Kate1939

Very new here and I have to say I find the honesty refreshing.  There's too much BS in the world as it is.  I'm here for quality advice and insight, not hand-holding.  I've been cruising the initiation threads the last few days (got to page 71...geez) and I've seen a few threads where people just seem to be fishing for some kind of therapeutic approval. I'm all for supporting each other, but I'm glad to see this isn't a place for coddling the attention-grabbers.  I like the honesty of LST.  Keep it real.  Just my two cents.

I've used Cocoa Butter, too......but my Labs love the smell and constantly try to lick it off my arm.

you just hit the nail on the head. here's the thing, most of us don't talk about all aspects of the industry, especially those of us who don't tattoo. it's kind of like a secret recipe, you might get most of the basic ingredients, maybe even their amounts, but the spices or the signature ingredient is left out. because why pay for the milk if you can get the cow for free?
most of us (at least i think) are perfectly fine with not knowing every single detail about what it takes to make a tattoo if we're not tattooing. there are aspects of the industry that i'm curious about, and if i asked an artist in person about them, i might even get an answer, but if i was told "sorry i'm not going to answer that", then i would respect it and back off. while your statement about the internet is true, that you can learn just about anything from searching around, this community is not the answer to all of your questions, and if someone says "no" then you should also respect that there is a reason why they said "no". it's ok to ask, and i agree, if you're new to something, you may not be aware of boundaries, but when someone says to "stop", then you should stop. this goes to most situations in life, online and off.

My father had a tattoo - got it while in the Marines during the Korean Conflict. It was a traditional skull with a snake weaving through the eyes and mouth. But, since he passed away in 1997 and I was 60 when I got my first tattoo - just about a month ago - this wasn't a big problem. My mom is in a nursing home and I showed it to her the day after I got it. She asked why I got it, I told her and she smiled and said it looks good. End of story. :cool:

when I was growing up my mother was totally against piercings of any kind so when i went to Virginia beach on spring break my senior year I decided I was going to get a tattoo in memory of my cousin who was more like a brother to me that passed away when i was 14, it was on a whim tattoo just went to a shop and found a cross told him what I wanted and he made it happen. I told my mother I had just gotten my ear and nipple pierced (knowing she hated that worse) I used this to fire her up and when I got home and she was threatening to rip out my piercings if i did not remove them myself I casually showed her no part of my body had been pierced. she said that it was a terrible joke and she was upset. I then proceeded to remove my shirt and said "well if your already upset and were prepared for the worst... here is my tattoo".
she was actually happy, she liked my premise, she thought it was tasteful and thoughtful and a good way to remember a person very dear to me!
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spelling

Very new here and I have to say I find the honesty refreshing.  There's too much BS in the world as it is.  I'm here for quality advice and insight, not hand-holding.  I've been cruising the initiation threads the last few days (got to page 71...geez) and I've seen a few threads where people just seem to be fishing for some kind of therapeutic approval. I'm all for supporting each other, but I'm glad to see this isn't a place for coddling the attention-grabbers.  I like the honesty of LST.  Keep it real.  Just my two cents.

I use this shit

Available at most branches of Wickes or B&Q.

My first tattoo was flash right off the wall and done kind of spur of the moment (I was 19).  I loved it for about ten years and then decided to cover it up.  I did a lot of research in the area where I was living at the time (this was now the mid-1990s, so the internet wasn't really a "thing" yet).  I just did legwork.  Checked out shops, portfolios, talked to artists.  Found someone I was comfortable with whose work I admired.  He did I great job.  I've done the same kind of research for my most recent two tattoos, but the legwork started online and ended with meeting the artist in person, talking design, etc.  I'm very happy with him, and very lucky that he works not too far from me.  But I'm also kind of heading into a new phase here on LST and getting an even better education about what makes a "good" tattoo.  I'm reading a lot, checking out the artist interviews, absorbing things.  It's been a real education and I plan to stick around so I can become even more informed.  Best way to find out what makes a good tattoo?  Spend time with people who HAVE good tattoos!  

Very new here and I have to say I find the honesty refreshing.  There's too much BS in the world as it is.  I'm here for quality advice and insight, not hand-holding.  I've been cruising the initiation threads the last few days (got to page 71...geez) and I've seen a few threads where people just seem to be fishing for some kind of therapeutic approval. I'm all for supporting each other, but I'm glad to see this isn't a place for coddling the attention-grabbers.  I like the honesty of LST.  Keep it real.  Just my two cents.

My first tattoo was flash right off the wall and done kind of spur of the moment (I was 19).  I loved it for about ten years and then decided to cover it up.  I did a lot of research in the area where I was living at the time (this was now the mid-1990s, so the internet wasn't really a "thing" yet).  I just did legwork.  Checked out shops, portfolios, talked to artists.  Found someone I was comfortable with whose work I admired.  He did I great job.  I've done the same kind of research for my most recent two tattoos, but the legwork started online and ended with meeting the artist in person, talking design, etc.  I'm very happy with him, and very lucky that he works not too far from me.  But I'm also kind of heading into a new phase here on LST and getting an even better education about what makes a "good" tattoo.  I'm reading a lot, checking out the artist interviews, absorbing things.  It's been a real education and I plan to stick around so I can become even more informed.  Best way to find out what makes a good tattoo?  Spend time with people who HAVE good tattoos!  

Very new here and I have to say I find the honesty refreshing.  There's too much BS in the world as it is.  I'm here for quality advice and insight, not hand-holding.  I've been cruising the initiation threads the last few days (got to page 71...geez) and I've seen a few threads where people just seem to be fishing for some kind of therapeutic approval. I'm all for supporting each other, but I'm glad to see this isn't a place for coddling the attention-grabbers.  I like the honesty of LST.  Keep it real.  Just my two cents.

Thanks, Devious6, I've enjoyed reading your posts .
And thanks for the welcome, sighthound.  Below is my new hawk (pic taken right after it was done; three weeks healed now). It's a tribute to my Dad who died in 1990 and loved red-tailed hawks.  Kind of nice to have him "with" me permanently.

You can have a good idea of what you want—black and gray roses—but yeah, don't go in saying, "I want it exactly like this." You will find yourself out on your ear because most accomplished tattoo artists aren't going to copy something exactly. Why would you want them to? Let him do his own take on it, and you'll end up with something much better.

Agreed.  I have three tattoos, so I'm by no means the expert that some people are on this board, but I have found that bringing in a few different reference pieces and then letting the artist create something all their own is really the way to go.  You need to trust them.  And no good tattooer is going to copy someone else's work exactly anyway (at least that's my experience -- good artists respect each others' work and don't want to rip each other off).  Find a good artist, trust them, put in your two cents, and you'll end up with a piece that's uniquely yours.  Good luck :).

Not sure about this. Without context it just looks like someone is taking a shit haha

Thanks oboogie! I've enjoyed your posts! 

@DragonFanSa We've been respectful and kind towards you here so far, please be respectful back to people when they tell you they find your language offensive.

No, there's not gonna be "growing up" here. It's late, and I'm tired, but I'll bite. Sit down and listen up, kid.
That word has been used since WWII to put down Japanese people within the US, but only just symbolizes the ongoing discrimination and illegitimation of Asians within the US, a country where discrimination against my race is seen as more permissible than most other minority groups.
Being called a jap along with other racial slurs, being treated differently and getting into fights over my race, that's not something that I'll ever grow up from.
It's not like I went hard at you, I asked politely if you could not use that word. I thought that you may not have been aware that it's an offensive term to use since you're not from the US, so I wanted to make you aware. Learn to keep your mouth shut and be respectful, especially when someone asks you to.

I think English may not be your first language, but could you stop saying 'jap dragon?' Jap is a racially derogatory term - and probably because I'm Asian, but that term skeevs me the fuck out, and might make others uncomfortable too.

Well said.
Tattoo script and font are two completely different subjects.
The principles of flow & placement. That's the shit.
I don't have any script, not my style. Not heavy enough. But there's individual reasoning behind any tattoo and its meaning. Not all script is meant to be so eligible to the non reader. Just like my back tattoo design. Its significance and meaning isn't as obvious as the design may represent. Exactly what it was designed for.
That's the spirit of tattooing for me. Only the wearer knows it's true significance. That's why we should never judge another persons interpretation of their own. The meaning far out weighs reasoning.

Welcome! I didn't get into tattooing until around 50, and I've now been getting tattooed for almost 10 years, so I feel a connection with you already! While there are great things about starting young, there are also benefits to starting late. You are settled into who you are, you know what your career trajectory is, what you like and don't like, and perhaps are less impulsive (although impulsiveness in moderation is a great thing!).
I enjoy the perspective of people who start their tattoo lives late. So much that you read focuses on tattooing in the younger generations, and it is really exciting to see how those folks are pushing the art ahead and making tattooing more accepted - we all benefit from that. But it is also fun to hear of the experiences of older folks. There is a different perspective that helps complete the picture of the tattooed world.

@ligatortat trying to accentuate a small sized tattoo with an afterthought never ends up with a great result. it will overshadow and take the eye away from your new atom tattoo.
For your consideration...what about your opposite wrist? Something simple and classy like a small illustration of a ringed planet and a couple of stars/dots. A picture is worth a thousand words! You know all about "star stuff" when you look at the tattoo, sometimes less is more. Good luck and en joy your new tattoo. 

Your own statement identifies the source of the conflict. You state "I'm not a big tattoo person." This is a tattoo forum - would you not expect to find people with passion and strong opinions? 
I only have one tattoo yet I have found this group to be nothing but helpful and informative. It's not about what you have or want, it's about how you interact with the group. 
In the end, your decision about your tattoo is just that...yours. Get what you want/like, not what someone else does. People here have given you their advice and suggestions. Go with what makes you happy. 

Agreed.  I have three tattoos, so I'm by no means the expert that some people are on this board, but I have found that bringing in a few different reference pieces and then letting the artist create something all their own is really the way to go.  You need to trust them.  And no good tattooer is going to copy someone else's work exactly anyway (at least that's my experience -- good artists respect each others' work and don't want to rip each other off).  Find a good artist, trust them, put in your two cents, and you'll end up with a piece that's uniquely yours.  Good luck :).

Agreed.  I have three tattoos, so I'm by no means the expert that some people are on this board, but I have found that bringing in a few different reference pieces and then letting the artist create something all their own is really the way to go.  You need to trust them.  And no good tattooer is going to copy someone else's work exactly anyway (at least that's my experience -- good artists respect each others' work and don't want to rip each other off).  Find a good artist, trust them, put in your two cents, and you'll end up with a piece that's uniquely yours.  Good luck :).