Leaderboard

.....after a month as a Community Leader we are proud to promote @slayer9019 to Moderator!! Please welcome him to the ways of the banhammer. @hogg worked all night long in his garage building a new hammer.

That is one of the worst color portraits I have ever seen in my life. Below i posted a link to Virginia Elwood's facebook page. Not only does she do good black and grey portraits, but she has some good examples of what I was suggesting as a more traditional take on a portrait using color. I know you are not going to go to New York, but I mean this is what good tattooing looks like, I hate to say it, but that shop you posted has more bad stuff than good, although there is some good, just trying to steer you in the right direction. Virginia Elwood's Photos | Facebook

Another piece by @Nick Colella of CTC, one-day notice to get it. Far as he can figure, Tom Berg did the flash in the thirties, and it's been on the wall fo the shop for some decades... First step in filling in the rest of my left arm, and it should work. I have some very old western-style stuff like a panthers head on that arm, as well as some fairly old (1982-1984) Jap style work, so we have to kinda get a blending going on. Thought this piece did that well. There will be one more fairly major piece, and then fill. Pix aren't the best, but you get the idea....I know this isn't the most rad and popluar styling, but hey, old flash for an old guy! Background of the shop is kinda kool, too.

A lot of people do great tigers, but none of them do them better then Tim Lehi.

Past few months, sorry about the pic quality Diego Azaldegui Mostly healed back fresh (not healed) Cobweb off Diego again (healed) Frank Carter fresh (not healed) Sara Schor, not healed swollen and flakey :D I need to get some healed photos soon

Here is a pic of me and my hammer

Whoawhoawhoa -- more couples on LST>! @DJDeepFried and @TrixieFaux? Awesome. Also awesome, @Pugilist that you're coming from a totally different place than most others seem to be. Glad I can get into 'em with my wife now, too, (we got matching ones on our birthdays!) - - - Updated - - - OVER A YEAR AGO! Going back and reading through this thread is super fun.

@hogg yep you don't have to look far to see some lehi cats, why have one when you can have two right...

The SLAYHAMMER! I like it.

Starting my back in October. Max Kuhn will be doing it and i'm so fucking excited!

You know, I'm inclined to agree with you.

- - - Updated - - - Fuckin hell this restoration lark is a piece of piss.

Just confirmed my appointment with Henning Jørgensen for the London Convention. Getting a Hyottoko. Can't frickin wait!

oh, big surprises in store people...Jesse Smith wins....call me psychic. I know the competition looks tough ( rolls eyes ) ....and I dont even like "new school" but I won't deny talent. This whole thing seems like a rigged competition in order to be a drawn out TV commercial for the 1 dude with true skills. These shows are bad news for ethical tattooist who actually care about the industry. terrible. I can't even express how miserable this whole thing is. If the show was loaded with awesome artist, I would be singing a different tune. But, well, I suppose it is like hoping to see a real life unicorn...it just is not gonna happen. Sorry if I offend anyone, not my intention....getting people to be more critical of bad tattooing and ethical tattooing IS my intention. These shows cheapen the whole thing by putting bone-head hacks on a pedestal and calling them "worlds best"....

I think that part if the trick is thinking in advance that it's going to be horrible. Then the reality is that it just sucks without being unbearable.

Interesting update: I just had my annual review with my boss. He said he'd actually like to see expose more of my tattoos as work, as I'm a "creative" (copywriter) and he wants me to feel as comfortable as possible. I mentioned that I keep mostly covered because a lot of the folks in our company are fairly uptight, but he said, "Fuck them." We'll see how it goes!

Tigers n Panthers n Lions...oh my. All three by Den Yakovlev.

@Dan S Yes !! mate . - - - Updated - - - Oops guess we all get it at the same time .

Ha, must be time for you to get one. Don't forget to post pics!

Hi, and thanks for the welcome. Yes, I have a few pretty small ones, that were really based on impulse, when I had no clue about tattooing. I got them in White Dragon in Belfast. I am pregnant at the moment with the baby due in a few weeks, so if everything goes to plan, later this year or early next I will be getting many more. I have been cautious this time, i know what I want, I just need to find the right person to do it. Thats really why I joined the forum. I want some really realistic/hyper realistic work on both upper arms, coming across my chest., , natural images like stoats, and otters,fox's and birds, flowers and leaves etc. Anyone know anyone in the U.K. who specialises in this sort of stuff?

An animal portrait by Den Yakovlev - - - Updated - - - And a human picture...

It's not a competition, honey. (But I'm still gonna win.)

Love these roses -- as you know. :)

Why not check out The Illustrated Man on Elizabeth Street , Tony Cohens a legend and character and Johnny Casino does good stuff . Johnny Casino

whats up havent been on here for a while...i tattoo in oregon i know a few of you already but would like to meet more hit me up anytime

Main NYC party I want to attend is Sept. 30th. NYC Bhajan Boat My high school reunion in Philly is thanksgiving weekend. I think he's more likely to go to NY than Philly, but I'd love for him to come to both, we haven't really talked about it at all, but he would be working anywhere we went. Here's the flyer for the NY event, it's a kirtan cruise my friend's putting on to benefit ending sex trafficking of young girls in India and a bunch of other worthy causes.

I feel kind of bad for the people getting tattooed, although they should know what they are getting in to. I wouldn't care who was tattooing me for free; I don't want someone rushing through it to beat a clock. I want the artist's best work and I don't care how long it takes.

Gotta love nicks work... headed that way again soon

Tomas Garcia for me at the end of September.

Got my piece from Nick last night, great stuff! Flash drawn by Tom Berg sometime in the thirties...but ya gotta go to the contest section to see it. While we were there, my Lady couldn't resist a lil more Sailor Jerry flash, and Nick was kind enough to fit it in-between my work and his next appointment.

You'll be surprised to see how many tattoos Jesse doesn't have.

Seth Wood

Crazy, When i met my wife i had one tattoo she had none, now im a tattoo artist and we are both covered in ink,,

Simply put, one of the best tattoo's I have ever seen.

In my earlier post I was actually going to say something like "Well she was obviously raped by her dad" then I thought that would be mean. Turns out I was right! According to her, getting father raped will "gave me a free pass to live however I want and have fun." Wish I woulda known the secret to being free and happy 15 years ago!!

Yes to the mention of kids--we both acknowledge--as folks who do want to have kids in a few years--that this is likely a pretty special moment in our lives in terms of having the motivation, disposable income, and time, that it requires to get a bunch of tattoos. We know that will change with kids. So we are trying to enjoy it together while it lasts! (And @RoryQ, we are in a similar predicament--in October we are both booked in for all day session in the same shop at the same time. Seemed like a super fun/sweet idea at the time but will likely be less so in practice.)

Well, this year is a big year for both of us to get tattooed. For the first time, we're both getting tattooed in the same shop around the same time. She's in for two days back to back, then I'm in for two days back to back ... And then she's in again for a final two days the following week. Bit of a punishing schedule, and because she's doing her back and I'm doing my front we're due to repeat it again next year (and probably the following year too) - a matter of racking up the hours to finish the pieces. At the moment we've got the time and money to do this kind of thing. A big part of that is not having any kids I guess.... For now : / !

Ha, I hear you. It's getting like that w/me and @DJDeepFried, too. At first, I was the one with tattoos. Then he got 1. Then he got a huge one for his 2nd, bigger than mine put together. I was a little jealous. So now I'm getting a huge one. I had wanted a tiger and mentioned it a long time ago. Then he mentioned something about the possibility of him getting a tiger. Then I was like, well, I better get my tiger right now before he does. Haha. Then, he can still go ahead and get one, it's a free country, we can be twins if he wants, but at least it'll be him copying me and not the other way around hahaha. I'm getting mine Aug 13th. :-P I especially agree with your last sentence, it's pretty fun.

Dudes, sometimes I feel like it would be nice to date someone who wasn't into tattoos, because as it is, my partner and I feed off of each other in the worst ways possible. He only started getting tattooed recently, but caught the bug hard, and initially I thought that watching him get tattooed constantly would take the edge off for me, as I'd be living vicariously through him. As it turns out, it doesn't work that way--each time one of us gets work, it leaves the other jonesing for more--such that I think we're both acquiring tattoos at a much quicker rate than we would if we were not in relationships with total enablers. We brainstorm ideas together a lot, so in that sense we do "approve" of each other's tattoos, but it's not really so much about asking for permission, but rather that we trust each other's opinions and rely on each other to work through ideas together. And of course I am totally joking in "complaining" about this--it's actually pretty fucking awesome.

Stevie Edge, Kaleidoscope tattoo, Sydney Australia

you did say girlfriend right? get the eagle she can learn to deal

I am pretty heavily and visibly covered....and the hubby is visibly covered....I would say we both have quality work on us! So personally when I date a woman or have a girlfriend....I do like her to have quality work even if she only has one or two tattoos! The hubby thinks non-tattooed women aren't as appealing.....in that they just look plain! Your average Playboy model would do absolutely nothing for him and he would just turn the page! lmao I have always said.....a bad tattoo can fuck up the nicest set of tits! :) So....yes it makes a difference now more than it did years ago to me and definitely with the hubby as well! And the quality even plays into it as well!

Being a single dude, more tattoos have done nothing but help me find ladies who are also into cool stuff. Funny how that works, eh?

I can absouletly agree that pointing out technical errors (or just bad tattoos in general) is a positive aspect of the show. I guarentee there were a lot of people watching the show that didnt realize that fu dog was pretty damn terrible until after it was pointed out. This also goes into my theory alot of people look at tattoos as tattoos and dont actaully look at the picture. These are the same people that dont understand why people pay top dollar for good tattoos when their buddy does them for 20 bucks and a pack of smokes. Once people see the errors on the show they might be more tuned in when picking out an artist.

You know what.... TIME shows you either know how to get it done, and you do, or you don't... Oliver is a fast tattooer, he was taught that way. besides a time limit also shows who does stuff out of the comfy zone well and who doesn't... like the dude that could draw the Fu dog but couldn't tattoo it... I'll watch it, Oliver is family. I'm proud... side note: pointing out problems with the tattoos educates everyones future clients.... my two cents

When I met my husband about 9 years ago I had 1 tattoo and he had 0. Now I have 5 and on the day I got my 4th (last month), my hubby got his 1st! I think he's hooked now, as he's been printing out images that are inspiring him for his next tattoo. I'm happy about it. I loved him anyway and would be fine with it if he didn't want any--it's his skin after all. But now that he shares my interest it's pretty cool.

I recently had a young lady make fun of the awesome eagle on my chest. She also said that people with tattoos just get them to make up for their lack of personality. I told her to get the fuck out of my apartment.

When I met my wife over 36 years ago I had a couple of tattoos on my forearms and some hand poked tattoos on my hands which I was in the process I having removed. The ones I had on my hands had been done whilst I was in an Approved School in the UK (Reform School as our trans-Atlantic cousins call them. That was a time in my life I wanted to put behind me. My wife was never bothered by my tattoos and had one done while we were still going out on the top of her arm. I have had a few done since, she loves all of them and has had some important input into at least two of my tattoos, design wise. Last year I took the plunge and had a heart & swallow tattoo with my wifes name on it at the London Tattoo convention and when I showed it to her she said "I suppose I'll have to get one done, so a couple of months later she booked in with the same tattooer and had a lovely black and grey tattoo with my name underneath. This month she is going back to get another rose added underneath. So it can put a bit of a dent in the finances but worth every penny.