Bonnie Baker

You might get some ideas from this thread: http://www.lastsparrowtattoo.com/forum/crazy-tattoo-stories/250-pre-post-tattoo-rituals.html

Update:
Hey, guys. I just wanted to thank you for your advice. Yall's words of encouragement were in my head before I lied down. I don't recall any endorphins kicking in, mostly sucked the whole time, haha. My body shook the entire time and I cried about three times, but he got the outline done in 3 and a half hours and I'm still alive and excited about my next session! Scales and shading in the clouds are next. Hopefully I'll be able to push through it. [/img]

Go big or go home!!

You are my hero! :D
Now put some color in that master piece, you can do it! (Rob Schneider line)
Awesome work!

Update:
Hey, guys. I just wanted to thank you for your advice. Yall's words of encouragement were in my head before I lied down. I don't recall any endorphins kicking in, mostly sucked the whole time, haha. My body shook the entire time and I cried about three times, but he got the outline done in 3 and a half hours and I'm still alive and excited about my next session! Scales and shading in the clouds are next. Hopefully I'll be able to push through it. [/img]

Update:
Hey, guys. I just wanted to thank you for your advice. Yall's words of encouragement were in my head before I lied down. I don't recall any endorphins kicking in, mostly sucked the whole time, haha. My body shook the entire time and I cried about three times, but he got the outline done in 3 and a half hours and I'm still alive and excited about my next session! Scales and shading in the clouds are next. Hopefully I'll be able to push through it. [/img]

Update:
Hey, guys. I just wanted to thank you for your advice. Yall's words of encouragement were in my head before I lied down. I don't recall any endorphins kicking in, mostly sucked the whole time, haha. My body shook the entire time and I cried about three times, but he got the outline done in 3 and a half hours and I'm still alive and excited about my next session! Scales and shading in the clouds are next. Hopefully I'll be able to push through it. [/img]

First thought - birds don't fly under turtles. It may look odd to have that vertical arrangement.
But, of course, I'm all about the sea life!
If you are willing to have a diagonally down view, you could add coral, sponges, sea grass, etc., around him to frame it.

Hello! I'm the same way as you, it takes me a long time to make decisions. It took me three years to figure out what I wanted on my back but once my mom mentioned "dragon" I was ready to get a tattoo that week. Hopefully your next idea will just hit that elusive mark and you'll know. It was the same when looking for an artist too. @SeeSea sounds like you might know where your happy place is, haha.

Update:
Hey, guys. I just wanted to thank you for your advice. Yall's words of encouragement were in my head before I lied down. I don't recall any endorphins kicking in, mostly sucked the whole time, haha. My body shook the entire time and I cried about three times, but he got the outline done in 3 and a half hours and I'm still alive and excited about my next session! Scales and shading in the clouds are next. Hopefully I'll be able to push through it. [/img]

Update:
Hey, guys. I just wanted to thank you for your advice. Yall's words of encouragement were in my head before I lied down. I don't recall any endorphins kicking in, mostly sucked the whole time, haha. My body shook the entire time and I cried about three times, but he got the outline done in 3 and a half hours and I'm still alive and excited about my next session! Scales and shading in the clouds are next. Hopefully I'll be able to push through it. [/img]

Update:
Hey, guys. I just wanted to thank you for your advice. Yall's words of encouragement were in my head before I lied down. I don't recall any endorphins kicking in, mostly sucked the whole time, haha. My body shook the entire time and I cried about three times, but he got the outline done in 3 and a half hours and I'm still alive and excited about my next session! Scales and shading in the clouds are next. Hopefully I'll be able to push through it. [/img]

Update:
Hey, guys. I just wanted to thank you for your advice. Yall's words of encouragement were in my head before I lied down. I don't recall any endorphins kicking in, mostly sucked the whole time, haha. My body shook the entire time and I cried about three times, but he got the outline done in 3 and a half hours and I'm still alive and excited about my next session! Scales and shading in the clouds are next. Hopefully I'll be able to push through it. [/img]

Update:
Hey, guys. I just wanted to thank you for your advice. Yall's words of encouragement were in my head before I lied down. I don't recall any endorphins kicking in, mostly sucked the whole time, haha. My body shook the entire time and I cried about three times, but he got the outline done in 3 and a half hours and I'm still alive and excited about my next session! Scales and shading in the clouds are next. Hopefully I'll be able to push through it. [/img]

Update:
Hey, guys. I just wanted to thank you for your advice. Yall's words of encouragement were in my head before I lied down. I don't recall any endorphins kicking in, mostly sucked the whole time, haha. My body shook the entire time and I cried about three times, but he got the outline done in 3 and a half hours and I'm still alive and excited about my next session! Scales and shading in the clouds are next. Hopefully I'll be able to push through it. [/img]

Bit of a long break from LST but I am still alive and slowly chipping away at my backpiece.
Had a decent break from tattooing over xmas which was great but back to the grind now.
The snake has taken quite a while but almost finished now. Each scale of the snake has 3-4 different shades of green so has chewed through some time.

Actually, I am wanting mehndi :)

Psh. @SeeSea you say that as if that's all we say around here...
Tigers are the other acceptable option.

A place to post pictures of yours or ones that you drool over.
There are few things better than a well thought out and executed full back piece. So much potential as it's the largest solid flat plane on your body.
I'll start with this one that Thomas Hooper just posted on his blog as in progress. So awesome! For those who aren't familiar with Hooper he works at the great shop New York Adorned

Perfect translation. I was thinking something like "Picture not found."

I just had my second session done on my chest piece. 10 solid hours of actual tattoo time in two days. I wasn't exactly looking forward to it, since the first session (8hours in two days) turned out to be painful as hell. From minute one 'till the end. (a cursed like a madman when he went over my nipple)
This time however, and for the first time, I really got 'in the zone'. I was laying in the chair, eyes closed and completely at ease while the tattoo artist drilled away for 5 hours straight. We only took two 15min breaks. What worked for me was telling myself the whole time: 'I am completely relaxed, I can't feel pain. If I could feel pain, I wouldn't be relaxed'. A bit of reversed psychology. After 45min I was in a sort of trance. I could accept the feeling of getting my skin punctured a zillion times as something that wasn't pain but something I wanted. It sounds stupid, but it worked like hell.
On the really painful parts, like sternum and nipples it was all about breathing. Deep and slow breaths. Accepting the pain, not as 'pain' - with all the negative associations, but as a sensation I could control.
Anyway, it did the trick for me.

Mr. Justice does nice work. You should be happy with the outcome.
Randy at Eye Candy did my back.

Sounds like you have a great mindset already,eat a good meal prior to getting tattooed and try to get a good nights rest as well the night before,this will help a lot.Ive never meditated during but the breathing exercises will help you through it,just breathe and wait for the endorphins and you'll be fine ✌️

Annnnd, @Graeme for the win!
Yes, about 5 minutes into the first session of my back (my first tattoo larger than 1"x1"), I had a very big mental WTF?!? But the progression is mentally enlightening as well. I don't think I'm the same person. It's more than just getting a huge tattoo - it's finding out who you are. Someone on one of these threads had a nice post about the emotional and growth aspect of getting a backpiece. Part of it is also the respect you will get from others with a lot of work - they understand the commitment you made and completed. I won't be clique-y and say it's a club - just a shift in perspective.
This won't make sense now, but if you go full coverage - ink over every inch of your back - you will.
Welcome to LST.
Here are some places the crazy people hang out:
http://www.lastsparrowtattoo.com/forum/tattoo-designs-books-flash/492-full-back-piece-thread.html
http://www.lastsparrowtattoo.com/forum/crazy-tattoo-stories/870-full-back-piece-experience-thread.html