RoryQ

Picture courtesy of the guys at East Tattoo.

Did another 9 hours on my back. 3 hours on Tuesday, 6 hours on Wednesday. Next session (same again) in two weeks should bring it pretty close to finished. Got my right arm measured to complete a sleeve too.

Yeah, can't say I've heard of him before - but some really awesome ideas. The first loch ness sleeve I've ever seen... Vampire samurai ladies ... Undead saints.... I like it.

I was in Malmo a few years ago, who knows - could be a good reason to visit again.

Congrats!

We have a well-behaved spin-off group here in Dublin.

On the one hand I applaud a non-violent protest of this sort, but on the other hand I kind of wonder who has the time to stage these sorts of long-term protests - how are they supporting themselves during these open-ended protests that last for weeks? Most people have to hold down jobs, pay the bills, attend school etc. Can't help but feel that it is a luxury to indulge in, either for the comfortably-off or for the 'professional protest' crowd who move from cause to cause.

The observation about right side of the body versus left side of the body is interesting - I suspect it comes down to, as you say, how you feel about it.

It reminded me that when I was getting my back done I had this bizarre thing where I was convinced that (lying on my stomach) it didn't feel as sore if I had my head turned to the right - like, arms folded, my left cheek on the mat and I'm looking to my right. When I turned to the left it felt more uncomfortable. I'm sure it was totally in my mind.

Another poster mentioned it feeling better when fattier areas were tattooed. For me I've always felt the opposite, that there is less stretching / messing around when going over smoother, leaner parts of the body where the skin is taut - and consequently it goes quicker?

I'm going to be back in Chicago probably April - July next year. This is a useful thread, hearing that Jef Whitehead is tattooing there, thanks - I was thinking I would try and visit Chicago Tattoo Co. or Taylor Street this time around....

There was one rare occasion where I guess being tattooed worked in my favour in terms of the assumptions people make.

A few years ago I was in the toilet of a nightclub I had never been to before, in a part of the city I would rarely visit. I was at a urinal at the far end of the room and it was about 3am. I turned around to head over to the sinks and then back out and found that about five guys had gathered, looking pretty pissed off with me. The guy in front said something to the effect of 'Yep, that's the guy - he arrested my brother, he's _____' and generally suggested I get a beating.

I spread my hands and indicated my half sleeves (which is probably still a reasonable amount of coverage on show in Dublin- then at least), shook my head, and said 'Sure, I really look like a cop.' And rolled my eyes.

They looked at each other and it was enough of a doubt placed in their minds that I was able to walk out of there while they were deciding.

Slayer9019, if it was me and there is a paper trail of some sort confirming that you paid a deposit for this particular artist, then I would (personally) probably politely pursue it. He's already offered a new location for the tattoo, and if he's genuinely forgotten who you are at this point due to intervening time, then presumably having a slip of paper with the deposit details (whether an e-mail, a card etc) would sort that out. Sounds reasonable enough to me, but I guess there is no point in following it up if you are not going to follow through and get tattooed at whatever location he suggests.

@Gregor -

Chris Crooks is the main interview in next month's 'Total Tattoo', if you're interested. They were doing the photos / chat with him while I was up at his studio last month.

I think Shige is doing the front of Chris' body suit, although I've not seen it.

BTW I am not in fact, an employee of 'Total Tattoo' or otherwise obsessed with it, despite the fact that I seem to be talking about it a lot lately...

It's €2.50 a bottle here... Works out at about $3.30 a bottle.... :P

If you can't I'll mail you my copy - I'm done with it... How's that for service...

Sierra Nevada is kind of ubiquitous - even here - but it's still an awesome beer.

Been drinking Woodford Reserve bourbon.

Meant to throw this up a while back, but the other movie I saw recently was 'Warrior' with Tom Hardy and Joel Edgerton.

Since we had the debacles that were 'Never back down' and 'Redbelt' (both admittedly straying close to "so bad they're good" territory) I wasn't expecting much from this MMA movie, even though the word on the grapevine was that it had a Rocky-style plot and some proper advice from MMA coach Greg Jackson.

Anyway, I thought this was actually a feally good showcasing of what an exciting sport MMA is, as well as being a well-plotted movie in pure drama terms. Barring the inlcusion of a suspiciously pro-wrestling looking "powerbomb" in one fight the choreography was all bang-on. Some nice jiu-jitsu from Edgerton in particular.

Tom Hardy presumably held onto a lot of the lean muscle mass he built up for this role when he played Bane in the new Batman movie....?

Just got a copy of this. Well Done - full page article. Last Sparrow Tattoo gets a mention as well.

Just saw 'Drive'. Thought it was awesome - must buy the soundtrack.

Albert Brooks was almost unrecognisable in it... Wow, he's had a serious amount of work done.

At the moment I guess there is a kind feedback loop from when I go to conventions, read magazines, talk to artists and other clients and hear word-of-mouth, see pics on blogs ... It all percolates away and somewhere down the line I come up with an idea about what is feasible to follow through on.

I have a kind of shortlist in my head of artists I'd still like to cross paths with and get a piece from... I'm not in a rush, so I'm kind of thinking it will happen down the line at the likes of the London Convention. This shortlist shuffles around a bit the more I see.

Maybe everyone is different but for me some of the big 'fucking hell - I've got to get tattooed by that person' came about from magazine interviews or features on artists/studios. Kind of low-tech in the internet age, but somehow for me an interview (text) combined with the accompanying pictures seems to give me the best sense of whether it's for me or not. I love a really good interview (love books like 'Tattooing from japan to the west' and 'Under way is the only way' for that reason).

It was seeing spreads on Mo Coppoletta (The Family Business) and also on Ching (East Tattoo) that got me in the chair the first time... And then it was the experience I had that meant I came back / am going back.

Well, I see our own Mel Noir has gotten her name on the front page of this month's Total Tattoo magazine... Mentioned on their facebook page as their 'new columnist'.

Well done Mel - look forward to reading what you've got to say...!

(Looks like there's also an interview with Filip Leu this month ... Sweet)

I enjoyed 'The Passage'. Curious to see whether the sequel will match it.

George R. R. Martin / ASOIAF is just an amazing series. I think the HBO show has led a lot of people to pick up the novels who might otherwise not bother with SF/Fantasy.

My favourite Martin novel is a 1982 horror he wrote called 'Fevre Dream'. 19th century vampires on riverboats, essentially. Martin appears to have invested a lot of time researching the state of cities and towns in the mid C19, the food, the dress etc. It feels like a period drama as much as a horror tale.

Reading the anniversary edition of Dan Simmons' 'Carrion Comfort'. Stephen King has described it as one of the best horror novels of the 20th century. It's one of those old-school late 80s / 90s horror offerings that runs to nearly 1000 pages, biblical stuff.

This pic is courtesy of East Tattoo, by way of facebook. Got my dates for next sessions... One in a coupe of weeks and one at the beginning of November. Should bring it close to done if I can sit for full days again.

I think the author of that is a Total Tattoo contributor?

I think tipping feels less awkward in the likes of the U.S, where there's a more pervasive tipping culture. In Ireland I know some people who tip their tattoo artist, but we're not really a tipping culture. I'd curious to know whether tipping artists is expected/the norm in the U.K.

Last week I gave Ching a bottle of 12 year old Irish whiskey instead of a tip - he seemed pleased... I know possibly some artists would just prefer the money, but thought I would chance it.

Gregor-

I thought Red, Hot & Blue was in Glasgow for some reason- my bad... Gives the lie to the notion that I spend 'that' much time in the city after all. I knew Richard Pinch was in Aberdeen, but I figure travelling there from Glasgow for that kind of work isn't that much of a stretch. I can't comment on his personality at all but his work, IMO, speaks for itself.

The good thing about the UK is that there's such a good travel system, compared to here, I can see how people would travel down to London for work.

Not to answer for Valerie-

I spend a fair bit of time in Glasgow (my girlfriend is from there), and you might check out Red, Hot and Blue for trad style.

Red Hot + Blue Tattoo

Richard Pinch in Aberdeen does some really nice japanese style. He has a bodysuit by Filip Leu, if you ever meet him, worth taking a look at!

Richard's Tattoo Studio - Scotland UK

Lastly- the 2nd Scottish Tattoo Convention is on next April-

Scottish Tattoo Convention

Last year there were some great tattooists there... Robert Hernandez, the crew from King Carlos in Sweden...