CShaw

“A dog can never tell you what she knows from the
smells of the world, but you know, watching her,
that you know
almost nothing.” 
― Mary Oliver, Dog Songs
With all of the craziness going on in the world right now, I swear this tiny fat is all that keeps me sane sometimes.

 

 

Since I've only been getting tattooed since 2014, I think everybody has seen most of these recently, so it feels a little bit weird to submit them again so soon, haha. But I do have some pieces taken from very classic flash! I'm not sure that I ever posted all of them, anyway. All but the last one were done by Greg Whitehead, but I'm looking forward to getting more one-offs like this soon from other people!

The shoulder-area bird was my first tattoo, and it's a Percy Waters design. The snake in a flower pot is based on Dietzel flash, the diving girl is a Jensen piece and was actually sort of a filler, the elbow butterfly/rose is...uhh, actually, I'm not 100% sure. Someone said it was Jensen, but I don't remember if that's true. I remember Greg saying that it came from a whole lot of flash from the early 1900s that used to be attributed to a mystery artist, but was later identified as belonging to someone specific...I just can't for the life of me remember who it was. The lady with a snake is a Cap Coleman design, and I love her to bits.

The last one was Christopher Ayalin at Liberty, and I got it when I went on a fun tattoo day trip with @beez. A lot of people do flower/snake/dagger stuff, so I dunno...Jensen-ish? I guess? Aside from the color I guess it's still pretty classic traditional subject matter.

And now you have seen like half of my tattoos all at once!

 

Here frands:
Feeling pretty tattoo-flu-y, but I have a steak on the way, and then it's time to drink every water and sleep every sleep. So happy that we finished the areas that were the most painful for me during lining, though.

Couldn't be happier.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/aug/11/first-woman-mp-maori-facial-tattoo-nz-parliament-moko-kauae

Session 3.
Steve really put on a lot of ink this time. I was shaking a bit during the first hour and not doing well with the pain, but Steve said to relax my entire body and left the pain "flow through my body". When I did this, the experience completely changed. Obviously, it still hurt, but I was able to breathe through it and find some calmness. I'm very happy with the progress so far and Steven is pumped too!

Close up

Oh, but I actually came over here because I'd linked to the thread and wanted to add my post pregnancy belly tattoo. Here
 
 

I think too many people here are too invested in the tattoos other people get.  Could the OP have gotten a much better tattoo than the one she got given all the solid information that's here on this forum?  Absolutely.  I don't feel good about somebody coming here, posting about how much she loves her tattoo then people piling on her and shitting all over her.  She still has to live with that tattoo.  People are going to get better tattoos if they come here and are treated with kindness.  And I know that given my posting history I'm full of shit for saying this, but this thread bums me out.  

I just saw you roll up on my IG, @sophistre, and came right over to see if you'd posted yet. Looks AMAZING!

Today I learned that the posterior of my body is home to multiple portals to hell! Seriously, I kept expecting cenobites to show up and drag me off with hook chains.
Whoever said the butt crease is magical sure knew what they were talking about. But the most surprising thing for me (and for Greg, actually) is that there were a couple of spots near my shoulder blades that actually made me burst into tears instantly! It was the strangest thing...it wasn't like I just bottomed out and couldn't take it anymore, it was a huge surge of adrenaline and emotion that felt completely involuntary. And just in those spots! We tattooed well into armpit territory and it was honestly a relief after those other spots. So strange.
I would post the Instagram but I'm on my phone. :( it's on his page, though, butt crack towel and everything.

Greggles and I did a thing today. Haven't been in a tattoo shop since last summer. I dunno if that was the reason, or if this spot was just really tender, but holy crap, I feel like I just got hit by a truck! Poor Greg. I was unusually squirmy. Worth it though, as always.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BCmDYNNzBHG/
We set the appointment to line my back for April 9th. I am legit scared of a day that consists entirely of lining! Haha. Especially since we're aiming to line the whole freakin' thing in one shot. Excited, though.

The fact the majority of people now think of the swastika as primarily a racist and Nazi symbol speaks volume to the impact cultural appropriation can have.

Finally got an appointment with Sneaky Mitch. He's been my great white buffalo (hot tub time machine anyone?) for a while now, especially since he literally works 5 mins from me! Haha. So worth the wait though and he's a top guy.

Latest tattoos from Guen Douglas done at Magnum Opus in Brighton. Really pleased with them but damn the heal is so tough. Usually heal very quickly with minimum issues. First time using vasocaine so don't know if this is affecting the heal? Anyway can't wait for them to be settled in. Got an appointment with Sneaky Mitch on Wednesday, way to soon but you just don't say no, not even when you've been waiting as long as I have to be tattooed by him!

I had my first session with Steve Moore yesterday and we finished up the outline for my Monkey King. I have about 48 hours of tattooing under my belt so far and this outline session was only 3 hours, but the most uncomfortable and painful 3 hours yet! I've read a lot on full backs and apparently they can be quite sharp, but I had a hard time in quite a few spots. For example, often I can keep my breathing and just flow through the pain, but this session had me clenching my jaw, face and just suffering. Steven started chatting with me and it really helped distract me.
Steve Moore is absolutely a professional. He researched tons for this piece. He looked at photographs of monkeys, martial artists, and other reference pictures. He mentioned that he debated about how to put the orientation of the Monkey King's foot and used a martial artist's monkey style to duplicate it. I think it looks amazing and the details on it just blew me away. I love how Steve put our collaboration ideas together.
Anyways, here's the drawing

After three hours of outlining



Got my next session in February. Dreading it a bit, but also very excited haha

Well it's been a year since I've had my back worked on and per our usual fall schedule, Henning was in town and this time we FINISHED my back! Some of you might have seen the updates via Instagram. So happy with this collaboration between Henning and Rubendall being completed! WARNING, PIC HEAVY!!! Put your browser on FULL SCREEN!
The master himself, Henning Jorgensen. Such a great artist and humble man.

Filling in the phoenix...tail feathers, breast, head and a few touch ups here and there.

Such a pleasure watching Henning work. I was so stoked with the zebra/tiger striped pattern he chose for the remaining tail feathers.

Touch up on a tender spot...the spare tire.

Slowly getting there.

Details details details...

Close-up of the phoenix...beautiful!

Full view from my right side. There was poor lighting inside since it was dark out, so they propped me up on a table and surrounded me with lights.

A quick reminder of the work Mike Rubendall did on the lower half of this collaboration. LOVE his water!

Another angle of my lower half.

Here's the finished top half.

Finished full back in all it's glory. My back is a sea of colors! Hope everyone enjoyed my show and tell! (don't mind the feet on the left or right, hahaha)

Huh. I have bigger boobs, and if I dare analyze them in the mirror, I suspect the left one is a tad bigger. This will not stop me from the under bust tattoo, even considering future sagging. I'm kind of surprised about the concern over drooping, the natural condition of the human body being asymmetrical and the inevitability of aging. I wonder if guys think about their chest pieces and maybe one day getting man boobs that could warp it out (my guess is unlikely). I do think proportion is important, because my girls are bigger, so I'm not going to get a dainty little piece tucked under there.
Regarding chest pieces, I've given that one a lot of thought, because I don't want a tiny little "v" there. I also want it connected to my underboob piece. I really like the chest pieces Guy Le Tattooer does on women - they are large and bold (I included an example of his). I like how some of the tattoo goes on to the boob. I've also seen women who have two large flowers, which I think looks beautiful (the example I included is by Thomas Cardiff).

Wasn't quite sure where to put this, but there's an article about Daredevil Tattoo in Inked, about the museum pieces at the shop. Anyway, I thought some of you tattoo history buffs might be interested in the old flash. :)

Wasn't quite sure where to put this, but there's an article about Daredevil Tattoo in Inked, about the museum pieces at the shop. Anyway, I thought some of you tattoo history buffs might be interested in the old flash. :)

This was last Saturday's progress on my back. We're getting close.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I've gained and lost weight recently and my torso isn't exactly toned, but that area doesn't seem to have changed much. Seems like a safer tattoo, in terms of droop, than a chest piece even. Plus it's a private spot...a good place to get a tattoo that's "for me." :p In which case, who cares if your boobs sag?

https://instagram.com/p/3P_YuSTBGZ/
All done. :o
We stuck with flowers for fillers in the end, even though we did talk about a frog. He took some shots from other angles, but didn't put them up. Maybe he will later. I'm a little sad about it being finished, so I can't imagine how you backpiece people felt when it was over!
...but I might get to find out, because we may have chatted about it a bit today. We'll seeeeeeeeee. :cool:
I get a day to bang around Powell's Books tomorrow and cap off the night with Mad Max, and then I get to be tattooed by @cltattooing the day after that! Definitely a great mini-vacation.

I've been back to look at this 20 times now I think. What kind of style would this be called?

D'aww. Come on over and get some tattoos! :)
Edit: Oh hey, @cltattooing put up a picture of what we got up to today.

Welp, except for a touch-up sometime in the future if I need one, I am done. Still bruised and inflamed in certain places, so will post pics later. Absolutely the most painful session to date, I suppose because it was a hopscotch of smaller things all over my back instead of just grinding in two or three bigger areas one after the other. Whoof.

I love the way a tattoo can move with your body, when I was taking a picture of my leg for the tattoo of the month contest I had my foot on the counter for better lighting and realized that when I bend my knee the tiger gets a really sympathetic look on its face. It made me laugh.