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The "Multiple Sessions" thread got me thinking about tattoos and healing plus my own trying to heal my elbow ditch right now. For those who don't know the elbow "ditch" is the inside of your arm where it bends so the tattoo/skin is always rubbing with almost every movement all day even as you sleep as well as I type right now. I wake up to the sheets and pillows having blood spots, god knows how many sheets I've ruined over the years from getting tattooed. I can only imagine back tattoos multiply this sheet process. A constant waking up in the morning pealing the sheets away. Anywho, I'll enjoy that when the time comes... So what are the most difficult spots you've had to deal with in the healing process of getting tattooed. Also for tattooers, what are the spots you notice heal the worst due to their potentially difficult healing process due to location? Do you take the healing process in mind when you lay a stencil on too so the less intricate parts are in these locations? Lastly from me for now, anyone got any tricks they use when healing potentially difficult spots while they sleep or elsewhere? I've been trying to sleep with my arm straight which keeps me waking very often so don't think it's much of a trick, ha.

Curious if anyone else in here collects old acetate stencils? I would really like to have a peek at other peoples collections. For some reason I almost enjoy collecting stencils more than flash. I just like holding an old acetate in my hand and imagining how many people got tattoos from it. Here are some of my collection. I have a bunch more I need to take pictures of. Bob Shaw Owen Jensen

I was sent a link to a video recently of some "underground" boxing that is going down in New York City recently where Frank 151 among some other press from that arena covered. I've been a fan of "underground" boxing for some time and these days there is less "underground" events as so many people are pursuing boxing, mma, etc as legitimate professions as the paychecks are more regular with the increased popularity over the years. I used quotations as many of the ones deemed "underground" these days are not truly underground as there is a level of legitimacy. As well as some of the fighters doing these don't want to risk their legit fighting cards being revoked. So I've noticed many of the boxers/fighters at these events are a mix of guys training at different gyms looking to get some fights under their belts as well as people just giving it a shot. Regardless I think these events are a blast as you can get right up to the ring and watch. I know many local tattooers goto these plus when they have friends in town and one is happening they are a must see so thought this could be a fun thread for the tattoo forum...... In Oakland there were some true underground fights years ago which other cities had as well. But for us over here these days the closes thing happening are the fights/parties the East Bay Rats MC put on. Their fights have been featured on the Discovery Channel among other avenues. They do them semi regularly at their clubhouse and sometimes do larger ones in a local warehouse which are just a blast often going til the sunrises! I'm only putting out there the ones that are already getting press and "known" so the less "popular" ones can remain that way. With that, does anyone goto these? Has anyone been to the NY ones? I love getting right up front and getting pictures which I may share later...... The girl fights seem to be the best as it takes a little while for them to get going but once they do they last way longer. The guys seem to come out swinging for the fences and shot their loads in less than a minute. Here's the video that was sent my way:

here are my chicks...they have attitude:

I'm sorry, but I don't get it. What's the rush? Who needs a large tattoo that quickly anyway? Is regular (shorter) sessions too much trouble? Even if you are traveling, I see no need to do 3 full consecutive days. I'm gonna stick my neck out here and say that every sleeve that I've seen (in person) completed in marathon sessions or super-close consecutive sessions heals pretty rough. I'd love someone to prove me wrong and i hope someone can but I don't see how you can heal a full arm while maintaining some sort of normal life (which includes moving your limbs, going to the toilet, moving food to your face etc.) without having some colour drop-out or whatever. I find healing larger tattoos to be miserable at the best of times, particularly around the ditch, elbow, armpit etc. For me, marathon consecutive sessions means another trip for touch ups, which negates the need to finish in a short space of time anyway. It usually takes just a little more thought from the tattooer to finish smaller sections of the tattoo with a mind to extending it later if the client doesn't want to live with an un-finished looking tattoo, or the manner CaptCanada described at the end of his post above. This can still be tough to heal, but is a more efficient use of time, particularly for people who travel long distances. But I guess you don't get so many bragging rights, just a solid, awesome tattoo. Please bear in mind that I have occasionally and begrudgingly, tattooed the same person on 2 consecutive days to finish a large tattoo before they leave the country/go to prison or whatever, so that probably discounts my opinion.

i like the outline if it works with the design. i think stewart robson at frith st. tattoo did a fine job on this one... i totally think mario is right too, cut out everything that doesn't need to be there. i always find that the tattoos that make a big impact, are simpler and less involved. filler can definitely look cool, when done right. but i prefer the negative space between tattoos, i also think it gives each piece a stronger impact and it adds more of a storyboard effect to the body, which i think reads better. stuart cripwell at spider murphy's executed this perfectly...

i talk people out of backgrounds and useless additions all the time. i see so much garbage online. people just throw every trick in the book in there. or just tack on a bunch of roses around something, it looks awful. just let the image be itself, it has strength on its own. a gypsy head doesn't need blood splatters, a crescent moon, fog, a tree, roses and fake cholo letters all around it. except for a few people, tattooing is in a sorry state creatively. by the way, the outline thing is a SMITH STREET thing, which has now been beaten to death by anybody with a computer. you can't do anything new and cool without vampires sucking it dry. ok, i'm done...haha

This is my latest. Done by Chad Koeplinger last Thursday at Frith Street, London.

A few of Richards Bald Birdies... Animals: Eagles, Snakes, Big Cats... Most of his favorite subject matter to tattoo...

This is a crappy iPhone pic--plus the freshly done tiger is still very bloody--but I finished up with Tim Lehi Saturday: Our own A.Sanchez was getting tattooed by Scott at the same time. Small world!

can i just say it looks like a tranny? really whether the foot is backwars or not the leg may be bent cuz hes sitting on his dick... man lets cover that up. or at least make the head the right shape... it kinda looks like brian burk in the nude..wow i didnt realize you guys were so tight..gazer? hahahahahahahhahahahahahhahahahahahahahahahahahahhaahahhahahahhhhhhh