misterJ

that took me by such surprise the first time as well. My first tattoo was a large piece and I did not expect such a toll taken on my mind/body once the endorphin rush and adrenaline wore away. I honestly felt like I had the flu.
I felt similar but not as bad when my back was outlined, but after my 5 hours last night I feel fine today... so who knows.

You want a diagram of how to do a squat?

wait and don't get a yin yang.

IMO I equate the coil with a stinging and the rotary with a burning sensation (not when I pee)
A lot of the tattoo experience for me is built around that coil sound, but I starting to equate the same thing with the new rotary noise.
Not to shift gears to hard, but the coil sound also goes hand in hand with that awful green soap smell. Those two things build that tattoo shop feel for me

wait and don't get a yin yang.

I work with a lady that has a watercolor hummingbird on her forearm. When you are not looking at it at the right angle and light it looks to me like the papertowel I use while painting to dry my brush or wipe paint. That's not exactly a compliment, and I am fairly certain its a newish tattoo.

Thighs are the next hit after I finish my back. I want a samurai helmet skull on one and namakubi on the other.
We will be girly together lol

@polliwog
I'm not sure if this helps clarify but I feel like what you guys are trying to get at on "the other side of the coin" is usually represented by the culture of poverty. One aspect of this is often filling your life with small trinkets that when you look at them make you feel like you have "a lot"
Of something. The snippet you quoted above is almost the first thing that came to mind when reading that and your response about it being encouraged to spend when you may not have on cars, watches, clothes, tattoos, etc. falls in line with that thinking.
It's how the people in the neighborhood I work in are on all kinds of government support with a brand new Range Rover/ bmw/ Mercedes. However I also define ALL cars as a luxury good because public transportation is available at a much more reasonable cost, and they way many (even go as far as saying most) people truly can't afford to maintain and repair a car speaks to the luxury aspect for me even if it's an old beat up Honda. The bald tires and bad breaks not being replaced says something
I liked the point made about cell phones, and I heard a very similar one made on Gavin Mcinnes' podcast. Even still I see a deep line between want and need with cell phones that people are not able to part with. I could probably still make due with that old Nokia that only had snake and sucked to text on. (Side note: got nostalgic for my old Nextel 2 way the other day. I liked that much more than texting and it was much more fun)
In my heart I feel like tattoos are a luxury and that the logic and reasoning we put behind them justifying our purchases only reinforces that for me. Reading that they emotionally support is like
The women that treat shoes as therapy, it's silly just say you really want it. (Not being sexist because I will totally blow money on vintage video games, skateboards, and most geek stuff)
I constantly contemplate taking a break from being tattooed because I feel selfish spending what I do on it. I just make sure all my bills and family get first priority and my small fund left over is put to good use
Just thoughts who knows I may be very wrong.

I got more of a cubist feel than origami honestly. Doesn't make it bad though. if you love it then stop looking for flaws

I personally love the look of big work that has had time to sit in the skin, it is something very intangible that adds heavily to the tattoo itself and the person wearing it.
@Dan I'm really not much for flames, but I can contribute maybe.
I recently had a fun one with pricing a small one shot tattoo. I even reached out about it on this site for advice. I was quoted almost a grand on a small 2 - 2.5 hour one shot from a newish artist. I was caught off guard by the price, and I found out the artist was basically doing a cash grab to help fund a vacation. I was put off by this a lot, and ended up not going to him.
Other than that particular instance I am OK paying for my work. I feel it is what the world of tattooing has become, and since I want to participate in that world I pay the admission. (It's all starbucks fault to me now)
It was much like the shock of dropping $85 to see cannibal corpse when I remember seeing them for $5 in the 90s. But Willie Nelson remembers paying a dime for a dime bag so it is what it is.
BUT, I completely agree with the walk ins, I have had crazy bad luck getting a walk in over the past few months in several shops. I have made several attempts (EACH) to get a fun old school shark, a knee cap dinosaur head, and a panther. ALL remain not on me. One was met with a "Bro, lets do this now!" I was pumped and said lets go, and it became a time crunch and he wouldn't have enough time to finish it the way he would like. I'm cash in hand shrugging my shoulders. I have a nice break from work til sept 8th, lets see what I can get done.
Finally, while I have been greeted by the shop guys, I haven't been turned away from any artists. I believe a lot of that is to filter out the bullshit that walks in everyday that wastes time (dude I totally want a sleeve / back piece / rib piece of something badass, what I'm not leaving a deposit screw that) I have been witness to a lot of this while getting some chair time.
EDIT: Sailor Jerry would roll in his grave if he knew his name was repping some garbage rum.

Tattoos truly look better as they age!

Got some work in Saturday, but life has been crazy. Wanted to post this up. Detailed in the hair, and sank some color into the top oni. The pic makes him look very bright but the colors have cooled off nicely and now have a deep tone to them. We spoke about detailing him up more next session with either a patterned robe or doing more in the body. Either way I'm on board.
EDIT: just to put it in perspective, the horns are colored white that's how red I got
I always love the way the tray looks at the end when all the colors are laid out and all is said and done. I thought this concept would make a really neat print. If there is some rule about not showing these details let me know and I will remove it, but I thought it would be a fun share.
Hope you guys like it, and I have 2 sessions coming up so maybe we can close in on this project.

Got some work in Saturday, but life has been crazy. Wanted to post this up. Detailed in the hair, and sank some color into the top oni. The pic makes him look very bright but the colors have cooled off nicely and now have a deep tone to them. We spoke about detailing him up more next session with either a patterned robe or doing more in the body. Either way I'm on board.
EDIT: just to put it in perspective, the horns are colored white that's how red I got
I always love the way the tray looks at the end when all the colors are laid out and all is said and done. I thought this concept would make a really neat print. If there is some rule about not showing these details let me know and I will remove it, but I thought it would be a fun share.
Hope you guys like it, and I have 2 sessions coming up so maybe we can close in on this project.

Just got my appointment confirmed with Horimitsu in November to extend my peacock sleeve! Super excited to travel to Japan for the first time and to be tattooed by such a great artist. Also really intrigued to experience Tebori, now just got to book some flights!

Got some work in Saturday, but life has been crazy. Wanted to post this up. Detailed in the hair, and sank some color into the top oni. The pic makes him look very bright but the colors have cooled off nicely and now have a deep tone to them. We spoke about detailing him up more next session with either a patterned robe or doing more in the body. Either way I'm on board.
EDIT: just to put it in perspective, the horns are colored white that's how red I got
I always love the way the tray looks at the end when all the colors are laid out and all is said and done. I thought this concept would make a really neat print. If there is some rule about not showing these details let me know and I will remove it, but I thought it would be a fun share.
Hope you guys like it, and I have 2 sessions coming up so maybe we can close in on this project.

Started mine yesterday evening with Kelly Edwards. It was amazing... and much more painful than I anticipated, and he tattooed for something like 5 hours with only a short break. I was actually genuinely surprised at how hard it was. Took my breath away more than once. He tattoos fast and hard, and I am humbled and proud to even be wearing this line work, sat like a rock. Next appointment will be in August for scales on the rattlesnake and starting to shade.

- - - Updated - - -
Oh yeah, and did the left side, or one preferential side, hurt a LOT more than the other?

I posted here a while back that I had never had a tattoo itch before. Cross that out. My entire back feels like it was attacked by a swarm giant mosquitos. I've never itched this bad even from poison ivy and contact dermatitis.

I thought "looks like a sticker" was a compliment? Example "that tattoo is so clean, crisp, and bold it looks like a sticker"

Flo that is gonna be so crazy when all is said and done

Got some work in Saturday, but life has been crazy. Wanted to post this up. Detailed in the hair, and sank some color into the top oni. The pic makes him look very bright but the colors have cooled off nicely and now have a deep tone to them. We spoke about detailing him up more next session with either a patterned robe or doing more in the body. Either way I'm on board.
EDIT: just to put it in perspective, the horns are colored white that's how red I got
I always love the way the tray looks at the end when all the colors are laid out and all is said and done. I thought this concept would make a really neat print. If there is some rule about not showing these details let me know and I will remove it, but I thought it would be a fun share.
Hope you guys like it, and I have 2 sessions coming up so maybe we can close in on this project.

Got some work in Saturday, but life has been crazy. Wanted to post this up. Detailed in the hair, and sank some color into the top oni. The pic makes him look very bright but the colors have cooled off nicely and now have a deep tone to them. We spoke about detailing him up more next session with either a patterned robe or doing more in the body. Either way I'm on board.
EDIT: just to put it in perspective, the horns are colored white that's how red I got
I always love the way the tray looks at the end when all the colors are laid out and all is said and done. I thought this concept would make a really neat print. If there is some rule about not showing these details let me know and I will remove it, but I thought it would be a fun share.
Hope you guys like it, and I have 2 sessions coming up so maybe we can close in on this project.

Got some work in Saturday, but life has been crazy. Wanted to post this up. Detailed in the hair, and sank some color into the top oni. The pic makes him look very bright but the colors have cooled off nicely and now have a deep tone to them. We spoke about detailing him up more next session with either a patterned robe or doing more in the body. Either way I'm on board.
EDIT: just to put it in perspective, the horns are colored white that's how red I got
I always love the way the tray looks at the end when all the colors are laid out and all is said and done. I thought this concept would make a really neat print. If there is some rule about not showing these details let me know and I will remove it, but I thought it would be a fun share.
Hope you guys like it, and I have 2 sessions coming up so maybe we can close in on this project.

Got some work in Saturday, but life has been crazy. Wanted to post this up. Detailed in the hair, and sank some color into the top oni. The pic makes him look very bright but the colors have cooled off nicely and now have a deep tone to them. We spoke about detailing him up more next session with either a patterned robe or doing more in the body. Either way I'm on board.
EDIT: just to put it in perspective, the horns are colored white that's how red I got
I always love the way the tray looks at the end when all the colors are laid out and all is said and done. I thought this concept would make a really neat print. If there is some rule about not showing these details let me know and I will remove it, but I thought it would be a fun share.
Hope you guys like it, and I have 2 sessions coming up so maybe we can close in on this project.

Got some work in Saturday, but life has been crazy. Wanted to post this up. Detailed in the hair, and sank some color into the top oni. The pic makes him look very bright but the colors have cooled off nicely and now have a deep tone to them. We spoke about detailing him up more next session with either a patterned robe or doing more in the body. Either way I'm on board.
EDIT: just to put it in perspective, the horns are colored white that's how red I got
I always love the way the tray looks at the end when all the colors are laid out and all is said and done. I thought this concept would make a really neat print. If there is some rule about not showing these details let me know and I will remove it, but I thought it would be a fun share.
Hope you guys like it, and I have 2 sessions coming up so maybe we can close in on this project.

Since we're sharing progress, here's what we did on mine last week. We have to put the greys in some of the water and then do the details in the faces and the tiger's paws and things like that but we're getting super close to wrapping this up.