Graeme

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.

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.

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.

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.

Haven't posted in quite a while so i'll update you all on a couple of new(ish) additions.
First up is from the Bristol tattoo convention in June, done by Stewart Robson:

And this one i got a couple of days ago from Marcos Attwood at Broad Street Studio, in Bath

Not particularly great photos of either one but i'm sure you get the idea

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.

Session two with Horitomo! Almost done with the lining and am looking forward to the shading. 

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.

IMO there is no global answer to this,all of us heal and react differently to many different methods.The only way to heal well is to find out which method works best for each individual ,and the only way to find that answer IMO is through trial and error.There is no blanket rule/method that works for everyone.
in the many years that I have been getting tattooed,I have heard dozens of opinions,and methods seem to trend and change.
 
 

This.
I'm still pretty new to getting tattooed and I've already gone from thinking that everything about tattoos is the coolest thing in the world to thinking that tattoos are still the coolest thing in the world, it's just sort of unfortunate about the getting them and healing them part, and as I'm planning on starting some big work in the next year I expect that my opinions will change again, and that I will lament ever getting involved in this thing that involves me getting repeatedly stabbed with needles in my ass crack.
That said, I really like what was said above about the experience of getting tattooed and getting to meet people who really excel at what they do and really getting something from that energy. I love the way that when I look at my tattoos that I can remember the experiences around them and getting them (for example, around a year ago I was in NYC on that freakishly really snowy day at the end of October and because the weather was so miserable and people were cancelling their tattoo appointments I managed to get a walk-in at Smith Street and got that classic wolf head with its tongue hanging out the side of its mouth from Eli Quinters and when I look at that tattoo I remember that day really sharply, though I probably would have otherwise forgotten about it) and I want to continue having those experiences as long as possible because they've been some of the best and most important experiences I've had in my life.
Which isn't to say that getting a cohesive bodysuit wouldn't be this really amazing, transformative experience, because I'm sure that it absolutely is.

that should run $100 to $2200 USD

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.

a 1/4 sleeve ? isn't that pretty much just a tattoo ?  

I'm going to suggest a Saturday pre-convention brunch as an LST meetup if anybody is interested.  I have an appointment right when the convention opens at 11, and my kid has an appointment for a vaccination in the morning, so it will have to be early-ish, like 9-9:30 near my place, which is a quick metro ride away (about ten minutes) from the convention.  Let me know if you're interested and I'll make a group reservation.

We can always grab a drink or a coffee at the convention too.

Inksmith is where I got all my stuff thus far and some of the boys like Jswed and Mike Wilson are on the interviews for LST.  I love them to death but its probably my hometown pride. Edit: Had to remove playing favorites since I love Inksmith as a whole.

If I had the opportunity to get a tattoo from Mike Wilson, I would take it.  Just saying.

Coming September 2016! 
More info will be posted on the paulsaycefilms Instagram page.

I saw yesterday that Scott Harrison just uploaded a movie he made in 2004-2005 to YouTube.  I haven't had the chance to watch it yet, but with the following description, I can't wait to make the time for it:
 
 

Great video @Graeme thanks for sharing.  Filip is almost like a myth for me at this point.  A unicorn.  A great white buffalo.

I will be there Friday through Monday morning.  I'm going by myself so would be up for coffees and things like that.  Tattoo on Saturday night!

I hope he comes back sometime soon.  I had the chance to briefly talk with him when this video was taken and he was really cool.  I'm a nobody, just some guy who likes tattoos, and he was really friendly and down to earth, and he was super interested in my tattoos and asked all sorts of questions about them.  I thought it was great to meet somebody who has been involved with tattoos for pretty much his entire life and he still clearly loves them so much and still gets excited about them.

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.