MadeIndelible

So jealous Ross!
I just read this entire thread. I don't know why I haven't seen it sooner.
As of right now, I like balance. Not necessarily symmetry, but there's no way I could have just worked on one limb at a time.
As far as my "overall look" goes, in business attire nobody is the wiser that I'm tattooed. In shorts and a tee, it's pretty obvious. I still get shy around old people though. My initial instincts are to cover up with a jacket. But that instinct is slowly starting to fade.
I have a bunch of gaps that are totally bothering me right now. But I'm trying to abide by my self-imposed rule of waiting for a tattoo to heal before I start the next one.

So not been on here for a while but I have finally had the 3rd session on my back after a short break... I went on holiday. It definitely felt like we hit quite a lot this time round but it might just be that we were moving a little bit all over. So to add to the conversation going on above I definitely prefer to gradually work from one area to another rather than jumping all around. Suddenly moving to a new spot really sucks. Anyway this is how the progress is looking.

Hi guys!
There is a quirky little antique book store near me that is open like twice every 5 years, and today happened to be one of those days!
I walked in too see if they had any tattoo books and walked out with this cool book I am about to post pics of here!!
It's all in Russian. If anyone has any info about this book, or speaks and reads Russian, please let me know!! The barbed wire on the cover evokes a prison yard; perhaps it's about prison tattoos? I asked the bookseller and he said no, just tattoos, but he doesn't speak Russian either. :p
Here are some pics I snapped! I will snap or scan more if there's interest.
Also: I no can without womans.

Looks like it's gonna be a repeat of the Ron Wells month, except with Steve Byrne. Wish I had something from him to contribute.

Never posted on this before but here is my barbershop quartet done by Steve Bryne at rock of ages Austin last July, it's not going to win but thought I'd share it with people

I also saw Steve Byrne for the first time last week at Rock of Ages in Austin, TX and I doubt it'll be the last. Rose #2.

steve bryne ROA real cool guy awesome shop atmosphere

You'll have to excuse the quality of the image here as a combination of operator error and poor equipment.
Couldn't be happier with how this turned out, done by @cltattooing at FTW Tattoo

Edit: sorry if the images are huge, I have no idea what I'm doing!

@JakeWolfSkin A stencil, or lack thereof, is actually not a good way of measuring tattooer skill. Go into the What Makes. a Good Tattoo sticky thread in General Tattoo Discussion, and you will find a great resource.

Alix Ge. Saw this on Tumblr, and thought everyone here would like it.

I have a lot of respect for any person that has decided they would spend the extra effort to learn a unique medium not normally taught in art schools, develop the skills and experience to transfer their creativity to flesh. I consider tattooer to be similar to classifying a painter, sculptor, photographer, musician, writer, etc. - are they not all artists?

Seriously, what is it about tattoos that turns people into idiots? Just because there's ink in your bleeding, scabbing, painful, open injury, now that suddenly makes it okay to go into a swimming pool.

When I was at the Joel Long show at Atak Gallery, they had shirts for sale that said: Tattoo(er) "A Real Artist Doesn't Need Validation" or something along those lines. I generally use the term tattooer, but I think there are certain people in the business who make more artful tattoos than others. Not to say craft tattoos are any worse or better.

I got tattooed by Eli back in January. I dont think I ever posted it here.

I can't actually answer your question, but I can tell you that I found my shin to be amazingly easier than I thought it would be. As in, one of the easiest spot so far

I'm not sure I see what the problem is. It doesn't look like it came from somebody's kitchen, it looks like somebody did his or her best with a not very tattooable idea, and honestly, your post reads like a bad yelp review.

It might have come to symbolize Viet Cong, but "coolie" is a racist slur that originates in the 19th century, when chinese immigrants were brought over to the U.S. and built the transcontinental railroad during the Californian Gold Rush. It's like (but not the same as, I know) getting a picture of an African slave's head with a dagger through it, which I think most people would agree is beyond the pale.

I'm assuming that coolie means Viet Kong. If I'm wrong, correct me, but I think it is because it was a popular, patriotic thing to do in the 40s and 50s, with the war and all. Not to say that I am for getting a dead kong tattoo, because I think it's highly offensive. I think the image is completely out of place in today's tattoo vocabulary.

I'm assuming that coolie means Viet Kong. If I'm wrong, correct me, but I think it is because it was a popular, patriotic thing to do in the 40s and 50s, with the war and all. Not to say that I am for getting a dead kong tattoo, because I think it's highly offensive. I think the image is completely out of place in today's tattoo vocabulary.

Ok I'm just going to write something short about my back piece in progress since I am healing after the second session now and feel psyched about it.
Since I first started getting tattoos I knew that I would want to get a back piece. I figured I'd wait and let the idea evolve over time, save up enough money and start doing it on my 30:th year. Two years ago I got tattooed by Iain Mullen for the first time and since we've done something like 6-7 tattoos and they are among my favorites. We also became friends and I usually stop by the shop at least once a week to hang out and talk with him and the other guys. As time passed I decided to give him my back when the time was right. However last autumn I went down to Italy and got tattooed by Rudy Fritsch at his shop and felt like he'd make me an amazing back piece instead…
Eventually I told Iain that I wanted the two of them to collaborate. I was a bit uncertain if he would be up for it but the next day when I came in to pay for a tattoo he told me that it was on (!) About two months later it was time for the first session. Up until this date I had not seen the sketch or been allowed to make any wishes about what the tattoo was going to be. I put my trust in them and I am very happy that I did.
The first session was two hours with both of them working simultaneously on me. Rudy starting low on the left side and Iain up on my right shoulder. I found being laid face down on a massage bed, having only the floor to look at and no visual way of telling when or where the pain was going to hit… this was the most psychological challenging thing with the whole session. I've gotten some pretty rough spots done before but this was the worst two hours I've had to endure when it comes to tattoos. Two machines are not twice as bad but still a lot worse than one. I'm happy that they both work quick but it also meant a lot of brutality when it comes to long lines being nailed into my ribs in fast succession. I tried to zone out and focus on the breathing but that only made time slow down more, I could not think of anything else.
Second session was this thursday, I sat up on a gym bench and me and Iain were talking the whole time through and it was such a walk in the park compared to the first one. I feel good about having had that experience anyway, it was special.

I'm assuming that coolie means Viet Kong. If I'm wrong, correct me, but I think it is because it was a popular, patriotic thing to do in the 40s and 50s, with the war and all. Not to say that I am for getting a dead kong tattoo, because I think it's highly offensive. I think the image is completely out of place in today's tattoo vocabulary.

People won't do that to your face.especially if you're tattooed.
It's like the old joke about PETA throwing paint on old ladies wearing fur coats, but never bikers wearing leather.
Edit: "culturally insensitive" is a lame term only used by white people judging other white people just get what you like and respect it

Try this thread @shinobi:http://www.lastsparrowtattoo.com/forum/general-tattoo-discussion/5481-cultural-appropriation-tattoos.html
You'll see that the issue has been discussed a lot around here, and it usually ends badly. Its a good question to ask, though.

Alix Ge. Saw this on Tumblr, and thought everyone here would like it.

Alix Ge. Saw this on Tumblr, and thought everyone here would like it.