The Tig

What they said ^^^^^
However here are my answers to your posted ?'s
- How do you find inspiration/ideas for another tattoo?
I kind of have the idea to keep certain styles in separate areas on me. If I really like an image then it's possible, they don't have to have deep meaning.
- Where did you get the idea for your current tattoo?
Current piece is a continuation of a Star Wars sock on my right leg. Going with Dark Side images of things from the franchise that I have always liked.
This latest is a Technical Draft style piece and went with it because it's unique and found an artist capable of the line work.
- Where do you get your daily tattoo news/content from (apart of this forum)?
Don't keep up on 'news' per say, but have a few Facebook pages that I like and then use Google and Instagram.
- How do you organize different ideas for your next tattoo? For example bookmarks?
Just have a Folder on my PC Desktop and save images to it, but if an idea isn't strong enough to just remember then it won't be my next tattoo.
Good luck with your first tattoo, just remember to go big in size and get it from a well known artist.

Thanks folks. I went for the whole five days in the end, took it off today. Tattoo is looking nice, nearly healed but I'm out of derm so I'm going to cream it the last few days. I'm definitely a convert though, and will be buying more for future art!

Had an hour and change of retouches yesterday with my heavy-handed-homeboy Ollie...reminded of the gnarly memories of all my fave spots...retouched pieces on both thighs/side-butt, background shading up down around the outside knee joint, relined the eyes across my stomach. And I love/hated every second of it.
Sometimes I wonder if I like tattooing as much as I do is because it feels like stabbing yourself with a fork only the end result is a little cleaner.
It is a good thing tattoos hurt. If they didn't hurt I probably wouldn't get them.

I've been gone for a while. I'm stoked to see so many great tattoos being done.
Started my back with Horitomo in December.

Session 2 with Steve Moore. Another 3 hours into the back. He wasn't lying that the lining was more painful than shading. But the shading is still pretty bad haha

I've followed Kelly for a while and finally got to meet him Saturday at the Houston Tattoo Extravaganza. He had a few hours open and I couldn't pass up the opportunity. He is all that you mention above and very humble. I'll certainly have him create something special for me in the future.
Here's a photo of the very fresh, drawn on hanya he tattooed above my knee. It looks like it will settle in nicely when the grey wash lightens up.

Met plenty great people and got a few hours with Kelly Edwards, who tattooed a really cool hanya on my thigh just above the knee. Kelly is a super cool and kind guy.
Kelly working on my hanya.


Fresh:

Got to see Lyle Tuttle. He is sharp and moves like a man at least 20 years younger.

My view for the evening.

While I was getting tattooed, Cleen Rock One was busy in the next booth. He's a much nicer guy than the TV version.

Thank you sir! Kelly Edwards from Element in San Antonio. Amazing artist, tattoo craftsman, and person.

Henning requested pics of my healed back with a black background. Believe it or not, it was tough finding large enough black material like a curtain or spool of cloth but luckily my local dry cleaner had something I could borrow. I had to email him LARGE files because he may publish the photos in something. Fun looking at all the details. Maximize your browser!

Session 3.
Steve really put on a lot of ink this time. I was shaking a bit during the first hour and not doing well with the pain, but Steve said to relax my entire body and left the pain "flow through my body". When I did this, the experience completely changed. Obviously, it still hurt, but I was able to breathe through it and find some calmness. I'm very happy with the progress so far and Steven is pumped too!

Close up

One tiny little touch up/detail session left next month!

Met plenty great people and got a few hours with Kelly Edwards, who tattooed a really cool hanya on my thigh just above the knee. Kelly is a super cool and kind guy.
Kelly working on my hanya.


Fresh:

Got to see Lyle Tuttle. He is sharp and moves like a man at least 20 years younger.

My view for the evening.

While I was getting tattooed, Cleen Rock One was busy in the next booth. He's a much nicer guy than the TV version.

Due to my now ex-job (got layed off Monday) I haven't been able to ride any MTB in over 6 years, Today, that changed!
Rode the Fisher Rig 29" single speed this morning in perfect weather. I had a blast!
Sometimes you just have to stop and look around, listen to the birds, and soak it all in. This is my ultimate medicine.

I rode the Memorial Park XC trails (some of which I helped to build almost 30 years ago) and was saddened to see how many trees died from the drought a few years ago. I'd say about 35% are gone.

"Shitty" must be a style. Sure, I see plenty of nice tattoos, but most of what I see is pretty crappy work.

There's charming shitty tattoos for sure, but a lot of shitty tattoos are not that exciting to look at. I don't even know what you'd call the style I see at sports bars in the Boston suburbs.

i always think the "the body is the temple God gave you" thing is hilarious honestly. all of the most beautiful temples and chapels have painted ceilings, and we're not supposed to decorate our temple?????

"Shitty" must be a style. Sure, I see plenty of nice tattoos, but most of what I see is pretty crappy work.

Same here. The funny thing is that shitty comes in all genres of tattoos: among the younger folk I see a lot of shitty traditional and shitty mandalas. It makes the nice work stand out all the more, but goddamn, most people don't know how to get a tattoo.
- - - Updated - - -
Same here. The funny thing is that shitty comes in all genres of tattoos: among the younger folk I see a lot of shitty traditional and shitty mandalas. It makes the nice work stand out all the more, but goddamn, most people don't know how to get a tattoo.

"Shitty" must be a style. Sure, I see plenty of nice tattoos, but most of what I see is pretty crappy work.

"Shitty" must be a style. Sure, I see plenty of nice tattoos, but most of what I see is pretty crappy work.

"Shitty" must be a style. Sure, I see plenty of nice tattoos, but most of what I see is pretty crappy work.

Yesterday I got this skeleton with a videogames system from the '80s on my calf.

I have 3 good sized pieces on my legs so far. I will likely get something new on one of them in may.
The dagger is by Scott Sylvia; the mushrooms and skull/wings are by Jereme Galloway

I agree! Although I respect the view of some who say, "I'd never work at a place where they wouldn't accept tattoos," and admire their willingness to take a stand, I think the reality is something closer to the quote above. During the recession my husband was out of a job for about 2 years. We went into "survival mode" and really cut back, and just scraped by, and he did free-lance work here and there, until he found permanent work when the economy recovered. It was a very difficult time. My husband only has a couple of tattoos that would never be seen in the workplace, but if he did, and turned down a job on principle because they wouldn't allow them to show his tattoos, there would have been trouble in paradise. When you have a family, mortgage, bills to pay, you you have to think very carefully before you jeopardize all of that on principle.

Another one by Jeff Zuck. This is the tattoo that immediately popped into my mind when I read the premise of the thread. I remember when I first saw this tattoo I stared at the picture for, like, an hour because I just couldn't wrap my head around it.