real meta

I'm not sure I understand your point here. Eddy Deutsche is a traditionally trained tattooer who had also branched out in subject and style but keeps within the technique. Also the credo isn't exactly "traditional is better" it's "bold will hold."
I don't know. This thread has gotten kind of ridiculous. If you have a chip on your shoulder, don't engage other users in a negative or confrontational manner, go start a thread that promotes positive information and education on the tattooing that you like.

Here ya go @chrisnoluck


Getting a cramp in my leg trying to stare at this thing

Another Jeff Zuck piece from the Roc City Tattoo Expo. Rad guy, Great tattooer.

I'm impressed by the technical ability of color portrait artists like Nikko Hurtado or Paul Acker, but a tattoo of Capt. Jack Sparrow or Catwoman, no matter how perfect, doesn't make me feel a thing.
But that's how I judge all art -- not by how well someone can paint something that looks "lifelike" (or, in the case of music, how fast Yngwie Malmsteen can shred) if it has no soul. I'll take a Neil Young solo any day.
I love how the best traditional tattoos can distill the essence of a thing with so few lines, and the more I look at tattoos, the more I can appreciate it. Strong, powerful images is what does it for me.
No one would ever say Picasso is a bad artist because his paintings are "simple" or don't look "real."
People can like what they like, but bashing traditional tattoos just makes the one saying it look kinda dumb or at least uninformed.

I'll throw my hat in again this month with this piece, all healed and new :)

Matt Arriola pantherized my last big spot yesterday at Spotlight. He couldn't quite get it to fit, so he decided to add flames. Always a good call.


I have some inner thigh/tenderloin spots and a few tiny spaces on my legs, but if I said "I'm done" now, I don't think anyone would fault me.
But we all know that I'm not done.

Done yesterday by Mr. Chad Kopelinger at Rock of Ages... In 1.5 hours... Someone needs to do a study on how he can tattoo so god damn fast. Really awesome experience all around.
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Such a good tattoo. We both had a nice painful day yesterday.

I'm on a roll lately...
I just booked an appointment with Eddy Deutsche for mid-June!

So, I have an appointment with Shige later in the year to talk about getting tattooed by him.
He knows I don't have much space left for pieces of the size he prefers to work on, so I'm hoping he'll agree to do a smaller tattoo on me. We'll see how it works out but fingers crossed.
Really excited about this. I've been tattooed by Tomo and it would make me really happy to also get something from Shige.

Some awesome inner bi's here. I'm quite fond of skulls in this location.
Brian Bruno

Chris O'Donnell

couple years old by max kuhn

bout a 1.5-2 years old by adam shrewsbury

Party wolf by Eddy Deutsche

I'm booked in with Chad Koeplinger when he comes to Oslo next month! Really excited!

Can't wait to see what you get. To me, Jef's one of those mythical tattooers where every time you get to see one of their tattoos it feels like a privilege.

Change of plans on Sunday. Managed to get a morning appointment with Tim Pausinger at The Pearl Harbour Gift Shop.
Suits better time wise than rolling the dice on getting a walk in at The Okey Doke (next time!). I can have breakfast with my family and meet LSTer @markbee in lieu of queuing.
The staff at The Pearl really went out of their way to fit me in. I have been lucky like that recently too with Uncle Allan. Tattooing, as an industry/community, has some really nice people in it.

Essentially healed tiger head from Tim Lehi. Done at the Summit Convention here in Colorado.

Here goes. Head tattoo by Jesse Roberts. 3 sessions about 3-4 hours each, then one quick touchup session. Completed in about 2 months.

I saw Chad Koeplinger while he was in town the other day for rose #4.

Done at Rock of Ages in Austin.

Appropriately posting this one on Easter. I got this one from Matt Arriola a few weeks ago at Spotlight. Photo stolen from his IG:
For reference, it's on the back of my thigh:

I'm getting tattooed by Jef Whitehead in 3 weeks...

Here we go.
Fudo by Matt Brotka
RFTC tattoo (and surrounding) by Andrew Conner.

RHW bicep club represent! Haha. It's quite tricky to take a photo of my own bicep but here's my fox:

I'm trying to plan my 3rd arm tattoo around this and my bird and it's been a challenge. I sometimes wish I'd thought ahead a little more with the placement but I'm sure the tattoo artist I choose will able to come up with something.

Both by Chad Koeplinger.

Theo Mindell wolf
Ron Wells disintegrating skull n roses
And+1 to weird gaps...had Paul Dobleman do a Dietzel design (snake around skinny dagger) on the back of the wells arm. Not sure what I'm gonna do with the other yet.