knucklehead211

So I've been getting major backpiece envy from seeing all the sick work you guys collectively have. If mine were to happen, it is still a ways off, but I thought I'd ask - how should I prepare for this possibility?

One thing I worry about, is I seem to get bad acne on my back. I wouldn't want to ruin some amazing work by having a breakout on my back. Does anyone have experience with this?

I'm also curious about the extent I should cover. I'd like to do shoulders to bottom of thigh, but is it the norm to do a full suit going to your front side and wrapping around as well?

My last worry is cohesiveness. I have a half sleeve of four individual pieces capped at the shoulder. I also have an in progress calf sleeve, with plans to do the other and one realism piece on my knee. Would shoulder to bottom of the thigh look weird meshing with my arm, or cutting off halfway around my ribs?

I'm probably overthinking all of this, but I would really appreciate any advice at all on how you guys got through yours. Just want it to fit well on me.

I'll also point out that legs, at least for me, heal slower than my arms becuase they have worse circulation. It took about three weeks for mine to go through the peel-flake cycle, compared to a few days to a week for my arm. I extended my aftercare expectations, let it dry heal with twice daily washings for most of the first week, very light a&d at the end of that week, and lotion around the middle of the second week on. Just what's worked for me personally.

That's awful. My gf and I were in a situation like that. She wanted someone who didn't smoke, didn't have an attitude, no tattoos, super nerdy - and I was like that when we met! Now I'm an inked up, half pack a day flannel wearing gamer who's nerdiness doesn't go much further than what games out next and thankfully she still loves me. We grew together since high school, and neither of us are the same, but we love each other more than ever (she's even given me the ok on full sleeves when I'm ready). If this person can be your bff for four years and not accept you for you, then that says a lot about THEM - not you.

@knucklehead211 shame you didn't get a pic before the cling film went on :(

Pics after first wash!

So gross. But the outline is complete and most of the shading is done. Now to heal up and get the ninth off!

Glad to report that I am no longer peeling! Crazy how the body can heal fast when you're panicking haha!

I think by the time I get done Jack Stack bbq will have died down, might go see what the lunch special is

But he is banned...

Btw, I know this forum is pretty liberal and you've been here way longer than me, but the language is a bit much...especially the "g" word. Not anything I personally take offense to, it just looks like a middle schooler who hasn't learned how to curse properly, and you might offend others on this forum...

I started out with just one piece on my left arm. Now it's a shoulder to elbow half sleeve, so what do I do? Start a calf sleeve...on my right calf! :rolleyes: symmetry never was something I worried about anyways, and I'm sure once I have the suit it won't matter!

I got a zit in my new tattoo and boy does it itch! Too much lotion :(

Definitely on the bigger ones from now on I think I'll go dry for the first week. Had about seven ingrown hairs after putting on a very thin coat of a&d. Thank god it was all between lines! I've really only felt ok putting lotion on it regularly this past week, almost a MONTH after the work! And I'm going in for shading saturday, so the lotion goes back on the shelf.

RHW inner bicep crew. It was a pretty dumb choice to get this as my second tattoo, given how uncomfortable the location turned out to be/how badly I sat.

The only thing with covering your inner and outer bicep with one largeish tattoo each is that you then have that weird back-of-the-arm area to fill. Thank goodness for snakes, daggers, torches...

Yeah, it can be tough. I had space down the back and at the top, so we had the snake come up to a shoulder cap. The snake writhes in and out of my arm to match the skin rip by my elbow, and then is coming out of the smoke plumes from my skull on a pile of shell casings. Tied it together very well luckily! Sorry for the crappy pic.

As far as placement, anything kinda oval shaped, like a skull or a helmet or a demons head, fits really well. If you're sleeving it up in one shot, you have a lot of options too.

My family crest, knight helmet with irish flag plume feathers with the name and motto in lettering

I have to delete spam posts in this thread all the time. Something about laser removal really brings 'em out.

I know, I looked at this thread two hours earlier and a guy managed to go two regular posts before he plugged some quack in Canada! You were quick on that one ;)

Have you found it easier to sit for those tougher spots when your fresh in your sit and your endorphins are really pumping then move onto the easier areas? Or is it just what it is? I have another 20+ hours ahead of me and am not sure the best way to proceed. Any help is appreciated!

Thanks Nina

I've been going to the same guy for a while now. I feel like, whether by process of elimination or on purpose, I feel like my artist does the most painful stuff towards the end. If we're doing a spot that's mostly the same pain grade with a few exceptions, then I feel like I can stay in the zone longer if we hold the most painful areas til the end. Just my two cents. It's always gone that way for me - the feather in my armpit was towards the end, same with the snakes tail coming to my elbow, and almost the same situation with the drowning hand on my ankle. That and the fine lines in Poseidons hair felt like hot fire, but since we were over the halfway point, it was a good fire!

Did the whole front of my leg. Chin "ok" very tolerable, Side of calf and calf tolerable, ankle and ankle area..... fffuuuuuckkkkk! No thank you. It hurts like a mofo but was able to tolerate the pain. Unlike my back that some spot just made want to punch something, the leg so far has been a walk in the park...

Yeah, I thought the shin would be awful but I was in the zone for most of that. Back of the calf was painful, and even though we only did a couple of lines by the ankle I'm still dreading it...imagine the shading and full color!

My ig is the name here, knucklehead211. No pics yet but weather permitting may post something today

I'll throw my WIP out there. Nautical Disaster Calf Sleeve

Done by Nathan Blankenship of Exile 2, KCMO

Can't figure out how to turn those sideways, so enjoy the neck pain!

Not to mention UV only shows under UV lights...which pit out what the sun puts out...no evidence but I'm pretty sure that would make the black part of the tattoo fade quickly. And you only see it under a blacklight. unless you're in the nightclub scene or plan on becoming a real life CSI star, you'll never see it. It's not worth it.

I wouldn't go with that exact design. You could take it to your artist as a reference, but I'm sure most artists worth their salt won't want to be aping a complex design like that altogether. They're ARTISTS; they like to make their art unique, within the realm of what the client wants of course. And there's really no way to tell how much it will be. Best bet, take this pic - and a few others - to a reputable artist. Be open to the idea of them putting their own touch on it. You can ask him what he thinks it might cost, but better to just go in prepared. Just some tips!

I'm guilty of starting threads for simple questions, but I try to only do it if it's something specific I haven't seen asked before. But I'm still pretty new.

Gotcha @xcom, probably jumping the gun a bit. @marley mission, definitely. It actually peeled down if that makes sense (further from my heart, later to peel).

Thanks for the input. It's about thirty minutes drive and my work doesn't allow much time lately for me to do everything I need in a day. With the way it's progressed I think it's 50/50 that it'll heal up in time. I found my lotion too so I think that'll help!

Just curious if anyone has experience with this. My leg sleeve outline has been in for three weeks so far. My next appt for shading is in one week, and my ankle is still flaking. Any ideas on what I should do? Rescheduling would suck, but I don't want to mess it up. Any advice appreciated!