fact, these hurt so bad I mentioned them in the "most painful tattoo" thread. This is the un healed picture, but they healed nearly perfectly. This is just the only picture of them where my actual feet(not the tattoos) don't look super gnarly because I can't take a good picture of them with my phone, and I don't want to bother anyone else to take pics of my big gnarly man feet.

it's just the audio but its still a fun listen.... http://chicagoathleticevents.com/podcast/robert-ryan/

I look forward to seeing what you come up with.

Thanks @Graeme! You experiences are helpful. Overthinking things is one of my special skills LOL! I'm an architect so I spend my days planning things out in advance, trying to anticipate what will happen on a project. I can't help myself!

Thanks for your thoughts. You seem to have knowledge when it comes to this topic. I think the hannya will be taken out for sure. Thanks for taking the time to respond. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

The koi and dragon is a great image. There is a Chinese legend of The Dragon Gate, where the koi that ascends the waterfall and reaches the peak is transformed into a dragon. In Japan, the koi repressents hard work, dedication, and confidence. The koi s a symbol used on Boys Day, in hopes that your sons would be like the koi. The koi swimming the waterfall and being transformed into a powerful beast repressents over coming obstacles in ones life and attaining greatness and success through hard work and dedication. The dragon ascending into the heavens repressents success in life. I think you should have the koi on your forarm and dragon on you upper arm. Its a beautiful image, and great story. The hannya repressents anger, jealousy and sarrow, and can be used as a symbol of change, (usually paired with maple leaves for this reason) a repressentation of the full swing of human emotion, (sarrow and mourning to bitter hatred and jealousy) or the dark side to something that was once beautiful. As far as motifs go it doesnt really fit. Id leave it out of your sleeve and get a seperate one-point style hannya elsewhere on your body. But this is just my western impression of the info I have. I encourage you to do your own research. I can see the tattoo now, with the koi on the forarm paired with rocks, water and sea grass, transitioning to the dragon on your upper arm paired with clouds and whirlwind. Really beautiful.

Interesting conversation. This is what forums should do...bring a community together in a positive thought process and not flaming others. I definitely agree less is more. But where I struggle is, though I love traditional Japanese work, this is the only section I'm dedicating to this style. And to me, koi is a must. Along with the dragon. So Many decisions to make in 5 hours. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Not entirely true. From my understanding, dragons are neutral, but the majority of the time tend to be good omen. There are many instances in which dragon fight humans. Tamatori the pearl diver running from Ryujin is a good example of a ryu/human conflict. Or Susanoo who slayed the dragon Orochi to save Kushinadahime. Or the dragon that was eating children that the goddess Benzaiten soothed with her beauty, and latter (in some stories) married the dragon. There are other instances in which a witch transforms herself into a dragon as well, and stories of multi-headed evil dragon. Although rare, there are certain instances in which ryu fight swordsman. But as for your tattoo, less is more. If I were you Id just go with a dragon skeeve with nothing else, but thats just me.

Oh god.. Guess i'll come early!!

Just had the ditch colored in last week. If I had to pick, I think the linework through the same area (done a few months before) was worse than the coloring... but both were bad. Here it is about 2 minutes after being done: Almost as bad -- that little negative space elbow where the green makes a Y... we colored that in red next. And the constant wiping of the paper towel over the green area that had just been done was awful. Like sandpaper.

As Fall approaches, I'll be breaking out the slow cooker more often. It's so easy.

I enjoyed Friday night last year, but it was far from quiet! It was quite packed with a mega lineup to both buy tickets and get in the doors. The mad scramble for all the six pm appointment holders haha.

I don't think the banner lines are fine. But he should absolutely do whatever he wants to do. :-)

Its just normal bruising. Both your new tattoos look great. Relax guys, the lines are fine. @Jason687 go back and see whichever tattooer you jive with. Or try someone new, enjoy your time at the shop.

Trying to get a last minute tattoo from Dust Wu Horitsuki. Were going to chat on Saturday and see if he has time to squeeze me in.

Let's wing it. I'm getting tattooed at 11 and A. is getting tattooed at 3 so there will be a baby handoff happening sometime there and a lot depends on his mood/napping. It's not his first convention though so hopefully he'll be okay. I'm sure we can make some kind of hanging out and sharing tattoos and stories happen at some point.

Your kid screws up brunch meetups like it's his job! Two years in a row ;) Saturday convention meetup it is. Do we plan a time/place or just wing it?

Bad news! The brunch place I had in mind doesn't take reservations and because I have a really small window of time (my kid gets vaccinated at 9, I have a tattoo appointment at 11) I'm going to call the brunch off and suggest that maybe those of us going to the convention on Saturday try to grab a drink there?

Well, my 2nd session with Garver went down this past Friday. This pic was taken right when it was done. Best part is, he asked if I was interested in sleeving out my arm. I obviously agreed and more sessions are to come. Going to connect my Back to the Future portraits with some other elements.

So I wasn't expecting another large scale piece. But Steve Byrne loved my basic idea, and I DID specifically tell him, apparently, quote "go nuts". I am a wreck this morning kids. Link to video:

Haven't posted in quite a while so i'll update you all on a couple of new(ish) additions. First up is from the Bristol tattoo convention in June, done by Stewart Robson: And this one i got a couple of days ago from Marcos Attwood at Broad Street Studio, in Bath Not particularly great photos of either one but i'm sure you get the idea

Session two with Horitomo! Almost done with the lining and am looking forward to the shading.

by Robert Ryan in Asbury Park, NJ spur of the moment walk in :)

Amazing work! I'm in the process of booking with Will Lollie when he comes out west this fall. Super excited about it. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Three new ones last night by Will Lollie! My wife and I got "matching" swallows and I also got the bison head. I've also added a quick picture of my healed foodog.

Traditional woman-head in a spider web - by Dane Soos

Amy Winehouse as traditional pin-up

Some updates on my sleeve from today. Here's the Jizu and Kannon from a month ago: And the green on the dragon from today - underbelly and flames in July.

Just got my first tebori from Bunshin Horitoshi. Tosi is a great guy! Highly recommended. I went with something classic and simple for my first japanese tattoo

I don't have any tattoos on my shoulders, so I am big fat zero help. But I wanted you to know I read your thread, even I have no insight. Haha.

Don't tell me that people walked into a shop or picked up a phone, talked to a human being, looked through a portfolio and then made up his or her mind and booked something (or not), because that's obviously crazy.

The problem I see with this "tattoo style flow chart" is that it enables people to do all their research from the comfort of the home computer. A consultation tool? Whatever happened to walking INTO A TATTOO SHOP! Y'know, feeling like your going to shit your pants when the scary surly tattooer with a cig hanging out of his mouth comes to the counter to greet you with a smile, flash a gold tooth and says "what'll it be kid?". And you say in a shaky voice "uh um uh uh...i'd like a tattoo" and mr.tattooer says "relax kid and make yourself at home, we gots lots of flash on the walls, photo portfolios from our tattooers are on the table" and you say "uh thank you!" and then you sit back and flip through the books, get excited and see what type of fine work this shop is capable of. THAT is research. maybe I'm being a snob. yes, most probably. but part of getting the tattoo is that experience. and I'll never forget the first few times I walked into tattoo shops. some of them i looked around for 30secs and walked right out. some I stuck around for an hour and half and waited to be able to chat with a tattooer who's work struck me. it made getting a tattoo a real thing. so maybe you are thinking about your first tattoo. or second or third. or you're nearly filled up! whichever way I encourage people to get off tumblr and instagram (okay, stay here on LST though hehe) and go into that tattoo shop with the butterflies in your stomach to see what the tattooers within your reach are capable of. don't dissolve tattoos down to binary decision making -- make your tattoo an analog life experience. GO FOR IT! /endrant!

What is this, the high school guidance counsellor method of getting tattooed?