pintindola

I live in the Santa Monica / Venice area and was recently tattooed for the first time. I guess I never noticed beforehand, but now that I have done research on a fraction of the knowledge that many of you already have, I find myself evaluating everyone's tattoos I see.
For the most part, I'd say 8 out of 10 hipsters I have seen around have absolutely garbage work on them, with bad line work, shading, etc. with 10-20 tiny tattoos spread all around their arms with very little flow to it.
I kind of want to ask them if they really thought having a bag of skittles, a pipe, a mustache, a PBR can, a clothes hanger, a calculator, pocket protector, and 5hour energy tattooed on their arm was a good tattoo theme, but then I realize everytime that I would have to actually talk to a hipster, and then I'd be in jail for my actions after.

I live in the Santa Monica / Venice area and was recently tattooed for the first time. I guess I never noticed beforehand, but now that I have done research on a fraction of the knowledge that many of you already have, I find myself evaluating everyone's tattoos I see.
For the most part, I'd say 8 out of 10 hipsters I have seen around have absolutely garbage work on them, with bad line work, shading, etc. with 10-20 tiny tattoos spread all around their arms with very little flow to it.
I kind of want to ask them if they really thought having a bag of skittles, a pipe, a mustache, a PBR can, a clothes hanger, a calculator, pocket protector, and 5hour energy tattooed on their arm was a good tattoo theme, but then I realize everytime that I would have to actually talk to a hipster, and then I'd be in jail for my actions after.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iY_qW865L3Y"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iY_qW865L3Y"

I got my tattoo on my upper arm. While using my computer at work, in a dress shirt, every time I was moving my arm, flakes would come out of the shirt from the wrist area and dump all over my desk. It was kind of funny as I noticed wherever I was in the office, I left some flakes. Copy machine, desk, kitchen area... and sadly a bit in my car.
My bed looked like I was around a volcano with "ashy" looking flakes all in it.
As far as sleeping went, I propped pillows in my bed so I couldn't roll over and it actually worked out pretty well.
Part of the right of passage for my first tattoo?

I live in the Santa Monica / Venice area and was recently tattooed for the first time. I guess I never noticed beforehand, but now that I have done research on a fraction of the knowledge that many of you already have, I find myself evaluating everyone's tattoos I see.
For the most part, I'd say 8 out of 10 hipsters I have seen around have absolutely garbage work on them, with bad line work, shading, etc. with 10-20 tiny tattoos spread all around their arms with very little flow to it.
I kind of want to ask them if they really thought having a bag of skittles, a pipe, a mustache, a PBR can, a clothes hanger, a calculator, pocket protector, and 5hour energy tattooed on their arm was a good tattoo theme, but then I realize everytime that I would have to actually talk to a hipster, and then I'd be in jail for my actions after.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iY_qW865L3Y"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iY_qW865L3Y"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iY_qW865L3Y"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iY_qW865L3Y"

I have a drawer full of plain white Hanes t-shirts that look like the back half is tie-dyed.

I wear disposable / old clothes to bed when I've got a fresh tattoo but inevitably get the kind of leakage you guys are talking about. A snapshot of what it'll be like to be an incontinent old man, perhaps.
One thing about wearing clothes on a healing tattoo in a situation like that is that you can't win. Wear nothing and you leak onto stuff and wipe whatever bepanthen / goo you're using onto the sheets, yourself and the pillow. Wear clothing and there's probably less mess but there's nothing more horrific than waking up and realising whatever you wore is now partially stuck to the tattoo.
Got a bad bollocking from my older brother a few years ago. I crashed on his sofa the night after getting a session on my leg done at the Family Business. Twisting and turning during the night, I ended up leaving blue streaks on the flesh-coloured sofa. They didn't come out so much.

Tweeted. I've definitely been on the quiet side of this for exactly the reasons listed there. I feel like spamming my own Facebook with anti-TLC propaganda could just make more people curious to want to check it out and see how bad it could possibly be. Namely, all my relatives who probably watch TLC all day every day anyhow.

The world needs more people like YOU... That do your footwork, and headwork, then make a good decision, and follow thru with it...
The WORLD needs more Tattoo Admiration from "Professional Collectors"... People that have impeccable taste in tattoos, and tattoo art in general, that love it soo much to leave it the fuck alone, and just get tattooed, because they respect it enough to let it be...

This makes my blood boil up into my scalp. Everyone gets a few days in the year to feel like shit and be sad. Work is hard, and tattooing is REALLY hard some days. Clients can make you feel like you'll never make them happy, appointments can start to back up... and most of all, sadly, other tattooers in your city can make you just want to quit on certain days.
It happens.
But as a young'n of 29 years myself, working in tattoo shops for 9 years now, I still can see the bright bits of light through the clouds on those days and man... I'm PSYCHED to be where I am, and I feel lucky to have this job.
I don't understand the type of tattooer who has been doing this for not long enough to be jaded and crusty, yet wants so badly to have that old man attitude of "No Tits in the Biz" or "That guy needs his thumbs cut off" or "This job ain't what it used to be" or... well, being a complaining, whining, crusty curmudgeon who'd rather TALK about everytihng wrong with tattooing and the other tattooers in his city, than he would just sit down and zip the lips and work on learning to draw hands better or doodle something that you can sell later....
It's SUCH an amazing job. It affords us the craziest opportunities all in the name of doing something that most of us don't just "love," but are consumed by.
I just want to offer this pat on the back to keep in your pocket and next time you feel like you're having a complainy day about this amazing job, take it out, pat yourself, and remember you're doing this for you, so smile and pick up a pencial and be thankful you're still making it.

...you feel excited and wait to hear news about the upcoming tattoos of people you've never met
...your reaction to most of the tattoos you see is "they should've just gotten an eagle"

I couldn't be happier to be part of the Tattoo Age series! I've been a huge fan since their first season began, had so much fun with Chris filming for it. Can't wait for Mutsuo and Thom's episodes :D

That wasn't an accident.
There are more LST members in there too.
It was an honour to be involved with this series. Chris Grosso is such an awesome guy who really "gets it" when it comes to tattooing and tattoo fandom. We actually missed having him around when shooting finished. Usually when someone has a camera in my face I'm glad to see them go.
If we all watch these episodes online, watch the first season and tell our friends about them, maybe then the sponsors will see fit to finance more episodes in the future.
Also Chris' co producer Lauren Cynamon and editor Jarad Jeter are the skilled guys who make the show immensely watchable and make Valerie and I look like coherent, interesting individuals.
I'm looking forward to the rest of the episodes but I think Thom's will be something special.
I liked the whole experience so much I put a sticker where I'll see it every day:

Oh, man...a few days after the second session on my back, I got out of bed and it looked like someone had dumped a handful of fruity pebbles on my sheets.

The Tattoo Elite International is exactly what I was looking for. It has quite a few of my favorite tattoo artists so come payday, I will be picking up a few of these items. Saving up for pieces from Troy Denning, Mike Rubendall, Scott Sylvia, Chris Garver, Henning Trevino, and Horitomo-Kazuaki Kitamura.
Thank you for a great recommendation!

Thought I would throw out a fun little encounter from yesterday. I was heading out to pick up a new Rx at CVS. Since I just left the doctors I was in gym shorts and a T-shirt. The lady filling out the prescription was staring at my leg that just got tattooed. Mind you it only shows about 2-3 inches out my shorts. I looked back at her until she noticed me looking back and got a bit embarrassed. She then said "Oh is that new?". Probably not help the situation, I just got a shitton of blood drawn, was fasting then got given a Xanax, I decided to do the following. I pulled my short leg up to my waist to show her my new tattoo and laughed. Looking back I pretty much showed my ass to half the staff at CVS! I did get a "O' shit that is wayyy bigger than I thought" comment and a "that looks crazy!". This again followed up by the obligatory showing of a small star tattoo she had and a quick synopsis of her future tattoos in the works. Sometimes people are just interested, and it is not staring in a bad way. I actually found most people who stare are just intrigued by us tattooed folk, especially if you got some cool tattoos!

It's cool. I just came back to delete that post because I felt like a tool for going on a rant like that on this board! Sorry dudes.

@Our Endless Days - No problem, I like answering questions. The idea of tattoos being sinful really comes back to Leviticus 19:28, which says, "Do not cut your bodies for the dead or put tattoo marks on yourselves." Leviticus is the third book in the Bible; it's really old. It was put together beginning at the time that Moses led the Israelites out of Egypt and into the promised land. There was period of 40 years between when the left Egypt and when they entered into the promised land. They were basically nomads during that time, travelling into many different lands, and associating with many different peoples.
At that point in time, God had "set apart" Israel as the chosen people who would eventually share God's blessing with the whole world. Being "set apart" meant that, at that time, God didn't want them losing their identity by taking on the customs of the many other tribes they came across. Some of these tribes tattooed themselves. Incidentally, the stuff you hear today about homosexuality being sinful comes from this portion of the Bible too. Homosexuality was a practice of some of the tribes, as well. There are hundreds of laws like this in Leviticus. Planting a field with more than one crop in it is an abomination, punishable by death. So is wearing clothing that is composed of more than one textile (cotton-polyester). So is eating shellfish. So is divorce. These laws were put in place in a specific time and context to make sure the Israelites were able to maintain a national identity, until the time came that God's blessing was to be shared with the whole world. Jesus' purpose was to make that happen. So the time for those laws had past. They're not valid anymore. And for most of those laws, the "conservative" Christians would agree with. They don't think you should be stoned for divorcing, or for planting multiple crops, or for wearing cotton-poly T-shirts. Yet for some reason, they think the one about tattoos and homosexuality is still valid. It isn't. What you see is a case of people using scripture as a way to reinforce what they already believe, when what they should be doing is using scripture to shape what they do and believe.
I tried to be concise, but am happy to clarify or say more.
P.S. - I am a Lutheran pastor, and have been for just over two years. I got my first tattoo when I was 16. I completed my 4-year college degree in 2006, and 4-year seminary study in 2010.

I'll go with prostitute, because I'm "ruined", female and don't really care for boats.

I was playing semi-drunk putt putt a few weeks back, and a dude stopped me to ask where I got my tattoos done. He was home on leave from the military, and had been into a few different shops and was put off by how cheaply all these dudes were telling him that they'd do the tattoo he wanted for. He ended up not getting tattooed at any of them because he had heard the old "Cheap tattoos aren't good..." line, and didn't want to settle for a cheap, shitty tattoo. I recommended the one great shop in our town (Front Street Tattoo), showed him the stuff I had gotten there, and mentioned that they had military Mondays where they did 10% off for servicemen. I was stoked on that interaction for the rest of the day because it was so different than the usual "My dude will do that for 40 bucks" shit that I hear from 95% of people. I'm really hoping he went in and got something awesome.