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“He who works with his hands is a laborer. He who works with his hands and his head is a craftsman. He who works with his hands and his head and his heart is an artist.” ― St. Francis of Assisi

hi- Just joined, and did the proper introduction in another post. Have to say, there are some amazing tattoos posted here. So much fun to browse through all the posts. Here are a few pics of a tattoo I got on August 6th, at Congress Street Tattoo in Portsmouth, NH. (sister shop to Hobo's if you are familiar) The artist is a guy by the name Tony Sellers (or Fat Tony) and the tattoo itself is a design based on a sketch out of Martin Lacasse's 365 book. This is my first forearm tattoo. Kind of a big move for me. The first two pics are when it was first done, and the third is about 3 weeks later. thanks for looking. (for some odd reason the pictures are all pointing the wrong way, very irritating.)

Since beginning my journey into fitness/health (52lbs lost as of yesterday's weigh in!) I've been getting much more inventive with cooking; i'd always relied on fat, salt, etc to make things taste good. Now that Im cooking more balanced meals I've had to really stretch myself to make it interesting and satisfying while maintaining the caloric guidelines I set on myself. I've been really pleased with how things are coming out, and was recently asked to teach a 'healthy cooking' class for my weight loss group. Oh. And I celebrate every 10lbs lost with foie gras and charcuterie, so I'm not a total square!

Second hit on my back. Lined the butt and hamstring, put scales on the snake. All outlines on now so should see some good progress after the next couple sessions. Stoked on how this is turning out. Sorry for the full moon shots its the only way to show this off!!

Cover up on my left forearm by Tim Strating at Anthem Tattoo in Gainesville. As always, I couldn't be more pleased.

Just got back home from SF, the consultation with Grime couldn't have gone better... He starts my back in January :D Also got to see a sleeve he was wrapping up today, blew my fucking mind! That guy is a maniac....

I don't really understand the question but I do find fault with the negative view of artists--I've always respected artists. Many of my friends are artists. My sister is an oil painter, and I would hardly call her flaky. She works hard and is a perfectionist. Does she work on her own time table? Yes, she is fortunate enough to be able to do that. Her paintings are beautiful. She is not raking in the dough but finally in her late forties is beginning to carve out a living for herself selling her artwork. I am a teacher. I have never considered myself a tradesman. I do agree with you, I have to work day in and day out--always performing, and I don't get to set my own hours. There is also a degree of creativity and performance to what I do. Basically, I respect anyone who works hard, whether they are an artist or not. As for who I get tattooed by--I will choose good artists who are also good tattooers...

Congrats, @Dan S! Well deserved. And @CultExciter and @Reyeslv: consider your awesome tattoos to be your "consolation prizes." :)

Why is this in the General Tattoo Discussion thread? If you consider the term "artist" to have any negative connotations, that says more about you than about Art. I smell this thread being dragged into the incredibly boring and repetitive discussion of "What is Art?" which I doubt you have the capacity to fully understand due to the rambling nature of your poorly posed questions. If "Craft" solely applies to people who make things with their hands, why do actors refer to the craft of acting? There is also a craft to writing. As in Journalism, Non-fiction or even fiction. These do not necessarily require the craftsperson to make something with their hands. The term "Creative" is often used to refer to mostly inspiration-led endeavours that may be viewed as artistic by the layperson. In actual fact it can simply refer to anyone who creates something, anything. Being creative doesn't make anyone special, or different. It's a very common human activity. If you think there is a lack of respect for craft-based trades, you're moving in the wrong social circles. If you think the lack of value placed on trades is offensive, you certainly live a very comfortable life.

Heres mine , Mike Malone design tattooed by Ian Flower New Skool Tattoos | Facebook

I am off to Victor Portugal in December to continue my back piece and as usual will be driving. I thought on the way back I will head over to some other countries. I have chosen a route, picture below :) I am looking for top notch artists along this route or as close to. I thought if there is any along the way I will stop and get a piece :) Any recommendations? I know Boris is on the way and I think Buena Vista in Germany somewhere but is there any others really worth to see? Cheers!

Hahaha. Oh absolutely. It's just so rad that people are getting such awesome tattoos.

we have a big TV in the shop where i work that we just figured out how to stream things to (via a Blu Ray player). Tattoo Age all day for most of the last two weeks, sometimes with the sound off for music instead... i'm sure the random customers get tired of it at times. the new season should keep things exciting and new for us, since it's getting to be like our Rocky Horror Picture Show.

I follow you on Instagram, and I have really noticed your transformation. Congratulations on going about it in the right way. You look great.

Wot's this, then? Sneakin' around gettin' tatties without a word to your Uncle Hogg? ;) Dagger, snake, Malone, IAN FLOWER. Just a bunch of terms I approve of in damn near any context. I love that one, buddy. I'm so stoked for you!

Thanks all, I appreciate it...doesn't take much talent to sit in a chair and let a master-tattooer do his thing on you, but it is gratifying to know that people who know tattoos appreciate the work. And @CultExciter and @Reyeslv, next month! Both of your pieces are excellent! Again, thank you.

i think i might be back. but i can't get too distracted as this semester is the first one doing "real" science and math. August has been a blast! i saw 3 rattlesnakes, learned how to mist-net and handle bats while camping in Tahoe National Forrest, handled 6 bats (5 on the trip and one last Friday during my volunteer shift at Wildcare), and performed my first necropsy yesterday on a opossum that had been attacked by a dog (or at least i'm guessing that due to the large wound it had). it's all kind of creepy crawly science shit, but it's been life changing and i love it!

Went to the party yesterday. It was cool. Some nice prints by Horitomo for sale. I was able to snatch a copy of the cat tebori print and get it signed by him. I'd have bought his Yoshitsune warrior print too but I couldn't figure out a way to bring it onto my return flight to LA w/o damaging it. The place was busy w/ a lot of machines buzzing. So busy, that they were running short of tables to work on people. I got the back of my thigh worked on, and Jill finished up a namakubi there. I'm really digging it. Can't post a picture since I'm on my cell till I fly home. But it's on Jill's Instagram if anyone wants to check it out. Great seeing all the guest artists and seeing everyone working. I briefly talked to a couple of them and they're some really nice guys. Also saw @hogg. Great seeing you and talking at the party!

He hasn't. But when I get my stomach finished, maybe I'll coerce him to telling it on film.

I kind of thought the same thing, but I think I will shoot him an email anyway. I did stop by Kings Ave on Long Island last week. The manager had me look at a few portfolios, and I am considering Shaun Nel. Bio kingsavetattoo.com/artists/shaun-nel-0/ She helped clarify what I was looking for. A more 'stylized' version of a traditional tattoo. I told her I was thinking of either a panther with some roses, or fighting an eagle. I still plan on visiting Three Kings, and Invisible NYC in the next few weeks. Shaun is only booked out 3-4 weeks which is nice as well

Ha ha classic , thanks to your prior input I felt confident to fly the coop .

Great Low brow tattoos and art from an Australian veteran. Met Karl last night at a mutual friends wedding a super nice guy with a tonne of talent. Not sure if he is tattooing much anymore as he is focusing more on his paintings etc. Here is a link to his site if you like it a little low brow, his pin ups are awesome my buddy has the one with the venus fly traps tattooed on his calf. KK Illustrations - T-Shirts, Stickers, Logos, Lowbrow Art, Kustom Kulture & more

Great to meet you today @hogg, though brief, hopefully we'll have some time at the Convention to BS :D

Yeah, man...helluva lineup! Tim Hendricks, Chuey Quintanar, Ben Grillo, the SOG crew themselves, dudes from Forever in Sacramento--and I think Chad Koeplinger joins the fray tomorrow. Great seeing @Lance, briefly meeting @ian, and choppin' it up with Chris Brand (who is not only amazing, but such a nice guy).

Any professional artist worth his or her salt -- be it writer, painter, actor, or tattooer -- will tell you that you wake up every morning and you do the work. There's a word for those who sit around and wait for inspiration to strike: amateurs.

Just got back after a quick stop in, awesome (giclee, i think) prints for sale, definitely going back tomorrow oh and pretty much everybody guesting there were taking walk ins, so if anybody wants to help me rob a bank tonight, just message me and don't tell the cops.

Congrats, @Dan S!

congrats Dan super stacked month maybe the best yet

Well, all respects to you, but my personal feeling is that a SkyPilot is an intellectual, first, last, and foremost. I don't see any correlation to a craftsman there at all. The word "artist", applied to a tattooer, has undergone a great change over the last 30 or so years. At one time, GOOD tattooers called themselves artists, more in the way of "artisans" than as in "van Gogh"-type artists, if you can 'ear me on that. That is how the word "tattooist" came into usage, and for a good long while, at least while I was coming up, that was how many tattooers described themselves. Now, tattooer denotes the craft of tattooing and all that goes into it. Big difference. I'm a machinist, first, last, and foremost. Also a toolmaker, a gaugemaker, and a gunsmith, but firstly a machinist. Started in the trades as an apprentice when I was 13 years old, sweeping the floor and cleaning machines. To my mind, when you say "craftsman", or "tradesman", you are talking about someone who makes things, who works with their hands. Anyone who makes their living with words, well, they're something else. Not better, not worse, but not tradesmen or craftsmen...or Women. Now that's just me, I'm old and have pretty set ideas, so if someone wants to think of themselves as a tradesman, and they write books, or ad copy, or sermons, or whatever, hey-who am I to argue?!

I gladly stand corrected. From the looks of your back, Dean's reputation is well deserved.

This happened yesterday. I'm going back in a couple weeks to finish them. Marius also gave me this awesome original painting. I had trouble sleeping because of how bad they hurt afterwards.

Here's mine by Jordan at FST.

Do you have a reference pic? Because "graphic novel cartoon" is pretty wide open. If it is what I think it is, I'd choose Dusty Neal, except he's in Indiana: http://dustyneal.tumblr.com/

Historic Tattoo Society (Clae Welch's shop) Sept 11-16. I am assuming it's because Jesse Bob who works there now used to work with Eric at Taos Tattoo. - - - Updated - - - Dave Lum does one tattoo a day the four days a week he works. He basically just tattoos the tattooers here in Portland. It's about a 45 min drive to his shop. He was going to give it up at the end of the year but realized he would be bored and have nothing to do so for now he will continue.

Countless times when people say "i dont want the stuff on the wall, it looks too cartoon-y" i'd simply go trace a piece of JD Crowe or National Brand flash and show them the outline and they say "oh I love it!" go figure.

"Obviously, you're not a golfer.."

When I was six or seven there was a sixteen year old girl on my block with a tiny spider on her ankle. I was in awe of this, and wrote in my diary that I was going to get a spider tattoo as soon as I turned eighteen. Found this diary when I was cleaning out my mom's basement a few weeks ago--I'm a bit late, but am finally getting that spider done Monday.

Well, the Coasts have both been written up, so I guess I have to throw in my vote for Chicago. Cliff Raven. I don't usually like linking to Wiki, but this is a fairly concise and accurate summation of his career. Cliff Raven - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia While it is accurate, it doesn't really convey just how much of an influence the man had. When I first started hanging around his shop at WAY too young an age, Buddy McFall was still working there, and it was a pretty rough and tumble place. Phil Sparrow was there at times, as was Tats Thomas. Cliff was called "The Father of Modern Tattooing in America" by those in the know in this area. He may have been, or he may simply have been one of the earliest and most influential advocates of Japanese-style tattooing. Continuing his style, and also his renown, were some of his apprentices, especially Dale Grande, who still owns Chicago Tattoo, and Bob Benedetti. That line continues with the man I consider to be one of the finest traditional tattooists in the world, Nick Colella, (Tattooing by Nick Colella) and with another outstanding artist, deeply immersed in the Japanese tradition, Miles Maniaci. ({ Miles Maniaci }) BTW, that's my arm in the "Progress" section. It seems that these tattooists get short-shrift in books and print in general, and that's a shame...Chicago Tattooing is literally a shrine to the art. There is original flash on the walls by Cliff, Dale, and Nick, along with such greats as Sailor Jerry, Don Ed Hardy, Tats Thomas, and many others. Cliff was named "Tattoo Artist of the Year" at the very first International Tattoo Convention in 1976, and shortll after bought out Lyle Tuttle's shop in Hollywierd. While there, he tattooed many celebs, including Ringo Starr. I got tattooed by Nick Colella a few weeks ago, and he told me that he is hoping to continue the thread on tattooing history in Chicago he had started here as soon as he got a minute free from ink-slinging. The man is busy, but you can still get a walk-in with him without too much difficulty. So give Chicago it's due, some of the heaviest names of tattooing in the modern age came out of here! Add another to your list, Bunny...you can book a spot with Nick, chat with Dale while you're there, and then maybe hit Miles the same day-he works out of Deluxe Tattoo, not too far from Chicago Tattooing Company. I am fortunate to have work by by Dale, by Miles, and by Nick, and have more planned with Nick. .02

For some reason I disagree. I told my girlfriend (one white tattoo) that I like chicks without tattoos and she laughed/called me stupid. Then I showed her who was boss. Dishes for two weeks. DONE.

'course they are!! But not all tatoos are 'tramp stamps' and having a tattoo doesn't mean you're easy and into kinky sex with strangers. What annoys me most is old pervs who think they have the right to talk trash to me 'because I like it'- an assumption made purely on the fact that I have a tattoo on the back of my neck....makes me sick!

Here are two living legends that i know have already been mentioned but I got to hang with them both this past weekend and had such and awesome time! Mr. Tony Polito....who showed up to surprise me....and in the background you can see Mr. Mike Perfetto tattooing! Sorry....I look like crap....mostly because I had already been tattooed earlier in the day by Steve Delgatto...ha ha ha!

Many many years ago a wise old motorcycle enthusiast of my acquaintance told me, "I like good-looking tattoos as much as anyone else, but I just don't feel like you're getting the whole tattoo experience unless you have some shit like your old lady's initials that looks like it was drawn on with a green crayon and the third letter is only half done."

I grew up in a hippy ass section of Minneapolis called the West Bank, and there were a few biker bars on the south end of the neighborhood. I remember I was about 8 years old when I really noticed them and thought they were rad as shit. On another note, I remember when my son first noticed tattoos as something unnatural on the body. When he was 3, he was sitting on my lap when his eyes locked onto my arm. He grabbed my arm firmly and scanned it over with intense focus...then let out the words "cool, dad"

You can't be no worse then B-tat, you're hired.

One of us should go win the 2nd season of inkmaster and then use the money to fund a second season of Tattoo Age.

Not sure where Sailor Eddie (Jr) might fall into the mix here (Bonnie & Clyde's Tattoo) in Philly....but he has been tattooing 40/41 years and just celebrated his 49th Bday! He has become a good friend of mine (like a brother) and this is a guy who learned to shave an arm with a straight razor when he was 5 years old, cut acetates when he was 8 years old, and sat and colored in flash with his Grandmother and Paul Rogers as a kid! It's amazing to sit down in the shop with him and look though the family photo albums he has! I think I am heading up tomorrow to see him in fact....since the weather is gonna really nice!

Another who truely fits the tag legend is the godfather of Italian tattooing ,Gian M Fercioni .He pioneered the stylish Italian look of reduced palette and plenty of skin within beautiful traditional design, compounded by his colourful personal style .He's a real tattooers go to guy and is revered in Europe ,personally I would love to see more of his work.

Lance did this one ten years ago. He called me back the next day freaking out. He said he woke up in the middle of the night and remembered that he forgot to tattoo the nipple on her. Then said, show it around, and if nobody says anything, then we wont worry about it.............if anyone notices, come back and lets put that nipple on her.

that makes me think this