Jake

I've shown up to appointments when an artist hasn't drawn anything yet and yes I had to wait longer but I still ended up with some killer tattoos. Think about how many people/tattoos he/she has to deal with on a daily/weekly/monthly basis. I'm sure one or two clients are bound to slip through the cracks. If he forgets again on the day of just pretend you're a walk in- in which case you'd have to wait for him to draw it up anyways.
I would be more concerned with your seeming lack of confidence in your artist's skill level more than his forgetting what you wanted tattooed.... The majority of your leg is a big chunk to give to someone you don't really trust is going to deliver you something you'll be happy with.

Please do not generalize this forum and try to play off your ignorance as other people's malice.
There has been some very productive advice in this thread. I just don't think you want to hear it or else you would have already shut up by now and went about learning things the proper way.
Your statement that "tattooing can look after itself, it was here long before you or I, it will be here long after, and it needs neither of us to survive" is downright disgraceful and you should be ashamed for having such an apathetic attitude.

No apologies necessary. I love coming into this thread and seeing rad stuff.
Here's my contributions for today. All by Tim Lehi. I wish these pictures were better so I could see more of the detail...

Photo 2 by Chris Garver.
Photos 1 and 3 by Tim Lehi.

one more as long as I'm posting Skulls and Snakes back pieces... This one's by Tim Hendricks and I love how much the water adds dimension and layers to this piece

this thread just makes me angry

A place to post pictures of yours or ones that you drool over.
There are few things better than a well thought out and executed full back piece. So much potential as it's the largest solid flat plane on your body.
I'll start with this one that Thomas Hooper just posted on his blog as in progress. So awesome! For those who aren't familiar with Hooper he works at the great shop New York Adorned

one more as long as I'm posting Skulls and Snakes back pieces... This one's by Tim Hendricks and I love how much the water adds dimension and layers to this piece

A place to post pictures of yours or ones that you drool over.
There are few things better than a well thought out and executed full back piece. So much potential as it's the largest solid flat plane on your body.
I'll start with this one that Thomas Hooper just posted on his blog as in progress. So awesome! For those who aren't familiar with Hooper he works at the great shop New York Adorned

A place to post pictures of yours or ones that you drool over.
There are few things better than a well thought out and executed full back piece. So much potential as it's the largest solid flat plane on your body.
I'll start with this one that Thomas Hooper just posted on his blog as in progress. So awesome! For those who aren't familiar with Hooper he works at the great shop New York Adorned

finally found an example of this when I wasn't even looking for it...

the indomitable Tim Lehi. Interesting to see an American image of an eagle with the Japanese background

agreed. that's the first thing that caught my eye before I noticed the million other pieces of awesomeness
here's the front side of that suit which is equally insane

tonight's post is featuring all back pieces/body suits by the absurdly talented Filip Leu. I'm actually a little surprised no one's posted any pics of his yet in this thread...

No apologies necessary. I love coming into this thread and seeing rad stuff.
Here's my contributions for today. All by Tim Lehi. I wish these pictures were better so I could see more of the detail...

A place to post pictures of yours or ones that you drool over.
There are few things better than a well thought out and executed full back piece. So much potential as it's the largest solid flat plane on your body.
I'll start with this one that Thomas Hooper just posted on his blog as in progress. So awesome! For those who aren't familiar with Hooper he works at the great shop New York Adorned

EXACTLY. If any shmuck who could draw tried to tattoo then tattooing would be in a sad state (wait a minute?!.... hahaha)

THIS. Always. The end.

A place to post pictures of yours or ones that you drool over.
There are few things better than a well thought out and executed full back piece. So much potential as it's the largest solid flat plane on your body.
I'll start with this one that Thomas Hooper just posted on his blog as in progress. So awesome! For those who aren't familiar with Hooper he works at the great shop New York Adorned

for those of you in the bay area- there's a piece of Conn flash with 3 awesome lady heads that me and Lochlan always drool over. I've seen it in both Temple and Blackheart. I only found this tiny picture of it online. In person it's fucking rad

EXACTLY. If any shmuck who could draw tried to tattoo then tattooing would be in a sad state (wait a minute?!.... hahaha)

Great post Stewart. Someone in one of the interviews on this site (Freddie maybe?) mentioned how he'd love it if tattooing returned to being illegal because then you'd only have people getting/giving tattoos who really love it. I think this falls into that category. I'd get tattooed in a house by someone using pigments they illegally and lovingly made themselves before going to a studio that uses watered down government sanctioned "safe" tattoo ink that inevitably will look like garbage.

WOW. I had no idea this shit happened. Seriously- "You'd lost your right to privacy"?!?! What kind of asshole makes that connection to being tattooed? I thought with the mainstreamization of tattooing this kind of thinking had disappeared...

fuck man I've sat through some stupid shit while getting tattooed. I'm not going there to listen to music. I've got a record player and ipod and all that. Hell, usually you're talking anyways during a session.

I had the best healing experience I've ever had with my last session so I figured it was worth sharing. It still looks just as good as my tattoos that healed using my previous regimen, but it only took like 4-5 days until the tattoo was completely flaked, healed, and looking like how most tattoos do weeks later. It also barely flaked at all- the lightest smoothest flaking possible. Thanks to Freddy Corbin for the tip... So rad.
Leave the bandage/wrap on overnight.
Apply a hot compress to the fresh tattoo after you pull the bandage (transfers heat better than the shower)
Then take a hot shower to rinse everything off (cleans the surface better than a hot compress)
Aquaphor as needed over the next few days.