reverend1

My back piece experience so far. Hmmm, where to begin...
Both empowering and humbling is my best description.
Empowering, because despite after always admiring the full back pieces I'd see in tattoo magazines in the 80's and 90's, then, especially here on LST, I never in a million years thought I'd ever be able to do it. But, this year, at age 46 I started mine on June 30th. I had it built up in my head that it would be the most painful experience of my life, and was so worried that I'd have to quit halfway through, but then I saw the stencil on my back and I was like "It's so awesome. Cool, so what if it wraps around my ribs and goes collar to waist, I can do this."
Well, I did do it.
It wasn't easy, but I made it through the outline (Shit tons of lines, but he got it on me in 3hrs 40mins.) Yeah, it was painful as Hell. I knew going in what I was about to put myself through, and went in with my head in the game. All of the shading and coloring has been painful as hell as well, but I always see progress, and it keeps me stoked for the next time. I'm about halfway done now at the 17.5 hour mark, taking it in 3 hour or so chunks, plus random tattoo of opportunity times.
Humbling, because all the other tattooers and clientele at the tattoo shop doing my back, and other people that have seen my back piece are now like so reverential of it (think "Whoa, Dude, how the Hell did you do that?")
I feel like all I did was just lay there and take it because I REALLY, REALLY wanted a ROA back piece.
Once it's finished I'll get get to wear this motherfucker till they put me in the ground and I'm worm dirt.

took this picture yesterday 4th day of healing already peeled Scott sylvia blackheart tattoo SF
SF trip was better than i could have ever expected or deserved.
found LST(pic 1) got great advice (pic 2) listened to said advice !(pic 3)

Maybe a skull and snake?

Hearing this makes me even more excited for my appointment with him in February!

Need a t-shirt..haha. This is by Morten Transeth at Blue Arms Tattoo, Oslo - Norway.

Andrea Furci at The Family Business, London.

I figure enough people liked this in the Latest Tattoo Lowdown thread to warrant an entry here.
Done by Johnny Bones at Full Circle Tattoo in San Diego, CA. Johnny be good!

by Johannes from Black Stallion Tattoo / Good Faith Tattoo in Boston/Brookline, MA

might as well have another crack, Tattoo around the clouds and Kraken is fresh/swollen in this pic.
Tristan bentley, Ocean ink Sydney Australia

Well here is my first tattoo. Done by Kore Flatmo at Plurabella Studio in Cincinnati. WE got around four hours done yesterday. I will be back right around thanksgiving to finish it. It was a great experience KOre was great to work with, he is a true gentleman, and a credit to his profession.

@Pugilist Thanks so much
- - - Updated - - -
Here is the tattoo my wife had done at the same time I was getting mine.
By Brenda Flatmo Plurabella Studio Cincinnati, Ohio

Well here is my first tattoo. Done by Kore Flatmo at Plurabella Studio in Cincinnati. WE got around four hours done yesterday. I will be back right around thanksgiving to finish it. It was a great experience KOre was great to work with, he is a true gentleman, and a credit to his profession.

I had my first session on my first tattoo with Kore Flatmo this Friday. I went in with a weird combination of being very excited and very nervous at the same time. Needless to say everyone was great and it was a great experience. I have to go back for another session to finish in November.
Even though I'm not done with my first tattoo, I have caught myself thinking through what I would like to do for my other chest panel. I am worried this is going to get expensive. I am blaming all of you for this.

Absolutely! He is a very intelligent, well read man. We spent about an hour just talking about philosophy and the way we approach our lives before we started doing anything else. His apprentice Adrian was great, and Kim was a sweetheart.
I am so glad we decided to work with them. Every part of the experience was great. They treated us like we were old friends that they had known for years. They truly bent over backwards to make us comfortable and put us at ease. My wife loved working with Brenda, and she couldn't be happier with her tattoo.
After being treated so well and being so happy wit the results, I couldn't imagine working with anyone else. We will keep going back until they throw us out.

@Brock Varty here is what we have done so far.

Here is the tattoo Brenda started on my wife.

@Brock Varty here is what we have done so far.

Here is the tattoo Brenda started on my wife.

I had my first session on my first tattoo with Kore Flatmo this Friday. I went in with a weird combination of being very excited and very nervous at the same time. Needless to say everyone was great and it was a great experience. I have to go back for another session to finish in November.
Even though I'm not done with my first tattoo, I have caught myself thinking through what I would like to do for my other chest panel. I am worried this is going to get expensive. I am blaming all of you for this.

I had my first session on my first tattoo with Kore Flatmo this Friday. I went in with a weird combination of being very excited and very nervous at the same time. Needless to say everyone was great and it was a great experience. I have to go back for another session to finish in November.
Even though I'm not done with my first tattoo, I have caught myself thinking through what I would like to do for my other chest panel. I am worried this is going to get expensive. I am blaming all of you for this.

I had my first session on my first tattoo with Kore Flatmo this Friday. I went in with a weird combination of being very excited and very nervous at the same time. Needless to say everyone was great and it was a great experience. I have to go back for another session to finish in November.
Even though I'm not done with my first tattoo, I have caught myself thinking through what I would like to do for my other chest panel. I am worried this is going to get expensive. I am blaming all of you for this.

@slayer9019 : buns of steel

Okay...as, I think, the oldest guy posting here, I'd best to act as the voice of reason.
You need to go out and find as much on Japanese body suits as you can, and then start working with Korey to get yours drawn up, cause buddy, you been had.

Yea....about that. LST does promote some habits of this kind. Like me....
First I did my right calf, but wait how can you have a that without one are your right bicep? Hold on, now my right bicep looks weird so I need another on the inside to "balance it out". Shit, now my left side is all bare and very asymmetrical, gotta get something on my left thigh. Really, just one tattoo to balance out 3? Get entire left leg tattooed waist onto the foot...Uh oh, unbalanced again, sign up with Hooper for a left armpit to knee tattoo....
and the cycle continues!

Absolutely! He is a very intelligent, well read man. We spent about an hour just talking about philosophy and the way we approach our lives before we started doing anything else. His apprentice Adrian was great, and Kim was a sweetheart.
I am so glad we decided to work with them. Every part of the experience was great. They treated us like we were old friends that they had known for years. They truly bent over backwards to make us comfortable and put us at ease. My wife loved working with Brenda, and she couldn't be happier with her tattoo.
After being treated so well and being so happy wit the results, I couldn't imagine working with anyone else. We will keep going back until they throw us out.

I had my first session on my first tattoo with Kore Flatmo this Friday. I went in with a weird combination of being very excited and very nervous at the same time. Needless to say everyone was great and it was a great experience. I have to go back for another session to finish in November.
Even though I'm not done with my first tattoo, I have caught myself thinking through what I would like to do for my other chest panel. I am worried this is going to get expensive. I am blaming all of you for this.

Yeah, this is not going to end with another chest panel. Start saving! :)