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Just noticed one of my new tattoo's is up on frith street's instagram so thought ill share with you guys Done by the very talented Valerie yesterday.

some by Richard... too many knees this summer alone...

I think I just scored a last minute spot with Chad Koeplinger at the Cleveland convention. So excited right now but not sure what to get. edit: Appointment secured! Apparently when I emailed him a long time back I asked for a panther fighting a snake. Looks like that's what we are doing. So fucking excited.

I'm stealing these from a friend on facebook, too good not to post here.. They are on his granddad who got them from Paul Rogers and R.L. Connelly (not sure who did which) sometime between 1952-53 in Jacksonville, NC. This is after 50 years of working in construction.

Dan Rick:

One of the hardest things for me about tattooing was learning how to connect with people in a real short period of time. You have to really try to put yourself out there so someone feels like you appreciate the fact that they are letting you tattoo them. Most tattooers forget who the process is really about, the customer. I constantly remind myself that although each appointment is just a small part of my day, it is a huge part of that persons life from that point on. If you cant understand this and treat people accordingly then tattooing is a bad career choice for you. That being said, sometimes people are hard to connect with no matter how hard you try.

I got in contact with @Scott Sylvia who said I was good to go, so I set appt with him to start my back. All the laser was worth it

I just booked with Stuart Cripwell to get my other knee done. It's not until late August, but I'm really excited about it.

This is the exact reason I stopped being so descriptive with posts on my blog. I'm not trying to fish for hits from people who will print my photos, I'm trying to show my work to people who want to get tattooed.

i've got nothing clever to say about today being the 4th of july, and how our backwoods asses deterred our british comrades. so fuck it. happy 4th of july, just because it's a good day to get tattooed.

Start of a full sleeve from the bottom up...done by my boss albert rosal this past Saturday..about 3.5 hours so far

You just got a lot sexier, @bulldog.

TO me the following examples are traditional daggers. Nothing wrong with yours just doesnt invoke much of a response. I dont know what can be done technically to ehance your tattoo and I would suggest not going back if you felt overcharged and unsatisfied. dagger by stewart robson frith st. london matt beckerich kings ave ny

Also, the tattoos on the Temple site do not do justice to what kind of stuff comes out of that shop

Right, should've articulated better. People know what they're signing up for. The proposed laws and recent actions of police aren't just a case of fucking around in the everyday lives of innocent people. These groups are not distantly associated with violent crime: they're in the thick of it. The sheer arrogance required to fire a weapon into a home or business, especially with some of the near-misses in NSW involving innocent people and children, shouldn't be tolerated. If someone doesn't want the cops on their ass, here's an idea: join one of the many bike clubs that don't have connections to criminal activity. I would rather have "draconian" gun laws than elected representatives being shot in the head while speaking in public, kids being shot on the way home from the store for wearing hoodies and "looking suspicious", and the disgustingly casual use of the term "school shooting" which has arisen from an event that shouldn't even have happened ONCE, let alone the numerous times it has in the US. The stereotypical American notion of "freedom" is a joke to the rest of the world - not that all Americans believe in it the same way (and I really don't have any beef with the majority of Americans), but the ones who are most vocal sure do sound ridiculous.

I think his right arm has too many stars and dots. I would have gotten more small tattoos and did just a few stars and dots to tie it together. Pretty good collection nonetheless.

I figured that while in California I should look up some other shop locations. Who knew that Spider Murphys was not too far from S.F?!? I just booked in with Stuart Cripwell for one of his great moths. This trip is going to be awesome!

I am on the fence about whether or not to fill in negative space in a traditional American sleeve or set of tattoos. I love those Cripwell legs, but I also love stars and dots as filler. Also, little tiny daggers, flowers, hearts, eagles, etc. work really well as filler. I'd like to know what y'all think about large scale Japanese work and backgrounds/filler, though. Personally, I think Japanese work needs a background to look its absolute best. Still a tough decision. Some examples: Not sure who the tattooer is on these two (any help would be appreciated): vs Horiharu: Horitoshi I: Horiyoshi III:

This is a picture of me getting tattooed in Chicago last week. This is one of the strangest and most uncomfortable positions to get tattooed but seems to be the most effective to get your inner upper thigh tattooed. Thanks to Gilly Smash @ Family Tattoo for being such a good sport as it is a pain near the ass (among other things) spot.

I thought this belonged here as a great example of negative space. I also like how one arm has the star and dot filler vs. the other non filled. I think the non-filled arm is much stronger:

I driving 250 miles to Cincinnati to get my first tattoo from Kore Flatmo in September.

This is gansta too still flexin hard .

@MadeIndelible - never apologise for posting awesome backpieces haha ;) Horitsune II Horiyasu: Not Sure on these 2:

My knee and shin dine by Danny Reed at Hot Stuff in Asheville, NC.

I have some pretty bad ones I will never mess with ,because of association. one of them is by the late Eric Hogan. he was by no means a great friend , more like someone I knew, But I will always remember him, His mother would probably appreciate this. During these times that seem sometimes like a "cool" race, we need to remember the whys and hows people have always gotten tattooed. As a tattooer/ist we ,especially street shops, face it everyday. those silly reasons mean something to those not in the know. your Moms love, your children's love, you went somewhere, you freed yourself, don't forget. They aren't just cool. Last evening I put stick figures holding balloons on a woman's foot, I tried to put them on with all the professionalism that i could. If those don't meet anyone's ideas about what good art is or what a cool tattoo is,it doesn't matter. she talked about how she went to a different shop and they were rude about it. I did a good job, she was happy, I got to eat dinner doing something I want to do,not something i have to do, Im not cleaning toilets ,Im not a Walmart greeter. not that good hard work isn't respectful , Its that I'm lucky and hopeful today. And yes I will try and give them the best stick figures they need. I do love me some "regular people".

Your dagger's just fine, but based on your experience, I wouldn't go back to that artist. And I know that politeness runs deep in Canadians, but you don't have to be so polite next time. It's your tattoo, and you're the one who has to live with it.

I see what you're saying, and I agree on all counts. But I'm wondering if the lower part is a partial coverup?

I travel with mine visible on pleasure trips, never been stopped by security ever. Last trip, they did take my shaving cream... maybe next trip I cover ALL of my tats with shaving cream.. let them deal with that. CG

Worst spot for me personally has been the chest/collarbone area, but i've managed to avoid (either through luck or subconscious fear) most of the areas that seem to have cropped up frequently in this thread. A lot of it can come down to the tattooer, too. I won't mention names (not that it's a negative), but the 6 hours i spent working on my thigh were a breeze compared to one ~90 minute long tattoo i had done on the outside of my forearm. I think one thing we can probably all agree on is that pain or no pain, we all keep signing up for more.

i want to state first and foremost i dont want to come off like im tryin to be a dick or "slaying" thats not my place here or anywhere on the net... i feel like tattooing for me was just a natural life progression, i love tattoo's getting them learning about them and i like being creative. i dont like the art "scene" or much care to paint canvas. it doesnt get me off like writing does. tattooing would not fund my graffiti, graffiti for me is "free" consider homedepot ect. a sponcer as i was pretty prolific with my racking. i kinda lost interest with graffiti as i realized i was taking a fun nick name game to serious and when my son asked my why i just marked on the box truck in traffic and around the same time was focusing more on tattooing. ?(dont get me wrong i still get it in) this is just me, i cant speak on other writers. but to be honest money doesnt have much to do with why i got invloved i make maybe 10$ a day as an apprentice where im at work 60 hours a week. basicly pays for lunch. im currently located in a small seasonal town so wont make much money when i do tattoo. and as a young in skill tattooer i wont think ill see much money if and when i move. but it gets me out of the house keeps my quest and hunger for knowledge fufilled as i cant see any end to me learning. and legal fee's way down. i can go on for ever but i doubt you or anyone else could give a shit about some dudes life. i wish you good luck on your quest. you can message me in private if you wish to discuss any graffiti type shit further. -JM1 NSF

We're having fun with that too, homer...you need to get out more and look around. ATF destroys anyone and anything they feel could be a threat to them or their masters, and there are more and more cameras every day. http://chicago.cbslocal.com/2011/02/08/aclu-blasts-chicagos-network-of-cameras/ And now we have drones in the air HERE spying on us. http://news.yahoo.com/midwest-ranchers-lawmakers-protest-epa-flyovers-080146368.html "From time to time, the Tree of Liberty must be watered with the blood of tyrants and patriots"

my first tattoo was a half sleeve, go big or go home!! ;)

I think people are searching for something that doesn't exist. This mythical original idea that no one has thought of. When in reality someone has already thought of it determined it sucked and got something better tattooed. Most of the people I hang with think it's cool when you have the same tattoo, in fact my friend got a tattoo I already have the day before I went to Chicago . Even last week getting tattooed by someone I had never met before I noticed we had a lot of the same tattoos and some tattoo designs I had always wanted to get. I have plenty of tattoos that aren't off flash sheets but I mean ultimately if most of your tattoos are in the same style your look is going to be very similar even if the subject matter is different.

Bud, you obviously haven't met the BATF!!! You have no freedom, only whatever illusion of freedom it suits the Perfumed Elite to allow. The first time you step over their invisible line, their alphabet-soup agencies will take you down most rickey-tick.

I (randomly) ended up looking at some Yelp tattoo reviews of a studio this morning - it just popped up in my search results and I read them. Amazing how many reviews involved people saying they had a 'bad' or at least 'less than ideal' experience because they didn't "connect" with their tattooer. One even commented that if she was going to have to spend 3-4 hours with them then it was important to her that she be able to relate to them as a person. A couple make reference only to the 'personality free zone' that was their tattooer. It makes me think of someone rejecting their architect on the basis of their personality (not necessarily their customer service). "Hmm, the plans look great and it's got all the features incorporated I asked for... But Tom is just a personality-free zone in our meetings, and I can't identify with him on a deep enough emotional level."

if you're in ontario, franz stefanik is in burlington. he does pretty sweet traditional stuff.

Without claiming to be one of the experts:- I am bringing one arm down in a few months, and I thought the same as you: If it's visible when I'm wearing a shirt and tie at work then that's a problem for me. To be honest I figure better fractionally shorter than I could have got away with than fractionally too long, meaning I might be flashing it when I'm reaching across a table or pointing, gesturing etc. Even if there were a 'traditional' line on the forearm or wrist then to be honest I would disregard it if it didn't suit my circumstances. I haven't really looked into it yet but I guess I will have to put on a shirt some day and fool around and see how low I can go. Add least you can still add if you want to. If you'd gone overboard the first time you might be regretting something that's harder to change.

My friend and I were looking over Google Analytics and noticed there was a huge surge in the search term "Traditional Tattoo" in February of this year, especially in Australia and New Zealand. I expect to see more of this soon...

You'd get more luck asking at the places where an apprenticeship could happen. Hint: it's not the internet. But first, you need to get tattooed. I guess that means you need to wait. My honest no-bullshit advice would be to get a real job first. You'll learn more about people, money, hard work and responsibility there than at a 'Tattoo Academy'. That 'Tattoo Academy' just swindled a chunk of money from a child. I'm sorry, but you wasted your time there. Good Luck.

Hey Doug, welcome to LST. There are heaps of great resources here to check out and to soak up if that's your goal. Check out the newbie guideline section and do a search for anything that interests you :) First of all, I'm not a tattooer. I do have the privilege of knowing some amazing ones, and of having learnt a lot from them, this great site and other places. If they where answering the question, I'm sure they'd say - draw & listen. Your still young so spend the next few years drawing your ass off, maybe TAFE or Uni for art, and once your old enough find a great tattooer who's stuff you like and go and start getting tattooed by them. DON'T go to a scratcher or let some friends do it. Think ahead, work out your plan and then attack it. Get reference books and build your library - both tattoo and non-tattoo related and study your ass off. Once you've started getting some sweet tat-zaps (sorry small joke) from your soon to be mentor (they won't know this yet) start making yourself indispensable around the shop and show them that you have a real and honest desire to learn the craft, respect it and above all give as much as you can back to it. "If you look after tattooing, tattooing will look after you". Plus by this stage with hard work your drawing and painting will be off the hook and they won't be able to say no to you. And check out Scott's interviews, you'll learn a lot from them ;) One question - WTF is the Australian Tattoo Academy? And why does the thought of it scare me?.. I'm kinda glad I got in before you potentially got roasted (not supposed to ask about apprenticeships etc... but you asked for advice, not for one I guess) The fact that your 16 and trying to get your hustle on I had to respect, so I hope this helps and I hope some actual tattooers will chime in and give you some sage advice.

@Maximalion - this is nothing compared to the HA's v RM in the 90's, now that was a war! @Amok - Not sure how much I can really say on it... it is still recent history and not being from the city of sin, I have no idea what is happening/what happened in relation to it so it may have to wait for another time. Sorry homie ;) @Dan S - the Highway 61 stuff is actually pretty damn interesting, but it may have to be in a PM. That shit is local to me on a number of levels lol. As I mentioned earlier it isn't that bad, or no worse than usual? In saying that, other members of society might have a different view/argument but it's only because they are now more aware of it because of the coverage. And I guess where I grew up and who I grew up with has given me a slightly different view point. It has a lot to do with the gun crime associated with it. After the Port Arthur Massacre, all auto & semi automatic weapons where banned, handguns no longer can be owned by private citizens (citation needed) and other laws surrounding firearms where tightened. Most of the incidents have involved handguns and semi autos so that's big news. Also these younger guys have none of the 'old codes' so innocents have been getting caught in the crossfire and people are rightly pissed about it. Back in the day it was pretty bad. No, you couldn't just open a shop and you had to have some sort of affiliation to be protected/left alone. Pretty much like most places I guess, Then (and I don't know how or why) Things changed and shops started to pop up that weren't biker controlled and everyone was happy. You still had your spots outside of capital cities (and inside to be fair) that where club controlled - place I grew up for example was where Old Rebels came to retire (ie. set up meth labs lol) and the only shops around where associated. Only now has that started to change. (it takes awhile to catch up out that way) In recent years however, especially in Sydney, new groups have popped up, organisations looking to get other income streams/ways to launder money have turned to the old ways and shit has been getting a little hectic. There has been a few incidents locally (Brisbane) but in my view nothing really out of the ordinary and nothing really, really bad. Gold Coast has had some shit go down though lol. Mind you, I don't really like the place so eh. And Adelaide has had shit brewing for a few years (you don't touch another brothers old lady is all I'll say) And then the normal territorial and supply disputes. I'm going to ask some friends who are a lot more knowledgeable on the subject, and if it works out I might try and set up an interview and report back. Please note, I'm no expert, I have some knowledge and I have really only scratched the surface on some of the issues. Lets see how it all pans out over the next few months/years ;)

I love that the panther, while awesome, might not even be the best tattoo that Iwar got in June! Congrats, my friend.

Steve Byrne BOOM! Steve Byrne Tattoo | Facebook

Horiyasu: Horiharu: Hijiri:

i have travelled for all my tattoos, next one will be with miketheathens in Greece

Dean Denney, Anonymous Tattoo Savannah, Georgia. Cap Coleman:

Taken from the Temple site by Mr. Nice Guy himself.

Found another one...

Fly tattoo from Dietzel on my boss. 1964. $5. About the size of a golf ball.