DeathB4Decaf

My sister snapped this photo of me today at the beach. So weird. Now I think I finally understand the whole never feeling naked thing, hah.
And yes, all the sunblock reapplied non-stop, and I was only on my front for like 5mins while texting, hah. I feel like I need to justify the bare back in sun to you fine ladies. And no, it's obviously not done. Not even close. :'(

@clttattooing congratulations on starting your back piece! I would also like to see the progress if possible. My instagram is @robieva
A few here know that I had my fifth session with Chad Koeplinger on my back last Saturday at Congress St tattoo in NH. This past session he shaded and colored all of my lower back. Whew! I am glad to get that part over with! There are blood drips in the tattoo, and one of them is mighty close to my butt crack. That spot felt like FIRE. I can't IMAGINE the horror of getting the full butt tattooed. I salute ALL of you with your full back tattoos!!!!
@BrianH I read your comment about your tattoo being finished faster and cheaper if you were shorter. I am so happy I am short for this endeavor!!! I've never particularly been bummed about being short or anything, but in this case, it's a super advantage.
I am super pumped with what Chad has given me and he thinks one more session, maybe 2 small ones.
Total time so far, tallying up these sessions is about 10 hrs and that is rounding UP. It's probably closer to 8.5-9 hrs, but i'll call it an even 10. IN the end it will probably total 12 hrs.
It has been an absolutely awesome journey. I love Chad like a brother and cherish the time spent with him. I am sad to think we are winding down, so I will probably have him tattoo something else on me soon enough (not my ribs. I told him never my ribs). Also the time spent hanging out with Jason Scott and Jebb Riley during these sessions have been awesome. I feel very at home at Jason's amazing shop. He employs only the best people. They are all great tattooers, but even more, amazing and awesome people. He's clearly got a good "douchbag radar" and hires accordingly.
Next session is in August, and will possibly be my last, but I am certainly not putting pressure on it to be so.

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

Just to further pipe up on the whole all is brutal commentary. Finished shading my ass and right thigh on Saturday. Currently still dreading sitting, then standing, or going to the bathroom. Have fun!

Hahah, actually the plan is to stay above the cheeks.

Just to further pipe up on the whole all is brutal commentary. Finished shading my ass and right thigh on Saturday. Currently still dreading sitting, then standing, or going to the bathroom. Have fun!

Just to further pipe up on the whole all is brutal commentary. Finished shading my ass and right thigh on Saturday. Currently still dreading sitting, then standing, or going to the bathroom. Have fun!

Just to further pipe up on the whole all is brutal commentary. Finished shading my ass and right thigh on Saturday. Currently still dreading sitting, then standing, or going to the bathroom. Have fun!

you want to be 100% shitless during the ass sessions.

Session 3 done, backpiece done (although we have already talked about adding background - my bank account and body both screamed in unison). Such a cool experience, i've met some awesome people, had some great times and i've come out of it with a tattoo that i have to keep reminding myself is actually mine. To think that 6 months ago there was nothing, it's crazy!

Already posted in the latest tattoo thread but i had to bring it to my chums in the backpiece thread! I now looking forward to sitting back and seeing what the rest of you guys are getting, bring em on!

Soo good, @Graeme!! I've yet to see something from Dave C that I haven't totally loved.

I know that if I were to tell a used car salesman that I had a budget of £1000 then all of a sudden, every car on the lot would be at least £1100 and he'd "do me a deal" which really means he'd just do me. If I were asked for my budget, I'd probably go elsewhere.
I'd want either a set price or a rate, a minimum and an estimate of the number of hours. I would never haggle; I find it vulgar.

Dave is amazing. There was a guy in the shop when I was there who was getting tattooed by Will and he had an almost complete Dave backpiece of a Tengu fighting a Nue and it was amazing. You should really make the trip sometime to get something from Dave, he's such a good tattooer and it's been the best experience.

Soo good, @Graeme!! I've yet to see something from Dave C that I haven't totally loved.

More badassery for you. Starting to see the finish line on this one. By Dave C., PSC Tattoo.

So I added this hand and flower while the brilliant and hilarious Nikki Balls was guesting in Toronto at the Pearl. Next to a butterfly lady head by Glennie Whittal

Sending through a teaser of sorts . . .
Just a small portion of my music themed leg-work by Hooper;

The 6th and (hopefully) last session is June 1st, so I'll likely be able to post the fully completed leg sometime in July. Lower leg is healing REAL slow.

color to come
Sheila Marcello
Electric in Asbury, NJ

Grez just told me that June will be the last sitting for my arm. Three weeks! I'm so excited to wrap it up.

I'm not sure what brain bug got me started on tattoos in porn this morning, but somehow I got to thinking about it, and then I thought "well, maybe there are some good tattoos out there" and navigated over to (what looks to be) a well-trafficked porn site, and typed "tattoos" in the search box.
Sure enough, I see plenty of tattoos. I'm looking at this girl's thigh piece when all of the sudden: vagina! I blinked and resumed looking at the tattoos, and then: butt hole! This kept happening and annoying me for awhile before I fully realized that I was watching porn and not looking at a tattoo website.
Facepalm to the nth degree, because I totally knowingly went to a porn site to look at tattoos, and then got annoyed at all the T & A ruining my tattoo experience, and then realized T & A *was* the experience, and I had just trolled myself.
PS - I also read playboy for the articles. ;) <drops mic> Val out.

I don't get the whole dirty details bit. You go in, discuss a full backpiece, you work on said piece. Ass, inner thigh, whatever- so be it. You both sign up for it so you best be ready to commit. I absolutely hateeee sessions on my ass/inner thigh, but it's all worth it in the end. Or some enlightened shit like that.

No more easy spots left....
JR Tubbs - inner arm, elbow to pit in May
Nick Colella - chest eagle in June
Mario Desa - Lower leg/ankle in June
Smith Street crew - possibly later in the summer

Well, some of you pals already know, but it's relevant, so I'll tell you all.
I put in my resignation at my day job so that I could be at the tattoo shop more often. It's a big scary step, but you gotta start somewhere.
Also, I quit drinking after being a lush for the last 10 years.
Onwards and upwards folks.

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.

I sure have some serious ass, but it didn't reinvented the wheel. The classic shoulders to knees layout is pretty unisex, I think.