Full Back Piece Experience Thread

[jen7]

So tell us the plan!

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[bongsau]

@bongsau, Dude that is awesome!

I am super excited... My back piece is now officially going to be a full back piece instead of half :D

no biker backpieces! tattoo that bum! ;)

[xcom]

@jen7,

Its going to be a theme based on the start of life.

Space/Earth/Animals

@bongsau, LOL... Noted :D

[Graeme]

@bongsau Looking so good. That background is great, I love how heavy it is. I also really love how you have water on both arms carrying across onto your back. I have the same thing going on with mine with the water on my arm working with the water on my back. I still have an empty forearm but that will end up having water on it too for the sake of continuity.

[bongsau]

Steve's vision was to keep the background heavy and simple to really draw the focus in on the monk. I've got so much colour and wild shit going on all over my front that the simplicity and blackness on the backside balances my suit and really ties everything on my body into it. Visually, its pretty intense to have that much black gradient covering the area. Lots of water, rocks already on the arms (Steve did the R side in 2006, Miles Kanne did the L in 2007) and on my legs (by OllieXXX, Casper, Shawn Oconnor) which he capitalized on and the clouds and horizon lines along the top half all blended together better than I anticipated. It was an interesting challenge though to make my limbs made by different tattooers over several years all blend and look cohesive The rise and fall of the waves and motion of the water on the butt crack and cheeks is one of my favourite parts of this piece.

Thanks for the kind words and likes LST budz :)

- - - Updated - - -

I think for a typical full back the scale might be slightly bigger, but we were limited to a narrower canvas for the design since I already had existing pieces on my ribs. So the monk got scaled back a bit to allow for a more cohesive, fuller blackground. I think the scale/perspective works great with the surrounding works, but most importantly fits my frame.

[misterJ]

You will be great! The best thing about the back is that unlike arms and legs, you only have one.

soooo I should cut off my left arm?

[Sean Sinha]

soooo I should cut off my left arm?

Limb-off-body tattooing is the next big thing, man.

[bongsau]

Session #6, 3.5 hrs, 22.5 hours total.

Completed the blackground yesterday on my Shaolin backpiece after a really intense session.

This was the heaviest session in my 12 years of getting tattooed.

Inside the crack and underneath the butt cheeks, down the back and insides of the thigh. All the way. It really comes down to mind over matter. The pain was very sharp and the skin is very different in that nether region thus a spectacular array of sensations. But moreso it really messes with your mind to get tattooing in that very private and sensitive area, doing your best to be loose (not too loose, wink wink haha) and relaxed while your mind is frozen at what your body is undergoing. I'm still feeling mentally scrambled the day after. Unbelievable experience, some very serious tattooing. You really have to let your inhibitions go and have full trust in the tattooer. Steve really helped me push through and said I did really well with the sit. Really learned a lot about myself through the vulnerability of this session.

I was chewing down on a towel for the last 30 minutes. But I did it. Exhausted and spaced out afterwards and now I've got this swollen black ass, shit-my-pants shuffle walk happening, at least for a few days. All the way!

me-"I can do this"

steve-"You are doing it man!"

me-"I'm doing this!"

steve-"You did it!"

I've been sitting fairly regularly so I'm going to take it easy for a bit to heal and re-calibrate. Off to Jamaica in April to relax as my alter-ego Ras Colouring Book on the beach. Then a couple sessions in May to blast in all the colour and patterns and saturate some of the black again.

This was a milestone tattoo session for me as well. I hit my 201st hour of total tattooing on my body over a 12 year period. I'm wearing a full body of tattoos now, all pieces new and old interconnected neck to ankle. But I left a few choice silver-dollar sized spots to tuck in a few mini collector tattoos ;)

And the Ramones kicked on as I crossed the 200th hour marker...

[jen7]

Congrats, man

[SeeSea]

@bongsau - wow, congrats on surviving that. Hell of a description - through the mental wringer. You rock.

[xcom]

@bongsau, you on a different level bud, For sure!!! You are one with your Shaolin piece.

[Cork]

doing your best to be loose (not too loose, wink wink haha)

HAHAHAHA. I just had flash backs to some of my butt sessions. I don't know what it was but I swear sometimes a spot would get hit and I'd almost wet myself because of the weird nerve stuff going on while also trying to stay loose.

Enjoy the rest and have fun on your trip.

[hogg]

"Ras Colouring Book" is the best thing I've read on LST in a while, @bongsau.

[Pleadco]

Today's cupcake: Reese's cupcakes with marshmallow peanut butter frosting covered in a chocolate shell. Also on the menu: ass fire.

https://instagram.com/p/0q7CxFiOzE/

[Pleadco]

Here is a picture to illustrate my awesome socks, which I have found to be vital in keeping me toasty.

[tatB]

sat for my 4th session last Saturday. updated my blog with a photo you might have already seen if you follow me on instatattooedmanbuttgram. also wrote a few sentences.

The Back Piece: An Uncomfortable Journey: Session Four: Shading on a Sunny Day

[Pleadco]

Finished up with Rob yesterday. That guy is an absolute champion. It's hard to find the words to express how happy I am.

Here's a link to his instagram for more vertical pics, hah.

https://instagram.com/p/1y_HRiCO7e/

[bongsau]

@Pleadco DAMN dude! That is most excellent. Really like the use of negative space in the antlers. Very unique tattoo and it fits your body like it was always there. kudos

[Rad Kelham]

Finished up with Rob yesterday. That guy is an absolute champion. It's hard to find the words to express how happy I am.[ATTACH]12433[/ATTACH][ATTACH]12434[/ATTACH]

Here's a link to his instagram for more vertical pics, hah.

https://instagram.com/p/1y_HRiCO7e/

Trying to hit the like button for the first time on this post. Can you like something on Tapatalk? This guys stuff is awesome. And either I'm getting old or he progressed really quickly from what I remember seeing his work a few years ago.

[Bmore]

Trying to hit the like button for the first time on this post. Can you like something on Tapatalk? This guys stuff is awesome. And either I'm getting old or he progressed really quickly from what I remember seeing his work a few years ago.

I've never been able to like things on LST with tapatalk, though I have no problem on other forums.

[pidjones]

I've never been able to like things on LST with tapatalk, though I have no problem on other forums.

Yeah, I think it is a forum software AND Tapatalk problem. Don't expect Tapatalk to fix anything, though.

[Bmore]

Yeah, I think it is a forum software AND Tapatalk problem. Don't expect Tapatalk to fix anything, though.

I would 'like' this, but...

[joakim urma]

Fifth (final) session on my back, the long story.

Photo

Link to my other post in this thread.

And here's picture from and what I wrote after the lining session

------

Last session - booked for Sunday, March 29:th, at the Scottish Convention

On the friday I was supposed to take the night bus from London to Edinburgh where Iain Mullen and Rudy Fritsch were working the Scottish Convention and ready to finish my back on the Sunday. To make a long story short, I ended up not going on the bus due to having booked the wrong month (Second time this happens to me, damn you Victoria Coach Station!) and instead I found myself after a sleepless night (spent in a night open café in Soho) on the first train to Edinburgh in the morning. Finally I can sleep I thought. Wrong. Turns out scottish people likes to talk a lot and there is no silent compartment. After a few hours of trying, I get perhaps 20 minutes of sleep. When I wake up I have a text from Iain saying "Let's do the session today instead!" (Other clients could only get tattooed tomorrow)

This makes sleeping again very difficult due to being severely excited and also scared/psychologically unprepared of a brutal session that I thought I'd get tomorrow. Stupid as I am, I convince myself that it's going to be all right. I sleep maybe 20 more minutes before I arrive to Edinburgh, where the wind is blowing so hard people almost fall of the streets. I've all ready been practically awake for more than 24 hours. By text, me and Iain try to arrange someplace where I can at least get some sleeping hours before the session. His hotel room turns out not to be a good idea. But there is a emergency room at the venue where I could get some peace and quiet. Great.

I make my way over to the convention, after having bought pre- and post-tattoo food stuff. Choosing carefully to get a lot of nutrition and powerful stuff that will fend of the tattoo sickness I can all ready feel breathing down my neck. I've now been on a trip for 6 days, from Barcelona to Toulouse (where I got my lower belly/pubic area tattooed by Guy Le Tatooer, another wonderful horrible experience), a 32 hour bus ride from Toulouse to London, one much needed night in a proper bed, staying awake the night before in the café and now I am here. Last destination of the tattoo pilgrimage. Iain tells me to go to the big stage and look for a guy in a short mohawk named Tom/Tim and say "I'm the guy who's been travelling".

This code phrase opens up the gate to my quiet sanctuary. Actually, it turns out to be a very small, cold, brightly lit, room where a big scottish man (emergency crew) is hanging out waiting for the emergencies to happen. There is neither a shower, as I had thought, or a proper bed. There is just sort of a portable emergency bed, barely wide enough for one person. I explain who I am and he lets me lie on the bed. I am too tired to fall asleep. This whole situation seems absurd. I pull my jacket and a hoodie from my backpack over my body and turn my face towards the wall. I try to relax, to breath calmly and slow down everything. The anticipation of the last session, and the pain that goes along, is very distracting. Over the com-radio there are sparse messages, barely intelligible in scottish.

After a while two giggling girls come in. One of them has fainted ("This happened last year too!") and they are giving a routine check up and some good advice to eat and drink water. Meanwhile I'm this strange traveling, greasy haired, bum sleeping under jackets in the emergency room. After two hours or so I give up on trying to sleep and decide to go out, eat something and have a look around. Everything is like in a haze. I can not be bothered with all these people. I do not want to see the burlesque dancers doing whatever it is that they're doing. I sit outside and eat the big, ready chopped, stir fry with kale and edamame beans that I bought from the store. I eat some nuts, I drink some superberry juice. Must not get sick.

I hang out in the both with Iain and Rudy. Rudy is tattooing both of Joe Ellis' feet in some strange tribal architectural freehand style and we talk about him doing something similar on my left elbow since Iain did the right one. After a while I go to the handicap bathroom to have what few people would have called a shower. After cleaning myself up with the water from the sink and slipping into clean clothes I feel a bit more civilized again. It is time for finishing the back piece.

I would have much rather liked if the circumstances would have been different but after being awake for now nearly 34 hours I am lying face down at the Scottish convention, with my half covered ass pointing towards the small crowd that is starting to form, and one tattoo machine being tuned on either side of me. Memory of a lifetime moment, right there.

Considering probably being in the worst shape ever before getting tattooed, it was not as bad as I had braced myself for. It was certainly bad. Somewhere between terrible and outright nasty, if I had to specify. In the start they added on some liner details that I was not expecting. Then they added some very thick dots that felt like evil torture to my ribs. Then they went on with the shading and I could settle in to the groove of it somewhat. Knowing how bad the first two machine session was, when we did the lines in June, this was almost bearable. It never got worse than the lining session. When it's your back being worked on and two machines are moving from spot to spot, you have no way of anticipating where the pain is going to be and for how long. You just have to take it, so I did.

About 30 minutes before we were done I had to go to the bathroom. I was totally in my zone, something like what I imagine marathon runners go into to keep pushing, and was not ready to face a bunch of people watching me. Somebody said "hero" as I passed. I felt weird. The whole non-privacy of the event was strange. Both mind and body was in turmoil. As with the pain I can be amazed by states like this, the things you can experience when pushing hard. How it makes your head feel from the inside. I returned, back on the table, and we did the last bit. When I sat up in the end to have some more straight lines just below my neck I was trembling from exhaustion and emotionally shaken. It had been a profound journey.

///

After the tattoo I hung around while the guys packed their stuff, we went with some other people by taxi to a pub but realized they had just stopped serving food at ten in the evening. We split up and I went with Iain and Rudy to have fish and chips at some hole in the wall. Veggie burger in dry bun for me. Finally the couchsurfer I was supposed to stay with showed up and we walked back to his apartment. We had a really good conversation on the way there. I chucked half of the burger in a trash bin. The apartment he shared with three other people felt very much like Trainspotting, except no visible drug related objects scattered around. I feel asleep in a windowless room and had no dreams, just blacked out for 12 hours.

Two days later I flew home to Stockholm, had take away-dinner with my girlfriend and took the night train towards the very north end of Sweden. I felt it really bad all ready and for the coming four days I was bedridden with a massive fever and accompanying headaches and cold. At least I could watch the whole second season of The Wire from start to finish.

///

I had planned to start my backpiece when I had turned 30. Now I am 28 and it's all ready finished. It's been a fantastic experience and left very warm memories. I am so happy that I asked them both to collaborate, that it worked out, and that I trusted them completely with the design. Since we started in June my personal life, a big portion of the things that happened, have been so good, enriching and developing that that whole time in my life feels very beautiful. Turns out that the biggest part of my body carries a piece of which I didn't even see the design until the hour when we started, yet now it holds so much significance and meaning. I really like the thought of tattoos like amulets imbued with qualities and forces. I'll always have power on my back. That's how I see it.

[Jshippo]

About 10 hours into my full back piece. Been an experience to say the least, can't wait to get it finished. What you guys think?

by Tim Croke at Second Skin Tattoo, Derby

[Lance]

Bravo @mmikaoj! Great story. Shame you got sick but it's still worth it. Your back turned out big, bold 'n badass. Cheers!