NickelRad

There's a reason you can't just buy one single good tattoo design without buying the whole book or flash set. It's because people who aren't tattooers or artists don't need to own this stuff. The tattooers out there, who are actually doing good work, don't need to sell designs one by one to people who are just going to take that design and get a fucking awful version by their local scratcher. The great tattooers of our time don't need the measly 2 cents per digital design sold through web sites like tattoodles. That's why all the online flash is pretty bad for the most part. Do a google search for "Sailor Jerry flash" and you'll get hundreds of designs for free that are way better than the shit you have to pay for on these websites.
It's like Lochlan said, the great tattooers of today are out there, and many of them are easy to find, easy to get tattooed by, and many of them don't charge any more than most other tattooers.
Also, if you're going to a good tattooer, who knows their shit, all you have to do is name the person who did the flash you saw on Tattoo Elite and they should know what you're talking about. Chances are they might own the book 'your' design is in.
Or, go on Tattoo Elite, bring up the picture of the design, take a screen capture, print it out and there ya go.
As far as apps go, the only respectable tattoo shop I know of that had an app was New York Adorned. I think it was called tattoo of the day or something. Not sure if it still exists or what the content was like.
p.s. I don't know about Tim's specific travel schedule but you can always contact him to see if he will be tattooing in a country closer to you at a convention or something. I do know that he books up usually very far in advance at home and at conventions.
Also, I'm pretty sure if you like in the UK you do not need a visa to enter the USA as a visitor. Unless you are a criminal, then you won't be allowed.
I don't know anything about the UK but how close in Manchester to London? Some member of the forum work at Frith Street tattoo in London and they do amazing work.

Oh yeah....that's what im talkin bout....another star is born. We've got oil embargos , howzabout tattoo kit embargos. You ever look at "Lucky Supply's'' tattoo kits? ya gotta love it.

There are some really top notch tattooers at Smith Street.
No matter who tattoos you, you are sure to get a great tattoo.

@Ursula covered it well.
Part of going to a good tattooer and shop is giving the tattooer "your" idea and having them tweak it to what will work. It is part of what you pay for. I'll paraphrase one of the best things I've heard said, "don't try to stuff ten pounds of something into what will only hold a few pounds". With that being said no one except a tattooer can draw a tattoo that will work except the one drawing and tattooing it. No internet site/app will ever replace or help a customer like a good tattooer and shop!
When we were thinking about starting this site we looked around a bunch at what was out there and nothing accurately captured what a real tattoo experience is by a good tattooer and/or shop which is one of the many reasons we started this site. All the other "tattoo sites" were just leading people in the desert providing mirages which then made customers think the wrong things. Many of the best tattooers are within arms reach to get tattooed by in a reasonable amount of time for a reasonable price but you gotta want it.

There's sooo many awesome amazing tattooist out in the world these days, that its hard to just come up with one. But i got tattooed by Shaun the African a few years ago when he was at Super Genius in Seattle and Im pretty stoked on my tattoo by him and I think all should know him aswell!
Tattoos by Shaun the African

I have a bunny rabbit smoking a joint with a 13 in the smoke cloud. done by Angelo Miller at inksmith

Freddy Corbin did this simple thirteen at his shop tattoo 13 on one of his friday the thirteenth parties in about thirteen seconds, haha. no it took a lil longer

i used to use nothing but watercolor blocks or tubes even after i started painting for tattoo flash. it looked good enough but after being persuaded to use liquid watercolors/acrylics, i havent looked back.
its easy to kill the vibrancy of the watercolors if they are too bright (they look even brighter fresh on the paper, so when mixing colors i always try it out on paper and wait til they dry to decide if i like the color) use sepia, or a green or a brown to muddy them slightly, or water them down further. its all about trying shit out.
so anyway i use liquid acrylic for the black and take good care to blend it smoothly, i used to use indian ink but stopped when i realised how shiny it looked when dry against the opaque colors next to it. i also use ph martins liquid watercolors, any old bit of watercolor paper i have lying around and windsor and newton paintbrushes. also my secret weapon is this: Water Brush Pen from Art Supplies Online
they hold water and help my blends loads. the brush tip is cheap acrylic but for the price and the ease of use means i dont mind buying a couple when the other ones run out.
for lining i use a brush pen (to stop from wasting time dipping into ink) or sometimes a brush if im working on something largescale, if its small ill use a staedler pen. i keep hearing about speedballs but not sure im familiar with them, if anyone could enlighten me thatd be great!

Richard and Clay Decker are who I have to thank for what I know so far... And Bob Roberts, "it's not painting if it's not outlined with a brush", he told Richard when he was using a marker to use for some fine outlining stuff... We no longer use sharpies for paintings... Um...and I have been using Oil Colors and doing landscape paintings since I was 8 years old... My Uncle taught me he was amazing...
I just recently started learning to use Water Color...
Transferring images some use: graphite, others colored paper, I won't say what we have found to work best b/c that's us, everyone is different: graphite is harder to erase from paper, and you only have to lightly trace over with a ball point pen, but once it's down, it's down... I like colored tranfers, easier to correct, and they don't bleed...Saral Wax Free Transfer Paper - BLICK art materials
As far as laying down outlines: some like speedballs, nibs, or quills, but we use brushes, and it's a learning process.
Paints, try EVERYTHING it's fun, and no pressure like skin... but tubes are the way to go as you aren't writing down paint recipes for drops of dr.martins, or other liquids, they may dry out but you still have that one color you need to finish an old project you left on the table 4 months ago, and can't remember what you used to mix it... I can't get the knack of liquids still... I am a "watch your dap" and make sure your brush is lubed type, so water into liquid freaks me out... (still learning).
Blick is the best for finding paper... Rolls are awesome, but we have been finding good deals on big sheets, and as far as blocks are concerned, I always keep a block around for Richard, Arches... Usually Clay has a dude that comes by the shop selling blocks at like 20.00 instead of the 60.oo they run at a chain store... So he's been stocking up and I buy em off him. We travel so much, guerilla paint sessions usually happen on a block.
The last time I painted anything seriously it was helping out Richard with the signs at Spotlight... We painted until 30 mins prior to getting in a cab and heading to LAX to catch a flight, Steve stayed all nite to lend a hand too... It's still not done but attached are pics.
Being around the Man, and Decker are really huge gifts, they have soo much talent, and know soo much, I'd be using tempera and being lame if it weren't for them.

um, i don't have a lot to share. i've only been painting with watercolours for a few years. i pretty much use whatever watercolours i have and try out different paper quite often. i destroy my brushes all the time, but i use davinci brushes quite often too. i prefer to use a no. 2 or no. 3 for doing lines. the only technique that is a mainstay in what i do is that i use liquid acrylic for the black. watercolour black is not very black. liquid acrylic is also water fast, so i can then paint over it with my colours and not have it turn into a mess. everytime i paint i do something a little different. i believe in chance.

I a glad to be here and have a place to share some of the insights i have been saddled with for the last six years since the beginning of the exploitation of tattooing . I have been asked to contribute on here by my long time friend Scott Sylvia . For those people i don't know yet , I have been tattooing for 23 years and owned and operated a shop in Hollywood called True Tattoo until i made the decision to sell it to Oliver Peck .I would have never sold it to him if i had known he was going to go do a TV show . I have since relocated to Kona Hawaii and now work at Eastern Classics tattoo .

well Isaac Fainkujen is awsome!
i have haad some contact with him before and hoping to get tattooed when he comes to denmark this summer.
i have to promote swedish artist Peter Lagergren.
Let's get tatt'n

been watching Adam Warmerdam for some time and when I swung by Dark Horse Tattoo in LA a few weeks back Bryan had him show me some of the tattoos he did the day before.....UNREAL!!!
I will be getting tattooed by him next time I am down there...anyone have any by him already?

Absolutely nothing wrong with getting an awesome piece of flash!!

I thought we could use a thread that shined a little light on some of the artists we love, but aren't necessarily very renowned or getting the recognition we feel they deserve.
Lets get the ball rolling....
I've been a fan of the work of James Tex of Deadly Tattoos inc, located in Calgary, Canada, for a few years now. I'm sure a lot of you are familiar with his work, and some members here might even know him personally and/or have tattoos from him.
Anyways, I stumbled across him a while back in another tattoo forum where a member showed off the progress of a Samurai sleeve he was getting done from Tex. I was blown away by his work, and to my great viewing pleasure he had a fairly large online portfolio on his shops website: Deadly Tattoos inc.
I'm not sure if everyone agrees with me in that he's "low key", but I can't say that I have read an article about him or seen any pictures of his tattoo except on his website (and obviously the forum I mentioned).
Here's a few samples of his work from his online portfolio:

I just got a tattoo done by Scott Silvia last Monday (3/26) and I was way beyond excited to meet him and to get a tattoo by, in my opinion, one of the best tattooist out there!! It is my favorite tattoo and fills me full of drive and motivation to keep that fire under my ass to keep achieving and striving to learn. One of the best things about being a tattooist is learning, growing, and evolving through getting tattoos, asking questions, observing, researching, and much much more! Living and breathing tattoos.
I got the Spider Lady because of personal reasons and because its a traditional tattoo design that holds so much history within itself and to see an added new twist to the traditional tattoo designs makes me appreciate and want to know and learn more and more.

This is seriously my new favorite tattoo (as are all new tattoos) And makes me want to strive and continue to get tattooed by awesome, amazing, inspirational, driven artist!

I just got a tattoo done by Scott Silvia last Monday (3/26) and I was way beyond excited to meet him and to get a tattoo by, in my opinion, one of the best tattooist out there!! It is my favorite tattoo and fills me full of drive and motivation to keep that fire under my ass to keep achieving and striving to learn. One of the best things about being a tattooist is learning, growing, and evolving through getting tattoos, asking questions, observing, researching, and much much more! Living and breathing tattoos.
I got the Spider Lady because of personal reasons and because its a traditional tattoo design that holds so much history within itself and to see an added new twist to the traditional tattoo designs makes me appreciate and want to know and learn more and more.

This is seriously my new favorite tattoo (as are all new tattoos) And makes me want to strive and continue to get tattooed by awesome, amazing, inspirational, driven artist!

I just got a tattoo done by Scott Silvia last Monday (3/26) and I was way beyond excited to meet him and to get a tattoo by, in my opinion, one of the best tattooist out there!! It is my favorite tattoo and fills me full of drive and motivation to keep that fire under my ass to keep achieving and striving to learn. One of the best things about being a tattooist is learning, growing, and evolving through getting tattoos, asking questions, observing, researching, and much much more! Living and breathing tattoos.
I got the Spider Lady because of personal reasons and because its a traditional tattoo design that holds so much history within itself and to see an added new twist to the traditional tattoo designs makes me appreciate and want to know and learn more and more.

This is seriously my new favorite tattoo (as are all new tattoos) And makes me want to strive and continue to get tattooed by awesome, amazing, inspirational, driven artist!

I just got a tattoo done by Scott Silvia last Monday (3/26) and I was way beyond excited to meet him and to get a tattoo by, in my opinion, one of the best tattooist out there!! It is my favorite tattoo and fills me full of drive and motivation to keep that fire under my ass to keep achieving and striving to learn. One of the best things about being a tattooist is learning, growing, and evolving through getting tattoos, asking questions, observing, researching, and much much more! Living and breathing tattoos.
I got the Spider Lady because of personal reasons and because its a traditional tattoo design that holds so much history within itself and to see an added new twist to the traditional tattoo designs makes me appreciate and want to know and learn more and more.

This is seriously my new favorite tattoo (as are all new tattoos) And makes me want to strive and continue to get tattooed by awesome, amazing, inspirational, driven artist!

I just got a tattoo done by Scott Silvia last Monday (3/26) and I was way beyond excited to meet him and to get a tattoo by, in my opinion, one of the best tattooist out there!! It is my favorite tattoo and fills me full of drive and motivation to keep that fire under my ass to keep achieving and striving to learn. One of the best things about being a tattooist is learning, growing, and evolving through getting tattoos, asking questions, observing, researching, and much much more! Living and breathing tattoos.
I got the Spider Lady because of personal reasons and because its a traditional tattoo design that holds so much history within itself and to see an added new twist to the traditional tattoo designs makes me appreciate and want to know and learn more and more.

This is seriously my new favorite tattoo (as are all new tattoos) And makes me want to strive and continue to get tattooed by awesome, amazing, inspirational, driven artist!

I just got a tattoo done by Scott Silvia last Monday (3/26) and I was way beyond excited to meet him and to get a tattoo by, in my opinion, one of the best tattooist out there!! It is my favorite tattoo and fills me full of drive and motivation to keep that fire under my ass to keep achieving and striving to learn. One of the best things about being a tattooist is learning, growing, and evolving through getting tattoos, asking questions, observing, researching, and much much more! Living and breathing tattoos.
I got the Spider Lady because of personal reasons and because its a traditional tattoo design that holds so much history within itself and to see an added new twist to the traditional tattoo designs makes me appreciate and want to know and learn more and more.

This is seriously my new favorite tattoo (as are all new tattoos) And makes me want to strive and continue to get tattooed by awesome, amazing, inspirational, driven artist!

I just got a tattoo done by Scott Silvia last Monday (3/26) and I was way beyond excited to meet him and to get a tattoo by, in my opinion, one of the best tattooist out there!! It is my favorite tattoo and fills me full of drive and motivation to keep that fire under my ass to keep achieving and striving to learn. One of the best things about being a tattooist is learning, growing, and evolving through getting tattoos, asking questions, observing, researching, and much much more! Living and breathing tattoos.
I got the Spider Lady because of personal reasons and because its a traditional tattoo design that holds so much history within itself and to see an added new twist to the traditional tattoo designs makes me appreciate and want to know and learn more and more.

This is seriously my new favorite tattoo (as are all new tattoos) And makes me want to strive and continue to get tattooed by awesome, amazing, inspirational, driven artist!

I just got a tattoo done by Scott Silvia last Monday (3/26) and I was way beyond excited to meet him and to get a tattoo by, in my opinion, one of the best tattooist out there!! It is my favorite tattoo and fills me full of drive and motivation to keep that fire under my ass to keep achieving and striving to learn. One of the best things about being a tattooist is learning, growing, and evolving through getting tattoos, asking questions, observing, researching, and much much more! Living and breathing tattoos.
I got the Spider Lady because of personal reasons and because its a traditional tattoo design that holds so much history within itself and to see an added new twist to the traditional tattoo designs makes me appreciate and want to know and learn more and more.

This is seriously my new favorite tattoo (as are all new tattoos) And makes me want to strive and continue to get tattooed by awesome, amazing, inspirational, driven artist!

I just got a tattoo done by Scott Silvia last Monday (3/26) and I was way beyond excited to meet him and to get a tattoo by, in my opinion, one of the best tattooist out there!! It is my favorite tattoo and fills me full of drive and motivation to keep that fire under my ass to keep achieving and striving to learn. One of the best things about being a tattooist is learning, growing, and evolving through getting tattoos, asking questions, observing, researching, and much much more! Living and breathing tattoos.
I got the Spider Lady because of personal reasons and because its a traditional tattoo design that holds so much history within itself and to see an added new twist to the traditional tattoo designs makes me appreciate and want to know and learn more and more.

This is seriously my new favorite tattoo (as are all new tattoos) And makes me want to strive and continue to get tattooed by awesome, amazing, inspirational, driven artist!

Another session on my half sleeve. Tattooed by Crispy Lenox, Black Garden Tattoo, London.