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Last night a girl asked me why I had a butterfly tattooed on my hand, I told her "Because when you're an actual tough guy you can get whatever kind of girly tattoos you want."

I wish this style didn't have a name. As soon as a style is given a name, it seems to give others the impression they can do it too. The reason I don't do this stuff is because I like Hooper, Jondix and Albrigo as people and friends. They each seem to take direct influence from each other while still retaining some individuality and nuances of design and layout that make it possible to identify which one of them did it. The same goes for Binnie, Xed, Tomas Tomas, Mike from Athens and Curly. I love the work of each of those guys. I can't say the same for anyone else doing these styles. It seems to be a "Me too" attitude. They let the first few guys take all the risks and learn what works and find select clients who want to trust in something new. Then they make technically clean but hollow facsimile of something that was interesting. Maybe thats a bit strong coming from someone who doesn't have a style of his own, but I try to work in existing, classic tattoo styles and sometimes have a little fun with them. The reason I don't do this pattern/skull/mandala/pointilist stuff is the same reason I don't do Biomech, Pacheco painterly colour or straight-up cholo tattoos: They are styles that were developed by people with a specific set of interests and inspirations that managed to filter them into a style of design and execution. Also those pioneers are still alive and working. Maybe I've opened a nasty can of worms... How soon is 'too soon' so imitate an iconic style? Do we have to wait for the pioneers to die before crotchety fucks stop complaining? To be honest, I'm not interested in the answer. I just notice that every week the internet spits out a new guy who sticks a skull over or under a doily and it's held in the same regard as work by Mike, Jondix and Hooper. The same as we distinguish between Aaron Cain or Guy Aitchison Biomech, we shouldn't try to coin new phrases and just refer to Thomas Hooper, Jondix or Tomas Tomas Blackwork, dotwork or whatever. Use the name of the guys that made it what it is. We at least owe them that if we're gonna encourage other people to try it and get it tattooed from the rest of the pack. note: I'm certainly not anti-new styles and I'd like to say that I'm eagerly awaiting the second generation of artists influenced by these guys who take it somewhere new, now that there's a body of work by a group of artists. That could be exciting!

Aww- you flatter me :) We made a deal back when he was 15 that if he waited and passed on the sweet kitchen tats his friends were getting, I would help pay for his first tattoo in a legitimate shop. I've been hearing about that promise for three years! He sat like a champ and we all had a good time.

I always explain that the dragon means I think that dragons look badass. Ditto for pretty much every other tattoo I have. Yes, a few of them mean something, but I'm not about to break it down for a stranger. And even the "meaningful" tattoos are on me because I think they look good.

"what does the heart with a knife tattoo on your ribs mean?" It means I'm going to stab you. now please go away. I'm eating breakfast and what are you doing in my living room?

@Graeme so you're saying that because it happens with everything on the internet, it's ok? I have no problem with people trying to do 'fresh' things. In my opinion, this style is still fresh, therefore how can anyone else do something new with it? Maybe it's different because I've been fortunate enough to see the seeds of this style develop from other things in a natural and gradual way that I feel uncomfortable when someone else hops on the wagon when the bumps have been ironed out. Yes it does happen, I know I can't stop it and I'm not trying to. The reason I take the time to post here is because Last Sparrow is different. It's better than that. This place is the real deal and I care about it. It may be just another forum to chat about whatever is on your mind to pass the time, for most here, but for the collectors and tattooers who post here there hasn't been anything this positive about good tattoos and tattooing on the internet, ever. There's been a machine forum that was good for a while and some kinda-sorta fringe industry sites and forums that were good for a while but there's never been somewhere online for just tattoos where quality matters and people who are respected in the real world are respected in the forums. Too often a post/blog count matters more than the quality of submissions and real-world experience. It's different here. Last Sparrow is having a real-world effect and I think it's up to us all to realise the responsibility we have and to try a little harder to be thoughtful and intelligent in our actions online and offline. While I wouldn't wear tattoos in the style Amanda Wachob does, I can see how they would appeal to some. I'm not even sure it appeals to 'tattoo people'. It's not really a new tattoo style either. It's based on a style of painting (wich was once new - over 70 years ago) Ed Hardy did some similar stuff in the 80's too. @TrixieFaux some of the people you mentioned do visit SF. I'm not trying to tell anyone who they should get tattooed by or whatever and I'm not knocking anyone specific. I'm sure 'new' guys give props or shout-outs to Hooper, Jondix, et al. But it still stands that without the guys who developed the style none of us would even want to get it tattooed.

Came to Chicago this weekend and got this one from Nick Colella.

What does it mean? "It means I like tattoos".

AND his friends are now jealous . . .

Bonus shot sent to me by someone who saw my finished tattoo on my instagram and commented that they took a pic while I was getting tattooed. This is what they texted to me :D

Shaun Nel also did one... Love it.

My son's first tattoo for his 18th b-day by Ezra Haidet- Triple Crown Tattoo, ATX

Shige!!!

Some really great work this month! I thought I'd throw mine in as well. Tony Nilsson Blue Arms Tattoo Oslo Norway Tony did a great job! I couldn't be happier!!! Here's a link to Tony's work via.... Instagram

Yep, and asking him for tattoo advice LOL

Five days. Mario Desa is planning on putting a sweet skull n' rose on me. But I might try to see if I can get some of the redrawn Higgs flash he is doing. Either way I'm gonna be happy.

Side of the calf, or upper arm.

Awesome! I bet he's glad he waited, that's a great tattoo.

My first tattoo was on my ribs as well, and was not nearly as hellish as I made it out to be in my mind. But if you're not concerned about the pain and discomfort, then a solid artist can tattoo anywhere. However, my personal preference for a lady head would not be on the ribs as its not a super flat surface and you don't want her head to look weird every time you move, but that's just me. I think the upper thigh is a great place for a concealed lady head, unless you want the tattoo to be larger and more detailed--then go for the ribs. With all that said, I have seen lady heads on the ribs and if they are placed well they look awesome. It's really up to you and where you'd like it best...

Pick a good artist, you will get a good tattoo. My first tattoo was on my ribs. It sucked, but now it's over and I only have one more rib cage to do. Which is totally worth it.

Funny you should say that. I used to work at a bar in Hollywood that Billy Gibbons frequented. He was the nicest coolest dude you will ever meet.

I call him Yo-hottness. Whenever I'm around him I feel like I'm dressed like a hobo. He did a little crown on my wrist, real clean.

Most people I just simply tell them they watch too much TV and I don't want to talk about my tattoos because they bring up a dark part of my life and I paid my debt to society. Either that or that I was really drunk and don't remember why I got them. In the shop talking to customers, I usually use a sports analogy. I explain that tattoos are what I follow, like most would follow a sports team. Can you imagine being able to book a couple hours with your favorite sports star and have a permanent souvenir. The experience holds more meaning than the tattoo,but the tattoo is a reminder of the experience. I usually let the tattooer pick the image, because I want a tattoo that represents their style, so I remember where I got it from. They either get it or just continue to mouth breath, until I start talking about their idea again, but either way it shuts them up. I think the most important thing is having people in real life an on the internet to vent about these things and understand we to some degree go through the same things having tattoos.

I'll tell ya, Daryl Rodriguez from Hold It Down just did an awesome Dumb and Dumber parakeet tattoo.. :D

I have 9 tattoos from Phil I got in the 80s. I lived around the corner from his studio in Hayward California. Actually he did my first one, and I had to go back for more! he colored my left arm and chest, but my favorites are the blackwork on my right arm. Hes a master of blackwork. I also have work from several of his protégés.

What an inspirational thread! Picked this one up today. Tony Nilsson Blue Arms Tattoo Oslo, Norway

Maybe the thread title could use a better name but I'll leave it at that for the moment. While I know there is a good tribal tattoo thread, I wanted to open one for more general blackwork and dotwork. Here's what I'm talking about: Thomas Hooper Jondix Michael E. Bennett Daniel Abrigio

I have been really digging kitsune (Japanese foxes/mythical foxes with up to nine tails that shapeshift and make mischief) lately. I am thinking of getting one myself and in general think they are a beautiful subject for tattoos, but I am having trouble finding great examples of them! (Warning: if you google "kitsune" you get a lot of weird furry shit. I do not recommend it.) I know they must be out there, so please post awesome examples of kitsune tattoos and art that you have come across here. Thus far I really love, of course, the backpiece that Shige did on Uncle Allan: Source Source

Matt is truly a pleasure to get tattooed by. I'm hoping to get some more done by him in the new year.

How did I miss that? I'll see if I can combined the threads

From a En guest spot at IN2U .

When I was about a year and a half, sitting on my Fathers lap. He has a skunk tattooed on his arm with the name Stinky. Certainly not the best choice he could have made, but I think from that moment on I was hooked. I had to have one. And 50 years later, my arms and chest are covered. Dad has complimented me on making better choices in artwork!

No, of course I'm not saying that everything that happens on the internet is automatically okay. I completely agree with you when you talk about the "me too" attitude and that the derivative stuff tends to be soulless, and I think that's probably inevitable when people haven't done the tremendous amount of work that Hooper/Jondix/Albrigo/Xed/Tomas Tomas/etc have. I wasn't there when these guys were working all of this out, but I will say that from the short amount of time I've spent so far being tattooed by Hooper that I am in awe of his work ethic and the depth and breadth of material he's drawing from, and that I don't even come close to understanding the extent of it. And this isn't even getting into the technical ability to pull off the stuff he does. I'm sure it's the same with the rest of those guys, and it sucks when people think that they can capture some of that by tattooing, as you put it, "a skull over or under a doily". As for the rest of your comments, I accept those. Apologies if I came across as glib or as a dick (and that Amanda Wachob comment was way out of line). I have a lot of respect for this place and I've learned a tremendous amount from it and I'd like to, if possible, contribute something positive to it and not be a part of turning it into every other forum on the internet ever. So (genuinely) thanks for the kick in the ass.

HA! That is f*ckin excellent!! Too bad that little 'ol band from Texas went all Hollywood on us. I sure liked'm better in 1972, back when they were opening for Uriah Heap.

Super cool stuff, @cwbyht! Thanks so much for sharing.

If you really don't want to talk to them, you could always respond to their questions with a series of clicks and chirps.

it was on Mission Shannon. About a quarter mile North of downtown Hayward. - - - Updated - - - This is a recent picture of Phil. He is working in Tucson.

Nice job of parenting, Kev. Leading by example is the best way.

I just wanted to say Hi! My name is Miles, I'm an American that has been trapped in the frozen north (Norway) for a long time. Going on 13 years. Great forum here. Lot's of outstanding work. I'm glad I found it!

I'm going to be this thread's poster child when I get famous. Suck on my future dickkkkkkkk Edit: I guess I got drunk and went on the internet again.

Have an appointment on December 6th to get my knee done (I am hoping the pain is nowhere near as bad as my ribs). Getting an all seeing eye done by Matt Brotka, super stoked.

Very true. I always said I picked the wrong career path My funeral home buddy said "Dude my business will never die. The dying is where I make the money" My buddy who does repo "It's weird that the worse the economy does, the more money I have" The owner of a pharmaceutical company I worked for said "Start a business in the three things humans can't live without. War, Drugs or Death." (Guy was stupid rich)

Yeah I have been thinking that this season of Ink Master pretty much closes the tattooers with little to no tattoos debate, not that it was ever much of a debate to begin with. It doesn't say much about tattooers with tattoos either though...

took this picture yesterday 4th day of healing already peeled Scott sylvia blackheart tattoo SF SF trip was better than i could have ever expected or deserved. found LST(pic 1) got great advice (pic 2) listened to said advice !(pic 3)

....you look at yourself and see bare skin not tattoos

Hold the goddamn phone!

I stay pretty busy trying to make sure that my five year old daughter, and two year old son don't grow up to be assholes. It is not glamorous but I like it.

Funny a couple of years ago a client and friend of the shop was dating this girl who was starting tattoo school. It was her birthday so he bought her a tattoo, but was at work so she came in to get it alone. She brought a bunch of Milton Zeis reference and a Stoney St Clair Sheet repainted by Danny Reed that is in the revisited book. She wanted a crawling panther type design like on those sheets, but with leopard spots. Pretty straightforward design, piece of cake. She must have made one of the guys draw it like eight times. First it was too simple, then he drew a better cat and it wasn't enough like the flash, there was a bunch of nonsense about the claws and putting eyelashes on it, but this went on for like an hour, the whole time she was trying to ask a bunch of questions about being a tattooer. So the last time we just handed her a piece of paper and a pencil and told her to draw what she wanted. She claimed she didn't work well with pencil and paper and did all her drawings on computer. At that point my boss got up from the back and asked her point blank "You actually think you are going to become a tattooer? I can't wait to see how you deal with a customer like you. " At that point she was instructed that these were not the droids she was looking for and decided to leave before she was asked to.

Half of the whole tattoo experience is GETTING TATTOOED! If you leave that out you will never understand. Most of my best tattoo experiences were on the customer side of things. I wouldnt trade those times or tattoos for anything regardless of whether or not those tattoos are dated now. Thats what made me the tattooer and person I am today. Not an abstract "love" of tattooing but actually taking part in it for the last 20 years. Its fine with me if you do not love tattooing enough to get tattooed, just dont expect any respect from those of us who do.

Lucky Supply Tattoo Museum This is the Lucky Supply Tattoo Museum's flash collection. There are a couple of pages of Phil Sims flash in there.