Northsider

Last night I was on the phone with my mother and I told her that I had started on my left arm sleeve. I only have one other tattoo and that's at least 10 years old. She sighed, then asked, "do you feel like you're getting older?". I laughed, thinking she meant mid-life crisis (I'm 48), but after reading this thread, maybe she also meant that she thought tattoos were for the young and trendy, something she thought I'd grown out of since I went so long before adding another.

Just posted two quick pics up on my gallery. My backpiece is finished but the ribs need another hour or so to finish the detailing.

I've come full circle with my feelings on aesthetics, placements and overall look...
When I started 30 years ago, I never had the thought of being completely covered and therefore, didn't have any plan other than WHO to get tattooed by. Once I started travelling to the artists I admired, a lot more thought went into what/where and how it would all work together. At one point I made "tattoo map" of my body. I took a roll of 3ft wide printer paper (used in BIG factory print shops), laid down on it and had someone trace me. I roughly sketched in the work I already had and then put the general idea and name of artist on the spots I wanted to get covered. That "map' hung on the back of my closet door for a few years and I got about 60% of the work I had hoped for (I had an entire body suit mapped out-HA!). At the time I really believed that the total coverage look was the right way and everybody who didn't think in those terms and got random work all over them was an idiot with no planning skills.
A bunch of shit changed in my life and I put my map on hold for awhile....which turned out to be A LONG WHILE. Over that last couple years or so leading up to me diving back into this, my attitude towards total coverage has changed somewhat. Now I find looking at people with many tattoos not all tied together and the not-tattooed skin in between them, pretty cool. I still completely appreciate the well planned, total coverage stuff too but I no longer have a "tattoo map" and just plan on getting what I want, when I want and if the mood strikes me, get it all tied together in the end.
Overall though, I've never worried about my "look" and how others perceived me. I may have be more aware back when tattooing was not "normal", but now-a-days, lots of neck/hands/face/feet tattoos make me look average..... or at least normal.

Finished up with Rob yesterday. That guy is an absolute champion. It's hard to find the words to express how happy I am.
Here's a link to his instagram for more vertical pics, hah.
https://instagram.com/p/1y_HRiCO7e/

Fifth (final) session on my back, the long story.
Photo
Link to my other post in this thread.
And here's picture from and what I wrote after the lining session
------
Last session - booked for Sunday, March 29:th, at the Scottish Convention
On the friday I was supposed to take the night bus from London to Edinburgh where Iain Mullen and Rudy Fritsch were working the Scottish Convention and ready to finish my back on the Sunday. To make a long story short, I ended up not going on the bus due to having booked the wrong month (Second time this happens to me, damn you Victoria Coach Station!) and instead I found myself after a sleepless night (spent in a night open café in Soho) on the first train to Edinburgh in the morning. Finally I can sleep I thought. Wrong. Turns out scottish people likes to talk a lot and there is no silent compartment. After a few hours of trying, I get perhaps 20 minutes of sleep. When I wake up I have a text from Iain saying "Let's do the session today instead!" (Other clients could only get tattooed tomorrow)
This makes sleeping again very difficult due to being severely excited and also scared/psychologically unprepared of a brutal session that I thought I'd get tomorrow. Stupid as I am, I convince myself that it's going to be all right. I sleep maybe 20 more minutes before I arrive to Edinburgh, where the wind is blowing so hard people almost fall of the streets. I've all ready been practically awake for more than 24 hours. By text, me and Iain try to arrange someplace where I can at least get some sleeping hours before the session. His hotel room turns out not to be a good idea. But there is a emergency room at the venue where I could get some peace and quiet. Great.
I make my way over to the convention, after having bought pre- and post-tattoo food stuff. Choosing carefully to get a lot of nutrition and powerful stuff that will fend of the tattoo sickness I can all ready feel breathing down my neck. I've now been on a trip for 6 days, from Barcelona to Toulouse (where I got my lower belly/pubic area tattooed by Guy Le Tatooer, another wonderful horrible experience), a 32 hour bus ride from Toulouse to London, one much needed night in a proper bed, staying awake the night before in the café and now I am here. Last destination of the tattoo pilgrimage. Iain tells me to go to the big stage and look for a guy in a short mohawk named Tom/Tim and say "I'm the guy who's been travelling".
This code phrase opens up the gate to my quiet sanctuary. Actually, it turns out to be a very small, cold, brightly lit, room where a big scottish man (emergency crew) is hanging out waiting for the emergencies to happen. There is neither a shower, as I had thought, or a proper bed. There is just sort of a portable emergency bed, barely wide enough for one person. I explain who I am and he lets me lie on the bed. I am too tired to fall asleep. This whole situation seems absurd. I pull my jacket and a hoodie from my backpack over my body and turn my face towards the wall. I try to relax, to breath calmly and slow down everything. The anticipation of the last session, and the pain that goes along, is very distracting. Over the com-radio there are sparse messages, barely intelligible in scottish.
After a while two giggling girls come in. One of them has fainted ("This happened last year too!") and they are giving a routine check up and some good advice to eat and drink water. Meanwhile I'm this strange traveling, greasy haired, bum sleeping under jackets in the emergency room. After two hours or so I give up on trying to sleep and decide to go out, eat something and have a look around. Everything is like in a haze. I can not be bothered with all these people. I do not want to see the burlesque dancers doing whatever it is that they're doing. I sit outside and eat the big, ready chopped, stir fry with kale and edamame beans that I bought from the store. I eat some nuts, I drink some superberry juice. Must not get sick.
I hang out in the both with Iain and Rudy. Rudy is tattooing both of Joe Ellis' feet in some strange tribal architectural freehand style and we talk about him doing something similar on my left elbow since Iain did the right one. After a while I go to the handicap bathroom to have what few people would have called a shower. After cleaning myself up with the water from the sink and slipping into clean clothes I feel a bit more civilized again. It is time for finishing the back piece.
I would have much rather liked if the circumstances would have been different but after being awake for now nearly 34 hours I am lying face down at the Scottish convention, with my half covered ass pointing towards the small crowd that is starting to form, and one tattoo machine being tuned on either side of me. Memory of a lifetime moment, right there.
Considering probably being in the worst shape ever before getting tattooed, it was not as bad as I had braced myself for. It was certainly bad. Somewhere between terrible and outright nasty, if I had to specify. In the start they added on some liner details that I was not expecting. Then they added some very thick dots that felt like evil torture to my ribs. Then they went on with the shading and I could settle in to the groove of it somewhat. Knowing how bad the first two machine session was, when we did the lines in June, this was almost bearable. It never got worse than the lining session. When it's your back being worked on and two machines are moving from spot to spot, you have no way of anticipating where the pain is going to be and for how long. You just have to take it, so I did.
About 30 minutes before we were done I had to go to the bathroom. I was totally in my zone, something like what I imagine marathon runners go into to keep pushing, and was not ready to face a bunch of people watching me. Somebody said "hero" as I passed. I felt weird. The whole non-privacy of the event was strange. Both mind and body was in turmoil. As with the pain I can be amazed by states like this, the things you can experience when pushing hard. How it makes your head feel from the inside. I returned, back on the table, and we did the last bit. When I sat up in the end to have some more straight lines just below my neck I was trembling from exhaustion and emotionally shaken. It had been a profound journey.
///
After the tattoo I hung around while the guys packed their stuff, we went with some other people by taxi to a pub but realized they had just stopped serving food at ten in the evening. We split up and I went with Iain and Rudy to have fish and chips at some hole in the wall. Veggie burger in dry bun for me. Finally the couchsurfer I was supposed to stay with showed up and we walked back to his apartment. We had a really good conversation on the way there. I chucked half of the burger in a trash bin. The apartment he shared with three other people felt very much like Trainspotting, except no visible drug related objects scattered around. I feel asleep in a windowless room and had no dreams, just blacked out for 12 hours.
Two days later I flew home to Stockholm, had take away-dinner with my girlfriend and took the night train towards the very north end of Sweden. I felt it really bad all ready and for the coming four days I was bedridden with a massive fever and accompanying headaches and cold. At least I could watch the whole second season of The Wire from start to finish.
///
I had planned to start my backpiece when I had turned 30. Now I am 28 and it's all ready finished. It's been a fantastic experience and left very warm memories. I am so happy that I asked them both to collaborate, that it worked out, and that I trusted them completely with the design. Since we started in June my personal life, a big portion of the things that happened, have been so good, enriching and developing that that whole time in my life feels very beautiful. Turns out that the biggest part of my body carries a piece of which I didn't even see the design until the hour when we started, yet now it holds so much significance and meaning. I really like the thought of tattoos like amulets imbued with qualities and forces. I'll always have power on my back. That's how I see it.

Last night I was on the phone with my mother and I told her that I had started on my left arm sleeve. I only have one other tattoo and that's at least 10 years old. She sighed, then asked, "do you feel like you're getting older?". I laughed, thinking she meant mid-life crisis (I'm 48), but after reading this thread, maybe she also meant that she thought tattoos were for the young and trendy, something she thought I'd grown out of since I went so long before adding another.

Here are the pics of the first session today. 6 hours of pain. Loving it.

Last night I was on the phone with my mother and I told her that I had started on my left arm sleeve. I only have one other tattoo and that's at least 10 years old. She sighed, then asked, "do you feel like you're getting older?". I laughed, thinking she meant mid-life crisis (I'm 48), but after reading this thread, maybe she also meant that she thought tattoos were for the young and trendy, something she thought I'd grown out of since I went so long before adding another.

I was thinking a bit more about this topic and had some more food for thought...
The cut of a tattoo suit (or even a single tattoo for that matter) is very important. The composition and borders of the tattoo needs to match and "fit" the body of the wearer, like it was always meant to be there. We are all different shapes and sizes! And we all have different preferences to achieve the look we desire.
Some folks want their sleeves to go right up to the hand, some are content with some space on the wrist. The borders of the backpiece on the shoulders, how far up the collar/throat you go on the front, how low below the belt you (no biker backpieces! jokes). Some body types will look better with the vest style bodysuit, others prefer the full blast across. The emptiness of negative space can have a very powerful impact too, and I've seen lots of backpieces where the negative is very thoughtfully incorporated.
The inner thigh, crotch, butt crack and underside is no different. Some may feel it completely unnecessary to tattoo in the crack, just like others may feel it taboo to tattoo armpits, heads or feet even. I know I did not want a stripe. For me, my tattoos (made by a dozen guys) are all continuous and blend into each other, so I knew I did not want the crack stripe and wanted to maximize the tattoo coverage, get a little freaky haha.
Go however deep or as shallow into the danger zone that you and the tattooer feel comfortable with and get your suit to cut where it makes sense and for the tattoo to look good on YOUR body. Don't compromise the "cut" of your suit out of fear of the pain. We all know and expect it to hurt. Bite down on the wooden spoon for an afternoon and than bam you are in the clear, looking good and feeling confident. That's why we are all in the mess, ain't it?
A tattoo after-all has to fit YOU, compliment and enhance your body and whatever else tattoo-wise you got going on. That's what I love about tattoos, it is very personalized and you can go as conservative or extreme as you desire...no need to response a no one!
@Dennis suit - the cut and composition looks great. It fits the body, compliments it. Tattoos (bodysuits and one-shots alike) should look like they were always meant to be on the wearer, this is a fantastic example, very precise cuts and we are lucky to have Dennis sharing an in progress peak. The way the vest cuts on the torso, the thighs, ankles yeah man! wow
@Rad Kelham ah i took the photo down off my IG after a couple days which would explain why the link is broken. Backpiece (and 25% of my tattoos) are by Steve Batt in Edmonton. He doesn't put anything online, off the radar type of guy.

Hi,
posting at you from northern europe, Finland, to say i really like the site! I've found out about a lot of great artists and got good advice from here in my time lurking. I've been meaning to register for over a year since i found the site but i've put it off for not having any good recent photos of my tattoos, and i thought if i just register maybe i'll finally put the effort into taking some. I got my first tattoo 6 years ago at 18 and ever since i've been steadily adding to it a few pieces a year more or less. I decided very early on im going for full coverage but im saving the hand and neck tattoos for when im 30 if i still feel like it.
Anyway, i managed to dig up some pictures, most are from artists instagrams i think.
In no particular order:

by Hexa, used to own Precious Tattoo, not sure where he works from now.

Hexa

Hexa

Hexa

Oni by Javier Betancourt at Ocho Placas
I think i heard of him from here, theres so many crappy shops in Miami it was a chore to find something worthwhile but man am i glad i found him.

Crow by Gustav Fröberg, also did my lower left arm which i dont have any pics of
upper left arm is JPWikman no better pictures yet sorry
Demon granny is by Hexa again
In the last picture you can see a peek of the rooster on my ribs started by Jonas Nyberg and im gonna get that one finished up at the Helsinki Ink Convention next weekend!
I'll try to get better pictures of all of it or at least the ones i dont have any of and post after i get back from the convention. Hopefully with a rad cock! :D

Thanks! The Oni came out great and my only regret is that its not in a more visible spot.
Took some photos today but they all came out a bit yellow. Ehh, best i could do.

Top part JP Wikman, bottom Gustav Fröberg

Hexa

a yellow and badly focused pic of the Oni by Javier Betancourt
its still much the same, the white highlights have faded to look more smooth but thats about it

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

I'm around the same age as you and I went through a similar pause in my planning. I was originally going to get my sleeve last fall, but just started this week.
It's all good in the end. Good luck with yours!
Chris

I'm around the same age as you and I went through a similar pause in my planning. I was originally going to get my sleeve last fall, but just started this week.
It's all good in the end. Good luck with yours!
Chris

I had my first session (outlining the sleeve) yesterday. I was sure that I had made a good choice with Chris and now I'm even more sure. Great guy, great work. I've only had one tattoo before and nothing at all like this size, so I was a little apprehensive but I thought it went well. Even the worst part for me, the elbow ditch, wasn't all that bad.
I also had a nice surprise. Several people on here suggested I have Mike Dorsey do the work. I didn't ignore that advice, but for various reasons it didn't work out. So I was pleasantly surprised when I walked in to the shop and who was there? Mike Dorsey. Very nice guy - he stuck around while the stencil was applied and everyone looked at the placement.
Anyway, here's the first result. Back in three weeks for shading.

Hi All,
I hope it's okay to revive this thread. Since I first introduced myself last September, I had a shoulder injury and surgery, followed by a good three months of healing, so I put off all of my tattoo plans. In any case, it's given me some time to think and reflect on what I really wanted for a sleeve. The good news is I've settled on a tattooer and design and we're ready to go. It's going to be a traditional Japanese dragon with cherry blossoms, seven-tenths length, and extending to a chest panel. My first appointment for outlining is this Thursday, and I'm a little apprehensive but mostly stoked about it. Even though I'm not much of a poster I've been reading the forum all the while and this group has really helped me refine my thinking and pointed me to some other resources. Thanks!
Chris

Thanks for the welcome and the recommendation of Mike Dorsey. It's interesting to me that I live quite literally within walking distance of his studio, but with it being a private studio I'm not sure if I would have known about it without being here on LST.

Thanks for the welcome and the recommendation of Mike Dorsey. It's interesting to me that I live quite literally within walking distance of his studio, but with it being a private studio I'm not sure if I would have known about it without being here on LST.

Thanks for the welcome and the recommendation of Mike Dorsey. It's interesting to me that I live quite literally within walking distance of his studio, but with it being a private studio I'm not sure if I would have known about it without being here on LST.