el twe

Many of you know this already from Instagram, but on Saturday, @DJDeepFried and I (and our little one) drove 7 hours up to San Rafael so I could get my Psychedelic Stories tattoo from Paul Dobleman (Paul Dobleman: Psychedelic Stories Contest 2013 | TAM Blog). You guys did not lie, Spider Murphy's is one of the greatest places on earth. I got to meet a few of the other guys and they were all really cool. Paul was fun to talk to...just a great experience overall. I love the way the tattoo came out. I have now traveled for a tattoo!
These were the choices:

And this is what I got:

Sh*t!!!! Well if it does, that's just another ass I'll be staring at. @Duffa, are you going to make me stare at yet another man ass?!?! This is starting to become quite disconcerting.
All jokes aside that is looking amazing. And as been said it's just the outline too. So all the questions asked previously and I'll raise you a, "will there be background?" And,"black & grey or color?".
- - - Updated - - -
Man, just have to say all these back pieces being posted in the last few weeks are outstanding! Thank you everyone for sharing.

Done by Horinao at The CatClaw Tattoo-Z Kyoto. Believe it or not this was just under 10 hours of tattooing in 2 days (6 first,4 second). So many damn lines!! Its based on one of Kuniyoshi's Suikoden prints - Tameijiro Dan Shogu
Some parts didn't hurt anywhere near as bad as I thought then others killed. Granted it was just the outline though ;)
- - - Updated - - -
And my tattoo has a tattoo, fuck yes.

Good morning LST!!! Got back from my Japan trip a week ago but have worked at least 12hrs every day since and have had some family dramas. Did get a promotion though which has been more of a curse than anything lol. But here are 2 little mementos I got while over there and I will post my back in the backpiece thread. I am spewing I didn't make it to Tokyo so hopefully @CaptCanada will still be keen to catch up next time round. I'll do a travel thread when I finally get a day off which will hopefully be Friday! Anyways, lets look at some tattoos ;)


First one is what I got from Hiro (Formerly at The CatClaw Tattoo-Z) at his new shop "Swallows Nest Design Work". I was his first international customer lol. Special little Daruma with an inside joke in Japanese :cool: (who'll be the first to figure it out?)

Got this on my last night from Horinao at The Catclaw. He had no other customers and I thought why not... well, that and they accepted credit cards which I'd never noticed until then. Quick little Hyottoko
- - - Updated - - -
Holy large photos Batman! Sorry guys!!

Seeing as today is Richard Stell Benefit Day eve, check this out:

For more info on the benefit (and source of this pic): Update: Richard Stell Benefit This Saturday June 15th | TAM Blog

Josh Stephens, Hold It Down

Finally making progress on my arm, really just the rest of the forearm left. Also, this is my first tattoo on this arm not done by Mario Desa or Nick Colella. Super happy with how it came out, if you're in RVA area, I definitely suggest checking out Hold It Down, super solid line up and a cool little shop.

After nine sessions and around 55hours we have finished my back piece tonight. Healed pics to come....I am extremely happy with the end result and relieved to be finished.

When I was in Vegas for the APP Conference, my old friend Ron Garza and I decided to get matching 'bro-tats' courtesy of his wife Nakota who tattoos out of Outer Limits. We've known each other since 1995 and have an amazing surreal friendship. Earlier this year one of our good friends (who goes back to 95 with us as well) killed himself, so we decided on Skulls in Party Hats. Little two minute dealies to commemorate our friendship.
The "party tats" label was tongue in cheek.

Not to minimise what you're going through, but you've only had the tattoo for a couple of weeks so give it some time. When it comes down to it, by getting tattooed you're doing a pretty heavy thing by permanently altering the appearance of your body, your perception of yourself, people's perception of you, you're maybe coming up against taboos...it's a lot to take on, and I don't think you can really prepare yourself for it beforehand. I think it's okay to have complicated feelings towards your tattoos. But really, give it some time, and if you decide that you really can't stand being tattooed, there's a lot of really great stuff here about tattoo removal.

I finished this a couple of months ago and someone mentioned adding it to a contest. I forgot then, so throwing my hat(or leg) in the ring here.
Dana Helmuth at Read Street Tattoo in Baltimore.

ok,so the results of the surgery are 100% all bad stuff is gone. :)
I get freaked out in my way,like I said,fuckin' cancer has touched my life so many times. :mad:
finally one time it got beat !
thanks for all the support & good energy ,it worked !

you look like you need some icecream and a hug.

Just turned a knee tattoo into a knee and thigh tattoo over at invisible NYC with mat vancura. Fuckin brutal session. Who knew the knee and thigh would suck?

I saw this one last night on the Tattooland instagram. Chris Brand, 108 Heroes of Los Angeles. SO GOOD.

I'm a new poster here, and thought i'd say hi in this thread.
My backpiece, finished a couple of months ago, by the amazing Stewart Robson of Frith Street tattoo. It was an absolute pleasure getting this piece, and getting to spend time with such a knowledgeable and insightful guy; an experience I was very lucky to have.
Excuse the inlarged instagram pic, it's all I have

Here i am looking like shit after Jordan Baxter from hope and glory blasted this rose over my elbow tonight! its a cover up and i love it!

got this little grimm-tiger back in march from jelle nelemans

I know this is the Bad Tattoo sub-forum, but let's all take a moment to remember how fucking cool Freddy Corbin's face tattoos are.

I know this is the Bad Tattoo sub-forum, but let's all take a moment to remember how fucking cool Freddy Corbin's face tattoos are.

The third version posted in the OP just looks so muddled and boring, especially compared to the original.
As far as the Sailor Jerry argument goes, I've heard it said (forget where...) that the biggest reason Jerry's flash is so highly regarded is that it survived. Not to belittle his work at all, I do believe he was a real innovator, but there was similar stuff happening at the time (and earlier, see Cap Coleman) and his legacy is largely based on the fact that we still have a lot of his originals to credit.

first post!
continued getting my leg tattooed with only black traditional work. this one is from alex wild.
i hate getting my legs tattooed (especially the shin) + healing is not that fun :rolleyes:

I normally try to write out longer posts in response to stuff but I will leave it at this.
Skip it, not worth the time.

The pilot ep. is available streaming on Spike's website. My, uh, friend saw it and it was fucking terrible (if you can believe that)...