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bob baxter is a failed banjo player who happens to look just like angela landsberry from murder she wrote and is a total uncle tom of tattooing.oh and mario barth blows too.

i have greatly enjoyed reading about everyone in this thread! so here goes my mini bio. my name is Alanna C. Alves in 23 and i live in downtown Toronto Ontario by the lake! i'm a dessert chef for Live organic foods in Toronto fullfilling all their raw and vegan dessert needs. I make awesome wedding cakes from home on the side and slowly i get better and better! besides baking i also love cooking for my friends and family. i come from a very large Portuguese/ italian family and i was raised in the christain baptist church. i recently left church behind because i hated how judgemental the people around me where and i believe in a more progressive outlook on life. I have a portuguese water dog named Avelan (in portugese the word avela means hazelnut). In my spare time i train with avelan in agility, go to fitness bootcamp or just go running, babysit my friends two lovely boys ( i love taking care of kids, i just dont know if i want any of my own, is that weird?), walk and rollerblade.... a lot. im quiet and shy and i usually always have a smile on my face and i get really excited about the smallest things, hahaha. i started getting tattooed Aug 2010 and getting tattooed has helped me to loose more then 50lbs to date as i dont let myself get a new tattoo unless i've reached some personal goal, over the year ive come to so many new realizations and changed my thinking in so many ways and hopefully become a better person! i love this forum and the people on it have taught me so much! i could go on but i'll stop there!

I was searching the internet, the other night, for any information on the history of tattooing in the UK, when I stumbled on this. It’s a tattoo museum in Liverpool , UK. On the site they had some photos of antique tattoo machines powered by clockwork. I would have though these predate the electric tattoo machine and were made by a company called Newton & Wilson. Further searches on the internet indicates they specialised in making sewing machines. Does anyone know anything about these or this type of machine. Where they used in the USA? Did they catch on for a short while before becoming made obsolete by the advent of the electric powered version.? They look as if they are beautifully made and were probably quite expensive. I’m fascinated by old stuff like this, although my thing is restoring antique firearms. I thought I would post some photos on here, courtesy of the Liverpool Tattoo Museum. www.Tattoomuseum.co.uk tattoo museum liverpool - Milton Zeis. There’s of lot of other interesting stuff on the site, as well.

It will cost somewhere between the price of a large sandwich and the price of a house. But seriously, listen to David. also, that's one of the 10 pictures we see multiple times every day from customers, along with celebrity tattoos and the wonky outline-only tiny swallows. Let me guess, you don't want it as high up toward your neck, or as low down your arm and a little bit less across the stomach? I wished all the guys who used to bring this to me would bring Tom of Finland drawings instead. Usually the same motivation but much better designed, drawn and a hell of a lot more fun to tattoo and wear. The best advice would be to check out guys who specialise in large black tattoos and get them to design something that actually fits your body and works with it instead of this squiggly, ugly crap. - There's a tribal/blackwork thread here on LST somewhere. I know you're not going to read it.

Hello, my name is John, people call me JB, I'm from Roanoke VA. I'm 34 years old and have been getting tattooed for 15 years... I'm an IT admin at a small private school. I'm also HFA (high functioning autistic) so I walk about with a blank face and dont really socialize outside of the tattoo world, where strangely I've become comfortable, probably because I've felt accepted. I bike alot on an old modded Trek 700 and am really into ancient astronaut theory and esoteric history. Aside from that, I have a wife (who has superior tattoos), 5 cats, and watch alot of bollywood and play too many video games. bonus pic:

Mike and Richard as everyone has already said are the best at panthers hands down. Richard can do literally any animal though, with no reference other than his brain, and not use a stencil either.. it's retarded.. this is an in progress shot of my mike wilson panther (also seen in the back piece thread)

Work of art on a plate Next time in in London. Breakfast at Hawksmoor, Spitalfields. £35 for two. Smoked Bacon Chop, Pork Beef and Mutton Sausages, Black Pudding, Short Rib Bubble & Squeek, Grilled Bone Marrow, Baked Beans, Fried Egg, Grilled Mushroom, Roast Tomatoes, Unlimited Dripping Toast and HP Onion & Bone Marrow Gravy.

hope this is ok to post, i took a picture from a page in 'outlaw biker tattoo revue' from the early 90's that i bought online some months ago.. tattoo by Ed Hardy.

That gives you about half as much space for tattoos as the rest of us. I hear this quite a lot though. After a couple of sleeves, chest and legs, the blank space on the back starts to look like an empty space between tattoos instead of clean skin.

I know this was titled "before and after" but here is more "during". ;)...3rd appt...one more to go. Well...at least one more...I'm getting the urge to finish the arm with demons on my lower arm...

Doc Webb, San Diego 1964

My name is Tick. I should probably specify that I am a girl (because I think the name would lead most people to think otherwise through the impersonal relation of typing). I'm 30. I'm boring. I'm shy. I'm technologically challenged (mostly due to my disinterest in technology). I believe in honesty and integrity over all else. I was born, raised, and currently reside in Las Cruces, NM. I have no real interest in living elsewhere, as my home is my sanctuary, and the chihuahuan desert breeds a certain lifestyle and person that I thoroughly enjoy. My family lives scattered about, and I have traveled since I could run. I feel the most comfortable in areas of poverty. I backpack, but never feel like I get to spend enough time doing it. I ride my bicycle, probably because it is bred into me. I paint, because I need to. I tattoo, because it is the most challenging and rewarding thing I could ever do. It gave me purpose, drive, patience, and security. I used to play in punk rock bands (for like 12 years) but then I got jaded. I spend much time by myself, because after work I'm all socialed out. This is the first forum I have ever paid any attention to, and that is just to fill those moments of boredom..... rock and roll.

Makes my bowl of raisin bran this morning look like pure shit.

Ok fine. My name is Pat, I'm 28, from Maryland and am currently working as a copywriter in New York. I've done a fair share of tattoo-related writing and, after a self-imposed hiatus have returned to find that I never should have returned to it and should've stuck with my own advice of letting the tattoo be the truest experience I have in relation to tattoos. I'm getting married in November and eventually would like to move out to the country, mostly because I'm worried I will end up in an institution with a diagnosis of acute agoraphobia and general shitty attitude. I dislike flying, sweating, puffy toilet paper, loudmouths, rudeness, and the breed of Manhattan gentry that are completely clueless and throw money around because they want people to see them throwing money around. I enjoy cool mornings, fishing, exercising when I'm in the mood for it, learning when I'm interested in the subject, traveling (disliking flying hasn't stopped me yet..), especially road trips, Cormac McCarthy's westerns, crime fiction/pulp novels, beer, whiskey -- especially single malt scotches, -- having time to myself, and, of course, tattoos. I enjoy LST much more than I thought I would, especially since I tend to be cynical about computer/internet/technology/people in general. So thank you for that. I've been able to get some fantastic tattoos through LST and am surprised I've made some 'friends'. Smiley face. Or, winking smiley face.

a friend of mine went to the Brighton convention earlier this year and emailed me this picture of one Valerie Vargas did.. such a great tattoo. i'll post my panther head by Chad Koeplinger once it's finished.

i come in and out of here when i can :) right now i cant get to sleep! i live and work just outside of toronto in markham. i have my own little shop where i tattoo and my wife makes teas. its not a street shop, its not on the main drag, there is no flash on the walls to choose from, i only work by hour and never give quotes, my shop walls are not blood red, there is no front counter with staff stuck on a computer and i rarely take walk-ins. i do things my own way by taking out what i or my clients have found stressful in past tattoo experiences and created a tattoo environment that is much more relaxed! at least i think so ;) i have a beautiful daughter that turns 5 in a couple of months. she sharpens pencils for 5 dollars and hands out business cards whenever shes in the store. ive had this shop for 2 years, tattooing for 17... my family and i love camping. 2 weeks away from the city, just us, reminds us of what is real and what really matters in life. family is the most important thing. family made me a better man. :)

If it helps, my Dad's name is the Gator. Haha. I was a farm kid. We raised cattle (so castration, branding and basic emergency veterinary medicine were par for the course) and grew oranges, plus had to take 3 years of Agriculture in school, so that side of my life- being able to grow and raise things, was one of the first things I learned. When your Dad is called the Gator... hunting came up a lot. We'd hunt dear and boar mostly, but there were alligator, turtle, snake and assorted other creatures that ended up on our dinner table. And the rule was that if we wanted to eat it, we had to learn how to clean and prepare it. I was a poindexter of a kid; graduated school early, mostly interested in art and cinema, but... even the arty dreamer kids where I grew up fished, hunted and grew crops. I ran from it, like most kids do. Moved to Philadelphia cause I wanted a faster paced life. It was the right choice, and I was lucky that my brother followed me up there, and eventually so did my folks. Now we've got a second place in New Jersey- town called Hammonton that is known for it's blueberry crops. Couple of acres but a spot with good fishing, a few miles from decent hunting and plenty of fertile soil on the property for a nice big garden.... It's great. Really helping me reconnect with my Dad and how he raised us.

First episode up now!!! Favorite part - "hey we want our tattoos to look classic- we don't want them to look dated. you know? when somebody comes in and wants like an owl on their chest it's like "why don't you just get a fucking eagle on your chest?""

So mine would be considered a re-work rather than a cover up... i got it re-done within one year of getting the tattoo and you'll see why... originally done by Dave Gibson (yes THE dave gibson) and re-done by Mike Wilson sorry for the horrid photo quality of the before, but it didn't look any better in person haha and after the entire experience was bad, from him (dave not mike) refusing to do the tattoo in the spot i wanted, to making sounds like an injured man after every line he pulled.. but thankfully it was fixable and you can't even tell it was a shitter at first

I agree with Mario (again) but I'm trying to ignore most of the back-and-forth boring shit about encouraging beginners like it was some kindergarten project and just say: Price is dictated by demand. That's it. If people want your stuff they will pay whatever you ask. Regardless of quality. But you did lay out your work before some of the best in the world (I don't mean me, btw) and expect it to be well received. Even after you declared it your first attempt. Sell something when you've learned to do it properly, not the first few clunky attempts. I went to art school and worked as a professional designer/illustrator/etc for almost a decade. I don't think it helped my tattooing too much. I learned how to take a brief from a client as a professional. I learned a bit of art history at university. Those were plus points. For me the worst influence art school has on potential tattooers is the sense of entitlement that it fosters. Art school 'kids' are taught that they have a special vision or gift. Taught that hey have a duty to broadcast their vision to the world and the world should think itself lucky to feel the rays of brilliance from a living genius. Tattooing and drawing tattoo designs teaches you (if you are lucky) that you are the current incarnation of an artistic lineage and that you are borrowing everything, attempting to take care of it for a while, to pass it on to a later generation. It also teaches you humility and the value of hard work, in spades. If smiling.politely had wanted advice, they would have asked how to improve the drawing before painting it. Instead they chose to seek acceptance and a confirmation of the 'special vision' probably with the hope of an offer of a tattoo apprenticeship. Genuinely, I wish you good luck with all those things but if you expect people to pay you money for something, it better be the best you can do. Especially in a saturated market. Be that tattoo style 'art' or whatever you choose to pursue.

Tattoos on me by Rollo at China Sea, 1989-91.

could you imagine being tattooed by one of these? winding them up every minute or so would be such a pain!

"

Cuts happen in the kitchen on random mornings, just show up between 8 and 9. Color is done in the evening, best in front of Dexter, and involves lots of grumbling and god-dammits. Send him your hair reference via email asap.

Is he available any time soon? Cause I'm past due and am starting to look too shaggy. Wheres my flowbee

Audigar is the Lisa Frank of today

Bananas and coffee... I'm boring.

yeah i usually wear long sleeves and pants as well... sometimes it's nice to walk down the road without 10 idiots asking you about being "all tatted up" going to the beach is a whole different game now that i have a backpiece and stuff on my legs... mother fuckers flip out like they've never seen a chick before...

As someone who's worked as the shop help/customer service rep. I find it incredibly offensive. I would never work in a shop where I was looked at as the shop bitch rather than the chick who works her ass off doing all kinds of important things like making sure the shop and equipment is clean and safe, dealing with every kind of customer imaginable, making sure you've got a hot lunch to eat, and all the other hundreds of little things that people who works in shops do to make it an easier and more enjoyable place for the tattooers and their clients alike. Some tattooers unfortunately have zero respect for the people who help make their jobs go a lot smoother. I mean, if you want to spend your evening scrubbing tubes and washing the floor/toilets after the shop closes, you're welcome to it. I guarantee within one month of doing so you'll be begging for your "shop bitch" to come back. There are a few shops that don't have employees outside of the tattooers but they are few and far between and are usually just people who are to cheap to pay for the help, or their shop is too slow to warrant the help.

hahaha! :)

hahaha but i wanna be girl Robin!

Well swedish band Marduk is the best i think.. funeral mist,dark throne,satyricon,Aeon,VADER,Behemoth,Bolt thrower,Watain,at the gates,dimension zero,immortal.. i could go on for ever :)

Yeah. The artist is Theodor Kittelsen Theodor Kittelsen - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia One of his most famous paintings is of course the one I attached. And If I remember correctly, Daniel Santoro did a great tattoo of it! Anyone finds it, cooool!

Yes, not a reaction, poor word choice. You summed it up much better than I did. I only meant that instead of shouting and protesting, the best thing to do is work at and create something positive. That this is the kind of high-calibre production that is, in its way, a kind of quiet "answer" to the other things out there. A wonderfully crafted, thoughtful, artful and very human piece that celebrates the hard work and unbelievable talent that is out there.

I thought the story about the gecko tattoo was fuckin hilarious. Can't wait for part 2.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n2R85QepCj0 +1 on the jodie marsh thing, it was pretty much version 1.0 of the whole 'tattoo school' thing.

I normally wouldn't respond to something like this but what the hell. Considering how cool the two people I've met from here so far are (MsRad and Hogg), I figure why not? I'm Jake (obviously), 23 years of age, and into most forms of art. I used to play in that one band, and then those other bands, and now I play in a whole different band. There's always a bunch of shows I want to go to but due to working 5 nights a week rarely make it out to. I live in glorious Oakland with my girlfriend, fellow LSTer Lochlan, and our two 20+lb polydactyl cats. We eat a lot of good home cooked food (and are rapidly approaching home grown summer foods time too. thanks Tammy and Steve!) I ride my bicycle everywhere but I'm neither one of those douchy hipster bikers nor the spandex weekend warrior bikers. I'm just too poor to fix and maintain the '55 Ford I bought off of Lochlan. I'm getting my motorcycle license in 2 weeks though! I read a shit ton and fully support Kev's book thread idea. The last few books I read were Grapes of Wrath, Infinite Jest, Hamlet, and Lila (Pirsig's follow-up to Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance.) See y'all around the board!

Lina Stigsson from Admiraal Tattoo Amsterdam does gorgeous work

Pretty great way to start the day. One positive thing about the current state of tattooing? There is an unprecedented number of fantastic tattooers doing incredible work.

Here are the latest additions. The Tiger is on my wife, the Fudo sword is me, both by Matt Arriola. The Christ is on me by Vinse One. I have three or four sessions left on my back, but Matt is moving to NYC so I won't be getting more work on it until November. All of this work was done within the last two and a half months so now I am broke.

cfgsteak - i met a guy who was in his late 70's or early 80's in rochester and he had a fresh tattoo! it was amazing (i kno you arn't that old i'm just sayin you have lots of time!)

Oh and for the record Mike Wilson went to art school and he's (in my opinion) in the top ten tattooers in the country.

man. if context isn't everything...

i think myth busters proved that you can in fact polish a turd... but it's still a turd.

Here's a Mike Wilson panther head tattoo on a hand and the palm tattoo of the panther head I have no idea....

Daily Tails of Chase...

World's smallest panther (by Ben Grillo, of course):

I just covered a panther with a bigger panther the other day.