scottyg

you might also try products without lanolin, which is a wool-derived product found in most moisterizers. I use Cetaphil because it doesn't have lanolin. but as @Gingerninja said, make sure not to use the like, advanced formula stuff

yeah, you still have room for some more American traditional work, but also, some American traditional cloud backgrounds could work too, once you've filled out some more images

yeah, I think keeping the connecting material simple is the best way to go. hanya/skull/dagger + chrysanthemum + koi + dragon would just be too much. you want say two/three objects to stand out and the other things to be in the background, plus it has to make sense seasonally and symbolically. where are you living that there's no Japanese specialists?

a chrysanthemum would make the most sense between the skull/knife/hanya mask representing transitioning to death I can't see what the background is behind the dragon, but waves would make sense connecting the whole scene, as dragons are kind of rulers of water in Japanese tattooing thought, and chrysanthemums are often tattooed with water But as @Hogrider said you're absolutely going to have to find a tattooer who specializes in traditional Japanese as I'm just a collector

Not to pry, but why are you looking to cover up a sacred tattoo? I would think doing so would be forbidden.

this sounds like the beginnings of tattoo addiction... welcome to the club.

it looks great. don't worry it'll be fine.

right, but there are other animals besides owls and the idea would be to keep clean lines like you have, rather than bold American traditional or Japanese koi or something. again, was just my 2 cents

no rules in American tattooing... no reason not to have multiple styles, though my personal preference would be to keep images unified by subject and to keep the kinds of lines you have with the triangle and straight lines, so that it doesn't seem totally random. that's my preference tho. don't owls represent wisdom and insight? and darkness cause they're out at night?

Yeah, I'd say it'd be best to find someone who can come up with a vision for how the whole will work while incorporating the elements that already exist. It's a hard task. Picture?

It looks like you're over moisterizing it: those small bumps are usually clogged pores. The very very lightest of coats of lotion should be used out of the shower.

so sorry man. be strong!

Looks like a chrysanthemum (kiku) and no, I don't imagine the color should or could be changed. Best!

I mean, not to be a dick, but it's two intersecting lines....

his style looks amazingly complex. idk man I'm not into the huge long sessions.... slow and steady over an extended timeframe is my pace, but good luck.

sorry to hear that. my dermatologist asked to see my backpiece entirely haha

Are hairdressers protective of their turf??? ahahaha

um... I don't know about the white but man I wouldn't add to it.

sure thing oy, I'm not sure of what to put with the turtle/dragon, yeah, but definitely waves. cool, I'll check him out! good luck, and keep us informed!

Hi, welcome. I can't see those four things working together in one leg sleeve. I would guess (and it's only a guess) that the dragon turtle, because it supports things, would work well for the leg, and then the foo dog could be located higher up, on the leg, or better, on the arm, because it guards temples. I can't see them working with oni or hannya masks: they seem completely unrelated ( not religious symbols). They could work with maple leaves, representing autumn, and impermanence, but even here I'm very very hesitant to recommend maple leaves with immovable/permanent objects and ideas like the two you mention. But you understand the complexity of all this. Part of the beauty of Japanese tattooing is having one or two ideas per body part. This seems to me to be simply too much. You should spread those ideas out over the whole body. Do you have a backpiece? I ask, because in Japanese tattooing that's the centerpiece, from which these other ideas are secondary. But I'm by nooooo means an expert!!!!! I'd be very interested to hear others' ideas. Where are you located/who are you thinking about for the artist? Cheers!

I'm doing a Japanese backpiece, and generally speaking, that's a situation of slow and steady wins the race.... which I rather like. It becomes a part of the rhythm of life in a way that's gotta be different than a sprint. Getting tattooed monthly over the span of many years is the true marathon. just my 2 cents

do it!!

Takashi Matsuba at Behind the Circle in Brooklyn is the place to go: http://behind-the-circle.com/

I mean, if you share a picture it might help to have the crowd here tell you what they think. Instant regrets can set in, but maybe it's not so bad. And from what I hear lasering can be a very costly, painful, and arduous experience.