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Hello, I'm Grant, I've been a stalker of your forums for quite some time. However i now feel i am eligible to join the forums due to the fact i recently got my first tattoo. Props goes to Joe Ellis from Lab Monkey at Stirling, Scotland.

Already posted this in Latest Tattoo Lowdown but I thought I'd throw my hat in the ring. 100 Years of Solitude rib piece Artist: Matt Brotka Shop: Salvation Gallery

I found a lost dog roaming around while I was walking my dog this morning. It wasn't wearing a collar. I caught the dog and went around the neighborhood trying to find it's owners without any luck. I had to get to work so I brought it to my house for fear that it would get hit by a car if left outside. I then spent the entire morning while at work putting out ads for this dog. I got a couple calls throughout the day but this wasn't the dog these people were looking for. By the time I got home I called my vet to see if they could scan this dog for a microchip but they were closed for the night. By this time it was dark out but I took the dog for another walk around the neighborhood in hopes of finding its owner, still no luck. Just an hour ago I was sitting at my computer and thought I heard a very faint whistle and what sounded like someone calling a name. It is unusual for me to not have the TV or music on while at home but for some reason I didn't tonight and I was able to hear this. I opened my window to see if I could hear it again. I saw a woman across the street calling out a name. I yelled across to her and asked if she was looking for a dog. Sure enough she was, and the dog I found was hers. She was in tears and I was so happy to get her dog back to her. I was so stressed out about getting this dog back to his family. All I could think about was how devastated I would be if my dog was missing. While putting out ads for this dog I couldn't believe how many dogs and cats people are missing in just this city. It really bums me out but I'm glad I was able to get one of them back home.

Packing to fly to Tokyo on Sunday... I think that's pretty awesome (I'm not one of those people who hates packing). The only downside is that we were due to be leaving tomorrow morning and without any warning SAS cancelled their flight and re-routed us... I thought swedes were supposed to be super efficient and whatnot? Morons. So we're down a day on our vacation, but I guess the silver lining is that I sent them an e-mail laying some EU regulation smackdown on them. Because we didn't get notice in the appropriate timeframe, and because no exceptional circumstances apply, and because we're arriving more than 2 hours later than our originally scheduled time of arrival we should be entitled to compensation. Look at the regs it will be either 250 euro each, or as much as 400 euro each (depends on what whether the whole distance travelled in the intinerary is counted or just the leg they cancelled). Bought a few bits and bobs to bring the guys in Yellow Blaze today as small gifts. I know they'll probably never do a celtic style tattoo, but maybe what I bought will find a spot in their rather large library of reference material - a few books on celtic design, knotwork, bordering etc. Going to chuck in a bottle of whiskey too.

Lining the chest, stomach, and ribs in one sitting hurts like shit...I would post pictures but I think ill wait until its finished.

Awesome things I am doing lately..... Worked my first convention Went to my first seminar and I've made a point of being more honest and true to myself. Goal next year, travel more.

i got this on my forearm from Mike Wilson at the SOG convention. he was stoked on this being the first time doing a snake with a black belly. (fyi, this is an unhealed pic, one day after i got it)

Oh man, link please.

@metalmancpa glad it looks like it's going to work out for you. I was never really worried about whether either of these guys could pull it off, in general it's just hard to find people willing to work off other peoples tattoos, especially people that stay pretty busy as it is. My only prediction is your idea of stopping after this tattoo isn't going to happen.

This was great. Thanks for sharing! Oh and I was thinking more of a Red Fang song for the ending...

I'm doing the same when I go to see him in February! I'm getting a sleeve done though, so it shouldn't be too too bad, save for the ditch and elbow. Good luck!

I have sat for 6+ hours a couple times and will be doing 6 hours two days in a row when I start with Mr. Flatmo. I gotta say...at about 4 hours the pain makes every second agony, but, if the tattooer is fast and constantly works the skin, and doesnt take little 30 second pauses, then it goes way better. If the needle stays in the skin as much as possible I feel like my tolerance for pain blocks it out much better. Same goes for breaks. I prefer to take no breaks unless absolutely necessary. It just hurts tenfold when that needle hits skin again. I can't even imagine how my two day session with Kore is going to go. I know he is super fast but sitting 6+ hours and then doing it again the next day with a raw back and ass....whew. I am going to be fucking hurting.

I worked hard enough to get the damn appointment, I'm gonna make as many as possible!

I love drawing ladies faces - but rarely get to do them, maybe only a couple a year): Has anyone mentioned Isaac Fainkugen? Definitely one of my favorites!

Like @Graeme said, I rarely get this one anymore because we live in a neighborhood where it's more common to be tattooed than not. I also keep my tattoos covered up a lot of the time. Usually when people do ask, it's because they are friends or acquaintances who know I've recently gotten tattooed and want to see and are curious. I would say that most of my tattoos do have meaning to me, but not in the literal, very specific way that they're represented on TV. For example, when I recently got a dragon on my thigh, it was because I'd been feeling really drawn to dragon imagery for how it depicts both luck and strength, and I'd been feeling like I needed a bit of both on me. I think of my dragon tattoo as my little good luck charm. Also I just really loved the design and couldn't get it out of my head! It was the right thing at the right time. I think when serious tattoo folks talk about tattoos having meaning, it's often in that way--some really beautiful imagery that just speaks to you and feels right on your body, like just what you need. Even my less obviously meaning-laden tattoos are still meaningful because they serve as reminders of the time/place I was in when I got them, and who I was at that time. These meanings are often pretty ethereal or abstract. When we make fun of the LA Ink style meaning thing, it's often because people go so literal, rather than letting the power of tattoo imagery speak for itself. All that to say that when folks ask me about what my tattoos mean, I am happy to get into it if it's close friends, but it is pretty annoying if it's people I don't know very well. Because there's no good answer. If I say it doesn't mean anything, then that's alarming to the tattoo noob (I think they mix up meaning or lack thereof with how seriously you took the decision to get tattooed, as though if it isn't obviously meaningful, then you must not take tattoos very seriously. So misguided.). But if the tattoo is super meaningful to me, then why on earth would I want to share such super personal stuff with someone I don't know very well? Part of the tattoo TV problem is that it assumes that even if we are getting tattoos that are profoundly meaningful, that we're also all super confessional exhibitionists who like, want to announce all this shit to any stranger we meet. Nope.

New one from Thomas Hooper last week

Got this from Antonio Roque today @ Black Label Tattoo Co.

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

Here you guys go! ha just realized I screwed the last 30 seconds. will fix

Ya kno...he doesn't even look like a real teddy-boy, or Greaser, as we used to call em here. WAY too much hair.

Either an eagle on my chest, LArge ship with waves etc on my right leg or a stag with roses on my upper right arm :)

@CultExciter Yep, he wanted to do some shading but I had to tap out.

I've always liked Tim Pausinger's tattoos (I believe he's working full time at the Pearl Harbour Gift Shop in Toronto these days). I'm not sure what it is about them, but I think his work has a real style of its own - always some cool touches or a different way of looking at a traditional subject. He's got a couple of cool ROAs in his instragram feed: Traditional, but he does his own thing with them. I like the way he illustrates the women too... Here's one:- I kind of like 'em because they look like they're leg pieces also... For those of us who can't fit a ROA on a back!

http://www.facebook.com/TEDDYBOYGREG53 Looks like he is has way more face tats now. Rockabilly Dating Site - ROCKABILLYDATE.COM and he was on this dating site pre face tattoos, note the swallow tattoo on his neck.

The names of people who will be guest spotting there is impressive. The shop is right off of Portobello Road; I spotted it being built when I was there a couple weeks ago. Grant Cobb told me about it in October. If anything, there will be some good work coming out of there. I don't expect any less from those names.

That tattoo is so awesome.

gougetheeyes & hogg, both of you are posters on this forum that I've enjoyed reading for awhile, feel quite honored that you took the time to reply and said a welcome, thanks guys :)

Freaky! I like it. And welcome, @Grant.

Didn't think a topic like this would bring such controversy. I've always referred to this style as "dotwork", which in my head encompasses everything from mandalas to scrimshaw to crosshatch, and the best way to view A LOT of it at once, is to just search Instagram by hashtag #dotwork. Some of the stuff I'd consider "dotwork" doesn't even necessarily contain "dots" (like the first Hooper image posted in this thread), but when I think of "black work" I think of heavy heavy black, full body tribal, etc... I just think it's an easy catchall term and people immediately know what you're talking about. In response to what Stewart said, the fact that people think they can do it has nothing to do with the fact that it has a label... it has everything to do with the fact that it's just popular right now. Maybe newer artists see it as a way to call attention to their work since a lot of people want to get this kind of work done these days, myself included. But the thing is... that doesn't matter to me. If suddenly 50 new artists a year are specializing in dotwork... that doesn't mean they are all going to become legends. That doesn't mean I'm going to get work done by any of them. I'll still go to the guys that I truly admire. For every one "forefather" of this style, there are 10 copycats... for every one forefather of traditional tattoo work, there are 1000 "copycats"! This is still a relatively new style of tattooing we're talking about here. It's just barely become a "thing", and I think it does in fact warrant a label. I've always been drawn to all black tattoos, and got my first one from Duncan X 10 years ago. Since then I've collected them from Maxime Buchi, Jondix, Liam Sparkes, Daniel Albrigo, Duke Riley, and recently Thomas Hooper. I don't know why it appeals to me... but I do know what doesn't appeal to me: traditional tattoos, americana, classic flash. Clearly those things makes up 95% of this forum, but that's fine, people like it, I don't mind looking at it, I certainly respect most of the artists doing it (including everyone at Frith St, and not just because they post here), I just don't want the same tattoo on me as on hundreds if not thousands of other people in the world. Sure the images are "tried and true" or whatever, but so are McDonald's hamburgers, and I don't eat those either. And as I stated above, for every 1 great traditional tattoo artist, there are hundreds of average, or below average tattooers. I'd wager to say it's easier to make a living as a tattooer who specializes in classic flash, than one who does mind-bending mandalas and dreams about dots (as Jondix said he did). Anyway, I don't want to ramble on any further, and I certainly don't mean to alienate LST's main audience, but I'm glad this thread is here and hope it grows as fast as the threads about lady heads and rock of ages tattoos.

I'm basically flaking finger nails off of my leg. It's fantastic.

@missStark I teared up! You are awesome. My best friend/mother passed away less than two months ago, so I've been keeping myself busy. Enrolled in a stain glass class, so I'm sinking money into this new hobby. But I freaking love it. And gearing up for holiday craft time. Christmas is right around the corner!

Hahaha. A common scenario. Sounds like you got "Hoopered".

My neck tattoo is vampire bites, so I just reminded myself that it wouldn't take to long but I do want something bigger on the left side of my neck. - - - Updated - - - See !

no problemo. inner arm by Jondix. i also got a perfect space filler under my knee by this Japanese tattooer, Hideki Kobayashi, whose book captivated my eyes and mind. he turned the lines from the third pic to the tattoo in the second.

I am a fairly social person but do not like talking about my tattoos with those that I feel are just being nosey. My standard answer... Them," Hey where did you get those tattoos?" Me, "prison" Although my work I think is exceptional and def not prison work(Ive never attended!) this response typically pushes people way from me while they make sure they still have their wallet and/or purse. If you want to be flat out mean and are in a bad mood....When they ask "Did it hurt"....just reply, "not as much as the sex I traded it for."

I obsess over lady heads and study the shit out of them, yet still suck at them. Anyway I thought I'd throw a few other names into the mix. Forgive me if any have been previously alluded to. Mando Rascon (one of my personal favorites) Kevin Leblanc Whitney Lennox Angelique Houtkamp Emily Rose Murray Aaron Coleman (not necessarily known for his lady heads, but trust me. His fucken' rule) Mikey Sarratt Ben Grillo - - - Updated - - - Also, Tyler James Densley Johannes Nota Milford Barnes

This is on you!!!! Ah, I'm jealous! I've been digging this since he started it.

BOMBS

From Jondix - " They can never copy my migraines or my travels so it will never be the same .... but it could be even better if they wanted " Maybe much like the REAL East L.A. style something that probably has to be lived , maybe it requires living under darkened sky in damp studio flats and is a response elicited amongst the relative oasis of the natural history museum or the like I don't know, mostly I think it stems from a desire to be different . Also like that other style it has a shop , IN2U , as the epicenter in the same manner as that old "gingerbread man " shop , G.T.C . Cool to see Negrete put his spin on it .

Buying one of those waterbrushes that Valerie mentioned earlier in this thread was one of the best moves I've ever made! haha. Alexander Grimm also suggested getting them and his paintings are fucking excellent. Takes sooooo much stress out of painting tattooy type images. I just apply paint/ink with a normal brush as usual) and a pentell water brush to blend out. Just start to blend out with the water brush, quickly dab the end of it to get rid of paint that has now come on to it, then blend out some more with it. Real easy. Make sure to only use a smallish sized water brush so not too much water is coming out. Also, one other thing I noticed don't fill up the water brush fully with water when refilling it. Only fill it around 1/3 of the way maximum. I've found that if it's completely full then the pressure of the water causes too much of it to rush out when you're using it which makes the blends harder to do. Anyway, hope that helps someone :P I did this quick rose painting with the water bursh and this longer girl head in a rose one with a water brush too. Definitely saving me a lot of time :)

Am I the only person who thinks this?

Shige!!!

Hooper did this foot as part of a full squid leg: I was lucky enough to see it in person while it was being worked on and it was knock-you-on-your-ass good. I'd love to do something like that with my feet but I'm not in a place in my life right now where I can heal something like that.

My back piece experience so far. Hmmm, where to begin... Both empowering and humbling is my best description. Empowering, because despite after always admiring the full back pieces I'd see in tattoo magazines in the 80's and 90's, then, especially here on LST, I never in a million years thought I'd ever be able to do it. But, this year, at age 46 I started mine on June 30th. I had it built up in my head that it would be the most painful experience of my life, and was so worried that I'd have to quit halfway through, but then I saw the stencil on my back and I was like "It's so awesome. Cool, so what if it wraps around my ribs and goes collar to waist, I can do this." Well, I did do it. It wasn't easy, but I made it through the outline (Shit tons of lines, but he got it on me in 3hrs 40mins.) Yeah, it was painful as Hell. I knew going in what I was about to put myself through, and went in with my head in the game. All of the shading and coloring has been painful as hell as well, but I always see progress, and it keeps me stoked for the next time. I'm about halfway done now at the 17.5 hour mark, taking it in 3 hour or so chunks, plus random tattoo of opportunity times. Humbling, because all the other tattooers and clientele at the tattoo shop doing my back, and other people that have seen my back piece are now like so reverential of it (think "Whoa, Dude, how the Hell did you do that?") I feel like all I did was just lay there and take it because I REALLY, REALLY wanted a ROA back piece. Once it's finished I'll get get to wear this motherfucker till they put me in the ground and I'm worm dirt.

Rob Noseworthy painting: For total nerd reasons, I love the Star Wars/samurai crossover stuff because of the Kurosawa influence on Star Wars.

Started this Piece but havent gotten a chance to finish because the client ran out of $$ for now. A damn shame! Im loving the motorhead vader

Guess I'm lucky...I run my own office/shop, and do nost of my bidness over the phone and internet. Short-sleeved dress shirts with the first three buttons Guido'ed to show-off the eagle n roses on my chest. My oldest mans the front desk with usually a sleeveless tee to show-off the Nick Colella dragon on his upper arm, and number three son has a .30-06 round on the back of each bicep that are REAL obvious with a tee-shirt.

From handbag to douchebag