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I think it begs the question that WHY is this topic you started related to you getting tattooed in the future? I had similar, or somewhat at least ideas in one topic at tattoodles years ago. Im not bothered to find it but mister Wells put me in my place and smakked some good ol sense into me. I see people writing stuff about this and that, line weights and stuff, even if they arent a tattoo artist. Not that it matters... But I dont know shit about that kinda stuff and I dont care to know. Like what machine someone uses. As long as it makes a hole, good. When I have gotten tattooed by Sailor Andy, I dont even talk about the tattooing process. Like "what kinda shading and color will you use in that part?". Maybe Im just antisocial or stupid, but I just dont care :) I care about the history and stuff, but the process, there I am just a another Joe Average who wants to get tattooed and then leaves (after I have payed first and complimented the tattoo, of course.)

As the saying goes "A little knowledge is a dangerous thing" Yeah, we really need a step-by-step guide to 'Teach yourself to tattoo - in 9 easy steps!' While there may be a few crumbs of sound advice in the 9 point program, the fact it's laid out like a 'how to' stinks, sorry. Nobody is self taught. I never had an apprenticeship. I could say that I'm self taught, but that would be egotistical and more importantly, incorrect. I learned and continue to learn from the people I have worked with, the people I currently work with, the tattooers who were gracious enough to allow me to watch them and be present while they worked and the people I've been tattooed by. I could have worked for the rest of my life and never figured out some of the simplest things that were shown to me or that I have seen. Aw, fuck it. Yeah, ok, I learned by tattooing pigs and grapefruit, taking evening classes in human anatomy and drawing still-life compositions with graphite sticks and writing essays on pop art. I watched every Bob Ross VHS tape. I took classes in CPR, blood borne pathogens, midwifery and chiropody. I took apart my shitty tattoo machines and put them back so that they would be even shittier. But most of all I took advice from every non-tattooer who thought they knew how to learn tattooing. (only some of the above paragraph is false, but all of it is sarcastic)

HAHA best intro to a video.. "it says you fucking like bluegrass, you don't mind amphibians and you definitely get high."

Jaycel, I got the tone of your post and the intention. Although the intention was sincere enough, It's great that you realised, or have started to realise that the principles of most other crafts can seem to be applied but don't translate well to tattooing. Mostly because tattooing is a permanent mark that somebody has to live with and carry with them every day of their life - There is a responsibility that comes with that, although I'm reluctant to discuss it (and other subtleties of tattooing) with non-tattooers as it's easily misunderstood and mis-used by laymen. The reason any discussion of this type is met with hostility from tattooers is firstly because of the responsibility I mentioned and unlike other crafts, tattooing has magnetic attraction for people who wouldn't involve themselves with any other craft-based endeavour. Many of these people are not prepared to undertake the work necessary to create good tattoos. They are only prepared to do the steps they think are necessary to make sick tats. Here's the bit that may get me some shit. Getting an apprenticeship isn't the holy grail. An apprenticeship from a shitty tattooer is worse than no apprenticeship at all. What's that you say? No good tattooers are prepared to teach you? Well there's a reason for that. That doesn't mean you should let an incompetent fool enable you to become a more inexperienced incompetent fool. This is the part non-tattooers ignore when they spout on and on about 'sticking it out and finding an apprenticeship, doing it the right way' It's not right if you are taught wrongly. Many many shitty, inexperienced tattooers have an apprentice. Some of those apprentices have a lofty sense of self-worth and think they are 'real' tattooers because they cleaned the toilet of a shitty tattooer for months. Eventually the work you create and the way you conduct your affairs becomes more important then the way you got there. Mel, I seriously doubt that your dad could make a shitty machine better. Maybe better looking or better constructed, but without knowing how to tattoo, or having a great tattooer teach you. It isn't possible to make a tattoo machine work well. If someone came to me asking for an apprenticeship with pretend tattoos drawn on a mannequin, I wouldn't take them seriously at all. An apprenticeship isn't an art school mixed media project. There are a million smaller things to learn before you get to that point. If any budding tattooers/apprentices read this, the important thing to remember is - Never take advice from someone who isn't a tattooer. Even better, don't take advice from someone who isn't teaching you.

that first post offends my eyes and heart

Ed Hardy on Richard Stell.... I begged for a picture. Worth it.

Just a little fluff piece but sweet all the same. nice to see nice stories involving heavily tattooed people for a change rather than the usualy freakshow shit. Jacqui Moore celebrates divorce with full body tattoo by new lover | Metro.co.uk

I'm a little late finding this thread. I'm Dee; I'm 27 and I grew up in in Texas. I lived in El Paso TX, moved to McAllen TX when I was 15, then back to El Paso after I finished high school. Got a little crazy, lived the punk rock life style for a few years but eventually realized it wouldn't end well. I moved to Tennessee to start over. I’ve worked all sorts of jobs over the years, then found my current job with a good company and started to try and settle myself to an average life of a cubicle job. Met the man I eventually married, tried going back to college for awhile and volunteered on my off time. I've been fascinated with tattoo for as long as I can remember; especially tribal tattoos from all around the world. It was a chance encounter and an off the cuff comment that put the idea of being a tattoo artist in my head. But once there it wouldn't leave. In my family art was a hobby, the thought of being An Artist had never seriously crossed my mind, because it wasn't something "real" people were suppose to do (dumb, I know). I discussed the reality of an apprenticeship and making a living as a tattoo artist with my husband and then decided to go for it. So now I'm balancing an office job by day then rushing over the shop to work till close, then at the shop all weekend. I hardly ever have free time and sometime things can get very damn stressful, but I've never been happier. That the hubby is backing me 100% and my friends are understanding is a huge help. When I do have time I play xbox, cook, go indoor rock climbing, skating, on bike rides and Zumba. I'm on facebook, twitter and xbox, more than happy to add to my circle of friends on any of those. :) To Ivar, you're right about this site being different. I love it and this was a great idea. To Thomas, what part of El Paso? To Shawn, the self sufficient life style has always sounding interesting, and....honest?..not sure if that's the word I'm looking for but the closest I could think of at the moment. I've always wanted to give it a try, but I'm kind of afraid I would find out how much of a spoiled sissy I really am. :)

I know a fair few tattooers. Some you've heard of, some you haven't. Of the few of them who have actually taken an apprentice, I don't think they did so based on a folio of awesome drawings or paintings. I think they took them on because of their attitude and dedication, sometimes based on the tattoos they have already done. The drawings came later. Much later. It's a common misconception/dream that showing a tattooer your finished drawings will impress them so much that they will teach you to tattoo. It's like the dream a busker has of being 'discovered' playing covers in the subway. Even though I've not been tattooing a long time, I've been shown a hell of a lot of drawings and paintings by hopeful people. Up to now, I've never been impressed. Although I have been impressed with attitude and dedication over a span of time. I still haven't been tattooing long enough to take an apprentice. I don't see that changing any time soon. On a slightly related note, I'm not sure when hopeful apprentices decided that paintings were the way to learn to tattoo. They are the way to impress your hopeful apprentice-level peers and get popular on the internet, but they don't teach you a thing about tattooing in the real world. Maybe it's something non-tattooers on the internet advised them to do. Anyway, nobody even shows us drawings anymore. They don't even come to the shop. They call and ask if we 'do apprenticeships' or they send me a generic email with 'dear sir,...... I'm a fan of your work and the work from your studio...'

my advice to anyone wanting to learn how to tattoo is, go find another profession. my advice to people teaching others to tattoo is go find a tall bridge and jump the fuck off.

Bad ass Murray is

Got this from Chad Koeplinger 2 weeks ago in Chicago.

This thread is for those who want to share a little bit of their personal information with the rest of us. Most of you I only know by username and avatar, but because of our mutual passion for good tattoos I have grown curios to get to know you a little better. Internet forums are most often overcrowded with people saying all kinds of shit they don't dare utter in real life, but this place is different, and to me really precious. It's the only forum I even bother to be a member of. Anyways, my name is Ivar, I'm 29 years of age, and Oslo is the city I call home. I grew up on the country side in Telemark, but moved here in 1999. I work for a wholesalesbusiness that imports musical instruments and distributes them to all the music shops around in Norway. In my spare time I play guitar in one band and drums in another. My passion for tattoos and tattoo art started around 06 when I decided I wanted a halfsleeve. Luckily I went to a good shop at that time, which was pure coincidence since I didn't know jack shit at that point. I played in a hardcore band at the time, and I wanted to look the part and be cool. Its really fucking embarassing, but that's how it started... This is me... If anyone wants to add me on facebook send me a pm. I know this is not for everyone, but I thought I'd give it a go anyways :)

Hello, Saw this and sighed in dismay.... Million-Dollar Fender Bender - Yahoo! Autos Best

Hey everyone, Now I am sure we have all had people come up to us and have some negative comment thrown at us about our tattoos. What have been some actual quick thinking comebacks you have used to sort of defend/make the idiot go away. I'll start it off: My wife and I were in a clothing store and this lady comes up to us and said "Look at that awful tattoo, I don't like to see that on a woman". My wife's zippy comeback was "Ya well I don't like to see a mustache and a beard on a woman either but there is nothing I can do about yours..." We laughed and she walked away all frown faced LOL

My dude James Buie did this on my brother about 3 years ago at TCB Tattoo in Toronto and i'm sure i don't need to say this but he did NOT do the misfits skull.

Ursula: I agree with you 100% with one caveat. Sometimes it's just not meant to be, the would-be apprentice could be good and a stand up person and it still not work out. A personal example: Owned a high end chocolate shop where I am from, but luxury chocolate in the south during the Great Recession, not a recipe for millions, I assure you. But while winding down Plan A..b...c...d...e...f...and finally making it work in a grand fashion with Plan G, I had alot of people want to come and study with me, given what I know and who I had studied with myself. I turned everyone down, not because they were creepy, but simply didn't have the place for them, my life was on another track. So I just want to note that there are ALOT of things that could go into taking someone on or not, while being fully aware of the existence of difference between what I do and what people here do. But I agree with you and Stewart, the number one thing I would have looked for is dedication and integrity, as long as they possess the qualities that I CAN'T teach, I'll take care of the techniques that I CAN teach....I hope I make sense there and it has some applicability. Great posts, after a rather tumultuous beginning, I very much appreciate everyone's views and opinions, interesting conversations, and a burnt hand lesson.

This guy is very good with Japanese work too. Ekdahl Family Tattoo

Jesse James should have stuck with Janine Lindemulder. At least when she leaves for work every morning you know she's going to be cheating on you.

My first tattoos were these: Cracker Jack Tattoos | Blogadilla.com: The Tijuana of the Internet Notice the super-infected real tattoo ship that guy got scratched-yikes.

If you've been getting heavily tattooed, and practicing drawing and painting and no one will apprentice you, there's probably a good reason.

Oh great, Nordic jokes I DO NOT UNDERSTAND! Welcome Henrik, haha. Nice introduction, sounds like you're taking the right approach. Hope this leads to some great tattoos in the future!

i like wilson and stell. wilson did this hardy tiger for me in 2008.

Opinion: Do it.

Check out .:: King Carlos Tattoo ::.

Sometimes the reason one can't get anyone to apprentice them is because they are a moron. I'm sure there are a few guys who stated out self taught that are good now, but I bet even they at some point met someone who helped them out even if it wasn't called an apprenticeship. I think you can read as many book as you want (and it's good to do so) but you still need the hands on practice that only comes from someone else showing and teaching you the little tricks that would other wise take you years to stumble upon. For a non-tattoo example. I started out as a self taught seamstress/embroiderer but when I started seeking instruction from others who were ahead of me my skills advanced in leaps and bounds compared to the rate of improvement when I was going off books and internet alone. I learned in a one weekend class what would normally have taken me months to figure out on my own. It's great if someone has that internal desire and drive to do something but everyone can benefit from the wisdom of those who came before them.

Funny my son could care less about my tattoos, but he is always attacking the strawberries on my wife's shoulder and the lil stinky on her leg so he must just be selective. He is only 8 months so I'm sure he will notice mine soon. But needless to say I probably won't by him a doll with tattoos. You know I would agree it gets annoying at times when people who really don't have any interest in being tattooed ask you a million questions just to satisfy their curiosity or tell you about their friend who has a tattoo or wants a tattoo or can spell the word tattoo, but I also remember not that long ago i was the kid coming into the shop not knowing shit about shit and probably annoyed a few people along the way. People get the tattoos they deserve and that is enough satisfaction for me.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zmurqPrp4m0 Dan Santoro - Part 3 - Tattoo Age | VBS.TV

haha, awesome! glad someone else enjoyed it! @rockelman, check out nick cave and the bad seeds, mick harvey, the editors, the fever, devotchka, moving units, & mark lanegan. if you like mark lanegan he was in the screaming trees also. and did a project with greg dulli of afghan whigs/twilight singers.

Hey, welcome to LST. I love it when lurkers come out of the shadows.

So much wisdom in that Ferguson clip- it's about being willing to go to any lengths necessary (like going to a "legit" rehab vs. one of those country club deals). I think when addicts and alcoholics are young, they convince themselves that they have another run left in them, but it's a game of Russian Roulette. Like Ferguson said, the first part is getting sober (and wanting it), the next part is staying sober through putting in the work-spiritual and service-wise. Russell Brand had an awesome blog post about Amy's death-seems pretty swamped right now www.russellbrand.tv/2011/07/for-amy

One of my employees lives/works on a blueberry farm and recently hooked me up with some fresh picked blueberries; tonight I made blueberry with lime zest jam. The bottles are cooling right now; I should be making an amazing pb&j tomorrow if all goes well!

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.

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 heard that the only thing scares Chuck Norris is Neil Diamond...

My partner and I just had a discussion and it ended with "You know who invented black metal? Neil Diamond."

I very much enjoyed your list of likes and dislikes hahaha...

Hahhha. Fucking funny. Literally, 20 seconds after I wrote the Hail Satan and posted reply, my coworker walked in and said Hail Satan. I need some tissue paper :D

I'm Shawn. I'm originally from Florida, I lived there until my early 20s when I moved to Philly in 1999 with a girl. Relationship didn't work out, but I fell in love with the city of Brotherly Love and have been there ever since. I used to be totally self sufficient; from farming my own vegetables and hunting my own meat to canning or preserving the results. I could sew my own clothes, et all. 12 years in Philly and I've lost a lot of that. Luckily my Dad moved up here two years ago and already has me helping out with his garden and is re-honing my archery skills. My eventual goal is to move to North Carolina and not wear shoes unless I have to. (and that's not a joke) I'm a foodie, a toy collector (biding my time before I start a Pushead thread on LST) and a nerdy blogger.

Sure I'll give it a go. My name is Kye and I'm now 24. Born is Arizona and lived there till I was 15, I moved all around the valley during those years. After that moved to Sacramento until I finished HS. Came to Japan the day after graduation, mostly as a "fuck it, I'm young. Do something stupid" moment. Yet I'm still here, and now manage a club. When I lived in the states I really loved cars, BMW e30 were my favorite. Still want to get back into one, just no chance of driving over here... Don't really know what else to add.

Scott did this one last night on my arm. i'm pretty stoked on it, and all morning Jackson and i were joking around, me moving my arm quickly towards him at random points and saying "ROARRRRRR". it's not the best photo, just one from my laptop, and before i get asked, it's a California Grizzly Bear and the 1922 is the year they went extinct.

Got this a few weeks ago in Chicago from Nick Colella.

Chris Smith, Deluxe Tattoo in Chicago. The ship itself was done last year, just finished the background and flowers this time around ... Last Thursday.

Ha ha I thought only my wife said "clunge" .

got this from Ben Grillo last month...