abees

@chrisnoluck thanks for brining the thread back with style.

my girlfriend and i flew out to LA on friday and got tattooed by bob roberts. i really only have these weird spots left and i told him he could do whatever he wants and he just grabbed my arm and pointed to my ditch and was like "right there". walked over to the wall and he goes "what about this one?"

hey folks - lets remember that this thread is about throwing down your latest and greatest
lets get back to that huh

I have no idea who Billi Vegas is, besides someone who made a statement I disagree with completely.
"Traditional" tattooing isn't nearly as "antiquated" as Japanese tattooing, yet both have stood the test of time. I have lots of both kinds of tattoos, including some huge and some tiny. Different strokes and all that.

Got this on the back of my knee by Tim Pausinger today at The Pearl Harbour Gift Shop.
I was really surprised that he said he didn't tattoo this before (or anything else on that sheet).
Saw some really cool Bill Baker flash in there of all these different wrestling holds - awesome! If I'm back I'm getting the sleeper hold one for sure.
Most importantly met LSTer @markbee and his wife - really good folks. Next time In in town we'll have a proper coffee / bite to eat ... Although then again can't beat a meet up in a tattoo shop either.

Looks like Ed Hardy is going to be at the London convention again this year!
http://instagram.com/p/050NHnivGU/

Both by Chad Koeplinger.

Both by Chad Koeplinger.

Party wolf by Eddy Deutsche

I forgot about this one on the other inner bicep. This one was done by Nick Collela on a visit from Chicago a couple of years ago.

Both by Chad Koeplinger.

Both by Chad Koeplinger.

Both by Chad Koeplinger.

Both by Chad Koeplinger.

Both by Chad Koeplinger.

Both by Chad Koeplinger.

Both by Chad Koeplinger.

Both by Chad Koeplinger.

Both by Chad Koeplinger.

Hogg, your snake may or may not have ended up in my reference pile ;). I'm flattered!
Polliwog - I have no idea how in the HELL he did that in four hours. Even though I was there for it I can barely believe it. He said that since he had drawn and colored the snake completely already on a picture of my back, and then he drew it again on me in marker before we started, that because he had drawn it and colored it in he knew exactly where to go and that's why it was so fast. <throws up hands> he's a mad genius! I have never been tattooed by anybody who is particularly slow, either! But the other half of my back definitely took multiple sessions of AT LEAST 4 hours each, so this was soo fast!
The one thing that may have helped was that he used bactine after the first 1.5 hours, and the lidocaine in bactine kept me nice and numb. But once I was numb he went for it and started digging in there - I could DEFINITELY tell I was being worked on. I don't know if I could have handled it without the numbing.
On numbing: I used to be sort of anti-numbing, but I got numbed for the last 90 min of the eagle/dragon thigh piece and then for this, and I don't feel like I really missed out on the tattoo experience. I was definitely there for all of it! And the numbing may have removed the "hot fire" element of it, but not the continuously working over chopped up skin feeling. So that's it!
@cltattooing that hector fong piece is sick!

I saw Chad Koeplinger while he was in town the other day for rose #4.

Done at Rock of Ages in Austin.

@bongsau - Shad is super nice, and SO FAST! We got that snake done in 4 HOURS! 4!!!! Outline, shading, color!!! He does use bactine, as you mentioned, and that helps so much. He said he is going to be up in Canada, so I hope you get in to see him!
This was a really painful session, all in all. The upper back is like hot fire. Not fun! I am so stoked to get to this point in my tattoo, though, and I can't wait to continue the collaboration. We were talking about a dragon on the rest of the back of my legs looking up at the snakes. !!!!
Anyway, for those who might have missed it on IG, here is my new snake!

I sent an email, so we shall see!
Now, I wait.

Looks like Ed Hardy is going to be at the London convention again this year!
http://instagram.com/p/050NHnivGU/

- - - Updated - - -
I take terrible photos. She looks much nicer in real life ;)