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Dagger through neck, Valerie Vargas

Woke up with a tattoo on my pimple this morning, what can I do about it?!?!?!?!?

sorry for the shitty picture, but this is from my instagram. here's a little garbage can cat filler i got from dan santoro on saturday. he also spider webbed my right shoulder. my right arm is so close to being done.

When I get a pimple I usually squeeze the heck out of it and can't leave it alone, it ends up massive. On that basis I recommend squeezing the heck out of it and you might end up with a full back piece.

@spyro I don't think that you should be getting tattooed right now and I'd like to basically reiterate what @MsRad said earlier about it really seeming like you're rushing into this. I think it's great that you're looking for a good artist and want a good tattoo, but it's absurd that you need this much help. What are you going to do in the consult? What about when your artist shows you the line drawing? You have your entire life to get tattooed so there's really no rush to so it. I would suggest to hold off for a while and wait until at least the Toronto tattoo convention in June. Go to it, see what people in your city, across the country, and internationally are doing, see the tattoos in real life, and find out what you like and what you respond to best in person and figure out who YOU want to be tattooed by. In the meantime, lurk here, look at the design threads, look at the latest tattoo lowdown thread, learn about how to look at a tattoo in terms of design, linework, shading, coloring, and learn about different tattoo styles. Go to the library and look for reference. I know that my local library has Ed Hardy's Dragons book, maybe your has the same. It will certainly have books on medieval art where you can look at how European dragons have traditionally been drawn. Basically, what I'm trying to say here is that if anything is worth putting effort into, it's tattoos.

What does that even mean? - - - Updated - - - My Wife has a few tattoos, my girlfriend on the other hand......... rimshot!

Figured I'd start a quick little thread on this! Went yesterday afternoon with a buddy who bought a piece for himself and another for a friend. Wasn't expecting to be so into so much of Thom's artwork.. seeing it on a screen doesn't really do it justice. At all. Super powerful.. and really fun. Met him and Nick Bubash and Thom signed my copy of his book... They thought it was pretty funny that I didn't realize those little black stamps of the man in the hat IS THOM! Shoulda known.. that design would make a killer tattoo, too, by the way. Thom was funny and very nice. I asked him about a photo of him that was in display and he said he liked it because it looked like he'd just come out of a casino at 5AM. He talks very, quietly. He was rifling through his bag to find the brush he usually signs things with and came up with a ball peen hammer and gave me a sideways glance -- "Well, that's not it," he said. Another quick thing, as we were looking through the portfolios sitting out a dude asked, "Hey, you mind if I just look over your shoulder?" I told him no problem as my friend and I pored over the pages and this dude was all up over the portfolios.. ended up snagging four rubbings and pounced on one when my friend passed on it. I kept thinking shit, I know that dude from somewhere.. "That was Civ, dude," my friend politely told me. HA! Ok, not such a quick thread. The atmosphere was pretty electric there.. Talked to Mike and their awesome shop dude Jon (who happens to be a reg at my bar) and just had a really fun afternoon and wanted to share. Anyone else?! Thank you Chris Grosso for making it happen.. wanted to talk a bit more but it was a busy time.

I may have already posted in this thread but I'm too lazy to check. Oh well. Maybe this post will be different enough anyway? When I met my husband about 8 years ago, he probably wouldn't have been the type to really get tattooed - maybe one or two tops. I think being with me has definitely changed that. I tattoo and I have plans to be pretty heavily covered (although we agreed no face or throat - which I am totally okay with -everything else is up to me). He has a law degree and will likely work in very conservative white collar jobs for most of his life, so he is pretty limited as far as visible tattoos go. In the past year especially he has been getting more and more into tattoos, and now follows a ton of tattooers on Instagram. He constantly has ideas for new pieces he wants to get and I think he gets a little jealous that he can't really have his forearms done while I can do whatever I want with my job haha. I feel pretty lucky that he's very open to my plans to be heavily covered, and that he shares an interest in tattoos in general. Some people might not care too much about what their significant other thinks, and I think that's a perfectly valid stance, but how he feels about my body definitely does matter to me. I'm glad he and I are on the same page with that.

Right now my plan is to only have 4 tattoos above my knees. 2 sleeves (3/4 length), 1 back piece (neck to knees), and 1 front piece (also neck to knees).

I went on Saturday after my gf and I got tattooed at Smith St. It was really awesome. Thom's artwork is really great, and, as mentioned, seeing it in person makes it that much better. It's truly amazing how that dude doesn't waste an inch on any piece that he does. There are stamps and paintings on the inside, underside, and backs of nearly all of the cardboard box pieces he had showing. It was great. Thom was super nice, and I was really happy to have met him. I got to talking to him about his art, and he told me it usually takes him a few hours to complete a piece, but will wind up adding things to it over the course of several days. I was able to get one of the paintings he made from the art show fliers. I've gotta thanks Chris Grosso for 1) letting me take some cool pictures that I'll post sometime this week 2) introducing me to some awesome people, and 3) just being an awesome and really nice dude.

"Do you know how bad this would have hurt with pants on?!?!?!"

Everyone knows that if you pop a panther head it will grow into a full crawling panther! Be careful!

Hey Lin! First off, welcome! Secondly, In my opinion, you should steer well clear of getting tattooed in your friends kitchen, or anywhere that is willing to tattoo you under the age of 18. Best way to approach a tattoo idea, is to gather a few reference pictures that give the tattooer enough of what you're after and let them run with it. Keeping in mind they do this everyday, you'll get a much nicer tattoo this way. Other than that.. you seem eager, which is great, but please take the time to think your idea through! Nothing worse than a tattoo you regret. Welcome again, and enjoy your time here! -Tim.

i think there should be a sound reel of just Oliver's reaction.

So I just booked an appointment with Eddy Deutsche In March, Im beyond thrilled. Who's else has been tattooed by hi? He seems like a really cool dude on the phone. post pics or story's. My friend Rick got a half sleeve by him in the early 90's of some demons and some H.R Giger stuff that looks awesome still, Ill post a pic when I see him later today.

When Thomas asked me to film 'the event' a couple of days before, he suggested we get someone to make a track/song using Oliver's reactions as vocals. Sadly I just didn't have the time but it would have been funny as hell.

That's a sweet little memorial piece.

I got this as a memorial piece for my 18yr old cat that died a few months ago- its from 70's picture machine flash, modded of course- I dont have good pix but I also got a gi joe sized Shiva doing the Cosmic Dance - both from Aaron Carmody @ Skin Thrills Tattoo I also got my side outlined by Matt Bivetto, who by the way has moved to NYC @ 3 Kings, so go get it NYC people

What Graeme said. Instead of taking an artist a vague idea of "what kind" of dragon you want, you should be able to track down a pic of one that is durn near exactly what you want. When I get work done that is "custom", I make sure I have pix of all the major elements so there is no confusion about how I want it to look. Shop around. The tattoo convention advice is excellent! Go, look, absorb.......AND GET TATTOOED LATER! Don't go there for the specific purpose of getting work done-it's too easy to get caught-up in the moment and end up with something that isn't exactly what you wanted. Far as "lubing", if you're a college kidliving in a dorm and can't get someone to put some lotion on yer arm, well, I can't help you! I will say, tho', that tattooing was around long, long before modern skin lotion was. That means that for many years, people actually got tattoos and let them heal, all on their own. Not the most comfortable, but certainly old-school.

This thread is crazy...

@spyro - I'll ask my OT friends if they have any suggestions.

All you have to do is find a good tattooer whose work you like then two separate references; one of a wolf you like and one of a dragon you like......then if you choose a good tattooer they'll work their magic and blammo you'll have a badass tattoo that they've used their skills to morph and create. Remember to take their advice as its their craft not ours and they know the magic. Side note I used the word "magic" hella hecka times

I gave my resignation letter at my job which I have grown to resent over the last year after finding a job where I am finally appreciated and learning more about my field of practice. As I walked out of our main station I raised my hands in the air and yelled: Best day EVER.

David finally colored in the outlines on my ribs. There's still a background to get done, but.... not bad for one sitting of color. - - - Updated - - - PS: I blurred out his tallywhacker for our more sensitive viewers.

Thank you Mr. @hogg! And right back at you, you got some awesome tattoos yourself I already had a peek on your page:)

I'd really rather get this diagnosed online...just something about having t5o deal with my pimple-artist again.

Glad people are waking up to this man while he is still here to enjoy it. Wish I could have made it!

Hey there, just recently within the past year started getting tattooed as I got sober off of heroin and needed a new, more positive outlet/means of expression. I currently have like seven done. My second most recent piece is what brings me to this forum as I need info about covering it up. Just wanted to say hello!

@bulldog That's a great one! I've never seen a girl head on a blade like that. Too cool.

Welcome! Nice intro. Sounds like you're smart enough to stay outta the kitchen. Pretty much what these other guys said, you can reference other tattoos with what you like about certain designs if you feel there is something really specific, otherwise find a tattooer whose work you like and let 'em have at it. I remember when I was just starting to get tattoos and I found a photo that I really liked -- so I thought, I WANT THAT, so I brought it to the shop and said, I WANT THAT and the tattooer (now a buddy) just sort of sighed and very nicely told me he'd give me something with those elements that he'd draw up himself. (He's got a good bedside manner.) And what was this super unique design that I thought I had to copy on myself? ...a skull with a hat. It's all been done before so just find a good shop and a great artist and it should work out!

I <3 brains!! So fascinating!!

I got a koi with maple leaves and water from him in 1999 at 222. Super awesome experience, and as others have said, he's a great, great guy. You're stoked!

You're half right. Red, along with black fades the fastest and usually has the best reaction to laser treatments. It's not that green (blue & yellow too) are more difficult to remove, they just might take more sessions. If your goal is to cover though, just getting the green light should do the trick. I'd say right now about 75-80% of my business is lightening tattoos for people to either get them covered, or to hide them inside a much larger piece because the original tattoo is now in "prime real estate". Perhaps where I differ from the other med-spa places out there is that I actually encourage you to keep an open dialect going with your tattoo artist through the whole process. I'll tell you to stop in 3-4 weeks after a treatment with your artist and discuss your future tattoo, and he or she will tell you if it would be helpful to get 1, 2 or 5 more treatments based on the level of fading you currently have. I work with a ton of shops in my area because of this mutual respect. For my clients who are getting cover-ups, my goal is for them to get the best possible tattoo that THEY want, not the tattoo that will best cover or hide the original piece. Far too often people end up with large dark-belly owls, roses, lotus and sunflowers because it's easy to hide old tattoos inside, sadly that's usually not what the person wants.

Jennifer, when I was getting tattooed at Congress St. Tattoo in Portsmouth, NH last summer, Fat Tony Sellers who works there showed me a split painting he did with Richard and Aaron Coleman and it was ridiculously good. I think Richard painted a fox with a parrot in its mouth and Tony said it took him like 30 minutes to paint it. It's humbling to see things like that.

The end.

My friend, just go talk to them. That's your best bet. Go look at portfolios, converse with the artist, tell them your idea. You'll know what to do next.

Opening a JOINT savings account with my wife, contributing to my meager retirement fund I started last year, and, weirdly, becoming a more senior dude at the ol j-o-b. Finally able to start enjoying NYC even.. only took eight years. Feeling a little more like one of those grown-ups I've heard so much about. @slayer9019 A house with a garage and a yard..? What's a garage and a yard??

I have people ask me this all the time, I only have 11. I joke and say never. I'll be done when I feel like it. I know that's kinda vague but it's the most honest answer I can give. I don't sit around thinking "I'll get this here, and that there!" It's more instinctual almost. I just see something or an idea pops up and I go and get it (once I have the money.) I also hear a lot of comments about it being addictive. I don't view it that way. An addiction would mean I couldn't stop if I wanted. I don't want to. It's just something I really have a passion for and enjoy. That's not an addiction, that's a party!

i've traveled and gotten tattooed ~20 times this year. no plans of stopping or slowing down anytime soon.

nobody gets just one or two.

The Oi! Lympics!