Tattoo Addiction and my new plan

[PackMan]

At first my plan was to get my memorial tattoo for my mother and be done; and then something happened. Maybe it is the adrenaline "high" after a 4 or 5 hour session or maybe it's the history and enigma of the art that i find so fascinating; especially after the research i have done since starting this endeavor and joining this forum.

Either way my new plan is for "sleeves". I have quoted the sleeves part because after reading some comments on these forums, what i want may not necessarily be considered sleeves. My plan right now is to continue the asian/chinese/japanese theme on my left arm. I know my current work is not traditional but it is still a chinese style dragon. So far, i want to add a Foo Dog, a Buddha, and a Lotus.

My right arm i would like to have a traditional americana theme. I hope that is what its called. So far I'm thinking about a traditional wolf head, a pinup girl, and i think a WWII bomber or fighter plane would be cool. I still need to do some research.

Anyways, i just wanted to share. I dont have a plan of attack yet as far as when and where, just sorting out what i want. Let me know if you have any opinions or ideas on what would work cool. Other than the Dragon covering my entire upper outside left arm/shoulder, I'm a clean canvas.

[tatB]

do you have an artist picked out to do all the work or do you plan to collect some pieces from a few different artists?

[PackMan]

because it is going to be kind of a patchwork look, I'm thinking different artists would work awesome. But that may be completely wrong.

[tatB]

cool. have you mentioned where you are located? maybe we can overwhelm you with suggestions of artists to add to your collection :)

[HettyKet]

This: Tattoo silhouette and negative space is a great thread, just in case you missed it.

[PackMan]

I'm in Hickory, North Carolina. There are a couple of local artist here that i am excited about. One guy is in his early 20's and is doing some really nice stuff. Other than that, I am pretty open. I don't have a giant cash flow so i can't travel cross country to get one done, but within 3 or 4 hours i'd be good to go. I know there is a really good artist in Greensboro area (i saw him on the bragg art list or whatever its called)

[tatB]

I love the stuff I see coming out of Empire Tattoo in Asheville: Empire Tattoo AVL

[Pete tattoo freak]

Danny Reed Hot Stuff Asheville NC

[PackMan]

i know Asheville very well. Used to live very close to there. I will definitely check those places out. Thanks!

[Graeme]

Nothing wrong with getting tattoos simply because you like them. It doesn't have to be an "addiction".

[tatB]

Nothing wrong with getting tattoos simply because you like them. It doesn't have to be an "addiction".

says the guy who can't attend a tattoo convention without getting tattooed.

[PackMan]

addiction was the first word that came to mind.

[Graeme]

says the guy who can't attend a tattoo convention without getting tattooed.

I do it out of habit, not addiction.

[hogg]

i do it out of habit, not addiction.

"I can stop any time!"

[sighthound]

My favorite shop in the region is Empire Tattoo in Asheville, I have a lot of work from the guys there. Can't say enough good things about them, just a stellar group of guys. Hot stuff is another favorite, can't go wrong with any of the people there. Danny Reed did both of my feet and the man is a wizard.

Charlotte has some really good shops and artists too - Rodney Raines at Ace Custom, anyone at 510 Expert tattoo. Highly recommend checking them out too.

[marley mission]

tattoo addiction is nothing compared to how i feel any day i cant get a cup of coffee within the first hour of waking up....which is near never thank god :)

more on topic - god bless tattoo addiction

[smiling.politely]

"Tattoos are not an addiction; they are a collection. A tattoo collector is just like a conventional art collector who buys a painting, hangs it on the wall, and then moves on to acquire the next, unique piece. Tattoo collecting is a spiritual pursuit, while addiction is a physiological need. Addicts repeatedly take the same drug over and over without limit. A tattoo collection has variety, and it has an end. Once you collect the whole set, you're done. As you complete your tattoo collection, you yourself become art."

-Horiyoshi III

[OutOfIdeas]

@smiling.politely thanks for posting that. I can't like things on my phone, but I'm glad I read that. Might show it to the parents the next time I get the same old "when will it stop" questions!

[smiling.politely]

I've never liked the idea of being tattooed getting called an "addiction." Too much negativity for that word to associate to something so primal, beautiful, and positive as tattooing. Why would you liken something you love so much to the reason that guy down the street has an insatiable need for sweet, sweet heroin?

[PackMan]

Alright i need some assistance. Other than some touch up work, my memorial dragon tattoo is complete. If i had known that i would want to continue getting tattoos i would have probably done the dragon differently. It's done now and I'm happy with it, but I'm excited to start on the rest of the sleeve.

I really really like the "patchwork" look of the work in the Tattoo Silhouette thread that Hetty posted. But i am not sure how that will look with a chinese/japanese theme. Has anyone seen something similar? Every time i google or search for stuff, all i get is full suits or sleeves all flowing together.

One more thing...although i really like the negative space stuff, it may be better to finish the lower half of the left arm with a full covering and somehow tie it into the dragon one. Maybe a B&G tiger, foo dog, or even a Koi. Any ideas?

Sorry for the rambling and if i sound like an idiot remember i'm new at this and still learning all of the jargon.

[tatB]

As long as you get tattoos from good artists, any collection of tattoos will look good.

[sighthound]

^Agree.

There's no need to tie the rest of your tattoos into the existing one if you'd rather have something else.. Do it if you want a full on asian themed arm. But, imo, I think it would look fine if you wanted to patchwork that arm, too. Good artists = good placement, flow, colors, and tattoos. They'll know how to give your arm(s) a cohesive look even if it is patchworked. So, just get what you like.

[PackMan]

@sighthound thanks for the info and recommendations. I am working on getting in contact with Will Lollie at Empire tattoos. From what i have seen on his instagram and website he does some very cool japanese stuff. I am very interested in seeing what he can do with the rest of my left arm. thanks again for the help.

[tatB]

@PackMan outstanding choice!

[sighthound]

@PackMan you won't be disappointed - Will is fantastic, and super chill.