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Stuart cripwell appointment Next month,whhhhooooohoooooo!!! Ok sorry had to let that out.

First session complete, around 5 hours. Still have some outlining to do for the dragon claws and phoenix coming up from my thigh/bum onto lower back. Was surprised how much the kidney area hurt...as bad as ribs! Cant wait for next session.

I am starting to fill in, actually I am about halfway through since I last posted. I have done some more stars and dots and some colored smoke on one forearm with a spiderweb on my elbow and some skull smoke on the other arm with a modified windswirl with lightning bolt on the other. They are looking pretty gnarly now, but will post when healed. I am really happy, considering on how it looks, especially since I was never concerned with being sleeved, I just got a bunch of tattoos on my arms till I ran out of room.

Foxes dressed in human clothes and the usual name up inner arm in olde english. I think hand tattoos on non-tattooed ppl are going to be even more prominent. And whatever the next big pop star decides to get tattooed on them. I'd love a wizard tattoo , heres my fave , by Franz Stefanik :

ok mine is finally finished! done by Marius Meyer in Oslo/Norway you can find more of his excellent on his instagram @mariusmey

As if Chad's panthers weren't tough enough without taking it to this level!

to clarify, of course... When I said 'Russian Prison tattoos on non scary Russian Mobsters' I had a lapse in grammar. What I meant was on skinny hipsters.

Hi guys, I'm very new to the tattoo game. Besides two little flash special guys, this is my first and something I'd been wanting for a while. Eli over at Smith Street did it this past Wednesday. It's not healed yet, but I wanted to get a picture before my leg hair grew back. So stoked on this!

...to Shirley Shannon!

We need to make a female tattooer name generator. I'll be Shawny Daggers.

Here's the best advice I ever gave someone. I was at the shop waiting for my dude to finish a tattoo on a soccer mom type who was jumping all over and freaking out (this was before he even started!). She saw the tattoos I had and asked me the same question, how can I sit better. My reply? "Don't be a fucking pussy and just sit there" She didn't like the comment and I could tell, but god damn she sat through that tattoo without a complaint. I used to be the same way, and I took that same advice. Don't be a pussy. Just sit there and take it. If you can't, take some pain killers, they really really do help. I went from not being able to get tattooed longer than 30 mins to having a back piece and a lot of other shitty spots without too much trouble. I have also found that eating right on a regular basis, working out, and staying hydrated all help too.

Diego Brandi from Subskin Rome used to work at the Family Business when I was in there a lot. I saw some really good work from him. In my opinion, anyway... Some of the symbolism is a bit off-the-wall for me, but you did mention neo-trad and I know some people are into that. I thought this one would solve a problem for all those people who seem to want upside-down tattoos on their forearms.... Home

this stuff is gooooood. Very rich color, nice consistency. Ive personally only used the yellow, lime green & blue concentrate but im very happy with those colors & look forward to acquiring more. I knew I had to get my hands on some after getting this bad boy by Steve Boltz last year. the time tells golden yellow makes the yellow in all my other tattoos look like piss.

Chad Koeplinger just posted a pic on twitter of a kind of hybrid crawling panther / native american design ... Worth checking out!

I do like the traditional american Native style tattoos, like a Sailor Jerry Native lookin' lady head. I purposefully have gotten nothing that could be taken as Native American for a reason though. The reason is specific to me though. Basically, my father's wife is native and I don't want anything to do with him or her. I don't want to answer questions to people who know he lives on a native reserve to be all "OMGGGG did you get that tatt cause of your dad" ugh. As far as other people having them, well I don't give a fuck. It's like getting tribal tattoos that have nothing to do with Maori culture. If you get a tribal design that means something like you are a fertile woman ready to wed, and you're a guy well then you're the one who looks like a fucking tool. I guess that's like what was mentioned earlier about getting a lady head wearing war bonnet even though it's a man's accessory. And yeah Gouge, the pendleton style, or southwestern or Navajo, whatever you wanna call it, has made a huge comeback for clothing last season and for spring 2012. You can get almost anything you can think of with a Pendleton or Native design on it right now. Wearing a pendleton coat or bag is totally different to me than being one of those asshole hipsters wearing a war bonnet to a fucking indie rock band show. That shit is lame. I guess it all comes down to know what something means before permanently marking it onto yourself... or don't 'cause it's not like the general population knows anything about art or culture and the specifics of Native American symbology.

Tim Lehi "Vagina Reaper" for the win (I'm not sure if it fits within this thread, but it is awesome haha) TIM LEHI BlackHeart Tattoo San Francisco

@David Flores hahaha you just reminded me of when i stated getting tattoos and my mom asked me "Are you going to get those things they call sleeves?" hahahahaha She had seen some newspaper article about tattoos where they used "sleeve".

dammit now everyone is gonna be asking for 'Pendleton Panthers' hahahaha for real though, the tattoo is awesome. The copy cats of it are gonna be awful, can't wait to see them!

@Kev I'm booked in for Monday with El Monga. He's doing a couple of guest spots in London after the Brighton Tattoo Convention.

Edited for truth.

Posterboy, there's nuthin stupid about what you posted, in fact I feel it is an area often overlooked by the first timers, they always want to know what to do at the time of getting a tattoo and never consider the before and not to mention that it's nearly impossible to reach those individuals prior to their first tattoo. The proof is in the pudding, prep and shave a dry area of skin and it will accept the tattooing with more difficultly and the skin itself will respond with more trauma than "conditioned" skin. Supple skin will ultimately heal easier from the conditioning due to the response of more active and healthy dermis. Now with this said there are areas that do not conform, such as the nape of the neck due to it's glandular oils and there are areas such as the neckside, underarm, nape of the knee, etc. that will generally be of the naturally conditioned. Other areas such as elbows, kneecaps and areas that will visually look abrasive prior to tattooing, as individuals differ and even gender and age will play a part as well as geographical areas with their respective seasons, i.g. Winter seasons lending to dry scaling skin. But you have hit a nail on the head when you insist that conditioning the hide helps for the acceptance of tattooing. As to the general query of what helps to maintain tattoos over long periods of time, all animals contain the proper amount of brain matter to tan their own hyde and embalming fluids work well also, ha! I have a full funeral paid in advance because I'm takin my tattoos with me, no crematorium for me but being an organ donor I can help a few people out and maybe even lend to having someone learn to play the piano withe the Hammond organ in the attic......

@ShawnPorter - hold up. In one post, you mention both having to deal with Russian mobsters and working for a porn company... Stories please! ;) carry on...

Yeah, BEAUMONT, Texas, at that. Not a very awesome place (says the guy who grew up in an even less awesome place 20 miles from there).

This may sound stupid, but is actually something I've experienced. I think there is such a thing a pre-care. My wife and I have been getting tatooed for about the same amount of time, and I always noticed she healed better and more quickly though we had the same after-care regiment. Being a woman though, she lotions just about everyday. My most recent piece though was the first time I had anything that involved more than 1 session so when I went back to have it finished I'd been lotioning the area for about a month. The healing after that 2nd session was the best I've ever healed. So, I've learned in the future to lotion the area I'm going to get tattooed pretty well for at least a week before, and I try to lotion all of my tattooed skin at least 3-4 times a week.

And I'm not referring to women like Deb, or Valerie who actually do nice tattoos and are tattooers because they want to be a tattooer. You all know the types I mean.

WORST EVER. I don't fucking get it. Are dudes that desperate to touch an attractive lady that they're willing to get shit tattoos? I know more about tattooing and the history than more than half these bitches and I'm not even a fucking tattooer. These chicks are the ones who ruin it for people like me. Do you know how hard to is to get people at conventions to take me seriously? It's because of these dumb asses. Making people think that all chicks who are attractive and have tattoos are just either trying to be a tattooer, or trying to fuck a bunch of 'name' tattooers. Luckily I'm about a zillion times smarter than most of those chicks so as soon as I start to talk or show people my artwork they start to take me seriously. For real though, it's cause of all those dummies that the stigma of "girls suck at tattooing" and "tattooed girls are whores" exist. Try not showing up a convention with 8 inch heels on and a skirt that can barely be considered a belt. Sorry for the rant. I just can't stand women who devalue themselves like that. Just to look 'cool'. We'll see who still looks cool and who's still in the tatt game when we're all over 65.

I've done a tattoo of a rebel flag on a black man, but everybody in the shop was thunder-struck by this. Cultural breakdown is right. Originally from Long Island, but most of my adult life was spent in Baltimore & Minneapolis.

Im impressed with your understanding of the American ''southern thing''. ya gotta love the South. Now how bout some "sweet tea''.

Judd Ripley from the Sailor's Grave in Copenhagen. Was looking at his site yesterday for quite a while - some really great large scale work.

here is a couple by herb auerbach,who used to work with stefan johnsson,now he is with thad at california electric. you can see the style connection but he still nails it.

Bob Wicks:

Got this a week ago from Scott Sylvia at Blackheart on my forearm Pictures don't do it justice at all the colours are much more vivid and it looks a lot sharper in person, and its a bit warped in these as i tried to take the photos myself, but you get the idea

Had another session on my back yesterday which means all the black is now done. 9 hours in and it's looking awesome in my opinon. Can't believe how quick it's gone. Instagram

I think it's my same list as last year: 1. Palms 2. faces junk.

You added 2+2 and made 7. Ibuprofen is an anti-inflammatory but it won't make a difference to the texture of your skin under normal circumstances. It's good for: • Reducing swelling on areas prone to swelling during the healing process, particularly near joints. (note, hands and feet often swell more than other areas but consider the number of joints in those areas. Apply 'reefer' jokes to taste) • For particularly painful areas I use it before getting tattooed. I didn't notice any difference on my arms, thighs or stomach etc. But did notice it helped me avoid the panic, allowing me to relax more during getting the sides of my ribcage tattooed. Still, nothing helps pain management more than relaxation and breathing techniques. Seriously. Before getting tattooed, eat a light-ish meal (sandwich or something), the night before try to get a good amount of sleep, drink plenty of water, relax, sit still, shut up and get tattooed. It's pretty easy. Because I'm a pussy I have a glucose drink with me, taking sips every 30-60 minutes or so. Any stuff you've heard or read about people taking this-or-that concoction of pills, or drinks or whatever. They are usually heavily tattooed people who are totally bored of getting hurt and sitting through the boring bit of getting tattooed. So they'll try anything. Once you get over 100 hours of tattooing on your body, a little of the exotic shine and excitement kinda wears off the experience. They get tattooed for the end result, not the experience. If you still have 50-80% of your body free from tattoos, you can be considered fairly tattooed but there's a good chance you'll be stoked to be in the tattoo chair/bench/whatever. It's interesting to look around the shop and check stuff out, to watch a little of the process and to be privy to the whole atmosphere that makes a tattoo shop one of the coolest places in the world, to be part of it and contribute by getting a tattoo. So sit still, shut up and enjoy it.

Perhaps we should suggest a "dislike" feature?

i can copy hogg too, but i have you beat. i moved to the sf and got a spider by grillo in the same spot.:) i can squat and deadlift a hell of a lot more than him though...

OH, and to the point of the Thread, I had a lady get clover leafs on her foot. She said that she re bandaged the tattoo, then put socks over it. To top it all off, she is an RN so you know there was plenty of condensation going on in those shoes.

My dude's arm, all starred and dotted. I think it looks good on just about anyone. It's very very very important to get someone who knows what they are doing and to do your whole arm at once. If you don't you'll end up with different sized stars which can look stupid. I'd recommend finding someone from Inksmith and Rogers or Smith St. These are my arms with no filler, that will soon be remedied once I get my one elbow and my wrists done. Both of us also have small things thrown in with the filler, like initials, numbers, little designs. I much prefer stars and dots to shading. To me shading just looks lazy almost. Or like the client wanted a bigger space filled but didn't have the money to make the tattoo larger.

Both ,if done well,look cool .

I can highly recomend these. Had one of these 50 minutes before my tattoo today. Worked a treat. :)

Lucy Pryor of Into You

As promised a couple more from Rachi Brains BLACK THRONE TATTOO Should maybe also take this moment to mention the also amazingly talented Ms. Alison Manners who is also tattooing out of Black Throne these days. Also check Manners Tattoo.com

I'll second Theo Mindell as one of the top lady-headers. I'll probably end up with one from him sometime soon. Also, I didn't see Cris Cleen mentioned in here, but I love his ladies. ALSO, that Dietzel flash on the last page is soooooo good.

I'm sure I'm repeating everything here but... Lady heads are super hard to make nice and super easy to fuck up. I don't have examples or links but some tattooers who I think do/did awesome lady heads (and add their own flavour) are, in no particular order: Chris Conn Valerie Vargas Isaac Fainkujen Bart Bingham Theo Mindell Jack Rudy Sleepy G Bob Wicks Justin Weatherholtz seems to be great at everything. Steve Boltz Chad Koeplinger Chris Garver Tim Hendricks There are plenty of tattooers who constantly do great tattoos but these spring to mind mostly because of their individual subtleties with lady heads. I also didn't include realistic style girl heads 'cos that's slightly different. The girls on most of the zeis flash have some great little nuances too.

Haha. I got tattooed at Goldfield's in the late 90s and everyone was telling Henry stories. One involved a guy getting the Scarface globe with "THE WORLD IS MINE" across it tattooed on his chest. Henry drew it up, stenciled it on, and the client approved. Somewhere in all the wiping, it ended up saying "THE WORD IS MINE"--and the client noticed it immediately. The story goes that Henry tattooed hydrogen peroxide into the D and fixed it on the spot. I've always taken that one with a grain of salt, but after reading Mario and William's posts, I'm inclined to believe it.