Bobby Diebold

Ooh. Is there a picture of this amazing back piece?

She'd kill me if I posted a photo of it, but you can see it on Bailey Hunter Robinson's Instagram (it's a totally badass phoenix) :)

To pretty much any onlooker, you are a guy with two awesome Boston Terrier tattoos. Please please don't mess with them. Tweaking a solid tattoo because it doesn't match what's in your head seems like a bad road to go down, because what if you're still not satisfied? I know I'm just some rando on the internet, but I really like your tattoos and feel weirdly personally invested in your becoming happy with them as they are.

Thanks so much for saying that- I sincerely can't tell you how much I needed to hear that. They definitely are awesome tattoos, and I don't think I'm going to mess with them.

My wife and I were out walking the dogs last night, and I looked back to see our little female Boston crossing the street. She was excited and panting and looked exactly like the tattoo. I think the artist kind of unknowingly captured her "crazy look." She looks the same way when she has been running around the dogpark and is in the process of stalking her older brother for whatever he has in his mouth.

I think you hit the nail on the head, though- I guess the look doesn't quite match what I had in my head, but it's still her and it's still some very cool ink that I will grow to love over time.

Ugh. Don't double post.

Sorry about that :( Thanks for the feedback in the other forum, though. I think I'm just going to leave it as-is, after all. I guess the crazy-eyes-killer thing is growing on me. I started calling her little devil dog, too, which my wife is NOT happy about :)

Stop getting tattooed if you love them

and then immediately hate it

I definitely don't hate it :( I have to love it- it's permanent LOL. I'm just debating whether I would love it MORE if the teeth were filed down and a little less "Bunnicula." ;)

I think the artist wold be able to fix it really easily with black ink. But in my opinion, I think it would look weirder than the original picture. it would look as if the dog only had its lower teeth! If you asked me I think it is fine the way it is. Reminds me of the Sailor Jerry bull dog with the helmet! may be that can be your next one!!

BTW is this tattoo representing the same dog on your other arm?

Thanks for the feedback! No, they're two different dogs (Boston Terriers). The other one is a male, and the one I'm thinking about changing is his little sister. She was just really tough to shade because she's pretty much all black with the little stripe on her forehead.

Okay, so I got my second dog tattoo... Like the first one, I absolutely love it- totally bad-ass execution. There's just one issue I have with it, and I'm hoping to get some more advice...

She turned out a little more demonic than I was aiming for. The eyes are pretty intense, but I think it's the pointy teeth that kind of put it over the top:

I was thinking about having the artist just fill in the tips of the teeth, so they aren't pointy and possibly the rest of the mouth... I was just messing around with the image on my computer, and this is what I came up with:

My question is this: Based on the pictures above, would the artist be able to make this change with some simple filling in or would it just look weird???

Okay, so I got my second dog tattoo... Like the first one, I absolutely love it- totally bad-ass execution. There's just one issue I have with it, and I'm hoping to get some more advice... I'll try posting over in the Tattoo Advice forum...

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For some reason, I still can't start a new thread in any of the other forums, so here goes...

My second dog turned out a little more demonic than I was aiming for :eek: The eyes are pretty intense, but I think it's the pointy teeth that kind of put it over the top:

I was thinking about having the artist just fill in the tips of the teeth, so they aren't pointy... I was just messing around with the image on my computer, and this is what I came up with:

My question is this: Based on the pictures above, would the artist be able to make this change with some simple filling in or would it just look weird???

I feel privileged to have a couple BHR tattoos. He's a great guy and is super-talented. Highly recommended!!!

I'm a guy, but... My wife just got her first tattoo (an amazing back piece- FIRST tattoo, right?!) In any case, she's been saying she doesn't want people to see it, but I think it's super-sexy, and I would LOVE to see her show it off in public. I guess it all depends on the individual, but that's my humble opinion as a loving spouse :rolleyes:

I've done it and I think one of the super fun things about tattooing is walking into a shop not really knowing what you want and getting something that feels right at the moment. I'm thinking of trying to get a walk-in somewhere next week when I'm visiting my parents. Spontaneous tattoos rule.

I've had a couple tattoos (one last year and one about a month ago) from a fairly well-known artist, and I guess they were somewhat spontaneous... I gave him a basic idea of what I wanted, but I didn't see them until I arrived at his studio. I didn't really see the need to make any changes to the designs. I think there's something kind of "old school" about walking in and getting a tattoo that you haven't been brooding over for months- kind of like the sailors and military men/women of the past. IMHO, I think it's important to go with something fairly timeless, though. I wouldn't be real happy about a New Kids On The Block tattoo these days :)

When I was considering my first tattoo, my parents sat me down for "the talk." I was aspiring to be an actor way back then, and they were concerned that it would have a negative effect on my career (15 years later, and the idea of being a professional actor sends shivers up my spine...) I ended up getting a memorial tattoo for my older brother who had been killed... When I finally told my parents, I think they understood that the tattoo was simply my way of dealing with the loss and didn't have anything negative to say.

I'm pushing 60 and got back into tattoos in 2005. My last one prior to that was in 1982. I've had all my old work redone or covered up. Now everything will be new work only with some touch up of old work.

Tattoos get beat up in time, so I'm glad I've gone this way with what I'm doing. Plans for 2015 is to have my left arm sleeve DONE and upper right arm completely done as well. The forearm can wait until the fall or go into 2016.

Personally, I think it's kind of cool to have older tattoos that are "beat up." They age with you, and each one has a story. I considered having my first tattoo redone because it has faded a fair amount, but I could never do it. It's a memorial tattoo for my older brother. I got it shortly after he passed away, and it still comforts me when I look at it. Having someone freshen it up would be weird to me, I guess.

Check out this tattoo. (livedintattoos is run by @Iwar and this is from @gougetheeyes Sunday Takeover.) It's probably pretty normal to stress about your first tattoo, but in the long run "mistakes" can become endearing. I have an "oops" in one of my tattoos that I didn't even notice until after it healed...

Thanks so much for sharing, this :) I guess it really is kind of cool in a way- I'll always want to tell people how the right ear was supposed to be floppy, which will lead to the funny story how my dog's ears both stood up perfectly when he was a puppy, and then one started drooping as he got older. My wife and I already laugh about it, so I guess this just kind of adds to the memories and giggles.

Sooooo, just look at it in the mirror. ;)

That is definitely one major advantage to having the ears backwards! Incidentally, I think that's also why I didn't notice the mistake until after the tattoo was done. The sketch he showed me beforehand obviously looked good, and then it still looked good when I checked the transfer in the mirror. I guess I was so intent on just getting through the pain (which actually wasn't bad at all) that I wasn't thinking about whether the floppy ear was on the right side or not...

I just need to shake that sinking feeling I got when I first realized the mistake, and I guess it will just take time :rolleyes:

This is your first tattoo? Don't sweat it man. Love it for what it is and now you have a story to tell. Things like that put character in to the tattoo.

Thanks, Cork :) I actually have three others- I need to add some photos of them to my gallery. I got my first one almost 20 years ago, and I have two more recent ones from Bailey H Robinson (one from last year and one from about a week ago). I got my dog tattoo about three days ago, and I'm scheduled to get the next one in a week or so (just making up for lost time :p)

It definitely makes for an interesting story :p I just need to get past all the "what-ifs." If I had only paid more attention... If I had only texted a photo of the transfer to my wife... If my wife had only come with me... Blah blah blah... At the end of the day, it really is a badass tattoo. I have to remember that it is a stylized representation of my dog and was never meant to be a fine-lined, photo-realistic piece or anything like that. No ragrets :D

My teacher has a story of tattooing a mom's wrong birth date on a friend... so, yeah... it could be worse. Haha

Oh my goodness... I think that would warrant removal :( My very first tattoo was a memorial rose for my older brother, and I seem to recall the artist asking me no less than 3 times if the initials and birth/death date were correct :p I brought three different sources with the dates because I was so worried about the scenario you just shared. You'd think I would have remembered that for the dog tattoo, but it was almost 20 years ago (and I honestly didn't think there would be any issues with my dog tattoos, since lettering/numbering wasn't involved).

FWIW, my wife pointed out that my dog is facing towards the front of my body, so he IS looking in the right direction. I guess the only thing that is really "backwards" would be his floppy ear.

I would suggest that you find the humor in it and try to not let it upset you. Memory tattoos are hard, because the imagery can be hyper-specific, like which ear was supposed to be floppy. Just realize that your artist has (presumably) never met your dog and just did what you gave the OK on. As tattooers, we 100% rely on the client to be the final say in what gets tattooed. We have people write names, dates and overall be vocal about the most important parts of their tattoo. I understand that it is difficult to identify any potential mistakes from a mirror, but with something so specific, there should have been a, "So, the right ear is floppy, right?... Which ear is floppy?... Which side is the right side on me?" It sounds absurd, and it tends to turn into a funny comedy bit throughout the process, but it's super important to be vocal. I think a lot of people worry about annoying or offending a tattooer, but the most annoying thing is pointing out a mix up AFTER the tattoo is done. Long story short, I wouldn't get laser removal if it's technically solid. I mean, the world might see the portrait with the wrong ear flopped, but they don't know your dog. You will see it from a mirror, where it will be correct. If someone is enough of an ass to call you out on it, say, "This tattoo is for me. When I look in the mirror, I want to see my dog how I remember him/her. If it has to look right to me or you, I choose me." Then say, "Beat it, Nerd!" and Tupac walk away like a boss. Good luck and just remember this for next time.

Thanks so much for the feedback :) I guess I will just have to laugh this one off. His floppy ear has always been a point of humor for my wife and I anyway, so I guess this little error just adds to the silliness of it. To use your words, it is definitely technically sound- in fact, I think it really looks awesome. I'm tempted to post a photo of it, but I really don't want to risk drawing any negativity to the artist (especially since it really wasn't his fault). My initial reaction was that I got a "botched" tattoo, but I guess it's far from that. It's not a tattoo of a baby that ended up looking like a vampire ;) I guess I could just have a serious heart to heart with my dog to see if he can work on reversing his ear flop...

Hello! I'm new to the forum, and I was hoping to get some advice (or maybe just some words of encouragement) on a recent tattoo I got...

I went to a very reputable studio in my area and was tattooed by an incredible artist. I don't want to mention any names, though, as I don't want to risk drawing any negativity to the artist's reputation.

In any case, he did a tattoo of my dog's face on my shoulder. I LOVE the tattoo- he did an amazing job and really captured the essence of my beloved canine companion. There's just one issue, though... My dog's right ear is floppy, and somehow or another, the left ear of the tattoo is the one that is flopped!!! I guess he drew it how he saw it in the photo, and the image was flipped when he did the transfer (which put the floppy right ear on the left). When I checked the transfer on my skin, before he tattooed it, I was looking at it in a mirror, so the reflection looked right... I just didn't notice until someone took a photo of it afterwards :(

I know there's nothing I can do about it now. I thought about the possibility of having the ears lasered off to have them fixed, but that just seems insane to me (it's expensive, and the tattoo could go from looking really good to looking noticably bad). You wouldn't notice the ear issue, unless I'm standing next to my dog or comparing the tattoo with a photo. I guess it's just something that I will always be aware of, and it kind of bums me out a little. I keep going back and forth between being upset about it and thinking that it's kind of funny...

I think the artist may have noticed after the outline was completed, but (if he did) he didn't say anything... I know it was just an honest mistake, but does this happen very often??? I'm going back in a couple weeks to have him put my other dog's face on my other shoulder- fortunately, there are no more floppy ears to contend with! :p