Rad Kelham

Just my observation, but it looks like you are still learning how to draw and paint. Which is fine! But I think in order to properly execute these designs, you should study more and work on your technique. The best way to go about that is to trace and re-paint 100 sheets of flash. Don't take any artistic liberties, copy them exactly as they are so that you can gain insight into the craft and process of those who have a good handle on what they're doing. You will be amazed at what you learn! Start with the basics and the old masters, and work your way forward. Not only will you learn a ton, but you'll have an awesome volume of work to show people.

This is great advice. I'm taking this challenge on thanks to your post. Hopefully it will help my beginner ass.

My friend Nathan got a backpiece from Steve Moore after emailing him for ten years. He got a response to his final email which read: "Dear Steve, My name is Nathan and I have been emailing you every few months for 10 years..." Less than a year later he had a killer completed backpiece.

Some of my crappy watercolor paintings. Dip pen and brush on watercolor paper. There are a couple more on my Instagram if you want to cringe some more.

These are watercolor? What are you using for your linework? Are you using tracing paper to refine and clean up your drawings before transferring them to watercolor paper?

There's mine completed in 2007ish. I now wish it were more detailed but at the time I wanted the biggest back piece with the least amount of time and effort and money. So it goes.

So I recently got a job at a coffee shop (Tim Hortons for all you Canadians out there) as a baker. Lots of lifting, water, sanitizer and possibly burning. I have an appointment for a large forearm eagle (wrist to elbow) in May, and I'm a bit worried about its healing. I know I'm going to have the first 5 days of the healing process off, since I have to travel for it, but for the rest of the time I'm going to be working.

They told me I was aloud to wear any long sleeve, black shirt under my uniform to protect it and keep skin flakes out of the food, but I'm not sure what kind of shirt would be ideal. Any idea? I was thinking some sort of athletic underarmour shirt, sinse it would be light weight and breatable, but I have no idea.

I've healed a lot of tattoos in less than ideal conditions. A leg sleeve in 95 degree Thailand weather. Leg and belly and hand tattoos while working as a carpenter. Lots of tattoos while living on a sailboat. In all of these cases I've have good results. On the other hand I've healed some tattoos under ideal conditions while working desk jobs, and had terrible results on a few occasions. Unless you're a scuba diving instructor there's not many jobs that will ruin your healing. Just baby the area in the critical first few days and be aware of it. And while you're at it get me a double double please.

Great hand tattoos!

Can't remember if I've posted mine here, so fuck it, just in case I haven't.

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Wow nice! I would have liked to go that detailed on my lower knuckles but I assumed they wouldn't heal well. Yours look great.

A few of the tattooers that I've collected from do most of their work on a tablet. I've been trying to learn the programs above but there is no good material online that I can find. I really need an educational tool for a beginner...a book, online course, etc. Anyone have any recommendations? Artflow and Sketchbook customer service didn't have any good advice for me - just a couple bad YouTube tutorials. Even a generalized course in digital art (not program specific) would help. I need to learn how to better use layers and transparency and all the basics. Thanks.

I also have the same obsession with hand tattoos.

Here are mine !

We have the same asterisks.

Here's my Derek noble thigh in progress. It goes all the way around. Poor Derek has to work around my fat ass and sweaty crotch. Stellar dude. Go see him!

There's mine. Surprisingly it didn't hurt that bad. The beer belly helped.

I'll post a photo in a few days once I can lift my arm without grimacing!

*now

As someone who followed that old school code of ethics about public skin, I know feel its crap. Get em done whenever you want!

Has anyone here got most of their body done and never had a bad heal? I've had a few really bad heals over the course of my suit. One that even put me in the hospital.

I definitely meant just the palm; having heard how horrible it is, I'm very impressed. I would love (one day) to get my palms done, but it does scare the shit out of me.

Make sure you go to someone who specializes in palms. Brody Polinsky, Hooper, etc. Those guys know the secret...deep as fuck, and plunged (i.e. stippled). I say plunged because its more like drilling for oil than stippling. And if you want your fingers done too then you'll have the pleasure of knowing that your tendons are tattooed as well. Just don't do it. Its not worth it. But yeah, do it.

Here's a nasty one. Pretty sure I let it get infected, I'm not real sure. It ended up fine amazingly.

Here's during, directly after, and healing photos. Remember to clean your tattoos! :D

Wow. Clearly something went wrong here. How little did you clean it?

Holly shit balls batman!

So Sorry this is happening to you bro.

Take care and see a doctor.

Good luck and you can post a pic if you upload your image to a image hosting company such as photobucket.com.

Honestly I don't want to share it because I don't want to feel shitty about the comments that will come after it. However if you look at my hello thread then you can see a photo of my other armpit by the same tattooer which healed perfect. 6 hours of realism in an armpit is hell, so the second time around i caved for the numbing spray. I've been speaking to other people who have had the same reaction and apparently it will take minimum 6 months for the skin to be ready to be tattooed again. Fortunately its in my armpit and not visible. Anyway folks, VASOCAINE - don't use it. And if you do use it, use it SPARINGLY. I met a guy who has work from guy/eddie/Cain/France/McDonald and more and his stuff healed beautifully. He said using the minimum amount is key. However after doing a lot of research I think this product is really bad news and really dangerous. The only way it's even available for tattoos is the technicality of it being a cosmetic beauty product, thereby bypassing things like FDA approval, clinical trials, etc. Rambling post sorry.

Awww dude...vaseline is like the no.1 no no...

Update on my leg - still peeling after a week and a half. I think it's just because legs heal slower, which is compounded by my poor circulation to my extremities (had my fingers and toes "die" on me before where they go all white with no blood flow unless I warm them up), which is also made worse since I'm a smoker. Hoping it will be good soon.

Vasocaine, not vasolene :-)

Damn that palm is hardcore! Did you do that all on one sitting?

I did. Assuming you mean just then palm in one sitting, not all the tattoos I posted ;-). I'll tell you though, that palm was by far the worst tattoo pain of my life. Ribs, feet, ankles, knee ditch, head...all those are a walk in the park compared to the palm. I was supposed to do both palms in the same pattern but no way Jose! I honestly don't know if I'll ever touch it up or do the other palm. It gave me anxiety for a couple of weeks, just reliving the experience in my head. I couldn't even be in the room when my lady got hers done the following day. That's the tattoo that broke me.

The skin has all started to die. Still oozing and weeping 6 days later. I've learned that it's the epinephrine in the product...it can cause tissue necrosis. Can't post a photo because I my account is still in the newbie phase.

Armpit tattoo...used vasocaine and the thing is fucked.

Haha I guess not.

Sure. There's a couple pieces I have.