Leaderboard

some bert grimm flash from dan santoro

Thanks to all LSTers (new & old) and the tattooers who have taken the time to do an interview with us and give your time and knowledge to try and make a good tattoo site/forum for customers and tattooers!!!! Also to the moderators @hogg @gougetheeyes & @slayer9019 who have taken on a thankless job of managing the daily playpen!!!! Lastly, I would like to thank the Wrights and Sylvias for their time and energy that they put forth on this venture of ours!!! To many more years and continuing to work to try to help people get better tattoos supporting the good tattooers and shops.......

When I catch people staring at my hand tattoos on the train I'll slowly move my hand towards my crotch and then pretend like I caught them staring at my dick and give them a disgusted look. That or just lock eyes and don't break for a solid 3 count, it freaks the shit out of people, actually had someone switch train cars after that once.

So I got my palm tattooed by Stewart at Frith Street several years ago and it was a walk in the park, super easy. I have also been getting tattooed by Thomas Hooper since he was at into you about 9 years ago and am fully aware of how heavy handed he is. So, I'm over at Saved and I think it's about time for Thomas to do my other palm. what could go wrong? I'd had the other one done at FST for christ's sake, it was easy! Boy how wrong I was!! Alarm bells started ringing when I was sent down the street to Alligator Lounge to have a couple of shots of Whiskey on Hooper's orders whilst he drew up the design. I get back, and within a few minutes we are ready to go. My first palm tattoo is a circular design that does not stray to far to the edges of my hand. This new one however is a lot bigger, covering my entire thumb pad and up to my fingers. The thumb pad can't be that bad I think, Thomas asks me where I want to start and I suggest that area. Boy how wrong was I!! Within seconds I had Gob from Arrested Development in my head saying 'I've made a huge mistake'. I am dripping with sweat almost instantly, this is the worst pain I have ever experienced in my life ever. Worse than Hooper hammering my chest or Koeplinger tattooing my ribs for 3+ hours. Just instant, horrifying pain. I tough it out, concentrate on my breathing and go to my happy place and 45 minutes later we are done. I am so glad I only have 2 palms because I would never ever ever do that again!

After being blown away by his larger scale pieces, I've decided to go with with Scott Ellis at Triple Crown for the jaguar- working on going in for the consult in the next few weeks. Sample of bad ass bigger pieces: and an awesome tiger head: Oh yeah- again, it's going on my thigh, not my back, but it's going to be big, so the back pieces were what I thought of for reference.

Heath Preheim (Temple Tattoo) finishing my eagle on October 3rd.

Dagger done by Valerie Vargas yesterday

Whew, one week, I get to start the shading/color on my wolf from Chris O'Donnell. I probably talk about this too much.

LST, NYtimes, Gmail. Every morning and in that order.

so Bowery Stan, Philadelphia Eddie, Eric Perfect, Krooked Ken and Phil Luck were up at Timmy Tatts shop the past 2 days.. I rushed over after work yesterday to try to get tattooed and was able to get Ken to do a little rose on my ankle before they were all done for the night.

Hello everyone, will try to keep this short! I grew up in a few places around the world, mostly Australia, and still live on the road so that's why the "From...?" title. I'm a tattoo enthusiast, not a tattooer, and next year I will have been collecting for 25 years. Got my first tattoos at Tony Cohen's Illustrated Man studio in Sydney - he tattooed the original members of Rose Tattoo and I would say being a fan of that band was what got me started on this journey. After I had got my first tattoo or two a friend gave me a copy of Tattoo magazine imported from the US. It featured the work of people like Jack Rudy - suddenly I was aware of just what the possibilities on skin could be and what was going on beyond Australia at the time in those pre-internet days. So started travelling and collecting over the years, now wear the good, bad and ugly results of my choices, and more interested than ever! Currently I'm involved in producing a documentary on the history of tattooing in Australia, and I hope to post on this forum to get any input that might help or who might be the people to try and talk to. In case you're interested have been tattooed by (more or less in order I think): Terry Roberts - Illustrated Man, Sydney Tony Cohen - Illustrated Man, Sydney Creeper - Tattooland, Anaheim Vyvyn Lazonga - Madame Lazonga's, Seattle Nino - Rising Dragon, NYC Kian Forreal - Inner Vision, Sydney Anil Gupta - Inkline, NYC Milena Sergi - Bologna, Italy Yamato Bonten - Tokyo Japan Jack Rudy - Tattooland, Anaheim Michie Kojima - Sacred Heart, Vancouver Mike Parsons - Doc Dog's, Tampa Sailor Jerry Swallow - The Dutchman, Burnaby BC Pat Fish - Santa Barbara Jose Lopez and Abey Alvarez - Lowrider Tattoo, Orange County Steve Wimmer - Monster Tattoo, Delaware Tom Renshaw - Eternal Ink, Michigan Boris - convention Horimasa - Gunma, Japan Horiyoshi III - Yokohama, Japan Brittan 'London' Reese - MD Tattoo, Northridge Bob Tyrrell - convention Uncle Tim Heitkotter - Blue Tiki, Kauai Jake Burton - Fat City, Burnaby BC Cory Ferguson - Good Point, Oakville Don Nolan - Acme Tattoo, Minnesota Next on the list - hopefully Ian of Reading in the UK and a traditional hand poked piece in Cambodia or Thailand Take care Energy

A 8-ball of what? Those are usually white, no? CG

It has been a blast watching the community grow, and meeting some of you in person - some of the nicest people I know for sure. It's also been really satisfying to hear the stories about our members getting on the right path and getting some top quality tattoos as a direct result of what they have learned here. That is really what our whole mission is all about. I know my list of who to get work from has changed.. Thanks to everybody who comes here and contributes!

Thanks @gougetheeyes Miranda & Cookie @ Pop's in Kingston, NY Geddes Jones Paulsen @ Shady Lady in Kingston, NY Jay Salerno @ Vision Burn in Dunmore, PA Thomas Hooper @ Saved in Brooklyn, NY Chris O'Donnell @ Saved in Brooklyn, NY Freddy Corbin @ Temple in Oakland, CA

Wow has it been that long already? I am so glad I found this site and am excited to see it grow from the first time I logged in! As gouge and hogg have said, I also feel honored to be able to be a part of LST and help out.

This is just my opinion but I like tattoos, So as a consumer I will do my best to get tattoos from artists who like tattoos as well.

Hello everybody it's good to be back.had an old account and forgot username and pass.so now a new one.i have tattooed since 1988 in Albuquerque nm and also worked at Immaculate tattoo in Mesa Az.I am currently workin in Fritch Texas at Stars and Stripes.will be adding photos soon cheers Dano

You guys done good! Thank you to everyone for making it happen and sticking with it.. Scott, Dari, Tammy, Loch, Steve, Ross.. Truly honored to be a part of LST, you've built a great forum here. Here's to two more!

A review of Wrecking Balm from Amazon. Classic 354 of 434 people found the following review helpful 4.0 out of 5 stars Don't get it in your eyes, January 2, 2012 By Amy L. Brown (WOODBRIDGE, VA, US) - See all my reviews This review is from: Wrecking Balm Tattoo Removal & Fade System (Health and Beauty) I bought this for my wife who wanted to remove a tattoo from just above her buttocks. I believe they call it a tramp stamp. The tattoo said "Ronnie", which is the name of one of her ex boyfriends. So you can understand how I decided to spend the money on getting that damn tattoo removed. My wife didn't really want to get the tattoo removed. Although she denied it, I think she was still into this "Ronnie" character. She would always visit him in jail, as well as send him letters and pictures. So I found this product at a local Wegmans. I didn't tell my wife what it was, instead explaining to her that it was tattoo enhancement cream. I told her it would sting a little, but that was just the stuff doing its job. Now, you have to understand that my wife is a big girl. Let's just say that she constantly wears jogging pants and refers to them as them as her pants. So she couldn't really see the tattoo herself. Even when she tried to use a mirror, it was hard to make out. So I thought everything would turn out okay. Well, the cream worked. Every evening I would apply the cream for her, telling her that the tattoo was looking better and better. When in fact it was fading more and more. I told her that the micro dermabrasion thingy was actually a tattoo polisher. And so I would spend a good 15 minutes every night grinding away at that damn tattoo. And it was almost gone entirely. Then Ronnie got out of jail. It turns out my suspicions were correct. My wife still had a thing for him. I came home from work one evening to find Ronnie and my wife hanging out on the couch. And boy did they look pissed. And Ronnie was a pretty tough looking guy. Apparently, and I'm not trying to insinuate anything here, somehow Ronnie had noticed the now bare space just above my wife's buttocks and had asked her about it. And now he was pissed off because he had bought her the tattoo to begin with. And she was pissed off as well because I had tricked her into having her tattoo removed. Long story short, I had the option of getting my ass kicked, or of buying a new tattoo. So we went to the tattoo place, shelled out the cash for a new tattoo, and winced the entire time as Ronnie and my wife watched me get the words "Ronnie's Bitch" tattooed on my chest. Since then my wife has kicked me out. And Ronnie is now living in my house. And me, I'm on my second tube of wrecking balm tattoo fade system. I can't tell you enough how much I like this product.

That's a lot of tattoos to hide!

@RoryQ I'm glad to hear you say that. It may be that their beer doesn't travel well (and I xan't speak as to their standards on flavored stability and oxygen control) but what I've had from BrewDog on this side of the Atlantic has been underwhelming. Doesn't help things for me that their write up on the Punk IPA label is basically stolen from Stone's Arrogant Bastard. I appreciate that they're brewing American styles of beer in the UK, but I think if you compare it to the beers they're trying to emulate, they're mediocre at best. Marketing doesn't make up for that. Overhopping is a problem generally, in my opinion. I love hoppy beers, but there needs to be a balance there. - - - Updated - - - Please excuse the autocorrect typos.

My parents were on vacation until the day i got my appointment for my first tattoo. I was hoped they wouldn't be back till after i got the tattoo but sadly they showed up 5 minutes before i had to leave. I just told them i was going to get a tattoo and my mum fucking flipped. My dad said nothing. When i got back my mum was positively surprised and was glad that i took time to find a good artist. My dad had his camera all set up and ready to take pictures of my new tattoo, he was almost as excited as i was. They did told me that as long as i live at home i need to inform them before i get a new tattoo next time so they can adjust to the idea;)

@RoryQ cool man I am thinking alike, interested more and more with flash or repaints of flash your foot panther is the cats meow

I got my first one on my 19th birthday and managed to hide it for at least 2 weeks. Then there was that morning I overslept for college and she went in to wake me up...saw it peeking out from under my T-shirt...She slapped the shit outta it (thinking it was still sore) saying "wait till I tell your Father"!! That evening at dinner my dad says "let me see your tattoo". I show him, he says "cool". Mom just rolled her eyes. No more worries after that. She still doesn't like it too much, but this little 78 year old woman did tell me recently "you know, I see so many folks around here with just awful stuff tattooed on them and I think to myself "My son's tattoos are sooooo much better"". God, She's awesome!

I always have major swelling no matter where I get tattooed. The absolute worst is my lower legs though. I'm trying to finish them off because the healing process is so awful. My entire lower leg down and foot will swell with even the smallest tattoo. I'll have cankles and a huge swollen foot for about 3-4 days. Dealing with this right now actually. This tattoo is up closer to my knee and my ankle and foot are still swollen from it. I have several sets of sheets that are all stained from fresh tattoos. It doesn't really bother me and I tell my friends that stay with me and get tattooed during their visit not to worry about. I've definitely ruined blankets and sheets of others while I'm visiting them. I try not to and I feel bad when I do. These friends are most of the time heavily tattooed themselves so it's usually not a big deal. My dog and boyfriend are both notorious for bumping and or jumping on my fresh tattoos. The one thing that really bothers though is the flakes of skin. It just really grosses me out having dead skin flakes everywhere. The majority of the time someone in my household has a healing tattoo and I get so grossed out when i find these flakes on the couch and such. I have to vacuum like crazy.

I'll flip this one around... The day my oldest turned 18, I did my best to stop him from running off to the closest tattoo parlour. Didn't work. He ended-up with 'zactly what I warned him he would, a faded-out, spotty, p.o.s. TRIED to talk him into letting me take him to CTC, but NO.....had to be right this frkn minute! Now, my next one down, he was smart, I took him to CTC, and he got some real nice work from Nick there. Next son in line is about a half-year out, and already working on his designs, and the daughters, well, they aren't into it, yet, but as long as they go to a GOOD tattooer...

you are pretty much the same thing we ate AT THE SAME TIME...weird. we had brisket and baked beans this weekend also.

I say a coverup is in order... a grizzly bear eating black licorice in a cave... that would fix it right up. CG

I've been lucky that my Mum has liked all my tattoos, she just asks the same thing in typical Mum fashion "Did it hurt?". Now, my Grandparents on the other hand have no idea that I have tattoos or if they do they have never said anything. It can be a real bitch here in summer with family get-togethers and I have to wear long sleeves and jeans haha

I asked for a foxy big boobed lady head and this is what Valerie Vargas did for me.........

Figured what the Hell. Tattooed from Sailor Jerry flash on my hairy calf by Paul Pearson at Tried & True Tattoo in Smyrna, Tn. My dad has the same design on his bicep, his one and only tattoo, done in 1954 outside Ft. Bragg, N.C.

Finally having Dana Helmuth tattoo the outside of my upper left arm! We have been talking about doing it for years and he is gonna be at Read Street so we are gonna get it done! I'm stoked!

Dan Santoro Smith Street tattoo

Got this pretty little thing from Mr. Adam Gibson at Good Times Tattoo in Salt Lake City yesterday.

got this little pipe in my ditch yesterday for my birthday. by timmy tatts @ tattoo marks

here is my armpit which i posted about earlier in the thread, not bad certainly not like I felt at the end of a richard stell panther on my ribs done by david bruehl while at think ink norman oklahoma / Now at Red letter 1 tampa bay florida

Makara Snail Tattoo by Chad Koeplinger

Oh what the hell... Lester at Electric Ladyland Tattoo New Orleans, LA

This is certainly just my 2 cents, but for me it would be a personal connection thing. One of my favorite things about getting tattooed is listening to some of the great stories artists have about getting tattooed themselves. There's a camaraderie I feel with other tattooed people that I just don't know I'd feel with someone who isn't very tattooed. This is really all just speculation for me though because I've not found anybody I'm eager to get tattooed by that isn't heavily tattooed.

Other than surfing getting tattooed has consumed my life, don't know how a tattoo artist could stop getting tattooed, unless they are already covered.

I got my first tattoo at 22. I always liked it and figured I'd get another, but it took a while. Finally got another one at 36. Then a couple more...nothing huge. Now I am 43 and am just getting around to getting bigger, higher quality ones. I think a reason I'm more into it now has to do with having a career (not super high-paying but stable), being in the same job at the same place for 10 years with a boss who respects my work, realizing that I can have a lot of tattoos and still be able to cover most of them with 3/4 length sleeve shirts while at work...and the ones that do show don't pose a problem there. I had a slow start but I'm just totally hooked now. I am glad it took this long to get the bigger stuff. When I was younger I was not researching my artists as well as I am now... I am getting images that are beautiful to me by artists I trust. At this point in my life I feel pretty confident I won't tire of beautiful animals and flowers.

I can deal with stares pretty well and can usually tell the difference between interested vs a$$hole stares. I just smile and go about my business. I've only had one very negative reaction where a man took time out his day to tell me I "was ruined! Tattoos are for sailors and prostitutes!" . He was so angry. I thanked him for his "insight", several other customers told him to shut it.

Wrecking Balm Review Reviews of the most popular stuff around here, and they are all pretty consistently negative. There's another bit about topical removal in the "Remove-Cover-up" thread. If you don't want to laser, or have a high pain tolerance and a small piece, salt and a wet washcloth are all you need!

I got my palm tattooed by Tony Hundahl almost five years ago and have never gotten a touch up. It looks fantastic and I'm trying to work up the nerve to get the other one done as well. Here is a recent pic:

Well when the book is related to illustration I think that quote goes out the window.

My Mother did my first tattoo. Didn't cha Ma