ChaosDani

So I finally got my chest piece. So happy with how it came out. By Valerie Vargas of course.

@exume I love that piece. It's absolutely bad ass!!
Here is my contribution. Also by Chad. Finished about a year and a half ago. I went a bit smaller.
One heck of an experience. Some very rough moments for sure!!! Chad is the best though!
2 sessions.

Whew, I didn't know if I could sit through all this. Even Nathan was skeptical, but I wanted to finish. We didn't get a full on battle scene, but I loved what he came up with even more, especially the detail in the drowning hand, the ship, and of course, Poseidon's luscious locks!

The obvious elbow tattoo. Scott (Skotydont) Fox, Columbus.

Maybe they'll all get lasered together when she gets older, so she won't have to feel different then either.
I think this is about making the parents feel special, rather than making the child feel accepted. I don't think they had the foresight to think about how the child will feel about it when she gets older. My guess is she won't like it. There are better ways to go about making a person feel accepted and loved. Making a big deal about of their faults, or "blemish" as the article says, is not the way to do it. To me, this is sending the message that how she looks is more important than her other qualities. And since she doesn't "look perfect" the parents are going through great lengths to make sure she doesn't feel bad about it. It doesn't sit well with me that the mother says she was "heartbroken" and that she "sobbed and sobbed knowing my baby was going to permanently marked for the rest of her life." It's just a birthmark! That baby is still beautiful! And beauty isn't everything anyway.
I dunno, maybe I'd feel differently if I had a birthmark. Or a child, for that matter.

Finally got around to taking decent pics. Sorry if this is posted in the wrong section.

Lady head on my upper arm by Garret Egles in Calgary.

Maybe they'll all get lasered together when she gets older, so she won't have to feel different then either.
I think this is about making the parents feel special, rather than making the child feel accepted. I don't think they had the foresight to think about how the child will feel about it when she gets older. My guess is she won't like it. There are better ways to go about making a person feel accepted and loved. Making a big deal about of their faults, or "blemish" as the article says, is not the way to do it. To me, this is sending the message that how she looks is more important than her other qualities. And since she doesn't "look perfect" the parents are going through great lengths to make sure she doesn't feel bad about it. It doesn't sit well with me that the mother says she was "heartbroken" and that she "sobbed and sobbed knowing my baby was going to permanently marked for the rest of her life." It's just a birthmark! That baby is still beautiful! And beauty isn't everything anyway.
I dunno, maybe I'd feel differently if I had a birthmark. Or a child, for that matter.

here's my thigh tattoo, done by Mikael De Poissy

@Tornado6 I'm gonna echo the placement argument here. A few months ago I started a new sleeve, and the first hour or so was spent finalizing the design and figuring out how/where to lay it on my arm. The artist went on to explain how the arm is basically a cylinder, so a cohesive sleeve is about creating an image that complements and enhances your natural movement. (I hope I'm doing justice to his explanation.) So when I bend my arm now, the bottom bird's wing creates this really nice spiral where before was just a hard, 90-degree angle. What I had originally imagined got changed completely, but it was absolutely for the best. I have no gift for composition, haha.
Placement is important for a piecewise sleeve too, of course, but you can get away with a lot more with this approach.
As for the feminine/masculine thing and how people will read it, I don't think you should worry about that. It's going to be on your body, so on days you are feeling more girly, your tattoo will complement it. On days you're feeling tomboyish, your tattoo will it as well. In a way, a tattoo is the ultimate accessory, so how you carry it can change its quality.
I hope this makes sense.

I only have one piece so far, but as I keep going, I will be very concerned with balance. For now, I like the idea of keeping the amount of coverage on the left vs. the right around the same, but on different parts of the body. My right side is covered from ribs to hip, so my next move will probably be left hip/thigh.
I definitely think about the overall aesthetic and negative space. I am a belly dancer, so I think about how a potential tattoo will look with my costumes, how it might look when I move different ways, how it'll change the way people perceive me as an artist. My overall "look" is important to me.
I think in the future, I'll be a lot more heavily covered on my legs- starting with the left, but eventually both, as they are easily covered. I think my no-go zones will be forearms, hands, belly, left ribs, chest. I'd love to have a backpiece someday, so I'm saving that real estate for now.

Another thought...
articles/rick-walters

By Jasmin Austin down in Perth, Australia.

ok ok - now I know this is the heavyweight division - the best of the best - major league back pieces - epic sleeves from legendary artists from around the globe - tattooing black belts - you get the picture - but I figure - you only live once - so here is my first ever entry into one of my favorite monthly threads....
Whatever...by Jamie Sawyer outta Immortal Ink in Clinton, NJ

Here is a quick pick of the back of my knees...thank god, never again. Hey unless I can get my hands on that removal cream, then let's party all over again...
TheGangOfOne rolled in the blackness on the left 5 days ago, it is just continuation of my backpiece. So my whole L backthigh (and buttocks) is all black water waves and rocks.
The R side was put in back in 2011 by OllieXXX, the green water connects a sperm whale on the thigh to an octopus on the leg.
That lizard on the side needs a touch up yikes
That red-yellow rising sun was my bright (?) idea to fill in my lower leg. It kind of looks silly but folks always seem to point it out, and the red and yellow have held really well for 10 years so whatever. I'm almost tempted to black over and continue the black/grey water waves down.
The scrappy looking black tattoos on my calves are a palm tree (Island Records) and a Bad Brains bolt that I got in 2003 from this skinhead pal. THe plan all along has been to keep them open and completely fill around.
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Knee tattoos are painful to get, but manageable if you have a tattooer who can work quickly and efficiently, as the knee will balloon up and once that happens the pain will intensify. The healing I find more difficult and painful than the tattoo, either when moving or at rest. Especially that friggin lizard, he took longer to heal than anything else. Hard to bend the leg when the skin is raw and tight afterwards for a few days so you will have the zombie limp. Don't let that deter you! I went jumping and kung fu kicking 2 days after a knee session, that was dumb but my leg still works and the tattoo is still there. You won't die haha. Within a couple days that swelling and bruising go away, you regain some mobility and it's business as usual, just with more colour to accentuate yourself :) the mortality rate is very low! good luck, you can do it!
Also, be aware that knees take a lot of abuse over the years. I've banged up my knee a couple times since I got one tattooed. Took a big chunk out the centre and one off the side. So you have to be prepared for that happen. Just part of living life.
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i found this pic of my "squid pants" from a few years ago on my computer last nite, enjoy...a colourful dude and his ugly dog. Turtle is 10 years old, from Miles Kanne. Hard to believe the blue is still blue. They do look better as they age :)

Got this on the same day i finished my sleeve. lol.

Marius Meyer started this one a couple of weeks ago. Gonna add more dragon next time.

Wifey got her 2nd session done earlier in the week.
Picture stolen from the obvious source . . .

Fun little Friday the 13th banger at 510 expert tattoo. Almost the whole shop was just doing walk-ins yesterday churning out cool 13 stuff.

Franz Stefanik, The Okey Doke, Toronto, Ontario

Cross posting from the back piece thread, this is after session 2 with Marius Meyer yesterday.
Yesterdays session was all the scales, all the shading in the skull and all the yellow. Looking to get the next session booked in for around the beginning of April, hopefully.

Here's my baby! Seven hours down, an estimated two to go to finish up. Done by the incredible Erick Holguin of Ink & Dagger in Roswell, GA. It got a little sore at the end, but he was so gentle/light handed that it was smooth sailing for the majority of it. It's in memory of my mother, who loved cardinals, and is even better than I ever imagined.

Out of excitement I open a thread and forgot that this one was meant to post about your latest work...
1st sessions. 5hrs.

Done, 2d sleeve by Shige :
View image: IMG 5047
Next is back in November (or maybe earlier) to complete my mandala.
Cheers

Here is my heart / rose by Talley Matthew. He works quickly and gently. This was super fun, and I'm excited to have a tattoo I can see easily :)

Drawn on single needle