KBeee

Oh @Colored Guy, I am so sorry to hear it.

I have learned that in spite of all of the work I had done on so many levels I was still carrying the subconscious imprint of social beauty ideals and enculturation. On some subtle levels, I was carrying the social responsibility of ensuring that the appearance of my skin was still palatable to the general populace...the belief that women are still meant to be a part of the scenery and therefore "be attractive" (in a social sense). I really had to confront this in order to continue getting tattooed. It's amazing to be free of this.
On another level, I saw that I lived in fear of being noticed or really "seen".
Also, I learned that I can do anything if I have good company...walk through fire (or at least get both of my feet tattooed in the same session ;) ).
And that snacks are never ever, in any situation or time ever, a bad idea.
I love this thread.

@beez - I love your "Selfie w/dog" :D ...you match!!
@Zillah - Your bun pics literally made me exclaim "Oh my god" aloud.
@SeeSea - You are an inspirational pet guardian.
@TrixieFaux - Tomo-kitty update?
This is Mirka the Wonderpup. She is submissive "smiling" because I had just found a chewed up piece of cotton pad that she swiped from the kitchen table while I was out. She started doing it as soon as I saw it. People who say that they don't remember when they were naughty or won't know why you are chastising them are soooo wrong! Sneaky-sneaks!

This is my latest tattoo. Done by my girlfriend, on me, after I tattooed her. The technical application obviously needs some work, but I think she did ok for the first time running a machine. Haha.

Jeff Rassier flying Cobra. Done at Blackheart in January. Pics taken Yesterday. Tough to photo...wraps around the arm a lot.

I don't think I'm busty enough to have to worry too much about that!
For those it does happen to, they probably either a) don't care since saggy boobs are saggy boobs whether you have a tattoo to hang over or not, b) stop wearing revealing clothing, or c) sports bras help pull everything back in place and they only have to be saggy in the shower... ?
:D

My sister snapped this photo of me today at the beach. So weird. Now I think I finally understand the whole never feeling naked thing, hah.
And yes, all the sunblock reapplied non-stop, and I was only on my front for like 5mins while texting, hah. I feel like I need to justify the bare back in sun to you fine ladies. And no, it's obviously not done. Not even close. :'(

My husband has zero piercings or tattoos, and I have both. He's into Jimmy Buffett and I'm into the Dead Kennedys. He accompanies me to punk shows (what's left of them these days) and to the tattoo parlor, and supports whatever I'm into. Our next anniversary will be 25 years! Opposites attract sometimes...
P.S. I took him to a Buffett concert last year for his birthday and had to walk out to the parking lot. Could. Not. Take. It. He's a much better spouse than I!

Soooo, I had a thought recently that Hubbs should let ME chose his back piece tattooer and subject because I was the one who was going to see it ALLLL of the time and vice versa. He didn't go for it. But isn't that just the most practical and wonderful idea y'all have ever heard? I could wake up to a giant Horitomo Kanon EVERY morning! I'm certain it would make me a better spouse.

Soooo, I had a thought recently that Hubbs should let ME chose his back piece tattooer and subject because I was the one who was going to see it ALLLL of the time and vice versa. He didn't go for it. But isn't that just the most practical and wonderful idea y'all have ever heard? I could wake up to a giant Horitomo Kanon EVERY morning! I'm certain it would make me a better spouse.

Soooo, I had a thought recently that Hubbs should let ME chose his back piece tattooer and subject because I was the one who was going to see it ALLLL of the time and vice versa. He didn't go for it. But isn't that just the most practical and wonderful idea y'all have ever heard? I could wake up to a giant Horitomo Kanon EVERY morning! I'm certain it would make me a better spouse.

Soooo, I had a thought recently that Hubbs should let ME chose his back piece tattooer and subject because I was the one who was going to see it ALLLL of the time and vice versa. He didn't go for it. But isn't that just the most practical and wonderful idea y'all have ever heard? I could wake up to a giant Horitomo Kanon EVERY morning! I'm certain it would make me a better spouse.

Soooo, I had a thought recently that Hubbs should let ME chose his back piece tattooer and subject because I was the one who was going to see it ALLLL of the time and vice versa. He didn't go for it. But isn't that just the most practical and wonderful idea y'all have ever heard? I could wake up to a giant Horitomo Kanon EVERY morning! I'm certain it would make me a better spouse.

Soooo, I had a thought recently that Hubbs should let ME chose his back piece tattooer and subject because I was the one who was going to see it ALLLL of the time and vice versa. He didn't go for it. But isn't that just the most practical and wonderful idea y'all have ever heard? I could wake up to a giant Horitomo Kanon EVERY morning! I'm certain it would make me a better spouse.

I like both, but that sounds like an aesthetics thing, akin to asking someone why they like one color as opposed to another. It could also have to do with how you approach getting tattooed.
I really like the aesthetics of artfully using negative space, as well as the versatility afforded by this method. I also currently have my entire right arm preserved for the possibility of a Japanese traditional sleeve. I think American traditional tends to lend itself to the aforementioned style, and that happens to be what I prefer.
I'm also drunk and typing with my left hand because my right hand is greasy and garlicky from eating pizza. Good day to you sir.

Hokay, cross-posting by request, cos SeeSea is such a flatterer. I was going to wait until Greg posted the pictures he took of the new stuff, but he may not. Sun came out today when I was about to head to the gym, so I tried to get some myself.
I got a diving girl, and we started a cobra, though we didn't finish it. They're looking a little bit foggy/chalky because I peel fast; they'll probably start flaking by tomorrow. It makes it hard to see the blue details in the diving girl, sadly. Sorry for the terrible angles!


These links are just an overview of the whole thing, before we added the cobra.
https://instagram.com/p/1gugZ7TBPK/
https://instagram.com/p/1guZOxTBO-/

It says "Oh Bury Me Not" (on the lone prairie) on the other side.
By Kemer in Leon GTO Mexico

@Rad Kelham
For me, personally, it's about more than just the aesthetic of it. Yes, I agree that the full pre-planned bodysuit is the apex of tattoo art. And every time I see one it blows my mind. Not just the tattoo, but also the dedication, care, and thought that went into it.
With that being said, there's a certain satisfaction that accompanies the one-shots as well. Yes, it can be impulsive and instantly gratifying. But that's just part of the experience. It allows us the opportunity to relive that magic with every piece. Maybe it's a new city, new artist, new shop, new idea - it all allows us to connect to new people and have new experiences. Where as, maybe, with a much larger project it starts to become a chore and we just want it to be over so we can see the finished product.
I am wayyy too ADD to stick with a single style or theme anyways. I love so many different things that it would be against my nature to dedicate it all to one cohesive suit, as beautiful as it may be. I just like the way it all looks - piecemeal and full bodysuit.

So sorry @beez. This was incredibly insensitive and shallow, and it must have been heartbreaking coming from someone you “thought” you knew. He could have let you down easy without playing the tattoo card. He could have politely declined your offer for a date. Or, he could have respectfully said said, “I’d like to keep our relationship on the friendship level.” But instead he stuck in the knife, choosing a rationalization that basically slammed every door to the future. If he had thought about it for 15 seconds, he had to know he statement would hurt you deeply.
Perhaps the sting of the tattoo thing that you are feeling could be because he didn’t just reject you, he also chose to attack something that is central to your being, part of your physical body and your persona, that you can’t - and wouldn’t - change.
I tend to be super-analytical, so here goes…
My theory is that although plainskin people know that tattoos are permanent, I don’t think they fully understand the psychological meaning of that. To many of us, our tattoos are not just pictures on the body; they are our body, no different than our hand, or ear, or breast. And in some ways tattooing may be even more meaningful than those “natural” body parts, because we chose to make them part of our body, forever. I think that untattooed people may have difficulty understanding what that means to us.
Perhaps they think that since we chose to put them there, they are not really legitimately a part of us physically or psychologically, and thus fair game for for criticism. This is consistent with the classic insensitive comments many have heard, ad nauseam.
Consider the statement that your “friend” made, but change one word (I hope I don't offend, but I’m trying to make a point). Most (but sadly not all) people would never say “I could never marry you because you breasts aging would be a problem for me.” But they will say (as your friend did), “ I could never marry you because your tattoos aging would be a problem for me.” But to we tattooed women, our tattoos are as much a part of us as our breasts.

I got my underside fully filled in February.
Mine goes deep i.e. <1" radius around the asshole, no white skin with my legs together or apart. I think it looks better if you go as deep as you and the tattooer feel comfortable with. Because it enhances the natural shadow of the body (booty).
It is very intense. The spot where the ass meets the thigh under the cheek is one of the most painful spots albeit one of the most thrilling sits you can have. Both in terms of physical pain and the mental block of spreading your ass for another person to perform the work in the area. You really need to embrace the vulnerability of the session to get through it. And once your ass and crack is tattooed you will have exponentially increased your no-shame quotient! I could care less now if my tattooed ass is hanging out of my shorts! Kiss my black ass!
I was told the skin is very different to work on in this sensitive area. The shading appears to be cross-hatched and I do recall multiple passes, likely because of the type of skin, swelling/sensitivity, hair follicles, etc.
I was face down with my ass in the air, like the sexy-wife-pose lol. Thigh hanging off the table at some points to give my guy some more room to work. I got electric shocked a few times too haha.
I've got my session-report in the Full Back Piece Experience thread (Crazy Tattoo Stories).
In summary, bring a towel or wooden spoon to bite down on.

Horitoshi family has you pull your knees up to your chest to really get that stretch and get in there when the time comes. Cannonball style!

i'm buckling my seatbelt for this thread...
ok - i'm ready...

Yep several folks are. Here are some relevant threads:
http://www.lastsparrowtattoo.com/forum/random-crap/5543-fitness.html
http://www.lastsparrowtattoo.com/forum/crazy-tattoo-stories/1887-lifting-thread%3Btraining-tattooed-warrior.html
http://www.lastsparrowtattoo.com/forum/tattoo-after-care/1874-intense-exercise-new-tattoo.html

Hi ladies! Sorry to jump in mid-conversation like this, but I just read through the entire thread, and there were a couple of things I wanted to comment on. Here we go:
I also find myself gravitating towards women's work far more often than men's. That's not to say I don't like the work of male tattooers (I've been tattooed by a few), but I find that I vastly prefer the work of women (however subconsciously).
I think part of it is because tattooing has been a boys' club for such a long time (or at least perceived as such), that I feel much more at ease getting work from lady tattooers than guys. Even with topics like how to dress for a tattoo in a tricky spot, I think female tattooers are much more receptive and understanding of those concerns.
Also, a lot of my tattoos are variations on the "gypsy girl". It's my favorite theme. I like images of strong, expressive women, so to me it makes sense to have a woman be the one to apply that to my body.
In conclusion: girl power!
I, like all women, have been catcalled for most of my life - and I hate it. (It's one of the many reasons I dread summer.) But I noticed that when I started to get more tattooed, the catcalls shifted from disgusting and lascivious to dudes shouting some variation of "I love your tats!". A guy approached me once to in a supermarket to tell me he had "mad respect" for me because of my tattoos. (Let's disregard the fact he only respects me because he thinks I can handle pain and I'm not some ~weak, fragile flower~, which is sexist as hell.)
I still get my fair share of gross shit yelled at me. While it is still vastly unnecessary and uncomfortable to have my body commented on, at the very least some of those comments have shifted to something that doesn't make me fear for my safety, unlike before.

To balance out Matt Arriola Jesus, I'll throw in my Theo Mindell devil. Finished a few weeks ago at Spider Murphy's in San Rafael Ca. Photo stolen from his instagram