SF Dave

stewart, i hear what you are saying, but believe me, i wouldnt have shared that photo without making sure proper credit is given. if there wasn't already a watermark on that photo, i most certainly would have said where it was from

i really want to get a Kuniyoshi image of a Suikoden warrior pinning down a wild beast, done by someone from State of Grace. trying to decide if i should get it on my arm, thigh, rib/stomach, or back.

Picture courtesy of the guys at East Tattoo.

East Tattoo, as in the one in Taiwan? Wow that is awesome.

the difference between good artists and great artists?

great artists have more clients who will patiently save their money and travel far distances to get work from them, because those clients wouldnt want it any other way.

if someone asks me why or what do they mean, i usually tell them i just like how they look, or i think they are beautiful, and they serve as my reminder that life is beautiful.

even though my tattoos do have deeper meanings to me, i'll never tell them the truth.

I look forward to seeing the other artist videos. This is very inspiring!

Totally. I seriously wish Vice/VBS could just keep this going. The first "season" isn't even over yet and I'm already hoping for a season 2

Yoni Zilbur in Brooklyn does some good Chinese stuff, he specializes in Tibetan style tattoo

speaking of Shige's phoenix tattoos, here's a pic (work in progress) of a friend's pheonix that Shige did on her thigh:

always love the way Shige uses color. it's just beautiful

love this Chris Conn girl

Anyone have any idea when this is being released??

from the website: "DVDs will be available for purchase on Sept. 20, 2011."

looks like it can be pre-ordered on Amazon.com

hmm i'm getting this same message "You do not have permission to access this page" whenever I try to upload images in the gallery

this many years later and the image still has just as much appeal, it is a classic design

not exactly slang, but i was reminded over the weekend that it's pretty annoying when i'm at a party or club or somewhere where there are drunk people, and someone comes up out of nowhere and touches your tattoo and asks "omg are those real?!" while i was in the middle of a conversation with someone else.

those Pryor and Sheen portraits are hilarious, and i think the traditional tattoo style they were done in is much more fitting. i dont think they would convey nearly as much humor if they were done in realistic black and grey. that's one of the things i love about the traditional aesthetic, it has the ability to add a unique dimension to all kinds of imagery.

actually there is a portrait i would like to eventually get in the traditional tattoo style, but im not sure which artist to go to for that because i dont really see any artists show those kind of tattoos in their public portfolios. or maybe im just looking in the wrong places. anyone have recommendations in the SF Bay Area?

samsyd that is awesome, i really hope to get something from Stevie next time i'm in Sydney

i'm an accountant and everyday i wear long sleeve button-up shirts to work to keep my arms covered. i am not sure if there is a tattoo policy here but i dont need to know. i'm not interested in showing my tattoos at work anyway, i'm totally ok with keeping them covered without needing to be asked. if i wanted to "be noticed" or "express" myself in the office, i'll just do that by trying to do a great job at work.

Also, I didn't see Cris Cleen mentioned in here, but I love his ladies.

absolutely love Cris Cleen's lady heads. a few from his blog:

just beautiful

Just wanted to let everyone here know that Grime Part 2 is now up!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RRBYVdYp9xo

watch here:

Grime Part 2 - Tattoo Age | VBS.TV

i missed it this weekend but still plan on checking it out sometime

i hope shawn does not mind me replying to a post addressed to him, but i just read the article yesterday and saved the link: Nibble and Sip: tattoo nutrition and my experiences with long distance cycling

i'm not a tattoo artist, but i'd like to add some thoughts from the perspective of a "collector". when an artists says no, maybe the artist is just looking out for the client's privacy. because it's not just the tattooer's art, but it's also someone's tattoo which oftentimes can be very personal. the photographer might not know the "meaning" behind someone's tattoo (nor would magazine readers), but the artist will and if it is that personal, the artist might just want to be respectful to his client.

maybe it's just me, but i wouldnt want to be photographed simply because i just dont want to show off my tattoos in a magazine, that's not my style. i got them to fulfill a personal desire and they might have a personal meaning. so not to sound selfish, but i got them for myself and i feel they aren't really meant for the world to see, if you know what i mean. in other words, showing off the tattoos was never in my intentions when i got the tattoos done in the first place. thats a big reason why i got them done on areas that can be mostly covered. if a friend wanted to see i have absolutely no problem showing because my friends know and understand me, so thats different. but like i said, that's just me. everyone's different. maybe when/if i get more visible tattoos in the future, my opinion on those might be different.

the morning of the tattoo, i'll go to the market and buy a nice steak (preferably a porterhouse) and some good beer, a chocolate or energy bar and mints, and a bottle of water or gatorade.

dry marinade the steak and throw it in the fridge, have a balanced lunch a hour or two before the appointment, and roll up a couple of J's. then i'll drive to the tattoo shop and have this overwhelming weird restless/excitement/nervous feeling the whole ride there.

mints, chocolate, and gatorade during.

afterwards, go home and throw the steak on the charcoal grill and have a ice cold beer. followed by a J or two. take it easy the rest of the day and wash off the tattoo before i go to sleep.

Not gonna lie, i got legit chills at the beginning of the video. you know, when you see Grime studying his client's back while we hear that mysterious bell chime music, and then listening to Civ's comments about Grime overcoming his personal obstacle by "crushing everyone in tattooing", and then the music changes and that "Tattoo Age: Grime" title appeared, i swear, haven't felt chills like that in a while.

i've read through this thread, as well as other sources, most offer similar but slightly different advice, and i understand there is no single "best" way, but i still have questions about washing a new tattoo..

1. how many days (or until what point) should i be washing a new tattoo with unscented antibacterial soap? after that period, do i need to switch to a different kind of soap or stop using soap? i ask this because i wasn't sure if antibacterial soaps have properties that should be avoided after a certain point in the healing stage (just like how one should stop using Aquaphor and switch to a mild lotion after 3-4 days)

2. it's often recommended to wash the tattoo couple times a day the first few days. should soap be used every time? after those first few days, do i still need to wash the tattoo with soap multiple times a day? i wasn't sure if that will irritate or over-dry the skin

3. when can i start using body lotion with SPF on a new tattoo? only after it's fully healed?

i know these sound like really easy dumb questions, my bad. but i would really appreciate hearing thoughts from anyone because you are all more experienced than me. thanks