Charles.M

Did not see this topic anywhere else, so here it goes.
The wall, to me is that phycological line you can cross where it is best to tap out of the Tattoo session, because you are out of the stuff it takes to continue, (out of gas so to speak) your endorphins are gone, your exhausted, hungry, tired, cranky, wondering what it is all about...that point is what I am talking about. Once crossed... you cannot get back to your happy place... If you keep going, you need to stop every 10 seconds, everyone is annoying everyone else and it becomes unproductive for everybody. No matter how tough you are, everyone hits the wall at some point, if you are getting big work, some even with small work.
As I said in another thread "If tattooing becomes painless someday, you will see a divide where it will be a qualifier if you had a painless tattoo or not because at this time and in conceivable history, pain has been part of the deal. Looking at a 10,000-year-old mummy's tattoo, you can think to yourself, shit that had to hurt... you get tattoo creds based upon the size and placement of the art, whether consciously or not by other tattooed people, it is part and parcel in the experience." 
I had a 9 hour long session on my arm and hit 'the wall'. First, 5 hours fine, stopped for lunch, got back at it, went another 3 hours, then I had to stop and throw up in the bathroom, lunch gone, kept going for 30 minutes stopped (arghhh..), going again then stopped after 5 minutes, then another 5 minutes and called it.  At this point, you could have touched my non-tattooed arm and my mind would have thought it hurt and I can't take it anymore, ...or my toe for that matter. That's it, out of gas....till next time.
I think we all can have this genuine experience, I have seen it countless times in others and it is nothing to be embarrassed about, though it is embarrassing anyway, it just happens. Tough as nails for hours, then all of a sudden not. Dang!. Then there are the obvious fakers who think they get bonus points for making a big deal about everything, that is not the topic.
Please share your 'The Wall' stories, if you have had long sessions, you know what I mean.

Stoked to see a return to the TOTM!
I agree that fillers might be ambitious as a 'come-back' topic at the moment.
We should kick it off proper: PANTHER!

Hahaha, I thought that exact same thing this morning. With as much as everyone tells everyone else to get a panther, that would be a great start. Or sparrows/swallows, since it is Last Sparrow.

Tattoos made for filling small open spaces in between larger tattoos. I'd say smaller than palm size, and usually made in less than a couple hours.

I have a very small XsXeX on my wrist. It was the first tattoo I got when I was 21, and not only is it a straight edge tattoo, it's a memorial for a friend who broke edge and bad things happened.
My gallery also has a Minor Threat "Out of Step" tattoo. Not directly straight edge, I guess, but to me it is. Got it while I was 30 (XXX) years old. 

Sincere questions are an opportunity for everyone to learn and hopefully grow from the experience. The problem comes, when insincere people waste other people's time with pointless questions, and sincere people spend the time to provide answers at length, to help those who appear to be in need. Your motivation has been called into question (I think you expressed regret for the perception of your conduct) and now, how you respond, from now on, will be the measure of your sincerity. This forum has a lot of great people with loads of insight, so you have an extended tattoo group outside your geography to draw from, just make sure to give back, if you see an opportunity and we all grow together. I think the caution flag was politely thrown in, I hope you appreciate it and act accordingly. Cheers.

As you may or may no know, Edge Day is celebrated annually on October 17 since 1999. The inaugural event, originally called Edge Fest, was held in Boston, Massachusetts.

 I would like to shake the lastsparrowtattoo tree and see who falls out... lol.

Lets share our XXX, Straight Edge and or Edge Day related tattoos...unless I am alone in this, then dang!

Hey folks,
Okay, so it took a while, but I'm going to try to get this off the ground come November 1.
I'm thinking themes, like several of you suggested (Examples: Japanese back piece, daggers, girl heads, fine line b&g etc). How about "fillers" for our first contest. That sound cool? 
The following is my suggestion for new rules. Please speak up if you have any suggestions for changes.
The tattoo picture that gets posted in this thread for "Month/Year" will be submitted for polling of Last Sparrow's Best "(INSERT THEME)" tattoo. This is all in good spirit and fun of course. The submission process opens on the first of the month and ends on the 20th of the month. After that there will be an open poll for one week, which will close on the 27th, and the tattoo with the most votes wins.
Your tattoo picture must be posted in this thread (both tattooers and tattoo customers can win) in order to qualify.
Include with your photo/post...tattoo artist name & tattoo shop. You MUST be the one who has the tattoo or did the tattoo. It MUST be a finished tattoo It must fit the theme of the contest (obviously)

I've wanted to tap out about 30 seconds into each session on my back. I didn't of course, but the want was there

I had a clipper done last week and it was only 3.5 hours. It boy, she was heavy handed. Out of the 16 tattoos I have, this one killed me. At one point I did a mini 2 minute tap. I told her to hold on. But then I was right back in the saddle. Have no idea why it hurt so bad other then here packing ink in my rose in the ditch. I was just getting annoyed.


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The only time I have ever felt like tapping out was the first shading session on my ribs. After having it lined out for the first session and being complimented on how well I was sitting by the artist and the shop manager I think my ego got inflated a tad bit. My next session was scheduled for three hours and it was time for shading! Going in I didn't have a good night sleep and due to traffic I wasn't able to get a solid meal in beforehand but still fetl pretty confident I'd be okay. The majority of the work was along the bottom part of the ribs and lower part of the stomach/oblique. The first 2.5 hours sucked but I was able to get thru it and then I hit that proverbial wall. Once that I happened it didn't feel like I was getting tattooed anymore but rather carved with a knife very slowly. I was so close to saying "fuck it" and cutting the session short but I was able to pull through and finish. Somehow hearing that I had only "ten minutes left" when I had about three times that had helped me out greatly. 

I'm curious about this too. I have had a 6.5 hour session as my longest, and it honestly wasn't bad until about the last 45 minutes when I started to really have to concentrate on keeping myself in my zone. It was at a convention and I was sitting in a folding metal chair, so not even close to ideal circumstances, but my artist lives across the country from me, and this was the time - either sit or not finish the work at all until next year. Breathing was really the thing that helped the most. This time I found that when my husband, my best friend in the whole world, was there sitting with me, I couldn't concentrate on getting to my proper place very well, and I did much better when he wasn't there. 
My most recent work was only about 3.5 hours (I thought it was 3, my husband, who was waiting for me, said it was 4, so I'm splitting the difference - it could NOT have taken that long!) and was on my inner bicep and this was way more uncomfortable, and I'd trade it for the 6.5-hour session any day. I pretty much had to concentrate the whole time. This time I was lying down on a nice, cushy massage table, but I was still at a convention. Overall the environment was much better. However, this time, shorter but more painful overall, I needed my husband there to offer support, and it was easier to zone out and count the dots in the acoustic ceiling tiles, lol. 
I'm interested in how the folks do it when they're being worked on for hours and hours by two artists, say, or, like you, @Charles.M, for a super long session, where your body starts to betray you. As a 50-year-old female who has had her share of babies and made it through various injuries and painful experiences, I feel like I'm pretty stoic, but I don't know how I'd handle some of the tattooing sessions I have seen others endure. 

I believe that there is always room for a new company to emerge if it can capture a market share with a different or better product. And, I try to support US owned companies and products made here when possible.
in terms of my opinion, remember that I am a newbie to the world of tattoos - just have two, both done in the last 7 months. And, I'm at the upper end of your age demographic at 61. That said, here are my thoughts.
Someone needs to begin the process of driving the continued cultural acceptance of tattooing and its recognition as an art form. It seems that most  shirts I see, with few acceptances are black and most designs depict the "darker" images - skulls, zombies, villains, etc. Trying to eek out a new market for similar designs on black shirts with US costs would be tough - not impossible, but tough.
Personally, I'm looking for that new trendsetter. Colors, different and artistic designs and even classics that show the depth and breath of the art form. That is something I would buy. I've got enough black t-shirts...my wife will tell you I have too many. ?
As a retired Army office and now president of a small college, I take every opportunity to show off my tattoos and to break the perceptions of tattoos and people who have them. I wear t-shirts often outside of work so having designs that show the art and artistry of tattooing would be both helpful and refreshing. 
Just my very limited and personal $.02.

Just started collecting and reading the new Lone Wolf and Cub series by Kazuo Koike and Hideki Mori. 


Collected and read the first series (Lone Wolf and Cub) and it was awesome, the first series was awarded lots of honors for historical accuracy in depicting life in Edo period japan. Original had lots of tattoos. 

 
Very worth a read

Congratulations!, they are both accomplished artists if they are taking you under wing that means something about you...best of luck in the journey

Picked up the new Chris Garver coloring book (for my reference library) at the book store. Titled: FLASH coloring in the Tattoo style. 

"Cool tattoo art to color from an in-demand tattoo celebrity! Flash, a follow-up to the wildly successful Color Odyssey, presents even more of Chris Garver’s gorgeous designs. As a sought-after figure in the tattoo world, Chris is a perfect choice to bring together tattoo art and adult coloring—and this book perfectly showcases his distinct and detailed style. With images printed on single-sided pages, this book will attract both traditional coloring fans and tattoo devotees looking for ideas for their next inking."
FYI About the Author
Chris Garver is a professional tattoo artist at the world-renowned Invisible NYC on New York City’s Lower East Side. He is also a former star of TLC’s popular reality show Miami Ink. Born and raised in Pittsburgh, PA, Chris began experimenting with tattooing at the age of 17 before attending Manhattan’s School of Visual Arts. He has been a full-time professional tattoo artist since moving to New York in his early 20s
I think this a great introduction to the art, for the plain skins. 
Though I take issue with the term "Tattoo Style" I can understand why he put that on the cover. It is a coloring book, with Tattoo related and familiar imagery contained within, so I get it.
When flipping through the book, I found myself thinking, dagn, I would wear that...and that! 
Congratulations to Chris Garver on his second book. 100 pages with perforated pages so you can tear a page out and color it.  I recommend picking up a copy.
So LSTF Did you get one and what do you think about it?
 

Just started collecting and reading the new Lone Wolf and Cub series by Kazuo Koike and Hideki Mori. 


Collected and read the first series (Lone Wolf and Cub) and it was awesome, the first series was awarded lots of honors for historical accuracy in depicting life in Edo period japan. Original had lots of tattoos. 

 
Very worth a read

Congratulations!, they are both accomplished artists if they are taking you under wing that means something about you...best of luck in the journey

I suggest, that you not misinterpret sharing negative life experiences and expressing those experiences, as hate on for something. Getting small tattoos then regretting them and covering them seems to be part of the tattoo growth process, but if I can help another evolve faster  than I did and not make my mistakes then I want to help. the wisdom of hindsight may come across harshly or heavy handed but I believe it is with good intention. that is where I am coming from. Humour helps sometimes.
 to each his own, but each has to live with it...there for a while and all that

yup, ....succinct and to the point.

Clear fluid, also known as lymph, is released during tattoo healing when the interstitial fluid (the fluid which lies in the interstices of all body tissues) is released when healing, it normally contacts then air and crystalizes and creates what we call scabs. Scabs are our bodies natural defence to protect us from infection and to allow our skin to heal itself. When a scab gets pulled off prematurely from an area, it often looks pitted, like yours. 
Tattoos go through several phases and looks when healing, before finally settling on healed,which is at least a month, so do not sweat it until then, at that time re-evaluate (it cannot be changed by a tattooer, by tattooing in the mean time anyway). 
The default answer is ask your tattooer... they are in a position to know your specific circumstances directly and they were there at the time of the application (hopefully) and may have insight as to why, where, how, et cetera, and can help you correct your conduct, when you need it. A tattooers aftercare is part and parcel, with the procedure they tattoo, according to believing you will take care of the tattoo according to their aftercare advice, if they knew you were going to do something else, they would probably tattoo differently, to accommodate for your special circumstance.
your tattooer will know if that spot required more attention than anywhere else because maybe someone jumped and a correction was needed or.... something else happened. The damage also might have happened downstream, as in you bumped into something, or it super dried out in your sleep or scratched it in your sleep...life happens between application and final healing. A tattoo is like a dance between the tattooer the tattooee, if you both do your part the dance ends well, but if either trips, you both look bad. 
considering the above, wait a month then re-evaluate...

yup, ....succinct and to the point.

Clear fluid, also known as lymph, is released during tattoo healing when the interstitial fluid (the fluid which lies in the interstices of all body tissues) is released when healing, it normally contacts then air and crystalizes and creates what we call scabs. Scabs are our bodies natural defence to protect us from infection and to allow our skin to heal itself. When a scab gets pulled off prematurely from an area, it often looks pitted, like yours. 
Tattoos go through several phases and looks when healing, before finally settling on healed,which is at least a month, so do not sweat it until then, at that time re-evaluate (it cannot be changed by a tattooer, by tattooing in the mean time anyway). 
The default answer is ask your tattooer... they are in a position to know your specific circumstances directly and they were there at the time of the application (hopefully) and may have insight as to why, where, how, et cetera, and can help you correct your conduct, when you need it. A tattooers aftercare is part and parcel, with the procedure they tattoo, according to believing you will take care of the tattoo according to their aftercare advice, if they knew you were going to do something else, they would probably tattoo differently, to accommodate for your special circumstance.
your tattooer will know if that spot required more attention than anywhere else because maybe someone jumped and a correction was needed or.... something else happened. The damage also might have happened downstream, as in you bumped into something, or it super dried out in your sleep or scratched it in your sleep...life happens between application and final healing. A tattoo is like a dance between the tattooer the tattooee, if you both do your part the dance ends well, but if either trips, you both look bad. 
considering the above, wait a month then re-evaluate...

just leave that shit alone and let it heal

What's the difference between a large pizza and an avid tattoo collector?
The pizza can feed a family!