Beans

@polliwog - I agree with you that "A lot of the most fervent defining seems to be done by people looking at the tattoos, rather than the actual tattooed person." The article is a thoughtful read, but it also needs to be understood in the context of what the vast majority of tattoos are, i.e. those tiny infinity symbols and whatever. The kind of work folks on this board get is not the norm, and so our reasons and attachment to tattoos is probably not going to conform to that data super well either.
I do often get tattooed to mark particular moments in my life or transitions. I have many tattoos that to me did feel like alternative rites of passage where there were no "mainstream" ones (getting a tattoo to mark finishing my PhD, for example), so I can relate to some of what the article is saying. But I have two principal issues with it nonetheless. First of all, I hate these strange studies of "identity" because they make it seem like this rigid, easily defined concept. I mean, I feel like I have a strong sense of who I am and am searching for who I am at the very same time, and I imagine that is true for most people. I find their discussion of that stuff very over-simplified. Second, I am fucking sick of all these millenials articles, and I am not even a millenial! But like seriously, the desire to cast each new generation as a bunch of iconoclasts with no connection to the past is insane. Millenials are not a fundamentally different kind of person than the rest of us, and writing like they are some kind of alien culture that must be studied makes me crazy.
Like we live in a weird world where we are increasingly less and less attached to communities that traditionally defined us. So yeah, we're all searching, and maybe tattoos help us with some of that searching and maybe they don't. We invest a huge amount of time and money (and blood!) into them, so obviously they mean a lot to us and impact our identities. DUH; I would have a hard time disputing any of that. But trying to turn it into some kind of "definition of a generation" psychobabble is a bit much.

Thanks for making the thread a success, guys. I love reading about other people's ideas almost as much as I like thinking about my own. ;)
More thoughts: I'd like to start bigger projects, like ribs, back, chest, etc. But I feel like torso tattoos are really bold statement pieces, especially on women, so I want to make sure my ideas are perfect for each spot. I'm kind of thinking about an underboob type design that's actually not geometric for once...I'm thinking a couple of panthers and/or tigers facing off, with their bodies/tails curled up and around each boob and their faces meeting in the middle. Think this kind of pose, but obviously more suited to the female body: https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/8a/a9/38/8aa938f599b1da484ff4d620cbf6cbe5.jpg Gotta think about it for a while, though.

@polliwog, gross! I have not had the misfortune to live next to an actual lab, but I've definitely lived next to tweakers before. :/
A quick google says that the odors can be like nail polish or cat urine, which I suppose makes sense given the stuff involved. Probably a horribly chemical smell. They might just be smoking the stuff in there and not producing it, but I don't think there's any easy way to tell, aside from seeing them behave a certain way.
If you DO suspect it's a lab, I mean...I personally would call the cops. Being around the byproducts of meth production can be seriously, seriously bad for your health. It makes people crazy. (In a post Breaking Bad world, I feel like everybody probably knows this now, but I haven't watched it yet, soooooo!)
Feels weird telling anyone to call the cops on somebody, since I definitely had a few delinquent years in there, somewhere. Oh well. Bring me my cane and rocker on the porch, I'm ready to yell at kids to get their meth labs offa my lawn.

Cool! Yeah, it seems like it's something that makes you a little more relatable to the clients, sometimes people think the workers are stuffy and not like them at all. Tattoos are always a conversation starter.
I think the people closest to me are starting to realize that tattooed me is way more confident and happy than the non-tattooed me ever was. They still shake their heads in mild disapproval, but I don't get nearly the amount of grief I used to.

Maybe they wanted more than just friendly talk if you know what i mean ;)

My luck should run that good.. but I do attract some lively ladies in the gym, too bad they're all over 75...

I was talking to my artists yesterday about his opinions on which sunscreen would be the best for me. He said none. In his opinion, sunscreen is very toxic and causes cancer rather quickly. He showed me some of his oldest work on his older sundamaged skin and his work is still beautiful, bold and bright. This made me think of a study I read last year stating sunburns/sun damage during childhood is what causes skin cancer. As an adult, sundamage causes premature aging but the dice is already cast if you will develope cancer. I thought it was interesting on both accounts. Thought I'd share.

The city does a "lunch in the park" here in Missoula every Wednesday. Live bands, tons of food vendors etc. Yesterday was the first one of the season, so I went by myself, found a nice picnic bench to eat at and observe everyone walking by. There was still 8 or 9 free benches left, so I sat comfortably believing I was insulated abit and surely no one would interrupt my loner time. When 3 conseritive women in their 50's come up and announce that they are my new friends. Yay, I'm friendly enough and it was ok, but most of the lunch they chatted with me and to eachother about tattoos. Ugh, it did get kind of weird after a bit so I chucked my Pad Thai and moved on.

I love your idea with the carp, I think it will be stunning imagery. Ive been thinking on my next piece and was concidering a dragon eating a carp or morphing into one. IDK, your idea is brillant.
Carp killing where I live is a thing, I'm not much of a blood thirsty gal myself but people here are quiet inventive in their methods......explosives, AR15's and BaseBall Bats.
Go for it!

There can't be a pinup thread without something from my home girl Lina Stigsson! :cool:




There are more on her website:
Lina Stigsson

This is a tattoo by Ross Ferrie, taken from the logo of the first shop he owned "The Pinup Parlour" in San Jose circa 1994. Chris Conn worked at the shop for awhile and created this logo for the shop. Ross has the original hanging up by his station and every once in awhile people insist on getting it. There have been different variations over the years but this is the original.

First, don't worry about offending people with your tattoos.
Second, you'll find that things getting stuck with arrows is not uncommon in tattoo imagery. I couldn't find any koi examples, but there are plenty of wolves. There is also a member here who has a wolf being shot up done by Chris O'Donnell, but I can't remember who it is. I think a shot up koi would look pretty cool.
Valerie Vargas

This isn't traditional Japanese but here's a "sushi koi" from Simon Golygowski in Montreal.
https://instagram.com/p/3hSGCZg1ZS/

after some googling i found this:

TRUE NATURE TATTOO: Oniwakamaru
so i guess it is officially okay to stab a carp/koi

That tattoo looks sweet! I have seen tattoos of animals shot up with arrows but never a koi before and thought it would look cool. I think it would be cool to have a common tattoo but a little twist on it to be a little different. I just wanted to make sure that I wasn't doing any injustice to the style of tattooing or anything

So far, I've had no real problems, but I'm 62 and have only had tattoos (now at 4 - will turning one on my left shoulder into a half-sleeve count as only one more?) I'm really not worried about it, and tend not to take myself too seriously. Been on the beach this week. No stares, comments, etc.

This might be too political for this site? But here goes. In my opinion/experience, PUA culture is bad news for everybody involved. It looks like you still have some detoxing to do. Try thinking of your interactions with women as something other than transaction-based, to start. You also don't know what a person may have experienced to cause him or her to "lash out" at light touch from a stranger. I wish you luck.
Thanks to everybody on here for helping to keep this a good space for women, by the way...
Because I think we need a picture of something nice right about now, here's a backpiece by Forrest Cavacco that I'm currently drooling over:

Edit: sorry it's so huge...

I just wanted to address what you said above.
I don't like to share too much about my personal life, but I will on this occasion. I suffer from a mental illness, but am a fully functioning person who gets up and goes to work every day, shares a smile and laugh with collegues, lifts weights at the gym, and spends a lot of time with my friends. Not many people know about my mental struggles, and those that do it's only because I have told them. Mentally ill people generally don't look sick (yes there are cases where it's apparent someone isn't well by their actions). When we are ill we don't have a runny nose, or a cough. When I am sick, and when I am well, I still don't like to be touched by strangers.
Mental illness is surprisingly common. It still has a stigma attached to it, and I would bet money on the people who you think are mentally and emotionally stable, that there are a few of them who are sufferers, but you wouldn't pick it. I guess what I'm trying to say, is don't be so casual with flippant remarks regarding the mental health of people. You can't judge how they are doing mentally on whether they lash out at being touched by strangers. That is stupid.

I also especially love smiling and being really friendly to those who have obviously made a snap judgement on my appearance!
My boyfriend is a muscly, skin head with very vibrant traditional tattoos of a reaper, a devil and all sorts of dark things. But he is the biggest, kindest and cuddliest bear ever when you speak to him! So polite and thoughtful, a real gentleman. It still cracks me up when he holds the door for a little old lady and they look terrified of his kindness!! haha
EDIT: I am not so sure my BF would be so pleased that is how I described him come to think of it! Ruin his manly image ;)

There's defo some advantages.
When we take the kids to the beach and looking for a primo spot to sit, it's amazing how when I'll strip down to a pair of shorts, put up the umbrella, fold out the chair and crack a coldie, then the people who up and move ha!
Was it sumfink that I done? Thanks for the space.

Yup, unfortunately there are douchebags in every crowd. But you totally did the right thing, screw 'em if they can't take a joke.

I had my first really open antagonistic stare this week while in Quebec City. I sat down for breakfast and was reading the paper when two unpleasant people made a show of staring at my arms, sneering and then giggling derisively at me. It was weird and I feel sorry for them that they have so little going on in their lives that they tried to make me feel badly about my tattoos. Its fortunate that I do not give a damn what they think of my tattoos, or me, for that matter. I thought about it for a minute, grabbed a second coffee, and relaxed and enjoyed the paper before having a lovely day exploring the walled city with my wife on our anniversary. I've had others stare and clearly not like what they see, but never quite like this. What sad people. I was embarrassed for them. Solution? Get more tattoos.
By the way, this was not representative of the people I met in QC. Apart from them, everyone else was friendly and accomodating and I'd go back in a heartbeat.

Grabbing and touching without consent are not cool. I'm an unattractive male and it's happened to me plenty. I've been sitting at dinner with my wife and felt my shirt sleeve being pulled up by a stranger so they could appease their curiosity
...and I don't think we should be telling girls that if a man invades their space and ownership of their own body they should find it charming or flattering. No one else should have control over what they see of you, least of all men over women given the track record and the culture we've created.

People staring at my tattoos doesn't bother me in the slightest. I've had them for a long time. But I agree, the uninvited touching is beyond aggravating. Along with having tattoos, I have long, thick, curly red hair (at the risk of sound arrogant - it is beautiful). A few years ago I was standing in line at the market. It was just one of those days and I wasn't in the nicest of moods. The woman in front of me turned around and started stroking my hair telling me how beautiful it was and asked if it was natural. I smiled, reached out and put my hand on her boob, as I started to squeeze I said, "Gosh, thanks so much. Your tits are beautiful too. Are they real?" She was so shocked and looked like she was going to cry as she quickly walked away to get in another line. I just laughed. It was extremely satisfying.

The Bible does say you should not mark your skin. Next time tell them it also says "Do not judge, and you will not be judged; do not condemn, and you will not be condemned," "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." and "Why do you see the speck in your neighbor's eye, but do not notice the log in your own eye?"
These hypocrites only read the part of the bible that allows them to be judgmental blowhards.
As to the stares, I'm 6'2" 195 with hair halfway down my back. I stare back :-)