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just part of the culture of entitlement and narcissism. when doing something for charity, it's not about "you" so suck it up and leave if that's what you are asked to do. i didn't realize "giving up one's saturday" was cause enough to make such a big deal over something. she's quoted as being made to feel like a shoplifter but that's a real stretch because she wasn't arrested for having tattoos, just asked to leave. as far as general acceptance of tattoos, it will come and go. it's a cycle that repeats over time and trust me, there are still really conservative people out there that get freaked out by them. i don't have any problem with that, kinda like it actually. if i volunteer and they ask me to leave i would and then i would just go find another charity or charity event in which to volunteer my time if that's why i was really there. most people do good deeds so that they can feel good about themselves instead of giving as a sacrifice. in general im offended daily by peoples ignorance and narcissism, but i don't feel the need to address or attempt to change all those people. it's a lost cause. instead i enjoy the few moments when someone realizes their error and makes it right on their own, that's far more satisfying.

I look like a freak, but I work in the non-freak world. That's why I cover up when I'm at work. It's a very small price to pay. @Stewart Robson, I seem to recall you saying that you worked as a designer before tattooing, right? I'm guessing you were heavily tattooed then, but probably not on your hands or neck. Hell, when Bob Roberts asked me if I tattoo, I said, "No sir--I work in an office. No hands or neck for me," he held up his hands and said, "Me, neither!" God, I sound old, but I feel like the latest generation of tattooed folks think it's their right to have their hands and neck done. If you're around tattooers or heavily tattooed people all the time--which most non-tattooers aren't--that's one thing, but it's nice to be able to get by in the real world without too much hassle, too.

I just got home from our little trip to LA, and I brought a friend: I went to Bob Roberts and asked him for one of his tiger heads. He saw the spot I had open and furrowed his brow. "That's gonna be tough." He tried to sketch something on, but I could tell he was kinda flustered, so I said, "Ya know, I also really like your spiders." He lit up and said, "Now you're talkin'!" He drew it on and knocked it out in half an hour. All in all, it was a great, great experience. He and I chatted about music and, of course, tattoos. He asked to see my back, then said, "I got a snake on my back, too." He then proceeded to melt my face off by showing me his Ed Hardy backpiece, as well as his Horiyoshi III torso pieces. Coolest fucking dude ever, and I am beyond stoked on my black widow.

I think it's important for people to learn that they are going to be around all types of people and treat them with respect and (ideally) embrace their differences. Ideally. This is the real world and stores are just businesses. Just because they sold a generation or two on the idea that they're a happy, fuzzy part of our lives and families, we act like they're not businesses. They have one imperative -- make money. If a store feels like people working there, even for free, even for charity will put some customers off, they get to say so. Stores want to put forth the plain, beige, unnoffensive face of conformity. Little old ladies still think tattoos are for sailors and whores and some of us are cool with that, even embrace it -- and all of us should at least learn to deal with it. You don't get take part in this thing with a long history of putting us on the outside of mainstream social circles, then act surprised by it. You choose this for yourself and people's perceptions are known. If you want to give society the finger, don't get mad at them when they know what it means. Furthermore, the article that started all this shouldn't even be an article. It should be one girl's Facebook status update. Must have been a light week for news.

"It is pretty when you hide beauty. Japanese put the loveliest designs on the inside of our clothing so that it can only be peeked at, not stared at. Similarly, I only allow photos of my own body as I am proud — as a tattooist — to show my work. If I were not in this line of work, I would never show them to anyone, except my family and buddies who also have tattoos." - Horiyoshi III.

Do whatever you want in this life, but do not bitch about it when someone else doesn't like it. Discrimination is walking through a gated community, being shot and killed, and the police not doing shit about it. Being asked to leave a job that you were not getting paid for is a gift.

This from Duncan X. Tattooed about an hour ago.

@Turquoise Cherry I think it's 'context sensitive' some places it seems right that the staff have visible tattoos, others not. It varies from city to city and job to job. Visible tattoos don't belong in M&S. That above article didn't make it clear what charity work the girl was doing nor who for. It did make it clear that she became argumentative. If I argue, even as a customer, they have the right to ask me to leave. If I was volunteering, you could be damned sure I wouldn't argue with the staff who were playing host to my charity work. Just because you work for free it doesn't mean you can be a dick about it. There's still some responsibility to be professional. I guess my perception of 'tattooed people' is different from most. The majority of my customers are at least skilled professionals, some are craftsmen, some are lawyers, bankers, accountants. Many are self employed or own a business or company. Most of them don't discuss their tattoos with their co-workers, even more don't show them. You can bet most of them don't show them outside of our shop, conventions or maybe the gym. These are the kind of people I have respect for. The kind who don't flaunt their tattoos at the grocery store. then complain when someone doesn't like it. @Dan S once you decide to get a tattoo, for yourself, you are weird. I dont care what anyone else says. A freak is somewhere between that and a bodysuit. except me. I'm normal and everyone else is weird. - but really, your question doesn't have a standard answer but that doesn't weaken my point. Believe it or not, we at Frith Street have a "dress code" If you don't have tattoos, you can't work with us. We think that's fair. To be honest I find it sorta dull and small-minded to discuss the pros and cons of if adults who deliberately chose to do something they know isn't totally acceptable across the board, should bitch and whine when someone points out that it's not totally acceptable. An extreme example: If a nudist who likes to hang around without clothes, does it at a nudist/naturist beach or resort, good for them. Adults exercising their freedoms and hobbies in a mutually agreeable, non-harmful manner. If they do it at a schoolyard at playtime... Context is everything.

Thats a lie. Im a liar.

Great work on here, now I want to do a girl head on the hand...or two. Here's some I did years ago on an old punk rocker from the glory days. [/img] Sorry for the pic quality, had to snag it from a small pic online as our shop computer crashed.

I plan on getting something from Danse Macabre (Holbein). I you could like a post more than once.

Saw a lady today with two neck tattoos and a shitty half Sleeve an that's it who came into work. That's all I could think was, you didn't earn that. And you must really hate having a job

Adopt me.

@hogg yes. I got heavily tattooed while I worked in that environment but I always wore long sleeves to client meetings, however informal. Tattoos often distract from the matter at hand. If the volunteer worker mentioned here had cared about her charity work, she would have understood that and covered up a little, to best serve the charity she was supposed to be helping. As it stands she failed. The story didn't even mention which charity she was volunteering for. Nor did she wear any evidence of that charity for her victim-style press-shot.

And tonights line up

just finished this one today. holbein the younger, death and the pedlar.

I would be sober all the time.

I can't remember for crap.... I feel like an ass for even posting without having the artist name... but it was too good to not post. I know he got it in Japan by a hori, all hand tapped/poked.... it was the smoothest thing I had ever seen.

Isn't it beautiful? He's the same artist who did all the portraits of and for Henry VIII. I had an old 1920s copy of Dances of Death checked out of the library for about a year that I just kept renewing so I could paw through it again and again. It's not as good as owning a copy, but I just saw that you can download the digitised version of the entire book: The dance of death : Holbein, Hans, 1497-1543 : Free Download & Streaming : Internet Archive

I'm in the same boat as you and share your approach. I love my tattoos but I understand the world I live and work in. Therefore it's long sleeved shirts all the time. i've said this before, I live in Arizona and when it's 115 degrees (which is 45 celsius) I'm in those long sleeves. Hands, neck and face tattoos belong to those whom can make a living and it not effect their ability to do so. We live in a world that is prejudicial and it will not change.

Amazing stuff . Was only recently I found out he was the same Duncan X from Sheep On Drugs , I remember seeing them live nearly 20 years ago lol

Wow! The auctions net was more than 3400.00 bucks! It actually stands as proof that information is valuable and in turn proof that tattooing has importance and a legacey. I only hope the info isn't hidden away from the masses.

Not heavily tattooed (yet) but got enough visible ones to draw a reaction and quite frankly id rather have someone not agree with having them then every fuck tard telling me their prospective plans for a shitty tattoo unsolicited at the drive thru. Just give me my Starbucks already

Solid

She should have thought about that before getting visible tattoos or heavy tattoo coverage. M&S isn't Vans, Top Shop, Urban Outfitters etc. What did she expect? Lately American Apparel have been shying away from hiring heavily tattooed people. I think this is great. I'm sick of seeing heavily tattooed people in every coffee/clothes/record/food shop. No I'm not being sarcastic. It's time for people who make themselves look like freaks to accept the fact that they are freaks and stop whining that nobody accepts them in the non-freak world. Nobody forced that girl to get tattooed, she wasn't born tattooed, it was her choice, regardless if she volunteers for charity work. Are long sleeves and a high collar too much trouble when working with the public?

Coins by colors. I have all the basic ones and am moving into 'shades of' now. Once I get all the colors I can finally buy new words... cause if I get Beyonce again.....

Chris O'Donnell updated his blog yesterday with photos of the collaboration back piece he is doing with Thomas Hooper. Damn, I can't wait to see that finished. It would be pretty awesome to get a collaboration piece like that by two great artists from one shop.

A Japanese Version I nabbed a pic of at True...

I'm really sorry to hear that, I hope she gets better! I am doing a Mom piece myself at the end of April, I lost her in January. Nothing better than the Moms!!!!!

I always marvel that people will come in wearing a pair of $150 sneakers and balk at a $50 minimum for a tattoo of all things or the price of a portrait of their late mother. Their values are all out of order I feel no obligation to cater to that. When people ask me why I charge what I do, I tell them, I charge what I'm worth. Sometimes i let them know that iif someone charges a lot less, you have to ask yourself what corners they're cutting and if they feel like they can get the same level of work cleanly for less elsewhere go for it. In fairness, I can be an unwavering bastard, largely because I don't like people telling me what my time and skill is worth. It's not like we have a pile of these tattoos cluttering the back room we have to clear out on the cheap.

got this lady from brad stevens @ ny adorned tonight.

Patent this.

Bryan Burk yesterday Dark Horse, Los Angeles

Nate Beavers. Private Shop. Lower half of an on going sleeve.

Heres one from El Bara out of True Love Tattoo, Madrid. He's at the Scottish Tattoo convention in March.

It's hard to get a clear pic, but this is my tattoo from Kim Saigh @Memoir Tattoo, she did it on Feb 28th:

Jondix, 1 week ago, at his private studio in Barcelona.

david bruehl

Darts is a shit game anyway

I dig this a lot. We are all people with a common interest and like sharing experiences thru this site. I get just as much of a kick talking to someone who looking for a first tattoo or a tattooer I admire. When it comes down to it we are all just people with our own interests. I could give a shit about people opinions on my tattoos. If you like it, great! If you dont, nod your head and move on... we dont need a system for making people think they got a shitty tattoo. This isnt Inkmasters, its an awesome tattoo community.

i was taking a peek at ross nagle's wordpress just now, such killer stuff... he posted this eagle that is on his own neck, done by tim hendricks. i thought it needed to be shared here, 'cause it's really cool. hope you don't mind the stolen material ross?! thanks dude!

thanks. I've had one 2 hr sitting since. i havent been counting the hours but i think its hover somewhere around 10 give or take. its going very quickly. here it is now.

Eagles rock ! Heres another tuff chest piece this time from everyones favourite Bryan Burk .

Here is my eagle. It was done by Matt Arriola.

This is 1/2 a matching set by Alex Empty of Golden Rule. I'm sorry you have to look at my phanny. edited to add the bloody 1/2 done version just because I think it's funny.