Graeme

Let's wing it.  I'm getting tattooed at 11 and A. is getting tattooed at 3 so there will be a baby handoff happening sometime there and a lot depends on his mood/napping.  It's not his first convention though so hopefully he'll be okay.  I'm sure we can make some kind of hanging out and sharing tattoos and stories happen at some point.

Bad news!  The brunch place I had in mind doesn't take reservations and because I have a really small window of time (my kid gets vaccinated at 9, I have a tattoo appointment at 11) I'm going to call the brunch off and suggest that maybe those of us going to the convention on Saturday try to grab a drink there?

Bad news!  The brunch place I had in mind doesn't take reservations and because I have a really small window of time (my kid gets vaccinated at 9, I have a tattoo appointment at 11) I'm going to call the brunch off and suggest that maybe those of us going to the convention on Saturday try to grab a drink there?

Bad news!  The brunch place I had in mind doesn't take reservations and because I have a really small window of time (my kid gets vaccinated at 9, I have a tattoo appointment at 11) I'm going to call the brunch off and suggest that maybe those of us going to the convention on Saturday try to grab a drink there?

Bad news!  The brunch place I had in mind doesn't take reservations and because I have a really small window of time (my kid gets vaccinated at 9, I have a tattoo appointment at 11) I'm going to call the brunch off and suggest that maybe those of us going to the convention on Saturday try to grab a drink there?

Bad news!  The brunch place I had in mind doesn't take reservations and because I have a really small window of time (my kid gets vaccinated at 9, I have a tattoo appointment at 11) I'm going to call the brunch off and suggest that maybe those of us going to the convention on Saturday try to grab a drink there?

I'll post in the next couple of days about brunch arrangements.  I've had a super busy past few days and I haven't had a chance to make the reservation yet. 

My first tattoo was flash right off the wall and done kind of spur of the moment (I was 19).  I loved it for about ten years and then decided to cover it up.  I did a lot of research in the area where I was living at the time (this was now the mid-1990s, so the internet wasn't really a "thing" yet).  I just did legwork.  Checked out shops, portfolios, talked to artists.  Found someone I was comfortable with whose work I admired.  He did I great job.  I've done the same kind of research for my most recent two tattoos, but the legwork started online and ended with meeting the artist in person, talking design, etc.  I'm very happy with him, and very lucky that he works not too far from me.  But I'm also kind of heading into a new phase here on LST and getting an even better education about what makes a "good" tattoo.  I'm reading a lot, checking out the artist interviews, absorbing things.  It's been a real education and I plan to stick around so I can become even more informed.  Best way to find out what makes a good tattoo?  Spend time with people who HAVE good tattoos!  

I'll post in the next couple of days about brunch arrangements.  I've had a super busy past few days and I haven't had a chance to make the reservation yet. 

I'll post in the next couple of days about brunch arrangements.  I've had a super busy past few days and I haven't had a chance to make the reservation yet. 

@DragonFanSa We've been respectful and kind towards you here so far, please be respectful back to people when they tell you they find your language offensive.

@JBluewind Are these tattoos you've seen in real life or in pictures on the Internet?  I did a google image search on "ear tattoos" and nothing that came up is what I would consider good tattooing.  From what I've seen in real life, if you're going to tattoo the inside of the ear you're best sticking with bold and heavy blackwork/tribal.  And if you're going to do that you have to be pretty much fully covered unless you want to look completely ridiculous.  All those delicate flowers and other complicated and intricate designs are not going to hold up to the kind of sun exposure that your ears will get.  Don't get me started on how many obvious photoshop jobs show up when you do that search either.  
 
if you want something to memorialize somebody who you loved and who meant a lot to you, you owe it to her memory to get something nice that is going to last a lifetime.

I don't understand the idea of a "secret tattoo" on your head.  A full bodysuit is literally more concealable.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=naeJE6Rw7PE
 
Three years ago Filip Leu and Kurt Wiscombe did three collaborative backpieces in three days at the Montreal convention, and here's a short documentary they made about it.

If you're going to get a different design from a different artist why are you showing us this?  If you go to a good artist you'll get a good tattoo.  If you go to a dogshit artist you'll get a dogshit tattoo.  Concept doesn't matter.  Simple as.

confirmed with Shige at Diamond Club to finish up my stomach. bittersweet ending... 

You're not going to get a more favourable response by reposting the same thing.
 
I think you got what you paid for with the design.  If you want Japanese, even with non-Japanese elements like you want, at the very least go to somebody who understands and has experience with Japanese tattoos, because it looks really bad if you get it wrong.

Something like this would be great:
https://goo.gl/images/lH7kNO
 

It's not really nudity if it's fully tattooed.
 
Which is my excuse for dropping trou in public places to show people my back.

You're not going to get a more favourable response by reposting the same thing.
 
I think you got what you paid for with the design.  If you want Japanese, even with non-Japanese elements like you want, at the very least go to somebody who understands and has experience with Japanese tattoos, because it looks really bad if you get it wrong.

You're approaching this all wrong. Instead of asking what's the minimum you can do to have an acceptable tattoo, maybe think about asking what you can do to get the best possible tattoo.  Either way, it's on you for life, so you might as well go for the good option.

You're approaching this all wrong. Instead of asking what's the minimum you can do to have an acceptable tattoo, maybe think about asking what you can do to get the best possible tattoo.  Either way, it's on you for life, so you might as well go for the good option.

You're approaching this all wrong. Instead of asking what's the minimum you can do to have an acceptable tattoo, maybe think about asking what you can do to get the best possible tattoo.  Either way, it's on you for life, so you might as well go for the good option.

You're not going to get a more favourable response by reposting the same thing.
 
I think you got what you paid for with the design.  If you want Japanese, even with non-Japanese elements like you want, at the very least go to somebody who understands and has experience with Japanese tattoos, because it looks really bad if you get it wrong.

I'm not sure I'd want to mix in Celtic with Japanese. It just doesn't make a ton of sense. 
Graeme is right though. Best to go to an artist who does solid Japanese work and have them design something for you, perhaps based on what you are showing us here, but more appropriate for the style.