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Aaron Coleman, three sessions.

@Hogrider I'm by no means an authority on this stuff, but I'm travelling along the same road you've just started... Part of the reason you can't find what you're looking for is because you're looking for literal or binary meanings. Most of the images you've seen tattooed are taken from Japanese and Chinese folk tales or religious stories. Imagine of you asked someone regarding western cultural art or tattoos: 1) "What does it mean when there's a guy hanging on cross with his arms outstretched?" 2) "What does it mean when there's a woman in blue holding a naked baby" 3) "What does it mean when the muscle-bound guy in the black mask overpowers the brightly dressed skinny man in the clown makeup. The answers depend on your level of interest/sympathy and how abstract or literal you want to be: 1a) It's Jesus. His father, God, sacrificed him to atone for the sins of the world. 1b) The wearer has faith in a religious power higher than himself and possibly feel kinship with or sympathy for the figure and character of Jesus Christ. 1c) The wearer wants to be forgiven for past wrongdoings. 2a) It's Mary, Jesus' mother. The baby is Jesus. 2b) She's a figure of worship because some people believe she should be revered because God chose her as the vessel for his earthly offspring. Her cloak is blue because traditionally goddesses were associated with the moon and night sky. Sometimes it has stars on it. Christianity adopted this symbol to make it easier for people who held older religious beliefs to adopt the new faith. 2c) The wearer may have sympathy or empathy with the concept of being the vessel for divine power or lineage. Also this symbol can have an added element of sadness because we know the eventual sadness and loss of a mother witnessing her only son be sacrificed for the good of mankind - possibly a greater sacrifice than Jesus, some might say. 3a) It's Batman, he's fighting the Joker. 3b) Batman is a symbol of vigilante justice. He works outside of recognised laws to bring justice to a world crippled by wrongdoing. 3c) This scene is a metaphor for the darkness of repressed homosexuality and it's power to overcome the sinister flamboyance of non-hetro feelings. etc, etc. In short, think about what you want your tattoo to 'mean' or 'say' - tell that to a tattooer who knows his stuff and let them find a story or theme that fits your idea. Or just pick one you like from a woodblock print. I try to tell people all the time that western traditional tattooing has just as much symbolism and poetry but nobody will listen. It's all sex, death and the struggles of humankind. Good luck.

Had the last major session on my backpiece this past Saturday. 8 sessions over 6 months, 25.5 hours and 2 tubs of Aquaphor later, it's basically done. Have to go back next week to get a few touch-ups and darken the blue up a bit, but basically done. I'll get some better pictures soon.

I'll of course stop eventually but hope that I still have plenty of tattoos to go still. For me, a big part of why I love getting tattooed, beyond the actual tattoos of course, is that I've met a lot of really amazing people through it who inspire me, who stimulate me, who push me to be a better person in a lot of ways, and I want to continue having that in my life for as long as possible.

To finish off 2012 and the amazing tattoos that have been posted in the years contest the winner is........ @HaydenRose with the roses from Scott Sylvia while he guest spotted @ Kings Avenue Tattoo, NYC (post #6) Congratulations!! Thanks to all who submitted and got great tattoos supporting good tattooers! PM me your shirt size and male or female style shirt with your mailing address please

I'm in sort of a race against the clock... I'm not *that* old, but I don't know how much longer I'll be able to work. So, while I'm still working and making money, I'm going to get as many tattoos as my body and my budget can stand. Starting with squid pants and then we'll see...

For one, I am in between jobs, not going to spend what money I do have on tattoos. Secondly... I don't want to rush. though my head is filled with grand ideas and this and that, I don't want to rush through getting my body tattooed. It's hard to restrain yourself, but I don't desire to be heavily tattooed, but I do want more. I am thinking, when I finally get another job, I'll save money towards that goal, as a treat... But getting tattooed willy nilly, especially being so young, has been a recipe for disaster in the area Im from. Alot of guys and women around here get tattooed like that, and they are 23 and completely covered, getting neck tattoos and full sleeves before they even have careers... Not for me! I don't know where I'll stop tattooing my body, but I want it to be a journey, not a race.

@phickey, I can only second and third what others have said and add that that's one of the best tattoos I've ever seen. A panther, a dagger, a cobra, and roses. Everything great, all in one. Refresh my memory: aren't you the guy who showed up here asking where to go to get good tattoos? If so, you may rival @Scott R for LST's greatest success story.

I am obligated to try. At the end of the month I will have had the first two sessions on my back with Mr. Kore Flatmo done. I gotta at least toss it in...

Thank you everyone :) I wouldn't have gotten those amazing tattoos if it wasn't for Scott, this forum, and all if its wonderful members. And all of the other entries were just as worthy as mine, every month gets better and better. Again, thanks LST mods and all it's members. Looking forward to another year of amazing tattoos!

You can never have too much black in a sugar skull. Sunny Buick did this one one me in 1998:

@Delicious I've got some stuff lined up ;) I'm feeling a little bit superstitious about putting it out in the world though - I'm afraid I might jinx it! You'll ALL know soon enough! (Like 1/18!).

Heavily tattooed = someone with more tattoos that you have. :-)

I have a lot of OPINIONS on the myriad of ways that tattoo culture can still be really shitty to women, but rather than going on a rant about that right now, I will say this: Because it can indeed be kind of isolating being an (increasingly) heavily tattooed woman, one of the best things I have gotten out of my participation on this board has been the space to interact with, and "get to know", other articulate, thoughtful and cool tattooed women. I adore a lot of folks around here, but being able to connect with other ladies is particularly valuable and enriching, since I think being tattooed is accompanied by some unique stuff for us. So I am really grateful for this space and for everything I've learned from other women in the tattoo world.

I see a couple of people suggesting that its a bad idea to go the freehand route. sorry but that is false. if you go to someone and they cant draw a good design on you chances are that they wouldn't have drawn it any better on paper. I am not saying they don't use stencils and I'm sure they do sometimes but I personally have never seen Richard Stell, Troy Denning or Chris Trevino use a stencil. also I work with both Horizakura and Yoni Zilber who I watch draw on entire sleeves and backpieces that become the most beautifuly executed tattoos. So what im saying is its not the process/approach that is to blame for giving you an unsatisfactory tattoo it is the artist that executed it. I'd hate to see you go into a situation where youre gonna get tattooed by a Chris Garver or Horitomo and he says he's gonna freehand it so you get spooked and end up opting out of it because someone on the internet said that freehand is a red flag. also drawing on the spot is perfectly ok if the artist has the experience and skills to do so. if Gordon Ramsey offered to come to my house and make me dinner using whatever i have in my cupboard I'm not going to request that he figure out the recipe a week in advance because he's going to nail it.

This is mine. Traditional but also Christian. Done by Matt Howse Spider Murphy's. I also have a St. Michael on my back.

I'm a devoted mom & wife, a kindergarten teacher with a master's degree in education, and am working on my 7th tattoo (this one being the biggest so far, covering 3/4 of my left arm). Living in LA, I rarely get a second look even when I'm in a tank top--one thing I love about this place. On a list of 50 reasons why LA rocks I recently read online here's #45: Moms and dads with Black Flag t-shirts and neck tattoos, pushing shopping carts and strollers, and getting into mini-vans. I thought that was pretty funny & true. As for those who don't like tattoos on women or tattoos in general, good! Helps us weed out the a-holes. I've always liked to be at least a little outside the mainstream anyway. If they don't have anything nice to say, they should stfu as far as I'm concerned. As for those who ask you what will your future children think @Delicious, I can tell you my daughter loves mine and my husband's. How obnoxious. Tell them to wait while you take out your crystal ball. Haha.

I keep saying I'm going to slow down/stop but after starting getting tattoos about 2 years ago, I haven't had 1 break yet and actually had 2 tattoos from 2 artist at the same time. I was actually joking at the shop last night with some of the guys that it's not like I keep getting new tattoos, it just seems that it just gets bigger and more epic! Example: My leg started with a Hanya from @Stewart Robson, then it was a Raijin on the other side of my thigh, then last night I got a big wicked drum that filled the rest of my thigh/ass, now I'm due for a dragon from knee, right onto my foot. Before I left my artist mentioned that he is leaving the top open on my waist so we can bring it onto my ribs.

After I got my 1st tattoo (eagle) a year and a half ago I was happy - no regrets. Even after getting my 1st Gunnar piece this past October and seeing the stark difference in quality, I still had no regrets. I went back to Gunnar this past weekend with plans to "add" a cobra to the eagle to even out the size of the tattoos on each of my upper arms. He spent 1.5 hours freehanding the cobra onto my arm before inking, and then scrapped the whole thing becuase he wasn't happy with how the cobra looked with the existing eagle. He ended up going in a different direction which included reworking the eagle itself which was something we never discussed. After that he added sky, then moved down and decided to do a desert scene. I cannot believe the before/after. There were so many things wrong with the original, but I must have purposefully ignored it to convince myself of having no regrets. What I've learned over the past year is there is a difference going to a street shop to get a good tattoo, and seeking out an artist with a concept. I am not knocking street shops, but with my personal experience the street shop mentality took precedent over artistic quality with my first eagle. Before: After (crappy cell phone pic taken right after the session):

More often than not seeing heavily tattooed young people bums me out because they have such bad tattoos. At the last Montreal convention there were a bunch of young guys, probably 18 or 19 with sleeves, their hands and necks done, and the tattoos they had were so bad. Like sort of traditional stuff but just done really poorly. I don't know what they paid for their tattoos but it seemed absurd to me that were covered in such shit so young when they could have instead gotten a really good piece or two from some really exceptional artists there and pieced together a really amazing sleeve over time. The folly of youth. All of this is to say that waiting and saving your money to get really good work instead of just getting covered for the sake of getting covered is the way to go.

Hi All, I'm Josh Michaell. I've been enjoying reading the forum posts for a couple of weeks, and i thought now would be a good time to jump in. I've been getting tattooed for about three years now, and it has been a wonderful and profound experience. I'm hooked. I've been tattooed by Thomas Hooper, Jondix, and Robert Ryan. Like David Bragger, I play old-time American music (guitar & banjo.) I've been studying Thai cooking for 8 years and can whip up a pretty authentic curry. I'm a psychotherapist by profession, but I also spend a good amount of time traveling and teaching workshops on Sanskrit and yoga philosophy. It's pretty random, but someone has to do it. Anyway, I just wanted to introduce myself and say that I look forward to being part of the LST community.

The rest of y'all don't even bother trying!

I guess the people running that site wouldn't dig my little Baphomet tattoo?

@MGblues Aaron Coleman, we got it done in three session. Yesterday we did every bit of color five hours straight...ouch.

I have an appt with R. Ryan first week in Jan, it'll be my first tattoo by him.

I don't know about you guys, but I sometimes struggle to find a Christian themed tattoo that really excites me, and I'm a bona fide Jesus freak. Don't get me wrong, Rock of Ages is cool and all, but other than that crosses and praying hands don't really excite me. Do you guys have or know of any cool Christian Themed tattoos?

Probably a bit late (I know some people already started) but what are your guys plans for New Years? I'm heading over to a friends for a more civilized NYE than I'm used to. Great thing is it's my birthday as well so it'll be guaranteed fun!

I got a picture to upload. Thanks! Happy New Year! - - - Updated - - - PS OS X 10.6.8 Safari

I spent a year in a "youth home" in Georgia as a teen. It was something. It definitely contributed to making me the person that I am today (but probably not exactly in the ways they intended).

@dcostello: I'm doing the Jacksonville Challenge on the June 15th/16th, I didn't realize, I think Florida has the most Challenges. It's a night challenge. Thank you all the heads up, will definitely apply it to my training. Will definitely send off a PM to you. Thank you! Have a Great New Year!

Lobster Club on brioche the start of 11 dozen tamales

Awww! Thanks @slayer9019 super sweet of you. I wish I was in NJ! I'm in Rockdale Texas, population 5,580. 2 gas stations, 2 bars, a car wash, an auto parts store... the dining out options are pretty much Sonic and Dairy Queen. Ugh! I spent all day Saturday in Austin though and had a fabulous time. I'm planning to spend most of my free time away from Rockdale for the duration of this contract. I'm used to being in bigger towns with more travelers and we all kind of glom together. I don't know anyone in Austin but I've got a dear friend in College Station which is only about 30 minutes from here so it's not a completely lonesome experience. And I brought my spinning wheel along this time so I'll have something to do in the evenings.

Happy Birthday @slayer9019 :-) This is a bit of a blue New Year's for me... It's just me and "New Year's Rockin' Eve" in my hotel room tonight. No champagne, but I picked up a bottle of Knob Creek on super sale over the weekend. On the plus side - it looks like I'll be able to get out of this hotel and into an apartment tomorrow! I am sick to death of eating out of the microwave... can't wait to fire up a stove top and cook a proper meal.

Which Florida event are you doing? Strength/running: If you are into crossfit, do that... otherwise... Start with around two/three bricks in your pack for workouts depending on what your strength level is. If you are already a medium to strong runner this shouldn't be too hard for you. If not, I suggest comfortably running six miles @ around 10 minutes a mile without issue before moving to weight. Also, do at least one long hike a week. Like 10+ miles. Carry essentials, 3L water, food and other stuff and add more weight as it feels comfortable. This is extremely important, since you need to get used to being on your feet for long periods of time without stopping. PT stuff: Do lots of the following: Flutter kicks, burpees, push-ups, crab walks (your pack in front of you), bear crawls, MTN Climbers, Lunges ect. Any military type of workout will only get you better prepared. You will be doing shit that your cadre did while going through their special forces training which is so bizarre and insane that you cannot be prepared for. Do this in intervals while on your running course. Use your bag as a workout tool. Carry your bag without straps (handle on top) for a half a mile and get used to is. Do over head presses with your bag, different shit like that. Cloths: Florida in the summer fuckin sucks. Wear breathable clothing. I suggest under armor heat gear short sleeves with running shorts. Shoes: Something light and good for draining. I recommend Inov-8 TerRoc 330 (check out theclymb.com for deals on trail running shoes. Send me a PM with your email and I will invite you to the site. 60% off shoes of the sort.) I also recommend a GR1 (if you havent already). Fucking expensive, but will be the best bag related purchase of your life. Fitness Blogs: SEALFIT Workouts - SEALFIT WOD's - Mark Divine Nuff Said 6: Goruck Tough Class 057 - Training and Prep Also: If you are on Facebook, join your local Florida GORUCK group for the challenge to work out dates to meet up. It is key that you get used to working as a team and have a relationship base. It will help you get through the first ----- hours. Fuck you, I'm not telling you how miserable the first part is. Be prepared to have a really good time. Any questions that you want to ask me, please feel free to send me an email. I can talk about this shit all day. They mean it when they say "It's 90% mental".

I came across this the other day and thought it was cool. Edward Deeds, Outsider Artist, Leaves Behind Hauntingly Innocent Drawings From Mental Institution (PHOTOS, INTERVIEW)

My wife has no tattoos. She has never had a problem with me continuing to get tattoos, except once when she asked, "Why another skull, don't you have enough" (answer: never can have enough). I always thought she was just tolerating my tattoos. But this past weekend she went from tolerating to supportive. When I found this forum I learned more about tattoos than I had learned in years of being tattooed. There is a whole nation of amazing tattooers out there and i have to visit as many as i can. So I told her I wanted to start traveling for tattoos. She said great, where are we going first? Life is good.

Welcome! Lookin' forward to seeing your new work.

This is the tattoo I ended up getting instead of a verse done in text. Hebrews 6:19-7:2 would be the reference. When I thought of it I didn't really realize that anchor tattoos were so common, but I realize it's a classic image so I'm glad I went with it anyway. Done by Chris Lombardi at Hand of Doom Tattoo in Buffalo, NY.

Can't go wrong with an icon tattoo.

by exactly that; managing my money. i've got a car loan and all that but while all my friends are out at the bars or whatever i'm just hanging out at home and saving money to get tattooed.

I found it easier to get half of my lower leg done when I was underage than it's been to get my tattooer friends to do little ten minute filler dealies. Haha. I get that it's not very satisfying to do a six minute tattoo in a gap, but c'mon man... I need it.

this is so silly, there is no need for all this hoopla. If your hesitant why not ask the wealth of knowledge right here are your fingertips? there are many contributors here from California both enthusiasts and tattooers. It can be as simple as I think xxx guy is who I am going to, I live xxx. what do you guys think. It sucks you got a bad tattoo but you dont have to repeat the process or go at alone trying to find a good tattoo.

Get what you get dude, probably coulda gotten the rose and then taken an actual picture of it by now.

Got this off Valerie Vargas at Frith Street on Tuesday, I love it! I posted it in the latest tattoo thread and someone recomended I put it in here, Cheers. P.S. That Head Eagle on the last page is bad ass :cool:

Plenty that I agree with here and I'm going to add Ron Henry Wells. What first really made me pay attention to him was this "open letter to tattooers everywhere" that he wrote last year about how, while acknowledging that there are some bad things going on in tattooing right now, that there are also a lot of genuinely fucking amazing things happening. Maybe for me a big part of the appeal was that I'd just started getting tattooed at that point and was super psyched on it (oh wait, I'm still super psyched on it) and it was rad reading someone who, for a change, was talking about all the great things happening in tattooing RIGHT NOW instead of lamenting how it was better in the old days. His designs and tattoos regularly fucking kill it. I love that they're proper tattoos...skulls, daggers, torches, lady heads, ships, birds, etc...but with these little twists that I haven't seen elsewhere that just make them so fucking awesome. The negative space tattoos he's posted on IG blow my mind. I have a couple of tattoos from him, will in all likelihood get more, and I'm stoked because me and @Pugilist are driving down to Congress Street at the end of the week to see him again.

Brutal Knitting by Tracy Widdess

Erik Desmazieres. This hits all the right notes for me:

Finally snagged one of Panhandles paintings! These don't last long before they get swooped up, sometimes as fast as 15 minutes after he posts it on FB.

Snakes! Love 'em so much. Maybe too much. I have three, and I'm really trying to stop. One on my back by Jill Bonny, one on my elbow by Scott Sylvia and the aforementioned weirdo battle royale by Jeff Rassier: