Colored Guy

A lot of artists I know are hardly on the PC side, male or female. This is because they claw out a living each and every day, no work = no pay day. There is no paid vacation, sick time unless you sell your soul to a bigger shop and work for $30 or $40 an hour while the shop charges $150 an hour. If Jack Rudy says that the moon is made of green cheese, then the moon is in fact made of green cheese. He wrote the book on a lot of things that have filtered down through the trade. He's one of those guys, when he talks, you shut up and listen.

I have one now on my neck, razor burn or in-grown hairs that is slow to heal. I wash it good twice a day and use very little lotion on it. The tattoo is about 3 weeks old.

Unfortunately it happens. Tattoo artists are a little quirky in some way, I see this in every artist and not always in a bad way. They are not like a 9-5 Monday-Friday worker. My current artist is female and I hear the stories as she was coming up in the trade. Some of the customers are creeps too, I was there once when she asked someone to leave. He made some comment on the breast size of one of her artists.

Long tattoos you have to keep your eye on the prize. My back finishes up in about 10 days, the 4th or 5th session. That was started back in September and like I said earlier, I give it more time to heal.

This is from a couple of weeks ago, Studio 69 Tattoo, Ronkonkoma, NY.

Really digging that blue, sets the whole thing off very well.

I saw a young guy in a shop last week, entire arm was tribal. Tribal was a good way to fill up a large area quick and cheaply. It looks better worked in with something else.

My artist does a lot of coverups. a few on me too. Most older black can be covered up easily. You just have to find a shop that is good at them.

Hustle Butter is great. I definitely have a big stock in it. I use regular lotion after about 4 or 5 days, but use the HB on gym days. A better barrier than the lotion.

I have one now on my arm, I leave them alone and they heal a little slower. The entire tattoo will heal at different rates.

I have been limiting my red work, small areas are okay, larger areas are a problem. So I'm going more with oranges and burgundies, no more problem!

I have big arms so my tattoos are more expensive! One guy I know has a sleeve done on one arm, definitely a skinny guy and it looks great on him.

My girlfriend got her first tattoo a couple of days ago. She got light headed early into it. I told her to hydrate starting the day before and eat light before the appointment. She had brought a box of donuts for the shop. Some of that and water fixed her right up. I guess she opted out of eating and came right from the gym!

Funny that both my foot tattoos were hardly at all painful.

Yeah, go over it completely. Battle Royale would cover it up nicely. Anything Japanese style would be my pick.

130 hours is a lot of time. My back piece may top out at 15 to 20 hours and take up to 3 months to finish. I'm taking longer breaks than I usually do with this one. My advice, try to have the artist finish up areas the you can easily see so you get some visual gratification out of it.

Just because you CAN do it....

Working on 2 pieces now, just finished up the arm cover up and still working on the back. 7 or 8 hours in the chair in 4 days. Wiped me out for sure. Next appointment is early next year.

Last night, about 3.5 hours to complete this one. Cover up of an old demon head from 1979 and other work I didn't like done in 2008.

Been liking the Hustle Butter. Sometimes my artist gives me a big packet of it, I just got 3 5-oz jars on Amazon for $45. Super deal if you are having a lot of work done. My upper left arm, healed great a couple weeks ago. Hustle Butter was all I used.

I always respected those that got big back work done. Then I had mine done... a whole 'nother animal. I already have a considerable back injury, that area was tender. I was eating a few pain killers too which helped. Today I won't take as many and I'm off from work. Been snoozing and hanging out with the cats. Had a new sensation after I got home. Sat up and watched TV for maybe an hour. Got into bed, all covered up and got a case of the chills that lasted maybe a 1/2 hour, teeth chattering too.

My sister just finished 6 weeks of radiation following surgery for a breast cancer tumor removal. Her attitude is good and it was caught early. No spread to lymph nodes. I read great things about the cyber knife for a variety of cancers and other medical conditions.

My girlfriend always brings something, coffee, iced tea, candy, etc. Nice when break time comes. People often stop in at the shop just to say hi or show off a healing tattoo. She's getting her first tattoo in a week, she's excited about it. Its good for her to see the process up close. Last night she came in about a 1/2 hour into my work, stayed about another hour and headed out.

I generally toss the artist $40 to $50 per sitting, cash. On a big piece with 5 or 6 sittings, it adds up.

Last night, 3.5 hours, a couple of small breaks. Got home after midnight. This is round 3, maybe 1 more to go.