Fala

got my first tebori from Toshi(Bunshin Horitoshi) the other day. Great experience, and Toshi is a great guy.
Went with something simple and classic for my first japanese tattoo

 

a 2 year wait to get my backpiece started. which was great in retrospect. it really helped me solidify and articulate what exactly I wanted. it made the end-result that much more meaningful and the act of tattoo more powerful as well. 
 

I think it should come back when this place is a tattoo forum again and not a tattoo advice forum.

sweet!
great points regarding the tattoos that are entered early and large scale work winning more often that small scale work.
a couple ideas along with themes, perhaps by:
- location... best knee, sleeve, squidpants, neck, etc
- style... best americana, black and gray, realism, portrait, etc.
- size... best back piece, one shot, filler, etc
- random... best walk-in, story/meaning (<-- sounded better in my head).
 
as far as points go, is it possible to set up the point system/code based on when votes/likes are submitted?  that also sounds better in my head, but maybe someone reading this gets what i'm thinking.
however this all turns out, i'm sure it'll be done right and not errbody will be happy, but i'm stoked to see it returning!

I would suggest changing how the voting works, if possible.  There was always an advantage to the people who posted their tattoos first.  If you posted a tattoo towards the middle or end of the month you basically didn't have much of a chance regardless of the tattoo.  If it wouldn't be a complete pain in the ass to implement and administrate, what about something like a ranked ballot where, at the end of the month, people can choose their first, second, third favorite tattoos and assign, say 5 points to first, 3 to second, and 1 to third and tabulate that to decide a winner.
 
Could also be fun to run contests around themes like skulls, birds, flowers, or whatever.
 
Healed up and settled in stuff would be cool too.

True enough.
I hate when people say "but tattoo artists HATE it!!" about something.
Here's something: Some tattooers are douchebags. Them being a tattooer, even a GOOD tattooer, doesn't make them right or profound. It makes them another asshole with an opinion and there's nothing special or unique about having one of those.
If you think you're a collector, you probably are. It's a way to describe what you do- collect tattoos from people you dig. I collect toys. I collect dvds. I have a lot of passion when it comes to my collections; I think about which swatches to buy, know when some obscure film is going to be released on dvd, read articles about toy production.
I guess if you looked at it like that, I collect tattoos too. I find myself interested in the whole culture of it, not just "gettin' a new tat'.
Verdict:
It's not bad to be called a collector/call yourself a collector.
It's not bad to not WANT to be called a collector/call yourself a collector.

"Skin Picture Aggregator"

I walked into a shop the other day to scratch that itch and when the tattooer saw my legs he said, "Oh - you're a collector." We then spent 30 minutes talking about the various tattoos and where I got them. It was supposed to be a quick in-and-out, but I ended up sticking around and talking for a while. I've been busy with other things over the last year, so it was nice to get back into it all again. Yup. Collector.

I've amassed a lot of stuff during various bursts of enthusiasm (stereo equipment! impractical shoes!) but I think of "collector" as implying that the person has a very particular taste and is discerning.  In a way, it also implies, to me, that there's an audience for the collecting. Like a record collector is different from a person who just has a lot of records, because the former might seek out specific pressings. I've had the good fortune of getting nice tattoos thanks to this place, but I don't have anything like the knowledge or refinement to think of myself as a collector.  Mostly I want to spraypaint this old jalopy so that it looks better.

I got this little one shot eagle yesterday at the Quebec City convention from Trevor McStay.

It wraps a lot because it takes up most of my thigh so here are a couple of pictures.

There you go, fixed your post for you.
Got pictures of the new tattoo?  We'd love to see them.

I disagree with this sentiment.  Those tattoos can be covered up or lasered off, and with the exception of her back, I don't think those would be especially difficult coverups.  They're mistakes, they're gross errors in judgement, but starting by getting shitty tattoos doesn't mean that you're stuck getting shitty tattoos forever.

I somewhat disagree about the usefulness of Instagram for evaluating tattoos.  It's a tool, and like all tools, you need to know how to use it.  I had a tattooer tell me once when I was getting tattooed by him that it's not a tattoo until it's healed and settled in, and I agree with him.  Pictures of fresh tattoos don't tell you that much.  I'd go so far as to say that pictures are of pretty limited use in general: the mark of a good tattoo is how it actually looks in the skin and how it ages with you.  It's not about that fresh photo, it's about how it looks five, ten, forty years down the line.
 
I also understand that for someone just getting into tattoos that you maybe don't have the exposure to seeing nice, lived-in tattoos that comes from hanging around tattoo shops, conventions, with other tattooed people.  Instagram is an easy access point, but it isn't everything.
 
To the OP, I'd say that tattoos are a process of figuring out what you like and what you want out of tattoos.  If there's a tattooer whose work you really like aesthetically, by all means get tattooed by her!   Do your research, of course, but there gets to be a point where you just have to jump in and do it.  Maybe your tastes will change, maybe what you thought was good work isn't--maybe not though!--but that's all a part of getting tattooed.  Don't stress out about it, and have fun getting tattoos that make you excited.

Many people have seen this all ready I guess. By Jondix, 11 days ago. Had such a great time. Stayed at the shop past midnight, talking and eating after the session.
Everybody should get something from him. Super good heart, attitude and knowledge of tattooing and art.
Wrathful offering of the five senses by Jonas Nyberg from last year.

Snake sleeve in progress by Yoni Zilber @ NY Adorned

You're not punk rock unless you have Hep C.

Who cares? Just go for it. What's the worst that can happen? My only advice: use human cremains.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

try it first on your forehead

Can I just say that I love seeing badass torso tattoos on thicker ladies? Makes me feel fired up to eventually put something on that part of my body. Especially in aplace like Instagram, it's a real relief when pictures not only show the tattoo in the context of the whole body, but also show a variety of body types.

This is a good place to get your first tattoo if this is the place you want your tattoo, that's all anyone can really say about it. There is no hard and fast rule, though I think most would agree hands and neck/face should be later on down the line!
I think a lot of women these days tend to start out on their feet, hip, shoulder, or other places like that where they can very easily keep the tattoo hidden. Then, they either stop there and never get another one, or they like it and start to get more. I always have a very specific idea in mind of where my tattoos will go and I can't explain why, but there's no need to. If this is the spot where you picture your design on your body, then this is where it should go.
It should be a pretty simple process in terms of the logistics of having it done, just by wearing a cami or tank top, like you say. You'll only see it in a mirror though, and that's the bummer (to me!) about tattoos on the back, but it is a great spot since it looks good, doesn't necessarily get a lot of sun exposure (less fading) and is easy to hide or not hide, depending on the circumstances.

You might find a couple of takers, but as a newbie - if you hang out here a little while, you'll understand the general mindset of the group (who mostly aren't interested in or tolerant of just another technology based suckerfish to the industry as a whole).
Welcome, if you're primary intention is to learn about how to get and enjoy tattoos!
- - - Updated - - -
You might find a couple of takers, but as a newbie - if you hang out here a little while, you'll understand the general mindset of the group (who mostly aren't interested in or tolerant of just another technology based suckerfish to the industry as a whole).
Welcome, if you're primary intention is to learn about how to get and enjoy tattoos!

lol, zing !Tattoos are not for everyone.

How about a tattoo app that throws your damned phone in the trash, walks you into a tattoo shop so you can talk to a human being, pick something off the wall, and get a tattoo? Getting a tattoo isn't exactly a difficult process.
I hope you pay attention here and get the knowledge you need to help you in choosing a quality artist to give you a quality tattoo, but cut it out with this app shit. Nobody needs an app to get tattooed, and frankly, given that you don't have any tattoos and have a very recent interest in them, yet apparently want to make money off of them nevertheless via a useless app, you're coming across as an interloper and nobody likes that.

Yeah, ultimately it'll be up to you.

'Do not start threads asking about specific tattooing equipment or techniques, LST is not here to teach anyone how to tattoo. Ask your own tattooer, the next time you are getting tattooed. Maybe they'll answer you, maybe they won't.'
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