graybones

I made an appointment with Ron Wells for January to extend the masked falcon he did for me into a half-sleeve. First addition is going to be a "sly fox," so stoked. Haven't seen him do a fox yet (just lots of awesome wolves) so I'm really excited to see what he comes up with.
Longest six weeks of my life...

I made an appointment with Ron Wells for January to extend the masked falcon he did for me into a half-sleeve. First addition is going to be a "sly fox," so stoked. Haven't seen him do a fox yet (just lots of awesome wolves) so I'm really excited to see what he comes up with.
Longest six weeks of my life...

I made an appointment with Ron Wells for January to extend the masked falcon he did for me into a half-sleeve. First addition is going to be a "sly fox," so stoked. Haven't seen him do a fox yet (just lots of awesome wolves) so I'm really excited to see what he comes up with.
Longest six weeks of my life...

I made an appointment with Ron Wells for January to extend the masked falcon he did for me into a half-sleeve. First addition is going to be a "sly fox," so stoked. Haven't seen him do a fox yet (just lots of awesome wolves) so I'm really excited to see what he comes up with.
Longest six weeks of my life...

Props to my wife for starting a really interesting topic! It is interesting to see the response out there.
I am not a fan of the "if you have tattoos, then you waive your right to privacy." My own mother said that to me once. No one waives their right to privacy simply because they decide to decorate their body with something they warrant as attractive or has some meaning to them. It follows the rule your parents taught you as a child: It's impolite to stare. I don't have that many tattoos [yet], and the few I do have are hidden on a general basis. That being said I don't have to endure the same stares, comments, and criticisms as those that are heavily tattooed. Especially the ladies out there. But, when people find out I have tattoos, I am generally bombarded with the "what is it; where'd you get it; what does it mean?" questions. I don't have a problem answering but, I have yet to get to the point of people stopping me every twenty feet to ask about them.
The notion, I think, the ladies have to deal with is three-fold. First, there is a preconceived notion that women are supposed to be sweet and demure; and tattoos seem to be counter-intuitive to those of this frame of mind. Most of the controlling interest in society is still of the generation, or a strong product of that generation, that women are supposed to behave lady-like. They do not think that a woman can have tattoos and still be lady-like. I know that may sound hyper-conservative, not to mention horribly sexist, but I challenge you to look at it from this point of view. How often, ladies in particular, have you gone on a job interview and accidentally flashed a wrist tattoo? Did you notice if your interviewer changed demeanor once they saw it? If things were going so well, then the tattoo was revealed and you didn't hear back from them; why do you think that happened? Unfortunately, not matter how the culture may be changing, the corporate world is still controlled by those that have an issue with tattoos in the workplace; especially ladies with tattoos.
Second, tattoos on a woman are like adding flourish to art work. As an artist, the feminine form is a masterpiece. There is a reason why they are called the fairer sex. Everyone, regardless of gender, enjoys looking at women. We like how they move, and look. It is a subconscious attraction. When we watch the Red Carpet specials we are there to see the ladies in their expensive gowns, and fabulous hair styles; and comment accordingly. We only notice men if they have a strong charisma, charm, or personality; which is what makes them truly attractive. Otherwise men fade into the background. Humanity has admired a woman's beauty since the stone age. Why do you think that there are more works of art about women than men? Look at the Masters and their portfolios. More often than not women are a prominent focus to their work. Add tattoos to that subconscious attraction and you create a monster that will stop at nothing to absorb every curve and detail. That is what creates the people that ogle as a tattooed woman walks past.
Finally, the last reason is actually quite horrible; but I think it is truthfully worth mentioning. The final reason is that society thinks that a woman that has tattoos is only in it for the attention. Like I said, it is heartless, as I know most women are not of that mindset when they get tattoos. For some reason there is a preconceived notion, again among the older crowd and their lackies, that women who wear "girly" clothes [i.e.: tank tops, skirts, sleeveless dresses, etc] and reveal their ink are being show-offs. I, in no way, agree with this statement, and I do think that the dynamic is changing, but there are a few hold-outs that feel this way.
I want to go on record to say that the above is just guess work on my part. I am not omniscient and do not know what people are really thinking. I am only going on what I have gleaned from conversations with people over the years about the topic; and what I see on a daily basis. Observations and opinions run rampant and, like artistic critique, everyone's interpretation is different. I am part of the culture and, along with my wife, feel that this is a topic that needs to be more openly discussed to break down the perceptions of others; especially the individuals that find something taboo about our artistic expression. It has been said here before: If we can change one person's perception of tattoos, then we have moved a step in the right direction.

For me, the thing that is the most frustrating is the notion that when a woman chooses to become heavily tattooed the majority of the public seems to think it is no longer necessary to approach heavily tattooed women with proper manners. I actually had a man tell me I had lost my right to privacy because of my tattoos. Honestly, if you're a stranger, what's going on underneath my clothes is none of your business and you're being rude. If you don't know me, why on earth would it be proper to grab, stroke or touch my tattoos? Again, you are a stranger and this is sheer rudeness, and inappropriate. What if someone approached your daughter/sister/wife in this way? Would that be okay? Highly unlikely. When approached in this manner, it is challenging to be nice to people. Although I do believe it's incredibly important to be as kind and patient with folks when asked about the tattoos. I truly believe anytime you can undermine someone's preconceived notions of what tattooed people are about it's a win.

what i seem to notice is that the only men with balls big enough to date a heavily tattooed woman are heavily tattooed themselves, but i might be wrong of course, this is just what ive noticed.
most tattooed folk will attract a few looks when out and about but people cant help but downright stare when they notice tattooed women, in the summer i dread wearing shorts knowing all i'll get is questions, and i cant stand answering the same shit over and over again. though i'm always left alone when im waking around with stewart (my other half), it might be to do with the fact hes even more heavily tattooed, over 6" tall and is usually frowning at them already haha.
i guess when im on my own, people dont seem to be scared of me as they seem of him, if im alone, they will ask more readily expecting a sweet young girl to just be that, sweet, and kindly answer their questions.
its that that particularly that annoys me most, do they really think im gonna entertain them? a complete stranger? just cos im a girl?
what worries me is what the media is making tattooed women out to be. it has always loved a slutty-tattooed-woman scandal. were all sex/fame/money hungry according to them, when in all honesty, some might be, but really, theres WAY more untattooed women that way inclined. but hey, thats another much more elaborate post i cant put my energy into right now.

Very True. Social Media sites like Instagram and Facebook have made it alot easier for tattooers and many other people to get their work seen by a larger audience and it has been virtually free to do so. But nothing comes without a cost.
I understand why people are concerned and I am not a hundred percent stoked on it, but I try to keep in mind that everything I put on the internet can be seen by other people and used to try to sell me stuff. Just a half hour ago I watched a UFC fight on another website, as soon as I signed on to facebook, UFC was the first suggested post in the news feed. I guess I could not watch fights or not have social media, but instead I just decide not to give a fuck.

They may have always been able to do it, but to me, the change in the terms of service seems to me that they're as of January 16 going to go ahead with a Facebook-style "sponsored links" campaign. And that sucks. I use Facebook because it's useful and because I am a lazy bastard who can't make phone calls or send emails or write letters to friends anymore, but the way they've changed it to, as that article puts it, a "relentless quest to monetize our private lives" really does make me want to delete everything because I really despise the idea of my interactions with friends and family being used and manipulated in order to sell shit. And yeah yeah that's what I signed up for, I know.

definitely Ron Wells (obv I'm a fan since my bird is by him), every one of the tattoos he posts on Instagram I think "FUCK why is that not on me????" his tattoos just have such great style to them while still being classic. and he's not scared to use a bit of black...
also I can never pass by a nice Ashley Love piece. Saw a heart n dagger she did at a wedding a couple weeks ago and couldn't stop staring at it. So clean.

Here's a pretty good article that explains in detail what IG can do with your stuff:
What the new Instagram terms of service really mean | The Verge
Basically it seems like Instagram is prepping their Terms of Use to allow for in-feed ads, or maybe augment Facebook ads with IG content. IG is a free service and makes no money right now so it was inevitable that ads would make their way in. Definitely a bummer but not really a surprise, I've been waiting for the other shoe to drop since FB bought IG.

Here's a pretty good article that explains in detail what IG can do with your stuff:
What the new Instagram terms of service really mean | The Verge
Basically it seems like Instagram is prepping their Terms of Use to allow for in-feed ads, or maybe augment Facebook ads with IG content. IG is a free service and makes no money right now so it was inevitable that ads would make their way in. Definitely a bummer but not really a surprise, I've been waiting for the other shoe to drop since FB bought IG.

Here's a pretty good article that explains in detail what IG can do with your stuff:
What the new Instagram terms of service really mean | The Verge
Basically it seems like Instagram is prepping their Terms of Use to allow for in-feed ads, or maybe augment Facebook ads with IG content. IG is a free service and makes no money right now so it was inevitable that ads would make their way in. Definitely a bummer but not really a surprise, I've been waiting for the other shoe to drop since FB bought IG.

Here's a pretty good article that explains in detail what IG can do with your stuff:
What the new Instagram terms of service really mean | The Verge
Basically it seems like Instagram is prepping their Terms of Use to allow for in-feed ads, or maybe augment Facebook ads with IG content. IG is a free service and makes no money right now so it was inevitable that ads would make their way in. Definitely a bummer but not really a surprise, I've been waiting for the other shoe to drop since FB bought IG.

definitely Ron Wells (obv I'm a fan since my bird is by him), every one of the tattoos he posts on Instagram I think "FUCK why is that not on me????" his tattoos just have such great style to them while still being classic. and he's not scared to use a bit of black...
also I can never pass by a nice Ashley Love piece. Saw a heart n dagger she did at a wedding a couple weeks ago and couldn't stop staring at it. So clean.

Plenty that I agree with here and I'm going to add Ron Henry Wells. What first really made me pay attention to him was this "open letter to tattooers everywhere" that he wrote last year about how, while acknowledging that there are some bad things going on in tattooing right now, that there are also a lot of genuinely fucking amazing things happening. Maybe for me a big part of the appeal was that I'd just started getting tattooed at that point and was super psyched on it (oh wait, I'm still super psyched on it) and it was rad reading someone who, for a change, was talking about all the great things happening in tattooing RIGHT NOW instead of lamenting how it was better in the old days.
His designs and tattoos regularly fucking kill it. I love that they're proper tattoos...skulls, daggers, torches, lady heads, ships, birds, etc...but with these little twists that I haven't seen elsewhere that just make them so fucking awesome. The negative space tattoos he's posted on IG blow my mind.
I have a couple of tattoos from him, will in all likelihood get more, and I'm stoked because me and @Pugilist are driving down to Congress Street at the end of the week to see him again.

I recently joined a pretty intense kung fu program. This place is the whole deal, training your mind, body, and spirit, and everyone there seems really passionate and committed to bettering themselves.
I finally had my official first class yesterday and I am SO STOKED about it! Best thing I've done for myself in years!! My next class is on Saturday and I can't wait...

it's your body, get what you want!!

Also, nothing like three skinny half-naked white kids crouching in a cave to intimidate THE FUCK outta you.

I got upper arms done first, then chest plates, then started working on my legs. I started and finished my back, and this year I have brought one arm down and will start filling in the rest of my front.
Next year I guess I'll bring the other arm down, chip away at the front piece and maybe add some filler to my legs.
I don't really regret the order I did things in. Like David I would probably choose to do things in a different way if I had another shot at it, but this is a little like wishing that you could go back in time and study a different college course or take a different career path or something... The grass is always greener in some respects.
When I got the chest plates I never thought that I would want to fill my whole front in within a couple of years. Funny how quickly your ideas about where you draw the line change.
I guess someone raised above that the 'ideal' in one POV would be to do legs and all the very private space first, and only then move onto the arms and the public space. Reallistically, however, I think there's a minority of people who want to invest all that time, pain and money to have an almost entirely private collection of tattoos for a good number of years. I think people want to 'look tattooed' without necessaryily being an exhibitionist.

Just don't be this guy , from Bob Done Magnum Opus , Brighton .
"This is the majority of tattooers in the U.K. under 21 right now . Bare shambles bruv "

my cat Louie... only photos I have were taken when we first got him from the shelter a year ago. He's got two extra toes on each paw.

around here it seems like people are into tattoos... sometimes it's cool, sometimes it's kinda strange.
Once when I was at a bar, this skinny, pale, wild-eyed guy runs into me, nearly knocking me (and my drink!) over, and goes "I love your tattoo! Will you take a picture with me?" This guy's clearly hammered so I laugh and say sure. I stand next to him and smile while his friend holds up his phone. He looks at me posing, frowns, then grabs my arms and spins me around sideways. Then he leans down right next to my tattoo (its on my upper arm) and takes a picture of himself smiling next to my arm. Then he stumbled away without another word.... haha. his friend gave me this look like, "Don't ask me..."

I was a bit sympathetic until I got to this:
Really?? Not if he raped or killed someone? Not if he told her he was running away to join some crazy cult out in Alaska and was never going to see her again? Nothing would hurt her more than modifying his own skin on his own shoulder to be how he likes it? This woman doesn't appreciate the son she has, if that's what she thinks.
After I got my tattoo, my mom told me she had always wanted a big Japanese style tattoo on her back (she loves Japanese stuff) and regretted not getting it when she was younger, haha. I told her it's not too late!!

my cat Louie... only photos I have were taken when we first got him from the shelter a year ago. He's got two extra toes on each paw.