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I'm not sure if it's the done thing to post in this thread without an attached image, but fuck it I'm going too anyway because I can't find a more suitable thread. I got my first ever tattoo yesterday! It is the first part of a full, left-arm sleeve by Valerie Vargas and of course it is amazing. In general I did not find the pain too bad, although the forearm is probably low down on the list of painful places to get tattooed. But I also put it down to a childhood of almost constant summer sunburn, and the artist' deft hand. Also, I was distracted by the workings of the shop, and Dante's entertaining patter. The flush of endorphins in response to the pain was bizarre, and left me feeling pretty stoned. That started wearing off just at the point where Valerie decided to stop - mercifully. A three-hour train journey back to Wales involved me avoiding getting smashed into, and then it was home to wash the tattoo. What I wasn't prepared for was the fucking plasma dripping off my arm. I have seen my wife's tattoos fresh after being done but that was nothing compared to the snot my arm was exuding. It was Bill Murray in Ghostbusters levels of slime. I have to admit to being fascinated by how the body reacts to the trauma of tattooing. A day later and it is like a mild sunburn and looks fucking great. If Valerie is cool with it, I will put some images up after the next session.

Fuck Me Running!!! Hell yeah. Backyard Of Ages!

the whole 'do what you want' fills me with dread, mostly cos every time it crops up bar once they never really mean it. it usually involves me having to think about ideas, since they arent giving me anything to go on and taking time to develop them into a design. the few times it's been requested of me, ive mentioned skulls or animals and i could see them shrug ever so slightly and then the words come out, 'i'm not really a fan of skulls...' or 'i was thinking more of a girl with a pocketwatch/magpie/victorian artefact...' my thing is, that if you just want something, ask for it, dont tell me to go crazy then say youre not into what i just said, specially when im not even pushing the boat out. it's not doing me a favour letting me do what i want, its giving me a headache, i much prefer some direction or a seed of an idea. the combination is much better than starting out cold. also, one week i might really wanna do a blood thirsty warrior and maybe i wanna do a 2 headed medieval dragon the next, my reference and influences change from week to week, i dont keep a list of things i wanna do, maybe some tattooers do but i dont. my conclusion on this is, only ask your tattooer for whatever they wanna tattoo if you are 100% sure you can live with yourself wearing whatever they come up with on your skin forever, and if you can't, then give them a couple of ideas or ask if theres something theyve been thinking theyd like to do recently and keep it open.

@Ursula and everyone else who weighed-in, thanks for voicing up. In order to know what a good tattoo is VS a bad tattoo OR a bad tattoo VS a mediocre tattoo and so on, one must often see the difference. It's an open forum so this is part of it though we thought ahead, somewhat, and put some things in place... -Use the 'like' button because photos/tattoos that are most 'liked' rank higher and appear on the first pages. -Next, there is the comments section so leave feedback on both good, mediocre, and bad tattoos but be respectful. -Lastly, everyone starts somewhere in getting tattoos and more often than not we start getting bad tattoos first and it is not til we learn what a good tattoo is and/or someone offers constructive criticism that we realize I need to get better tattoos or some time passes and you take note its all bleeding together or its fading much faster than it should. This site is aimed at all interested in tattoos so all have the opportunity to learn and get better tattoos. Shit, I was in a shop topless the other day getting tattooed and I know when ever this happens around those who know tattoos I am going to get comments on my bad tattoos so I laugh with them while getting better tattoos.

Found another one...

Good morning LST :cool: I just got back from Japan and I'm well and truly jet lagged, but before I crash for a few hours before work this evening, figured I should share this... I'll post the blog I promised later ;) Duffa must sleep now zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz (seriously need to, I'm talking in third person lol)

Yeah. That just happend. BAM.

No worries pal. They are also called abdominal pads and dont stick to wounds. They are great for covering up intestines that have leaked out from penetrating injuries. But I think they work better for tattoos.

He was a little crazy from what I have read about him as well. There are no animals around him... but there is a massive eagle chest piece right above him... I think that works out okay.

Well if that dosn't convince the parole board, I don't know what will.

Made cookie dough cupcakes. It's exactly as disgustingly sugary as it sounds.

say fuck it and quit your suit and tie job? :D

California has basically made it impossible to own a legit AR-15. Im going ak47 first....simple cheap and even a child can use it. 1911 tho is my favorite handgun....so classic and with a nice one I feel the most accurate. Also like 357 revolver and really would like an M-1 garand for my higher caliber rifle. Ahhh I love tattoos, music and guns.

the "faith" part of my brain must have broken at one point since I never believe anything without at least a hint of skepticism. Hell if I never fell I would say gravity was a lie! I also know a few literal Christians/Muslims. The problem is that the whole "believe without questioning" wanders to other topics outside of that which is religious, in my observations. Argument put as such..."I know your wrong...ME: Well look at this xyz....THEM: I dont care about looking at xyz....ME: But it is solid PROOF!....THEM: I dont believe you...ME: YOU NEVER LOOKED!!!!.....THEM: I dont have to, I know your wrong" This was an actually conversation (non-religous subject)

I have Baphomet on my left hand. So unless I'm wearing gloves I pretty much always have to rock the 'uncomfortable looks/questions' risk every time I talk to people. A little kid asked me once if it was "The Devil". Instead of getting all wordy, I said "yeah, because the DEVIL IS COOOOL". He smiled, the little scamp. Even kids love the dark lord.

There are very rare examples of people with only good tattoos in my personal experience. I guess it is just a part of the process

New one got done yesterday. Super stoked. 2 lady heads 1 leg

I agree with Iwar. I try and be a little vague just to see what they can come up with. I will say sometimes I stare over their shoulder during the drawing process and yell violently to add or remove shit.

So I just read the first 15 pages and I'm skipping the last 10. What have I learned from all this? Next time I go to get a tattoo, I am just simply going to point at the artist, point at the location I want something done in, and then point to the reference material I brought with me so as to not offend anyone.

Anyone else have pictures of accurate tattoos?

In my experience most of the "famous" tattooers I've met have been super nice people. Oliver, Tim, Scott, Rassier, Lehi, Juan, Darren Brass, Mike Wilson, I know there's more I can't remember at the moment, none of them were rude, or acted like a big man on campus when I met them. Oliver actually really surprised me by remembering who I was after meeting me once and not seeing me for a year or two after that. I am one of the many who has tattooer their initials onto his arm. He was super hospitable every time I've been to Dallas and has treated my fiancé (a tattooer) really really well and given him great opportunities to work at his shop. Tim was also super nice to me even though I unknowingly had creeped him out earlier haha. Mike Wilson has given more to me and my fiancé then we could ever thank him for. So basically I don't think getting even more crazy famous is going to make Oliver untouchable to those who really want to get tattooed, just might take a little longer.

i do the same thing when im out of town, a couple weeks ago i was down in orange county, and went into goldrush just to look, and they were confused that i just wanted to come in, and not get tattooed. i felt like a dick but oh well.

this is a fascinating documentary that i highly suggest watching. it blew my socks off. all the stills in the trailer are photos he takes of his 'world', and are just as amazing as the stuff he's making. watch this

Just get more tattoos!

So just move here already goddamnit.

@Dr Benway, sounds like a great way to start! Look forward to some photos.

My idea for the ROA I want on on me is to substitute the cross for this: (My guitar, not the grill, or the trashcan) :D It puts a personal spin on a timeless design, and still works.

Yea Abrahamic religions (Christian, Judaism, and Islamic religions and their spin-offs) do have that fear thing down pat, this has part to do with the fact that they all branched off from the same thing! The problem comes down to how you "read" any of these faiths. If literal, you will lead an interesting life (in the bible if a woman cheats on her husband she gets stoned to death, if you cut your beard you are damned, etc etc) or you can do what a lot of the Christian sects do and interpret the Bible (or insert any religious texts), under the assumption that it was written for the morals and depends on stories/ideas that generally shape your ideals, not to be read as literal. Also the Catholic church has been a very rich entity for a very long time. (Just check out Vatican City!! It is fuckin gorgeous!)

I'm sure one of those evil bastards like Paul Booth or Uncle Allan would have come up with something ... (by the way being flippant , Uncle Allan is not really evil ...)

I want a "rock of Satan" a giant stone Pentagram/goats head/Venom LP cover coming out of the sea. No I dont. Just kidding.

It was called both Ink Wars and Tattoo Wars dependent where it was shown I think

saber awr = )

Over the course of the last year and a half I got bit by the tattoo bug really bad. I've been in the chair 14 different times in that span, and it's all because I found the artist who can translate my ideas into tattoos i really want to wear for the rest of my life. Every time I've gone in to see him so far it's been one of these three ways: 1) "I've got this old tattoo from the (80's or 90's), would you be willing to fix it? You can do whatever you want to make it better." 2) I don't tattoo, but I can draw respectably well, enough so that I can take an idea to him on paper and say "Can you make this work where I want it? Do whatever you need." 3) Go in with the vaguest of reference materials and say "I'd like something with a lucky horseshoe and a black cat, do whatever you want." Almost shit myself when I saw what he came up with. And ended up with my current favorite tattoo on my body. So far, trusting the the guy that is gonna tattoo me has been working out really well for me. Maybe it helps that I don't attach any deep meaning to any of my tattoos, I'm just really drawn to the style of art that tattoos represent. Just my 2 cents.

I enjoy the artistic license afforded me by my customer, with a general subject. I follow some simple old rules that have worked for a long time. When they look at a refined line drawing, they get the idea. I hate seeing money go out the door, so I will draw as long as my schedule allows. Getting off my sometimes lazy ass and doing a color study usually results in a stoked customer and a way better tattoo. I have noticed this, people come in with a better description and more willing to make the attempt at conveying their desire since the television shows. Some tattooers get grumpier with age, but the cool head always prevails.

1) I do enjoy freedom when designing a tattoo, but I have learned over the years to pry into the clients thoughts as deep as possible before putting pencil to paper. It's easy to spot a client who is willing to give me total freedom, but if I see an ounce of "control freak" in a client I spend the time consulting their ideas until I feel like we are on the same page.(even a walk-in) 2) I would redraw a design as many times as took to please the client. I have had many clients that simply wasn't happy until the design looks like a they drew it them self in 8th grade. Once it reaches this point I respectfully decline to do the tattoo. I will add this. My rule is, I will do anything to please the client, but I draw the line when I have to send something out the door I'm not proud of.

How the old school boys do it-Bill Loika ,Tattoo Peter Amsterdam.

I know this is the back piece thread ,but seeing Josh Arment's back in person and seeing Cory Lenherrs clients front demonstrates to me the power of this look .American badass with a Japanese vibe.