Rikhall

Henning requested pics of my healed back with a black background. Believe it or not, it was tough finding large enough black material like a curtain or spool of cloth but luckily my local dry cleaner had something I could borrow. I had to email him LARGE files because he may publish the photos in something. Fun looking at all the details. Maximize your browser!

Well it's been a year since I've had my back worked on and per our usual fall schedule, Henning was in town and this time we FINISHED my back! Some of you might have seen the updates via Instagram. So happy with this collaboration between Henning and Rubendall being completed! WARNING, PIC HEAVY!!! Put your browser on FULL SCREEN!
The master himself, Henning Jorgensen. Such a great artist and humble man.

Filling in the phoenix...tail feathers, breast, head and a few touch ups here and there.

Such a pleasure watching Henning work. I was so stoked with the zebra/tiger striped pattern he chose for the remaining tail feathers.

Touch up on a tender spot...the spare tire.

Slowly getting there.

Details details details...

Close-up of the phoenix...beautiful!

Full view from my right side. There was poor lighting inside since it was dark out, so they propped me up on a table and surrounded me with lights.

A quick reminder of the work Mike Rubendall did on the lower half of this collaboration. LOVE his water!

Another angle of my lower half.

Here's the finished top half.

Finished full back in all it's glory. My back is a sea of colors! Hope everyone enjoyed my show and tell! (don't mind the feet on the left or right, hahaha)

Gotten a few fun ones over the last six months or so:
Steve Byrne at Temple before the Bay Area Convention of the Arts:

Healed

Robert Ryan at the Convention:

Crappy healed photo:

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Got a couple from Miguel Montgomery aka Uzi to start the year


Healed


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And most recent is a little one shot by Alex Petty based off of some old Milton Zeis flash
Flash

Piece (still healing)

Just got a wee elbow banger from Franz Stefanik

You really shouldn't ever take this "coloring book" approach to any tattoo. If you are willing to travel to get tattooed by someone whose work you really love, why have someone else complete the work? It makes no sense and is a disservice to everyone, including yourself.
I'm currently getting a sleeve from an artist I've admired for a long, long time. I tried for 3 years just to get an appointment, which wasn't until the end of 2014. I can't go often or for more than one session at a time, but I've had 4 sessions, and there's still work to be done. It's been a long process, but I wouldn't trade any aspect of it because the end result is so, so worth it. If you're gonna commit to traveling for a long-term project, then fucking commit.

Just booked in for my first tattoo of 2016 going to see Steve Byrne for 3 days in December pretty excited about it, it will also be the first time il get to enjoy Austin rather than flying in getting tattooed and flying out

Just go for it, you don't have to be in a hurry to finish maybe try and do 2 days each trip if that's possible, like everybody else has said if you love that artist then itl be worth it, what's 30 hours of flying for a tattoo that lasts a lifetime

Just booked in for my first tattoo of 2016 going to see Steve Byrne for 3 days in December pretty excited about it, it will also be the first time il get to enjoy Austin rather than flying in getting tattooed and flying out

Just booked in for my first tattoo of 2016 going to see Steve Byrne for 3 days in December pretty excited about it, it will also be the first time il get to enjoy Austin rather than flying in getting tattooed and flying out

Just booked in for my first tattoo of 2016 going to see Steve Byrne for 3 days in December pretty excited about it, it will also be the first time il get to enjoy Austin rather than flying in getting tattooed and flying out

made a trip to michigan over the weekend
jeff zuck @ name brand tattoo. not sure why the picture looks weird at the top of the flames

alex boyko @ sunhouse

then today on my way home i swung by old soul and got this from john hill

I travelled to get a sleeve done so it is certainly possible. I won't talk time and money in my case, because they're basically unimportant: I wanted a particular tattooer to do my arm because I loved and love what he does and none of his many imitators even come close to what he does. In my opinion, my tattoo was absolutely worth the effort I put into getting it.

below is boltz from last fall - awesome time with steve - loved that shop - cant wait to get back for another from the smith street crew

Got this great rose from anvil tattoo in Altus Oklahoma done by brad . BradAnvil on the gram

This topic has been addressed here before in this thread:
http://www.lastsparrowtattoo.com/forum/general-tattoo-discussion/152-non-tattooers-opening-shops.html
Speaking personally, I wouldn't have any interest in setting foot in a shop like the one you described, much less getting tattooed there. I don't want to make assumptions about other people or try to speak for them, but I highly doubt anybody I have been tattooed by would want to work in a shop like that.
If you appreciate the art so much, get tattooed a lot. Buy original art from tattooers. Don't seek to make money from it yourself because you see an opportunity for success. That just makes you a parasite.

Just got this from David Parker at Black Heart Tattoo in San Francisco. Do I really need to say how I feel about this tattoo?

I got this done today by Dan Climan, real stoked on it!

I'm pretty sure it's based off a Owen Jensen design but I haven't found the original yet. I'd love to see it if anyone knows where to find it.

Finished up this thigh piece about 2months ago. Healed shot lifted from Tim Lehi's Instagram.
If you go back in the thread you can see the beginnings/line work. That leg is really coming together...only problem is now I've got this pesky knee-gap.

reactivating this thread with my Thomas Hooper piece:

Got to be a reckless kid one more time and got tattooed by Valerie again, this time in London. They're peeling and unsightly now, but here they are in their fresh glory:
The warrior: https://www.instagram.com/p/BAvLzMPDKFR/
The priestess: https://www.instagram.com/p/BAvLqtnDKFD/
Bonus video: https://www.instagram.com/p/BAvLTr3EHRy/

Got this Dietzel lady head by Morten Transeth

Robert Ryan Asbury Park NJ - on the knee
good times as usual

from yesterday by Valerie Vargas @ Modern Classic
https://www.instagram.com/p/BB52NQ7kHbh/?taken-by=valeriemodernclassic

If you follow me at all on Instagram or Facebook...you've probably seen this. I'm pretty much obsessed with my latest tattoo from Jim Sylvia. As a Bowie fanatic, and a cat lover.... all arrows pointed toward me needing this tattoo that I got last night. It's a great feeling you get when you pick the right person for the job. I had never met Jim before, but have been admiring his work for the past couple years. Finally figured out what I needed from him. Great guy. Solid, talented, skilled, accomodating. <3

Havnt really posted in a while here is my girl head by Todd Noble. I picked it up in October at the Calgary convention and it's a design from his girlhead book
No idea why it came out sideways