DavidR

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.

It's been a while, but I just recently got back to reading the forum and looking at what other people are posting as far as new work. By way of jumping back in, it seemed like posting what I've been up to since I last participated in this thread is the right way to go.
This might be a bit of a long one. Sorry.
Sometimes you're in New Orleans. Sometimes you end up with a butterfly. Brent at Uptown Tattoo did this one:

Jake Miller from Cathedral Tattoo in Salt Lake did this little ditch guy for me:

I did a bit of a run of appointments at Great Lakes Tattoo. Erik did this one:

Nick did this one:

And Matt did this one on my calf:

Javier Rodriguez at LTW in Barcelona made this crazy tiger head for me:

John Raftery, who is also at Cathedral in Salt Lake now, did this snake while he was still in New York at Fun City:

Ben Haft at Fun City did the tops of both of my thighs with a sinking ship and a rose of no man's land:


And finally, Mike Suarez at Hand of Glory in Brooklyn was able to squeeze me in on Saturday and do this on my shin:

I picked up a few little bits of filler here and there, too.
Next up is getting my left knee done, I think. All of this has really just motivated me to start thinking about back/chestpieces.
Further down the rabbit hole.

I also had alot of reservations about the sleeve I have always wanted. I just turned 43 (plain skin girl) and said to hell with everyone else. I trusted in my artists skills to create from my inspration and had my fisrt sit yesterday. We/I had a great time and I am so happy with the results so far. This morning, I have ZERO regrets! Im in LOVE with my new arm. Take your time, let the artist guide you and trust the advice of the knowledgable people here on LST. Good Luck!
Nina

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

So I feel like a fraud but... I cancelled my appointment.
I ended up drowning in doubt. Doubts about style, design, my chosen artist. By the time I'd finished tying myself up in knots, I doubted whether I even wanted a tattoo at all. So not the best frame of mind in which to make a lifetime decision. I was pretty bummed out about it for a couple of days but I know I made the right decision and I'm gonna take some time to get my head straight before making another appointment.
I think the best place to start doing that is right here. I'm gonna soak up some culture and wisdom. I'm also going to attend a couple of conventions in May.

For what it's worth, my experience of this board has been the same as yours. I learned more about tattoos, tattooers, my role as a client, styles, what makes a good tattoo (and a bad one), and what I want in terms of my tattoos from reading four threads on this board than I had in weeks of flailing about on the internet. When I do finally get inked, I know that the quality of work I get and my satisfaction with it will be vastly improved by having found this board.
I too like to see old threads resurrected when the new post continues that thread. When the new post does not fit perfectly then I prefer to see a new thread lest the old one get sidetracked. Having said that, I feel that tattooing is a topic with depth but not a whole lot of breadth; it doesn't need that many threads and I think the board is the better for it. I do not feel that this board has a lot of threads and I find things easy to find. The search function could be better but that's the case for the search function on every board I've ever frequented.
While I'm new, it does feel like the board is undergoing a population explosion at the moment and a lot of new threads are being created by newer members. Maybe the guidance that all new members are given as part of the registration process could point them to a sticky listing the high-traffic threads and some guidance as to which thread common post-types are best suited to.
TL;DR: Don't start a new thread unless you absolutely must.

Mods and rules aside, I agree with what (I think) SeaSee is saying - that the best forums (in terms of the signal to noise ratio) tend to develop a culture that encourages thoughtful posts that add value.
It's why some forums are awesome resources and others are spam-fests full of flaming.
When non mods complain I think it's often less that they want to be the "mod police" and more that they are invested enough in the community to want a standard of discussion to be maintained.
In fairness, we've also had relatively new members do a fair bit of ranting over the years, and no one stopped them... Remember the guy with the wonky star?
Is people sticking their oar in about inane or unnecessary posts really inherently unfair ... does it somehow infringe on people's rights? Meh. This is a privately owned forum with public access.
Also, The pushing goes both ways and if we're indeed all adults here then no harm done. No one is exactly oppressed here.

With the full understanding that this is glaringly hypocritical since I'm starting a new thread about it (though I couldn't really find one that addressed this issue), I have sort of a use-of-LST question for you all. I really hope it doesn't come across as jerky or out of line!
One of the things I liked about this forum when I joined was that there were relatively few threads considering the amount of content on here, in contrast to others forums I've used. A lot of the longest-running threads on this board contain a ton of fascinating knowledge and first-hand experience from members, collectors and tattooers alike, who've come and gone, and when an old thread gets dug up and bumped to the top, to my mind it's a welcome chance to read through the archives. Trawling through pages of the Latest Tattoo Lowdown thread, the What Makes A Good Tattoo thread, etc etc blew my mind as a newbie. So, from there I'm wondering: when is it appropriate to start a new thread? What makes the board the most navigable for everybody? I guess I've already revealed my bias, but it seems like a discussion worth having.
Also: I'm not saying that new discussion doesn't add anything, more that it's maybe easier to forget what a wealth of information already exists here if it gets buried many pages back.
Obviously all bets are off in the random stuff area...

I'm not going to add much to the thread here and this certainly won't count towards my tally of "thoughtful posts" but since I don't get to call someone a bell-end very often (unless I'm talking about David Cameron), I'll bite.
The guy's a bell-end. Send the OP a PM offering to discuss it with him privately and leave the thread alone.
Also:

@bongsau - Shad is super nice, and SO FAST! We got that snake done in 4 HOURS! 4!!!! Outline, shading, color!!! He does use bactine, as you mentioned, and that helps so much. He said he is going to be up in Canada, so I hope you get in to see him!
This was a really painful session, all in all. The upper back is like hot fire. Not fun! I am so stoked to get to this point in my tattoo, though, and I can't wait to continue the collaboration. We were talking about a dragon on the rest of the back of my legs looking up at the snakes. !!!!
Anyway, for those who might have missed it on IG, here is my new snake!

I'd like to add Andrea Giulimondi to the list. He works at The Family business in London. I love this girl in particular!

Off topic, but this blog/article has the best line ever:
"I don’t like stepping in dog shit but I wouldn’t go around demanding that all dogs have their assholes sewn shut."

Purely out of curiosity, I just watched the first two episodes of this season. The thing that bugs me the most about it is that they give the winners of the "Flash Challenges" the ability to assign all of the "Human Canvases" to each tattooer. What this means is that they are purposely trying to make their competitors put on bad tattoos that they know they can't pull off so that they can further themselves in the competition. They're actively trying to get the clients bad tattoos.
I mean, I understand that it's a competition and money is at stake, but these are tattoos. People have to live with these for the rest of their lives and I think it's a total dick move to completely neglect to think about the client's happiness and their right to get a good tattoo.
Like it was said earlier, this is just a TV show. There is good and bad associated with it's impact, of course, but ultimately it's aired for entertainment purposes and not for promoting artistic integrity. That's their prerogative and that's fine, but I think it's incredibly irresponsible to participate in fostering a culture where people get shitty tattoos on purpose. That's never cool, and that's where I take most issue with this show.

I'll be watching that, but only because I'm a copywriter at an agency.
Correction: I am a beautiful copywriter.

That's because your old mate makes his opinions based on the internet and tv shows, not the real world.
He obviously has never seen Oliver take walk-ins all day and totally nail every single tattoo drawing, regardless of style in less than 15 minutes. Then execute every tattoo, regardless of style, cleanly, quickly and accurately without rock star attitude.
Just to make this clear, Oliver manages to give walk-in customers what they want and make a great tattoo that he can be happy with and other tattooers will appreciate. Think about that for a minute... walk-in customers who don't give a shit who he is... and just want a tattoo they can like.... great tattoos... It's a rare talent among tattooers and even more rare among 'artists' who make tattoos.
Making great tattoos, making customers happy and having a great time while being so fucking cool to everyone else in the room and helping tattooers less experienced than him, yeah, fuck that guy. I'd hate for the guy who does my awesome tattoo to have a toothpick, like ewwww, gross, totally not cool.

Hitting that "10 thoughtful posts" at a record pace!

I told my teacher a funny story that had to do with a gardening experiment and the law. One of his clients canceled the night after so he tattooed this design on me. :cool:

I have some near-twenty year old ink I was considering getting reworked. Then I watched a show on Velocity about these guys who totally rework the innards of hot rods but clear coat over the faded paint to preserve the mojo.
"It'll only be original once", they said.
So I slapped some Aquaphor on those old tats, looked at them in the mirror, and smiled, remembering every moment that led up to those early decisions.
"They'll only be original once."

@jen7 I just saw your back piece in the latest tattoo lowdown thread. I thought you said you were fat ;-)
My $0.02:
Our body image problems are just that: ours. We don't see ourselves the way others do and they don't see us the way we do. I'm a stay at home dad and the people I spend my time with are all women. If I ever wrote a blog, it would be called "Drinking Coffee With Other Mens' Wives." They're all in their thirties, fourties and fifties and they all have kids. I think they're all gorgeous but I know they wouldn't agree with me. I often joke with them that I have low standards because to me, all a woman needs is good personal hygiene and a smile.
For my part, I'm 6'2" tall (good) and weigh 280lbs (not so good). I'm pear shaped so while I have broad shoulders, I have an ass the size of Venus and a gut you could surf. Even when I lost 77lbs a couple of years ago (all since regained), I still had to buy my trousers from the right-hand end of the rack. It's not the body I'd choose but my friends all love me.
Love the skin you're in and get tattoos if that's what you want. Don't reward yourself for losing weight; most diets fail and what good does it do to deny yourself something that makes you happy? Get them now; you might get hit by a bus tomorrow.

Uh I know several big girls with GREAT tattoos- the key seems to be to get BIG tattoos...Im a fat guy myself and i dont see how it matters-
Also I think being fat (5'8" 260) is pretty awesome bc i have enough room on my sides to get like 2 extra backpieces

tattoos make everything look better.

Hi all!
I'm a research scientist who studies paleoclimate, climate change, oceanography, and archeology/anthropology through stable isotope geochemistry.
Stuff about me. My grandfathers pretty much raised me. Both were WWII veterans.
My grandfather on my dad's side was a BAR-man in the USMC with the Pacific from 1942-1944. He was the embodiment of the Greatest Generation, I loved the man to death. He essentially raised me: he taught me how to shoot a rifle, how to fish, and gave me my moral compass and innumerable life skills. I miss him every day. He fought on Rennell, Bougainville, then was assigned to the First Provisional Marine Brigade, where he fought in the Second Battle of Guam, losing sight in in his right eye to a Japanese Grenade, sending him home. The Brigade would go on to Iwo Jima. The grenade probably saved his life. Yes, he was tattooed.
My other grandfather was a total badass, as well. Field Artillery in the battle of Kasserine Pass. He was captured by Rommel's troops, and was a POW at Stalag III-B in Furstenburg. From which he escaped. Twice. Ratted out both times by refugees. They used to trade red cross cigarettes to the guards by making them give a salute and yell "Heil Roosevelt!"
My dad was a 3rd generation Marine, of the Full Metal Jacket era. He was also a real POS of a human, and being in the Corps did that part of him no favors. He told me, to quote, that if I tried to carry on the family tradition, he'd kill me himself first.
So, having grown up in Florida, I pursued what interested me. I'm not the kind of person who could ever have a job just to pay the bills. I get totally enrapt in whatever has my attention and interest. So science was a natural fit. I went to school for way too long. I paid my way through undergrad (chemistry/marine science) working in a boatyard, at a public aquarium and TAing/tutoring. I did research and taught more to survive through getting an MS in Oceanography and a PhD in Geoscience. Now I wake up and get to do what I love every day.
So my main fascinations are the history of tattooing insofar as to be tattooed is to be human. Then, secondarily, American Traditional. As a scientist and person who tries to be an autodidact (and has sailed in the South Pacific, and was raised by Veterans), it's impossible for me not to be fascinated by and deeply respect Sailor Jerry. And as a general person who loves tattoo history, Paul Rogers, Cap Coleman, Amund Dietzel, Thom DeVita, etc. etc. etc.
I am not a tattooer or artist. I don't have a visually creative bone in my body. To me, good tattooing is an ultimate and purely human art form. As human as paintings of mammoths and ungulates on cave walls. It's a truly special, endemic form of tool use that pushes the human brain out to the max.
As a final note, the university I work at has a very conservative student body and is in a very conservative town. It's also too hot for long sleeves all year, so all of my past and future work is necessarily coverable by short sleeves, and preferably shorts as well.
Thanks!

I got a thing today. Hard to believe it too me almost 33 years to finally start. A fun Percy Waters bird from Greggletron/Greg Whitehead at Scapegoat Tattoo. I stole the picture from his instagram.

Side note: I really appreciate this forum. I went to my appointment totally prepared and actually knowing more than the average bear (which is still only a very little, admittedly), and he kept asking me 'are you sure this is your first tattoo?' He kept talking about how pumped he was to work on somebody who'd give him creative license, who knew about Good Tattoos and what makes them good, and...yeah. It made me feel really good. I'm pretty sure I learned all of that here. He would probably thank the forum too if he could. Haha.
Booked my next appointment for October. IT BEGINS.

Hi All,
Pushing 50 and never been inked. I've wanted tattoos more than half of my life but there's always been a reason not to but I'm a big boy now and it's about time I started making my own bad decisions.
I had an epiphany recently and found myself asking "Dude, what's the worst that can happen?" so I've found a local artist whose work I like and I have a five hour slot booked a week from now.
I've had sleepless nights worrying about what I'm going to have done - it's not that I can't think of anything, it's because I can't decide on only one thing - but one thing I do know: she'll come up with something far more impressive than I if I only let her have her creative freedom. So I'm gonna give her the broadest of briefs and let the chips fall where they may.

Finally finished this backpiece by Valerie Vargas at FST :)