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Showing content with the highest reputation since 02/08/2011 in Blog Entries

  1. This is something that encounter at least once a week..... you know how when you have a dentist appointment you try to cram 6 months worth of flossing into 15 minutes before your appointment? or if you have to go to the doctor, you try to shower up before you go in for whatever is ailing you? WELL PLEASE FEEL FREE TO TAKE THE SAME LIBERTIES WHEN YOU ARE GETTING TATTOOED!!!!!!!!!! brush your teefs so it dont smell like you been munchin on shit sandwiches for lunch. if you are getting your foot or cankle area tattooed, please wash your dawgs and wear a clean pair of socks! dont come in after working in the sun on the job site with your work boots and wool socks. and for you goofy hipsters.... wash your feet, borrow some socks from your dad, and wear a pair of shoes other than the sorry ass moth holed pair of vans you bought 5 years ago and have been wearing EVERYDAY since. you're gonna spend hard earned cash on a cool tattoo on your foot only to slip said foot into a pair of sneakers that smell like onions and vinegar?! not so smart. do the right thing. and while you are at it, wear some pants that fit you and put your girlfriends shirt back into her closet.
    14 points
  2. kylegrey

    Tattooed Characters .

    Its great to see other media forms doing their homework and utilising more tattooed subjects . The first example of a Marvel hero being tattooed occured in the Pacific Overlords with the appearance of Kayama Inouye aka Irezumi . Sega went straight to the source for the Yakuza game series and utilised the enormous talents of Horitomo . And most recently Dr Lakra has exhibited pieces tattooed with his black and grey flavour .
    4 points
  3. Shannon Shirley

    On the road.

    hey y'all...I am officially on the road now, for those that give a damn. I'm currently working at "The Ink Shop" in Baton Rouge, La. with Brad Andrus.A real nice group of people.Notsure where Im going from here. Im open to suggestions.
    3 points
  4. Louisgoodwin

    Water colour tips

    Does any one have any water colour tip e.g getting greys to blend out perfectly ,or who makes the best products , and do you really need to stretch the paper with water first .... Any tips would be cool
    3 points
  5. briankelly

    Gentleman's Tattoo Flash

    Pretty excited that Gentleman's Tattoo Flash is now selling my work! https://www.gentlemanstattooflash.com/node/1406
    2 points
  6. Nick Colella

    New updated Website

    so with all this social networking Facebook, Shop Blogs,Twitter and all the other crap i had let me website fall to the way side, but recently i updated it and added a little tattoo history photo section I still need to tweak it a little more but for now its up and actually has some newer(within the last 2 years) photos. I think this LST thing kinda lite a fire for me to rework it http://www.lostsoul.com any input would be appreciated
    2 points
  7. P_wizard

    Basic Science behind Tattooing

    I figured I would deliver on my blog promise and discuss some mechanisms of tattooing and the science behind them. I'm sure many of the experienced tattooers and tattooies have at least heard many of these topics but I think this will establish a good break down into to the sweet science of tattooing from a new perspective. Just to preface my background a bit I have been getting tattooed by Zenon Pawelski for 7 years now and I have been privileged to be his friend enough that he would let me tag along to all the hot tattoo conventions like Villain Arts in Philadelphia, the National Tattoo convention in Orlando, Fl, just to name the most recent adventures. By osmosis I got the opportunity to meet some really awesome skin wizards and hear some of the best stories you wish you've heard. I recently started blogging for Tabernacle Tattoo in Tampa, Fl and really enjoyed discussing tattoo studies and drawings but I wanted a platform I could discuss some other aspects of tattooing that correspond with my interests and professional background. I studied political science and chemistry at the University of South Florida and I am a candidate for a PharmD degree at USF College of Pharmacy, hopefully through this platform I will get to learn and educate alike. Thank you all for reading Tattrick HQ!!! LET’S DO THIS!!!! From the time I started hanging around tattoo shops I was fascinated with the machine mechanics. Watching the mini piston and listening to the buzz of the machines feels therapeutic to a degree. As I gained interest I inquired about the machines and what makes them tick, I found out that there were just a few basic parts involved to make the machine do its thing. The basics are somewhat easy almost anyone can make the basic motor (not advised or condoning it) apparatus with household parts. However, it takes a real technician to master the intricacies of the machine and to make it function at its optimal ability. Many of the artists I have been exposed to can just hear or touch a machine and know exactly how its going to perform. I admit I am a little jealous of their ability to understand something with such a simple interaction but I do understand it takes years to acquire these abilities, with that being said lets get back on track: So a tattoo machine is essentially a little electromagnet, not much to it you can make one using a nail, some copper wire and a battery, if wrapped correctly this is called a solenoid. The tattoo machine utilizes the electromagnet the solenoid generates as a motor which pulls the pin down until it connects, driving the needle down into the skin. Once connection is made the pin fires back up and this rotational process of the magnetic field connecting-disconnecting-reconnecting happens rapidly to the tune of the harmonic buzz of the tattoo machine we are all so familiar with. Hopefully that paints a nice picture of the general mechanic of the machine, so lets talk about the cool stuff, the biochemistry behind the process. As the needle plunges into the skin many times a minute it injects ink or pigment into the skin, this is done by the needles breaking the skin and injecting the ink into the dermis layer which is just under the top layer (epidermis). So here we are, we've made the punctures onto the skin injected ink into the dermis layer and now this ink or pigment is just sitting there. Keep in mind the human immune system has been triggered during the action and now there is a response gathering in the areas of ink injection. The natural immunoresponse of irritation, swelling and redness are typical for trauma to the skin these are signs that the white blood cells or soldiers of the immune system are on the scene. The white blood cells are actually trying to fight your tattoo and remove the foreign substance from your body. Normally, a foreign invader entering the body in a similar fashion would be introduced to a quick demise and circulated through the lymphatic system and ultimately out of the body. How are tattoos permanent? Essentially, the ink molecule is just too large for some of the white blood cells to consume. Some other WBC can ingest the ink but cannot process the molecule, so it can stay in the dermis. You can think of this as just a microscopic game of Pac-man the white blood cells are Pac-man and the ink molecules are the orbs he likes to eat. However, Pac-man can’t eat these orbs because they are too big and bulky for him to get his mouth around, so the orbs settle in and Pac-man doesn’t get to eat. After the WBC are unable to target the foreign invader the body will begin to heal the “wound” formed on the layers of skin. The image of the tattoo will go through additional healing process which includes the scabbing and crusting most of us have seen and finally we have the finished healed product. It’s pretty cool how many issues with the skin will be corrected over time, cuts, scars and burns may not completely disappear but do fade, but a proper tattoo that’s built to last can be forever. Thank you for reading my first blog article. Let me know what you think. Have a great day! Ive included some tough tattoos from the tattoo shop sites I work on listed above for your viewing pleasure. Resources: https://inchemistry.acs.org/content/inchemistry/en/atomic-news/tattoo-ink.html
    1 point
  8. i have a cherry blossom tree on the top of my arm and i cant figure out what to do with the bottom. please leave suggestions xoxoxshaysgotink
    1 point
  9. Nexy

    Medusa design

    soooo i designed a medusa portrait for my sleeve, still not certain ill go with it though
    1 point
  10. But they all look cool, which is what's most important to me. But lemme back up.... A few months ago, [MENTION=2896]CultExciter[/MENTION] and [MENTION=50598]cmmercer13[/MENTION] were visiting SF from Virginia. [MENTION=3461]keepcalm[/MENTION] was out here at the same time, so [MENTION=3422]CABS[/MENTION] and [MENTION=5385]cltattooing[/MENTION] and I decided we should all meet up for tacos. The tacos were delicious, and the company was even better. [MENTION=5385]cltattooing[/MENTION] brought along her friend Rob Mopar, a visiting tattooer from Australia. Over dinner, Rob and I got to talking about his young son and my daughter and their burgeoning love of tattoos. I said that when my daughter was 3, she told me all the tattoos she wants when she grows up: a gray skeleton with white toenails, a donkey, a turkey, a birthday cake on her knee, and "a red dragon, but kinda silly, holding a lollipop." Carolyn laughed and said, "When's your daughter's birthday?" I told her she was turning 5 the following Wednesday. She asked me to text her the list of tattoo ideas because she wanted to paint a flash sheet for my daughter. Three days later, I got this: I was (and remain) blown away. Look at it! How perfect is that thing? And just so kind and sweet and thoughtful. My daughter? She loved it, right down to the stars and dots and "hanker" as filler. I knew when I saw it that I had to have that dragon. My wise wife said, "You better ask our daughter for permission. After all, these were her tattoo ideas." When she's right, she's right. (Editor's note: she's usually right.) So I asked, and my daughter assented. Today, I'm happy to say that I'm the proud owner of this goofy little guy: She nailed it, and I wouldn't have had anyone else do it. As a bonus, one of my closest friends also got tattooed at FTW today (his first! a beauty from Michael Bennett), so we went together. All in all, a great experience. Thanks again, Carolyn! This "meaningful tattoo" stuff is kinda cool (now and then :cool:). LST Forever, Ross
    1 point
  11. Trying to incorporate them into my fashion blogging. Most fashion bloggers of course are not tattooed (or pierced) so I will see how readers will like it :p I think they go well with all my dark, gothy or nostalgic fashion posts as well as more modern stuff.
    1 point
  12. In the past month I’ve paid for two extracted wisdom teeth, a pound of hamburger that went bad, a pound of chicken, set a date for my wedding, got punched in the face by my crazy dad, so I decided to get drunk and write this. I’m on drink two. If you’re going to write while you’re blasted, don’t start out sober. Now that’s stupid. If you’re smart have one or two then get going. Reason being is you need to have some focus. One thing I learned in high school when I thought that some sort of latter day Lester Bangs swilling cough syrup and charging forth on term papers and book reports was cool. Well it wasn’t, and being the teen aged drunk I turned to… what was in the house. Scotch, Dewar’s, fine stuff now, but to my weak, un liquor trained body it was awful, so I mixed it with sour. I’m on drink three now. Tell you another thing while I’m at it. You think to yourself, “Oh the guy playing music up there is drunk, but I’ll be damned if he isn’t playing killer!” It’s called practice. Yes, band’s practice, but it’s important to know your limits, which is what practice is for. I know now that any form of liquor and Gator Aid is recipe for disaster. The booze/sugar/sugar/electrolytes and whatever the Hell else they put in there will kill you almost. Or that if you funnel 32 beers, you’re gonna pass out, but then you gotta walk home. Or that if someone says,” I got some ___________. Who wants some?” You say no. Drink four, keep ‘em coming. I tell you what I DON’T like to do when I’m drunk. I hate tattooing. I detest it. I’ve done it once, no, not again. Not that it isn’t fun to tattoo. But I get bored, I want another beer. I want a smoke. I want to walk around. I want to eat the worm. I want to wake up naked in the back yard with one shoe on and no sock, and one sock on and no shoe. And the dog was licking me. Is. Drink 5, you know what I like about you? I’ll tell you. You’re reading this, that’s why. One day, maybe when I’m dead and gone and in Potter’s Field in the damned Bronx with Charlie Wagner (And I’d bet my life Apache Harry) some of you might even get a giggle out of it. Or a titter. Can you say titter here? Titter. Drink six You think you’re better than me, don’t you? With all your fancy art school training? You’re not my dad! I don’t have to take this. Ernie! Gimmie another drink, and a Shirley Temple for these… this… (Sobbing) I’m sorry. I love you guys. If I had a nickel for every time I said it… Let me share a cab with you home. Can you pick up the fare? (All correct spelling and grammar brought to you through the power of MS Office.- ED) (not Horton)
    1 point
  13. Gloomy Inks

    In the weeds...

    "My fuck," I groaned, sweating, "I'll never get out of the weeds." I rolled over, blinking, and saw my lady looking at me. "You alright?" She asked. "Yeah. Bad dream," The light of 3AM being way bright for me. "Bad?" She as always had to fish for it. "Work dream," I grunted. I've never met a woman more supportive of my endevors, and she even backs me on the crazy ones. A rare and kind person I am lucky to have met. I have been working on my machine building quite a bit these days and I must admit, I haven't set up a machine in a few months. "Was it one of your "I'll never catch up?" dreams?" She should be a therapist. "How'd you know?" I asked. Corection, she should have been a spy. "I heard you have that one last week. A "MOTHERFUCKER!" woke me." "Sorry," Said the Gloomy Man. She put her hand on my face. "You need to tattoo. It's your passion." "Baby, fuck those machines for right now," She added. She was, as she most often is, right. So today I spent a while playing my upright bass, packed up my building supplies, and pulled out my now very dusty, cheap, shitty Harbor frieght box full of machines and began what turned into a tuning session. And a visit with old co-conspiritors. Got me to thinking about my clients passed. So tomorrow I figure, what the Hell. Maybe I'll do a few.
    1 point
  14. My lady and I just got cable, and cable internet, which is why you get to read more of my stuff. Lucky you. Yeah, huh? I'll not watch Ink Masters. Just won't happen. I got burned by tattoo shows long ago, and once bitten, last time on the channel. I'll give 'em a shot for a few minutes, but then I see pin striping cars, and I hate it. But ya know, I'll watch shows where they do cover ups all damned day long. I guess its the people person in me. What is tattooing if not the hardest of all the customer service positions; "I really like the weight of these lines," Machine buzzing away, "Goddamnit! Quit moving around or I'm gonna fuck you up!" So we're digging the show, and I can't keep track of time. Dates seem to be a recurring "I don't give a shit" subject, time however never seems to come up. It does with me though. I have to make conscious effort to keep track of things like when I need to be places, or when I have a some poor deluded dummy who likes me stick figures with a lemniscate that pass for pin ups with huge hooters. I do pretty good too, so hey. Sometimes though, I just lose it. Five hours or five minutes? I'll have no idea and I look up, shit, it's 5 AM. So this ad comes on for Ink Masters. Fer one, just cause you have tattoos, don't make you an expert Dave Navarro. What's really funny is that I almost called him Dave Grohl. I like the man's guitar playing, but he 'effed up a whole Chilli Peppers record. Never mind that. Oliver Peck. Oh, little Oliver. What an angry, shitty little guy you are to people. I mean, I know it was hard when you came up, and it must not have been easy. But settle down man! Calm yourself. And I like toothpicks as much as the next guy. You're at Sizzler though, and that is one of the few places I'll walk out with a tooth pick. Just smoke. Do it. Take your pills too. I didn't notice who the third judge was this season, so someone is spared my wrath. The ad goes on. And on. And, AHHAAHAHHAHAHHHAHHAHAHA!, it's still on. "Are we watching this?" "Yes, we are," My lady says. "Please turn it...," I say. "Can't," She replies. I'm getting agitated. "Why not?" She smiles. "The remote is in front of you," I turn to look at the chair that we use for a table. It is, in fact, on the chair. I turned it. So I saw a whole minute. At least.
    1 point
  15. After a great deal of pain and my fiance' getting me to move on it I went to the doc's. I have these tumors... and they have been bothering me, and like many, I ignored it. I work, go home, and jump online for a few hours. "I'll get to it," I say to myself. So this pain was in my huevos, and that got me to go. Not fun pain in the least. My doc asks me if she can see the tumors. I go to unhitch my belt. "Noooooooo, " She laughs, "The ones on your back." I do, and her jaw drops, she turns white as a ghost, "Cafe Ole spots, fibroma... it's Neurofibromatosis type I." (A genetic disorder, and if anyone cares, here is a link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neurofibromatosis_type_I) "That's what I thought. A tattooer friend, who knows medicine, told me that a year ago," Said I. "Consider this a second opinion," She said. This doc has known me since I was eight years old, and she used to give me sample packs of antibiotics because my family was poor. I turned to her to jokingly ask her if antibiotics would help. She was still white, she had her hand to her mouth and looked as if she might cry. Nice lady, like I said. I stopped myself right there. "Is this what the Elephant Man had?" I ask. She nodded, almost unable to speak, "Yes... I didn't want to say..." I figured that, as I had seen a documentary on Joseph Merrick, although he had both NF1 and Proteus Syndrome. I jumped in the air and ran over to her. Granted, I wanted to give her a hug, but she's a pro, and since everyone in my mind is a potential client, I gave her a high five. "YES!" I yelled. "You're happy?" "Sure I am. I know what it is now, I'll find treatment as best I can fr as long as I can (there is no "out" for this, as Stoney St. Clair said about Ben Corday who had TB, "You watch the leaves fall and regrow for a few years, and then they bury you."), and I tattoo. Tattooing was a big part of the sideshow. My lady's family were all in the carnival business. So as I see it, all I gotta do is learn to paint circus banners, become a human volcano, and swallows swords. I can be my own 10 in 1." Of course the shock wore off, and now I'm none to pleased. My lady and I will get married, but until I can get checked out at a clinic that specializes in this, my prognosis will be up in the air. Not to mention I may not be able to work for much longer behind machines. Bummer two, I just tuned my Jim Dandy's after a year with no problems and they purr like vicious kittens. Sure, I got my books I'm writing, and I figure I can still paint flash for a while, but this has become what I always dreaded. Fatal illness. And it isn't even one I would have expected. Lung Cancer. COPD. Heart Attack, or a stroke. Nope. Not a one. In fact, this has been with me since conception. I have been a ticking time bomb of badness just waiting to happen. Bitter? Naw, just bummed I might have to leave the party early. Sad? Maybe that people will see me as a freak, and since there are no more sideshows, I can't go out. (I'd be tattooing on a sideshow right now if they would have me) So now it's SSDI and Medicare for me. Sweet. But I'm not angry. Shit, if I get real awful looking I can always use it. All the world loves a tattooer? No? Yes? They loved Stoney, and love Grime, so a big tattooed guy with deformities... maybe I'll still fit in. Anyways, for my one friend on here, I'll be posting snippets of my book now and again. Buy me whiskey, for I have no money for whiskey now. Oh and 11 mags. I'm out and using 9s. Yes, you feel bad for me right? (wink)
    1 point
  16. I hate to throw around the word professional. I mean, what is a professional tattoo artist? Is it some one with dedication? Someone who understands art? Someone who can pound whiskey and tattoo a few hundred sailors in a night? Or is a professional one who does not slag off competition. One who treats even the dumb with respect and kindness, but yet has a line that you don't want to cross? Or is the professional tattoo artist one simply there to collect money, the art be damned? A scammer, full of BS? Well I think the whole idea of shit talking is utter non-sence, and I'm not scared to say it. Sure there are quire a few old timers who liked to sling mud, but in this day and age you can't say, "Oh, there are too many artists." You can back it up with all the excuses you can think of, but when it comes right down it, it's bunk. The population of the US (not to mention the world) has grown, and if any one can read past a needle grouping code and do the damned math, it isn't much different numbers wise, it's just inflation. Tattoos used to be from a quarter and up pretty much. Put in the mid 70s and beyond inflation and now you got big money coming in for you. Look, I like to pretend too. I like to think of myself as a big bad Bowery tattooer, rough and tumble, and ready for a fight I'm sure to win. Were those times tough? Damned right. Were those times good for people? Ask anyone robbed or beat up, or slashed with a razor. They'll tell you it was damned rough shit, no doubt about it. Frankly, I'm damned tired of it. "No business being in this business?" What was it Sailor Jerry said, "When you think you're the best, you're already on the way out." Ever think your egos might be getting the best of you? It's counter productive pride as I see it. If Tatts Thomas had not brought the young Norman Keith Collins aboard, we'd be missing so much in the art. If Roy Boy didn't let Paul Booth work his table, just where in the fuck would that "dark art" be now except for the inside of Booths sketch books? I recently saw a very old Booth tattoo, before he worked on his own. You know what it looked like? Flat, that's what, and in color. I'm not going to get all tough guy here, but really, it's 'mersh art that sells. If you have the guts to learn more, try hard and put up with a ton of shit, any knuckle dragger can be great. It don't take great minds, it takes guts. See? Guts. I have the balls to wear my ink, work, and I don't take a whole lot of hokum from guys and gals who sadly took a whole lotta shit to get where they are now. I was recently called a scratcher. And was told to "kill myself". I laughed. If they get angry, not only have you scared them, but you have them talking about you and maybe even on the run. I'm sure the part time artist who said it was pissed. I'm taking his money and whats more, I learned the right way, from a master artist. If I'm so "bad" why do I still have clients? You could say that people don't know art. And nine times outta ten that's true. But really, I'm the guy for my place and time, much like The Dude. I fit right in there. So to anyone who might read this that doesn't tattoo, don't let the braggarts fool you. Bragging is a sign of insecurity. To those who do tattoo, shut your mouths. More to come from a guy like me, be cause I'm not a Forty Miller. I refuse to stop, bad mouthing and all. And with that, I wish you a fine morning. Sorry I'm a grump. My back hurts from TATTOOING all day yesterday. (Let the insults come, but make 'em good. 0 to 100% grading scale, with no curve. Cheers!)
    1 point
  17. So Scott Sterling and I went on another roadtrip. This time of year it is always to Inksmith and Rogers to stay with the Wilsonian Institute of Tattooing...ah..I mean Mike Wilson. Always a good time. But this trip was especially eye opening because we went to Augusta Georgia to Interview Jennie and Ledann Peace. The legacy of Tex and Ann Peace of Portsmith Va. Cap Coleman finished tattooing working for Tex and Ann and Scott and had met Jennie and Ledann last summer at the augusta convention we did with Mike and Angelo last year. Jennie has been tattooing since 1971 when Tex broke her in. It is a great story i will tell or rather she will tell in full detail in the interview,but the basics are she showed up to work instead of Ledann one day and asked Tex and Ann to teach her,Tex lined up some stewbums and said "free tattoos" she did 3 of those,then they went to half price,for three more then full price,she did 25 tattoos the first day and that was it...off and running. She still tattoos without caps on her machines basically because Tex told her they were useless,she also is a prolific flash painter, mostly colored pencil like Coleman and Paul, but Tex would circle the designs he wanted done out of the back of the Spaulding catalog and Jennie would use a magnifying glass, and they are just beautiful. It was almost like stepping into a time machine back to the early 80s...Really impressive,.......the state of tattooing is beyond tainted when it went from one shop in augusta to over 40 now...So sad...but she is still tattooing although the Peace Family shop closed earlier in the year after 40 years open,she is working at alliance ink now....You would be doing yourself a favor to get a tattoo from her,both Scott and I got one,using two supremes from 30 years ago. They had been working off acetates until about 3 years ago,when they went to the green bay convention and got hipped on thermofaxes...With so many kids now trying to be traditional tattooers it gets no more traditional then Jennie Peace. I will post some pics later..I am at the shop now and do not have the right cord to download from my phone. Of course Inksmith and Rogers are family so the trip they was great as always everyone working there is smokin,please watch for Eric Inksmiths interview in TAM, also Jennie and Ledann Peaces...I also have a great article coming out in Penthouse "The Penthouse Guide to picking a tattooer or how not to be a dummy hanging on the dummy rail" I tattooed the editor for penthouse on during my trip to NYC with Bob Roberts in october...they got weak and hired me to write one. Shot at 2011-12-24 Shot at 2011-12-24 Shot at 2011-12-24 Shot at 2011-12-24
    1 point
  18. A.Sanchez

    NEW IMAGE ART x DRUGS CREW

    Some pals of mine are having a gallery opening at New Image Art here in Los Angeles. Come on out and see some very cool installations. I wrote a little blog about it, like to see it? Here is goes....... http://www.jetblackstains.com/2011/12/drugs-crew-x-new-image-art.html
    1 point
  19. Last month was super busy. First we had Ink and Iron tattoo convention at the Queen Mary in Long Beach. I barely made it to the convention at all. I was going to go on Saturday but I'd heard it was hot and crowded. I guess as I am getting older and working more in the office side of things here at Dringenberg & Co., I feel less like hanging around not working at conventions. Besides with my new school and work schedule I have to try and make time to rest. Even though I have taken time off from school to work this summer I am still finding it hard to find extra time. After Ink and Iron was our one year wedding anniversary. While we have been together for what seems like forever, we only got married one year ago. This year we celebrated our anniversary at the Tattoo Masters Invitational at Hollywood Park. It was really fun. Although there was not that many people coming thru the door, it was a tattoo convention for tattoo artists. I feel like everybody there was able to get a small piece from someone and really take the time to visit with each other. the night before the convention started was a roast. It was my first tattoo industry roast. The Roasters were Bob Roberts, Joe Vegas, Jack Rudy, Freddy Corbin, Philadelphia Eddie, Paul Jeffries and Permanent Mark. The Roasted was the legendary Hanky Panky Schiffmacher. I though all of the guys told some great stories and there were more laughs than awkward silences. So to me the evening was a success. It was really nice to see Freddy and Lisa Corbin. Freddy married Dan and I last year and I always enjoy when I get to the wives. It was additionally cool because I got to meet Henk's lovely wife Louisa. I had never met Henk so getting to meet both of them was awesome. Long ago when Dan was away and I lived in Italy, I had taken a trip to Amsterdam with some friends. I dragged them to the red light district to go to Henk's tattoo museum. So meeting the Schiffmacher's and being invited to the new tattoo museum opening was for me very rewarding. It's like things are stating to come full circle. It feels good to work hard at something and be able to experience the fruits of your labor. Which brings me to what is happening now. If you are in the tattoo industry and you are on Facebook then you probably know what I am talking about. There hasn't been one day in the past week where there hasn't been a posting on Facebook to boycott or sign a petition to boycott some new tattoo t.v. show. I will not give ANY credibility by naming it, but you all know what I am talking about. Here's the thing. Why should we help them with free advertising. All the posts and google searches only fuel the fire that is already burning. If you are a true artist then such nonsense shouldn't affect your trade. My father is a world renowned musician. Don't you think there are music schools and internet videos already in existence that could potentially take business away from him? Let me tell you, there are. And good for them. But what does that have to do with him? NOTHING... For him, he wakes up every day and goes to work. Whether he has a gig or not. He is up practicing his instruments at a minimum 8 hours a day. He has been playing since he was 4, and professionally since he was 14. His craft supported a family of 5 children and none of us ever went with out. So I ask, why is everybody so worried about this new t.v. show? If you are a true craftsman/woman of the tattoo industry and you work every day perfecting your craft, this show will have no impact on your life. They say it takes 10,000 hours to make a master. So just work on that and let the chips fall where they may. Do great work and your life will be blessed. I realize this business is a business and there is a certain amount of the game you have to play. While I may not agree with all of the politics they exist and we have to coexist whether we want to or not. But please, please,please......stop giving credibility where no credibility is due and just get to work. Work on your 10,000 hours and be rewarded by your achievements. To read my full blog with photos check out www.theillustrateddaughter.com
    1 point
  20. My apologies for not being a better writer. Hope you enjoy. Thanks for your time. http://laughinghyena.wordpress.com/
    1 point
  21. Scott Sylvia

    one fucking year.

    So....One fucking year already? I can't believe it has been that long. seems to fly by with everything going on you never really keep track of the beginning point? At least I never do, but thank god somebody paid attention because I sure wasn't. When loch told me about it I was surprised to say the least. I would like to thank everybody who has participated in this place, from the blogs, to photos, to the stories and even bumble nuts who i think may secretly be marrying ursula, "they really had an energy between them". ha-ha i would really like thank the great tattooers who have let me intervene in their lives for a while and show people what i find great about them and there work that needs to be shared. I would also like to thank everyone for their patience with the changes of the actual site while we grow and try to keep it an easily useable site. Who would have thought we would have so many photos so fast? We are having a get together tonight and I cant wait. Spent all day shoveling and ripping out concrete. I could use some diner and adult conversation, as adult as I am capable of. Finally I would like to thank everyone who has made this possible. First Steve is the man! He made this mother fucker from duct tape and paper clips and it rules. Tammy is the internet guru who has the master plan of the forum she is sort the grand master flash to our furious five. Lochlan is the man holding down home plate always managing and posting and doing things that people abbreviate and i just smile and act like i know what the fuck they just said. then there is as i like to call her "the boss" my wife who has to put up with me in all forms and has to edit everything i write so i don't sound like a retard. she will not be editing this so you can get the idea of how important she is. ha ha. she is a great women and i am a better man for even knowing her. Thank you all. Scott
    1 point
  22. Stewart put together this video of Frith Street at work. Every now and then he does them, a fun way to document what goes on at the shop i think.
    1 point
  23. Hey everybody, there is some light at the end of this Tattoo School tunnel, and it came in my mailbox today. I recieved a letter from a friend whom I know to be a credible and reliable source on the subject. Here are his suggestions on how we can direct our collective energy in a positive direction to help clean up this mess. Thanks, Scott "Ok, here is the breakdown of the atrocious new show Tattoo School. The show as we all know is aired on TLC, TLC is part of the Discovery Channel Incorporation. DCI is owned by media giant Cox Enterprises Inc and is received in nearly 66 million homes and is co-owned with Tele-Communications Inc.. They also own part of the E! Entertainment Network, Rysher Entertainment, six television stations (which covers 8 percent of the United States), 16 radio stations, 18 daily newspapers, and several weekly newspapers. Cox Enterprises employs roughly 60,000 people Cox Enterprises, Inc. In 1994 Cox Enterprises Inc. was worth $3 billion and is now worth nearly $15 billion. TLC bought the show from Touch Productions, which produces Tattoo School. Touch productions is a massive Production Company from the UK who is behind a slue of television shows and documentaries for BBC and many of the largest UK and United States Networks. They are not worth as much as Cox but are still up in the hundreds of millions and climbing. TOUCH PRODUCTIONS The tattoo industry, even if every single last one of us banded together, could not make a tiny dent on TLC or Touch Productions. It would take tens of millions of petition signatures to raise enough awareness for any action on their end to take place. Do not be discouraged, there is still hope. Remember, it all trickles down (or in this case, UP). TLC purchases the show from Touch Productions, Touch hires a crew to film the show at its location of the Tattoo School. If you eliminate the Tattoo School out of the equation, there would be no show for TLC to air. The Tattoo School is a real business and is well within our reach to do something about and create waves for them. It would take a lot less signatures on a petition to raise enough awareness about a local business teaching without licenses and keeping an unsanitary environment according to health standards. THIS IS WITHIN OUR REACH PEOPLE. Artists and collectors need to unite against the Tattoo School, If we would have focused all our attention and time towards the Tattoo Schools as we have towards TLC we might easily have damned the Tattoo School’s for good. The executives at TLC are most likely toasting champagne glasses to all the media and free promotion we have given them, but what’s done is done. Let’s start campaigning against the Tattoo Schools; we can do this. There is one in Upstate New York and one in San Diego California. If you live near these areas I urge you to go to City Hall and write a complaint about these schools, even a letter or email to the city website will suffice for those who don’t live close enough to make an appearance. If you sit around and keep the attitude that someone else will do this for you then you do not deserve the gift of being a tattooer or wearing one. All the information is listed below and it will only take a small portion from your day to speak out in what you believe in. Tattoo School in upstate NY This is the link to the City of Schenectady Council where you can write a letter and copy and paste it to every councilman’s email address Schenectady::City Council Or you can email Kathy Finch who is in charge of human resources at: kfinch@schenectadyny.gov Tattoo School in Escondido, San Diego"
    1 point
  24. All right LSTers, here's an older interview I did with the very talented Grez from King's Avenue from last year. The magazine in which it appeared only published a very abbreviated version and, after talking with Lochlan and getting permission from Grez to post it, I thought this would be a good place to share the full version. Since it is somewhat dated and a portion of it already appeared, most magazines wouldn't be interested. And since I've shelved the book project for now, was just looking for a kind of free and open place to share. It's not quite as exciting as a video interview, I know, but it's a good read and there are some great pieces of advice in here. Grez talks about getting tattooed by D. E. Hardy and Chris Conn, his realization of how important the use of black is, and the biggest thing he's learned from tattooing. Massive question. Stay tuned for part 2. Hope you enjoy. Let’s start with a little background information. The first tattoo I ever did was February 1, 2000. I have a photo with a little digital imprint and I use that as my marker. I started in Syracuse, NY, my hometown. I was in college and graduated in ’99. About halfway through college, two of my best friends opened up a shop in Syracuse called Halo Tattoo. I was there for the opening and was constantly there during breaks, like for Christmas break I would be there all day every day because they were hardcore kids I knew from the music scene that just happened to be tattooers. I was an art major in college and started collecting [tattoos] at a young age. They offered to teach me and I kind of hinted at it. I was hanging out and doing a lot of drawing and was hoping my friend Ron would ask. He agreed to teach me when I graduated. So I graduated in ’99 and started tattooing in 2000, February 1st. And a couple months later they unleashed me on the clients. I was there for about two and a half years. I knew at that point, even before I started at Halo, I told them, “Listen, I’m going to stick it out for a couple years but I need to be in a bigger city.” They’re the best people in the world there, in Syracuse, they’re my best of friends, but I just felt like I needed the city life, a little more fast-paced. Now, I’m actually trying to get out of that. Where did you move after Syracuse? My wife and I moved to Boston. We lived in Boston for three years. I worked at Redemption tattoo in Cambridge, [Massachusetts]. I met Mike [Rubendall] at a convention in probably 2003. It’s pretty random how I ended up here but I feel like it was destiny, because he and I get along so well. He was tattooing my best friend. He was doing a sleeve on him, and I call my friend who was living in Queens to tell him my wife and I were moving to New York and he just happened to be with Mike. And Mike got on the phone and said, “Hey, you wanna work for me?” And I said “Absolutely.” I came out and hung out with him for a day or two, shook his hand, and moved here a few months later. This shop is amazing. It’s crazy. When Mike first opened, when he was putting the shop together, he asked what kind of surfaces we should get to work on, and I didn’t want to throw out anything too expensive. I didn’t want to tell him anything too crazy. And then I came to the shop and see granite floors and I’m like “Oh my God, never mind! You got it under control.” We came out here and this place was demoed and two weeks later, the amount of work that was done I couldn’t believe it. I’d say he did probably 75% of it in a month. He had guys working around the clock. When I moved here, he said he’d hoped to be open in July. But he found a few places and they weren’t down with having a tattoo shop in there. So he lost a few [places] and then we didn’t open until November. I was trying to travel a lot and just make money while he was trying to find a location. And then he found this location, which is a few blocks away from where he grew up, so it seems perfect that he came back here. I know nothing about Long Island... I didn’t either. The first time I ever came out here to meet him was the first time I’d ever been to Long Island. I live in Queens and I commute out here but it’s really not bad. I work five days a week, sometimes six. I haven’t been doing that in a while because I got really burned out on it. That brings me to the next point that it’s so apparent that everyone here works so hard. There’s none of that two or three days a week nonsense. Yeah, everyone here really busts their asses. That’s something that’s great about Mike. He’s not one of those guys that watches workers bust their ass just so he doesn’t have to work. He’s just as intense about his work as everyone here. I’ll look at him and I can’t be stressed. He’s got so much more on his plate than I do. He has everything done on time and he’s a great person to work for because he’s still truly passionate about tattooing. I was even talking to a tattooer the other day and he said it was such a bummer to work for people who don’t care about tattooing anymore. Because then you just feel like you’re working for them. They’re not trying to learn anything. Here, it’s just such a healthy environment for all of us. Any of these guys can come up to me and be honest. Say when I put a drawing on the table, they can say, “This is wrong, this is wrong and that’s wrong.” They know my work and they see my drawings every day. Sometimes they can pinpoint problems with [the drawing] that I don’t see because I’ve been staring at it too long. I trust these guys enough that they’re not just screwing with me. I’ll take their points into considerations and make a lot of changes because of them. Everyone’s honest with each other and it’s really rare. I’ve worked at some shops guest-spotting and it’s almost like the tattooers are competitive and it’s so unhealthy, like an unhealthy competitiveness. They’re just kind of looking over everyone’s shoulders and it’s just not a healthy environment. Your tattoos have such a great look to them, no matter what it is. How do you think your style’s evolved since you started? Starting at Halo, those guys did a lot of traditional work and that was what I was more drawn to as far as tattoos go. By starting off with traditional, it just gave me the perfect foundation to learn. You hear it a lot, but American traditional is just the best formula to learn. It’s clean lines, solid color and shading. It’s usually a third black, a third color and a third skin. It’s such a great recipe to build a tattoo that lasts. That’s what I feel my foundation was but when I look at my old work… You know, when you sit there and you’re drawing and an apprentice, I would sit there and I knew I had so much to learn. Looking back, I feel like my older work wasn’t really traditional because it didn’t have any kind of weight to it. I think a lot of that comes with having confidence in your work. I didn’t have confidence putting in huge fields of black and color, or to use heavier lines. But as I became more confident with the machines and my own work, starting to work with other artists from out of town, like from DC, some of the guys from Jinx Proof and Adam Barton came from California. We hit it off and we actually connected more through music than we did through tattoos. But working with him, painting flash together, it really took my work forward. I took huge steps forward because when I thought I was putting a lot of black in my work, I realized I wasn’t really putting any. I saw how powerful his work was with the heavy amount of weight and all the black. I feel like that was a pinpoint in my career that really showed me that I was going in the right direction but not doing anything right. I kind of wasn’t doing adult-looking tattoos, you know? I was kind of dancing around and doing too many fades, trying to make things too fancy. When all I needed to do was strip everything down more. Do you try to keep a traditional thread running through your work? No, I think it depends on the image. Sometimes I can do things really simple and sometimes I render them with a lot more depth. I like doing a lot of black and gray, also, which isn’t really related at all to traditional American, it’s more like Renaissance and Christian artwork. People come in for crosses or a cross and rosary beads and I love doing that stuff. I feel like it’s a good break from the traditional American stuff. A lot of people come in for Japanese, too, and I’ve been doing a bit of that, but I feel like it’s impossible to break from the American influence on my work, which is okay with me. It’s a little heavier and stiffer, but I like that I’m not trying to make it look like Horiyoshi, but more like an American kid’s take on Japanese themes.
    1 point
  25. For this round of The Three Questions I decided to turn to Ross Nagle whose tattoos I was introduced to via this forum when we started it. I was quickly impressed and it has turned into some email dialogues with him who I hope to meet and get tattooed by when we are in the same city hopefully sooner than later. Ross joined LST early in our launch and has been active since which is even more awesome because we get to see his new tattoos and hear from him often. Beyond his activity on the tattoo forums and tattoo blogs I regularly check his blog alongside several other tattooers and shops. I enjoy all his tattoos but really am drawn to his religious tattoos especially the black and grey ones with minimal if any color which in turn makes the blood on a jesus or crown of thorns or what-have-yous really stand out. The other cool thing about his shop and blog is that they regularly have some damn good tattooers guest spotting at their shop which they write about and post tattoo pictures of their tattoos while visiting. I strongly encourage you to get tattooed by Ross either at his shop Allstar Ink in Limerick Ireland and/or hit him up at a convention as he seems to be at many of the European ones. Below the three questions are someways you can checkout his tattoos. With that I give you The Three Questions and Ross Nagle (sorry no pictures of his personal tattoos were obtainable)...... Ross Nagle LST Page Ross Nagle Blog Allstar Ink Twitter Ross Nagle Facebook
    1 point
  26. Jon Gerhard, tattoo artist and owner of Lucky Drive in San Rafael, suffered a grand mal seizure on March 4th, 2011 and was diagnosed with a glioblastoma grade IV cancerous tumor located at the right frontal lobe of his brain. A benefit is being held for Jon and his family at Servino Ristorante in Tiburon on Friday, June 10, 2011 at 6:30pm. If you know a business that would like to donate a prize for the opportunity drawing or silent auction, please email their contact details to Sarah at squirrelsm2@gmail.com. 100% of the money received for the purchase of raffle tickets and silent auction items will go directly to Jon Gerhard and his family (he has two children ages seven and eleven). For more information, go to: http://jongerhard.blogspot.com/ Thank you!
    1 point
  27. A.Sanchez

    my blog

    http://jetblackstains.blogspot.com/
    1 point
  28. Im always looking for reference and tattoo books ? what are your favourite books?
    1 point
  29. Bryan Davis

    Clip chords or RCA?

    i have recently switched over to RCA for all my machines after getting frustrated with clip chords. ive found that the adapters from Eikon work the best. What do you prefer and what brand do you find works the best?
    1 point
  30. London Miles Gallery is proud to present " Pens and Needles" a art exhibition celebrating Tattoo art, Culture and Life Style. The exhibition will feature the original artwork, tattoo stencils and photographs from more than 20 international tattoo artists and photographers. The exhibition aims to open up Tattoo culture and educate the public about the talented artists that shape the tattoo industry. With skills not only in tattoo art, these artists work with traditional mediums such as acrylic and oil. The opening reception is on Friday, February 25th 2011 at London Miles Gallery. The reception will include live tattooing, installations, music and a complete exhibition of paintings, photos and more.. This is a London art exhibition not to miss, come to the opening and show off your own flesh art! Feb. 25th 2011 to March 7th 2011 London Miles Gallery 242 Acklam Road. Westbourne Studios. London. W10 5JJ. www.londonmiles.com more info: info@londonmiles.com
    1 point
  31. Lochlan

    San Diego

    Over the holidays I ventured to a town in North County San Diego called Encinitas where I grew up to spend a week with my family as many of them still live throughout San Diego. The goal was to eat lots of good Southern California mexican food and bring it back to all the LST since the two other most popular topics on our tattoo forum other than tattoos are travel and food! I love Northern California but Southern California will always hold my heart for mexican food with the exception of actually traveling to the various Latin countries and eating there. The biggest difference in my mind is Southern California mexican food is lots of meat and salsas whereas Northern California mexican food adds rice and beans to everything. I love rice and beans but I want my mexican food to have all meat whatever the variation(s) may be. So here's the mexican food I ate if you make your way there: -Burrito's and taquitos on a few visits to Juanita's in Encinitas. -Carnitas Torta from Jorge's in Encinitas (Jake turned me onto this place as he grew up on it right down the street from our parents house). -My dad turned me onto this place in Oceanside but I can not remember the name but know it's near the pier by one block or so. I had a HUGE carne asada burrito. -A Surfin' California burrito as seen on Man VS Food Lucha Libre Taco Shop. We normally eat this place when ever I get picked up at the airport as it is near the airport so if you fly into or out of SD airport check it out. I also ate sushi at Tomiko's in Encinitas which was amazing as they were playing Joe Strummer in the background as it happened to also be the anniversary of his passing. I had all sorts of stuff including my favorite Tobiko Udama (spelling is probably off) which is the small fish roe with a quail egg over the top, fucking orgasmic! We had BBQ at Famous Dave's in Vista which Jake and I were familiar with their BBQ sauce as it is one of our favorites and their BBQ did not disappoint. Then on our last night we went to The Counter which I guess is a chain and I did one of the custom burgers. I did a two-third pound beef patty medium rare with horseradish cheddar and a fried egg over the top, pretty damn good. And had many visits to Pannikin coffee shop in Encinitas on the 101. While down there I was twittering ( @LastSparrow ) the expeditions and Luke at Lucky's Tattoo Parlor in San Diego invited me down to the shop which as many know from the tattoo forum thread I did on Luke Wessman a few weeks ago have been impressed with his work for some time now and had I had money would of made an appointment with him. If you are on twitter you can follow Luke at @lukewessman and/or Lucky's Tattoo Parlor at @OGLuckysSD and the amazing work they are cranking out. So Jake and I made our way to downtown SD (Tenth and Broadway) to checkout the shop and meet Luke. First of all the shop is on the corner and looks amazing from the outside with some badass roses painted by Tim Hendricks along the exterior then you walk in and it gets better.....tall ceilings, art, flash, and photos along the walls that I have not seen before. I would later learn from Luke as he walked me around giving me a tour that lots are gifts not mass produced. It is a big open layout similar but bigger to how Temple Tattoo is for us Bay Area folks including the loft like layout upstairs over looking the shop. I wish I would of gotten pictures but didn't feel right as it was my first visit there and meeting Luke and he already went out of his way with open arms and a tour including some SD tattooer history. Maybe if he joins the site he can jump in where ever but especially in the "Was Tattooing as popular 100 years ago?" and "Old tattoo Photos" as just listening to him I think he could add some San Diego tattoo and military tattoo to it. He had some art by Morgwyn Pennypacker that I had not seen which has now turned me onto his tattoos and art. Long story short if you get the opportunity.....get some tattoos from these guys! I want to say thanks to Luke and the other Lucky's staff for the warm welcome, tour, and stories! Below are some pictures taken with my camera phone from the expeditions, enjoy! Until next time.....have a good day! Lochlan
    1 point
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