JeffK

I think a big issue is people trying hard to be unique. So instead of considering if something will last or look good on skin, they just want something "artistic" and "one of a kind" and get all hung up on that and it ends up being stupid. I hate HATE HATE the new fad of tattoos that look like screen prints or stamps, like big ones that look like they've been stamped on someone at an askewed angle. I'll try to find an example. Yes, I give credit to the tattooer, it takes some serious skill, but ugh. It looks dumb to me. Just my opinion though. I always wonder "how will that thing look when you're 70?" and realize I sound like people who ask me that shit. But mine will look cool as fuck when I'm 70 because they're well designed. SNOB ALERT WHOOP!

"Destroy" Troy in Kansas City, MO

Aldo Rodriguez at Carmel Tattoo in IN

Of course all the dudes at Great Lakes Tattoo in Chicago who've been mentioned

Jason Hoodrich and Jef Whitehed at Taylor Street (mostly anyone at TS are cool)

Zak Stuka at Deluxe (pretty much everyone at Deluxe too)

Trying to toss some names out there of people I haven't seen mentioned as much. I guess Whitehed and the GLT crew have been dropped though.

There's a few other rad tattooers in Chicago of course, but so many to name. I'll try later to mention some others who haven't been mentioned yet.

Here's my rib tiger Ross Nagle did while he's here in Chicago.

I went in yesterday since their "Fleet Week" is going on and got a rib tattoo from Ross Nagle visiting from Ireland. This shop is the most gorgeous tattoo shop I've been in. Such a nice design, huge without feeling vacant or cold, tons of amazing tattoo history covering the walls and cases. Seriously, stop in even if you're NOT getting anything done. It's worth looking it. Eye candy. Plus they played Iron Maiden live the whole session.

I like having tattoos so some people automatically assume shit about me. This way I can weed out the stupid assholes from the people who are, seemingly, worth dealing with. They don't need tattoos to be worth dealing with, just not assume stupid shit.

I plan on hitting them up this month when they have a parade of insane guests. Not that I DON'T want stuff from all the awesome dude's there, but since I'm local and work like 10 min. away I can wait and get some things down the road from each.

Cool shop though, if you don't you should follow their Instagram.

Painted this gorilla recently! Mike Wilsons tattooing one on my neck in 2 weeks! great thread!

Those are BOTH awesome, good stuff man!

When will we have snakes replaced by eels?

Regardless of animal, a cool tattoo is a cool tattoo.

Don't hate because its not your style of tattoo.

So true. Don't hate styles you dislike. Just laugh at them with your friends and be an asshole, like I do. BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

I recently saw a group of people clamouring for a tattoo from this dude they knew. I saw his work and it was bad. Inconsistent lines, shading that looked like it was done with a crayon. Ugh. In the end I found out he was just a kitchen scracther and did them cheap. They wanted them from him because he was cheap. They were EXCITED because he was cheap. They had 0 concern of how unsafe and bad these damn things were.

Meh. I didn't say a word. Maybe I'm a dick, but I figured let them get all scratched up. Either they'll learn or just not care. It's not my place to save anyone. I'll help friends and family, but a random group of people too stupid too stupid to see quality, blah, fuck em.

Yeah I did too, she thought about this flash of a dude's head up his ass. I think we both realized we'd both pick stuff like that independently so the point was lost and we just picked fun stuff.

My wife picked this out for me last night. Done by Jason at Taylor Street. Good times were had.

Wouldn't it be me more accurate to refer to yourself as "their skin canvas" since (in this case) you only go to 1 artist, but they clearly tattoo more than 1 person? So, honestly, they have ownership over you.

I totally appreciate someone planning large scale work, but it would really suck to be with someone who couldn't just go down and get a tattoo with you on a whim. My wife doesn't have that many tattoos, but most of the ones she were the result of me wanting to get tattooed and her tagging along or me booking an appointment for her without asking her. She trusts that wherever we are going they know how to tattoo and that's enough for her.

Oh yeah, no disrespect to the big piece people. I plan on getting 1 big ass back tattoo, but the rest of me I like patched. I think her dad wants me to get stuff like WWE wrestlers or David Beckham or something. The big, slick, coherent piece type thing. He thinks anything OTHER than that is just trashy or something. But it's just not me or my wife's style. So, behind my back of course, I get a lot of shit about it.

All my wife wants are whim tattoos haha. I think she has 2 planned, the rest are no doubt going to be random. This week we're going to go pick each other's without knowing what, as I've mentioned we've planned on doing for a while. Should be fun. She's a jerk so I'm sure I'll end up with something awesome but also pretty funny.

Just to be clear, Paco and his buddy weren't being shitty about it, they were specifically talking about how it's kinda cool but also adds extra pressure when they're tattooing a collector. They didn't mean it in any kind of negative way at all.

I was just a little taken aback. Although tattoo collectors are something I'm aware of, I had never even considered putting myself in that category... really, just a person who is into getting tattoos!!!

The getting them from a bunch of different people is as much a consequence of my work as it is a choice, I move every couple months or so, it would be impossible for me to stick with only one or two tattooers...

Ah, gocha.

Yeah for me getting stuff from different artists just makes sense. There's so much talent, so many awesome styles, why be shackled down to just one?! I guess there is a stigma on us who go around seeking out particular and multiple artists though. I embrace it though.

I'm also a collector of OTHER things (toys, comics, records) so to be labeled as such never really hits me.

My wife's dad hates my tattoo's because instead of 1 big "nice" sleeve he'd feel is "cool" or even "classy" (pardon my quotes) I have a bunch of random ass kinda trashy tattoos patched all over. She digs it that way though, me too.

I'll always like that trashy kinda punk-tattoos-all-over look. I'm glad she finally started getting some. It make me think the person is more of a fun spontaneous thinker vs. an over-thinking planner, which I actually am so I guess my way of venting some spontaneity is via tattoos.

The biggest thing I would say is just DONT ACT LIKE SOMEONE IS YOUR BEST FRIEND JUST BECAUSE THEY PUT ONE TATTOO ON YOU, NO ONE LIKES A NAME DROPPER.

Haha yeah this too. I used to date a girl who was like that. If she met someone once, tattoo artist, c-level celeb, whoever, she acted like she was buds with them all of a sudden. It's always kind of funny.

As long as you're getting the tattoo's because you're into them, what's it matter? It's like "hipster" no one wants to be called one and there's a million different definitions. I know plenty of people who'd be called "hipster" by others but they're nice, genuine and awesome people. So fuck what words others use.

If someone called me a tattoo collector, I couldn't ARGUE, I guess it all depends on their tone though whether or not I'd be upset at them for it. If they mean it in an asshole/snotty way, meh, fuck them right? It'd be upsetting if it was an artist, to get some attitude like that, but I haven't run across that. Most people who tattoo me just ask who's done mine because they just really wanna know who's work it is. Do they know them? Shit like that.

Anyway, yeah, words are words, being a dick is being a dick no matter what word is used and if your'e a genuine and honest person, whatever. Let people say what they will. You're in it for you right? I'm gonna go write a self help book now, brb.

Yeah cheapness is another thing to blame on bad tattoos. The impatience to get something "now" without being able to afford a good artist really screws people. I understand not have the cash. I make little enough cash to be able to qualify for government aid for some things. I am not rich by any means. I just save up when it comes to the tattoos.

I'd rather wait and get something awesome from someone good, meaning aside, then be impatient and just go get something cheap.

I think the impatience some people have is a big reason for bad tattoos. BTW, when I say bad I'm not totally talking about what they're getting, but the quality of it. Will it last, will the design look good in 10 years? 20? 50?

Youth. I blame youth. Or rather, poorly guided youth. My "worst" tattoos exist because it was the late 90's, I was young, and no one gave me the guidance of shops/artists/designs.

I work with a 20 y/o who tells me what he's going to get and at some no-where-strip-mall shop. I try to guide him, but dude won't listen. In 5-10 years maybe he will. It's all super generic cliche' crap too, which is OK and all if you have a reason or understand what you're getting, but he just wants these things because it's what his friends have or because it's what he's seen in movies and shit.

I'm not saying all really young people are nimrods who'll do this. Just some. Then they grow up and become older nimrods. And the cycle grows. Cut this off early enough, and we'll get some progress. I've met plenty of awesome people younger then me (lol I'm 32, listen to me talking like I'm 90) who don't need the guidance or have had it.

Yeah I know, I just can't think of what to put around it that'll fit well. I don't care for ships (on myself) and don't want more flowers. An eagle wouldn't fit well as content, my wife gives no shits about eagles. So I want to get something that balances on traditional and weird, since my wife is weird.

I have enough time to decide though. I always get asked "What if you divorce?" (always lovely to hear) and I always say I'll get Raul Julia as M. Bison behind it and slap an "R." on it. And I will if I have the space.

Like, an hour? There's a few dudes I wanna go and hit up, but with school and work and a kid and blah blah blah it just doesn't happen. I was considering heading about 4 hours out this summer to get something by Troy at Timeless Tattoo in Kansas City, MO when he's in IN, but I hate tattoo's in the summer and I'll be in the middle of school still. Maybe.....

Nothing fancy, and like 5 year old pic. I keep meaning to add lots of stuff around it and fill the area up I just don't now with what yet.

LSD or Pizza Hut or both late at night.

If you're really regretting it or afraid of consequences or anything BUT you don't want to deal with removal, you can get it covered up or altered....a lot. I'd say that'd be a cheaper choice and still OK as long as the image is changed enough. Maybe keep the owl itself and have something else cover the hat and replace the crowbar with something else? Toss in some extra junk, roses, a banner, whatever.

I love those books and designs. But getting one would be like getting an American gang tattoo. I'm not a criminal first of all, and don't want anyone to think so. Secondly I don't want to disrespect those people who are by making their life some novelty (not saying you did, just speaking in general.) Finally, I've heard people who've gotten them say things like "Well I'll never go to Russia" or "I'll just not show it if I go." Still, it's not like there's not Russians here. Or others who know. Or that doesn't make it "OK" to me.

Anyway, I don't care what country or gang or whatever it's representing, to make a novelty out of it is disrespectful and the last thing I wanna do is disrespect guys like that. I may not agree with their lifestyle or choices, but shit, some didn't even choose it ESPECIALLY in Russia (and even more so the USSR where many of those originated.)

Again, not saying you did any of that, I was just saying in general.

I think it's weird that any shop advertises price PERIOD! I mean "discount" could mean "full price" in reality.

I think shop specials are fun. Sailor Jerry day, or Halloween or Friday the 13th. Usually things like that, now a days, aren't on the radio or tv and only popped up on Instagram a few days earlier. The only people who'd know are those following anyway.

But I've seen "Get $100 of tattoo work for $60!" banners. It turns me off. I'm already like "what would you consider '$100 worth' of tattoo work?" The best artists I know don't go around advertising their prices, they're always fair and awesome and have no need for that crap.

I've gotten a few "specials" at shops that I've gotten full pricers from too. Which reminds me, today's Rollo's birthday (RIP) and there's a special going on....I need a baby sitter.