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Thomas Hooper finished my forearm

Here's a pic of my chest/shoulders completed. I'm super stoked on the outcome :D Letters, which are a redo, by BJ Betts and the skulls are from Jeff Gogue...

From last Friday. Done at the Paris Convention by Nathan Kostechko. i love it!

Leaving for Austin, Texas tomorrow. Gonna be a hell of trip. Work, get off at 5, drive 14 hours Wednesday night, get there around 7am Thursday then get tattooed by George Archer, who is guesting at ROA, at 12. Then tony hundahl on Friday. I'm not sure but I think I forgot to pencil in "sleep" somewhere in this trip

I haven't...I really don't want to. I just pretend to be a lot tougher than I really am.

You ever been tattooed on no sleep? I don't plan on doing it again because it SUCKS.

Off to PDX tomorrow to get more work on my back from Jason Kundell. He is also going to start my wife's back piece. Then in June I start my front side with Horitomo. Excited and dreading that one...

That's why I hate tattoos in the summer. I love taking my daughter to the beach so I'll be done after June for a while unless someone awesome guest spots who I can't miss. I think in May me and my wife will be picking out each others (not as sweet as you think, we're both assholes) and getting that. We've decided wall flash only, no drug related art, no words. We'll probably hit Taylor Street again since they're fun and down with that sort of crap.

yeaaa that was painful..."I hope I am around long enough to see the day when Tattoos are considered Tacky at best.They say it is to express yourself.Try doing that with your personality instead of that garbage on your body." If only I was a large man so I can go around shaking people vigorously. :P

I grew up lower middle class listening to metal and punk in a major urban area. I don't think either of my parents were surprised. My dad didn't like them, but he knew he couldn't do anything to stop me once I was old enough. I think that's important. Everyone I know or have heard stories from, even if the parent is doing something like paying for college or rent and they threaten to cut that if you get a tattoo, all it does is promote lying. The person still gets their tattoo. They just lie and hide it. I'm glad my parents have always had that mindset. They knew they couldn't stop me. As long as it was my money, it was my choice. Every time I got a new one my dad kinda just made a face. My mom even got one at one point. I have a daughter and get asked by people who, you can tell, don't like tattoos "what are you gonna do if she wants one?" Um....really? Like you think I'd be against it? I have 15 and counting. What the hell do you think? I'd rather her consult me and go somewhere good than to some crap hole and not tell me. I don't know if they're implying that as a parent my mind would change or since because she's female I'd be against it? I dunno. Weird assholes who think they can control people. They weird me out sometimes.

just waiting for april. My bday gift from my sister will be a palm sized tattoo, like I gave to her for her birthday. I have a whole bunch of ideas, but I dont know. I don't really want it to have a meaning, just look nice. I wish a palm sized snake would look good, cause I would get that. So now I am stuck, trying to decide what I want. No, don't say panther

Tell them that if your 15 year old daughter approaches you about getting a tattoo, you'll sit down with her, smoke some weed and talk it over! :-) Be sure to take a pic of the look on their faces. Then tell them that when you need parenting advice from a judgmental ass-hole, you'll call them.

We've updated the LST Store system and added a new product type: downloadable eBooks. First up is Scott Sylvia's Rose Design Book - check it out: http://www.lastsparrowtattoo.com/store/ We hope to add more eBooks from other great tattoo artists soon. We'll be tuning up the store and making it better over time, but let us know if you run into any snags in using it. Thanks for your support as always.

Yeah I hate helpful people, too..

Enjoy! Interview: Mike Rubendall Talks the Legacy of the Bowery and Tattooing Off the Body | Complex

I have to take my young son to swimming lessons for the next two months so the tattoo I got last week will be it for awhile, all other works in progress will have to wait. But to celebrate when the lessons are over and I can get tattooed again, I booked an appointment with Matt Arriola in late June.

Here is a photo of my recently done, neo-traditional rose. Sorry for the bad picture.

"and kids that's why you get a real tattoo." What I will say if I ever have kids.

tiger head

Got fresh ink on Saturday and the blues are setting in on Tuesday night. The skin isn't even flaking yet! So glad most places don't take credit cards, otherwise I'd be in more trouble.

I always feel a little weird running to the computer to upload a pic of a new tattoo, I don't know why. I like to savor it for a little. Then I rush to Instagram to pop it up hahaha. But anyway here's what I got on Sunday from Chris Smith at Deluxe Tattoo in Chicago. He took the picture. I stole it because I couldn't get a better shot, it's tough to get a really good photo. You get the idea.

I'm a bit biased being an ongoing client, but I personally love Henning Jorgensen's tigers. I plan on getting one on my front right thigh soon as he finishes up my left thigh and the collaboration back piece he's working with Rubendall on. Check out the pics!

My wife and I each have three tattoos and have gone through some similar feelings to varying degrees after each one. Just as a disclaimer, we both love our work, it is amazing, no regrets, exactly what we wanted, etc. Does anyone else feel slightly depressed after getting tattooed? My wife has cried after two of hers (she loves them both) just because her body has been forever changed and she tends to respond more emotionally than I do. I've definitely felt minor pangs of sadness - kind of like a low-level grief that happens after any climactic event. I started an half sleeve yesterday, had months to think about it before starting, etc, and I love the work. Its just this strange wistful/longing feeling that takes a couple of days to go away! Can you all relate? I'll toss up some pics as the tattoo progresses.

hi, im elizabeth, i like on the west coast of sweden, near gothenburg (go gbg!!) i adore the feeling of getting new ink, the anticipation, the planning, then finallly the needle going into to my flesh. working on several tattoos at the time. i must admit that i am american and swedish both. i speak both languages fluently but would rather speak english..im lazy. i have pink and green hair, and a cool kid with a red mohawk. i have a tattoo to honour him. getting a new tattoo in 3 weeks. can not wait.

It's not size, it's technique.

Better yet... Get your lovers name tattooed across your face in 5" letters. That one always sends a nice message.

Just got a sweet snake and skull from Ben Fiedler at the slc convention. It was starting as a filler snake for an awkward spot on my forearm and then we ended up putting a skull on my elbow and wrapping the snake up so the head filled another empty spot up top. That arm is now done! Will probably have to wait until its healed to post pics. My elbow is so swollen that the skull just looks ridiculous right now.

you did get a bunch of great tattoos in October, Scott, Valerie, Stuart..... In dog years that's like 5 years of tattoos!!!!

My first tattoo from my mentor...took advantage of a cancellation!

This is my first tattoo. It was done this February and is in honor of my Grandfather. It is an olive hinge in the ditch of my arm and instead of metal plates you will see scroll work. Respect the Ditch!!

Looking great. I love the expression on the face. - - - Updated - - - Second of my pair of Amund Dietzel inspired dragons. Tattooed by Jordan at Frith Street, yesterday.

Such a dynamic piece! Really powerful image. Here's the three pieces that true put it over the top for me from Henning. These will eventually be the inspiration for the one I want to get on my thigh:

I like my pinups chubby. Here's a nice one from Ashley Love: And a weird one from The Gus:

Some amazing stuff posted here, wow! Here's my entry, by javi Rodriguez guesting at frith street

I tried taking a photo of my latest from Javi Rodriguez but unfortunately i have my right arm in a cast at the moment so it wasn't easy. I've settled for pilfering one from his instagram instead. Done at the fantastic frith street on Tuesday.

Got this one from Simon Erl the other day and I am really happy with it. He didn't draw it as I had envisioned but made it much better. If you are in Stockholm make sure to swing by Swahili Bobs, he'll be there for another month or so.

Figured Id add another Greg Christian piece to this. Super nice guy and blazed this thing in like 45 mins.

I had a hell of a weekend at the convention. Pictures stolen from their respective instagrammers. First, got this reaper from Richard Smith of Thicker Than Water on Friday. No pictures really do this thing justice. And yesterday I got this ghostly wolf head from Ron Henry Wells. Words can't even express how excited I am about this tattoo.

here's two my lady got at the philly convention on friday.. tyler james densley mario desa

Here's my tiger. It's pretty gnarly looking right now. I wouldn't share it any place but here, but I know y'all will understand. Totally in love with the thing! And now I have one big cat on each leg - total protection from evil eh? Man! I'm so swollen!! Can't even fit my leg in most of my pants!!

I already have a t-shirt, so this is just to get things going this month. Healed Baku & Shishi by Marius Meyer (Going back for minor touch ups soon. Had some trouble healing one of the Baku's eye)

I've never got the blues directly after a tattoo, I do remember it being odd when I got the first thing on my chest because my eyes would catch it when I glanced down and I wasn't used to it being there. I did get the blues after the SFO convention, more like go into a mini depression, only because it was such a great trip getting tattooed, watching my Wife get tattooed, hang out and shoot the shit with some of my favorite tattooers, etc. It was so much excitement that when I got home to real life things kinda sucked :( Right now I'm in the excitement stage, I even have a count down marked on my calendar, for my appt. with Grime. Getting to travel to SF, 2 days in a row with Grime and whatever else I get into, I predict a great few days but I also see getting back home and being a little down for a few days when I get home. Fortunately I'll be able to look forward to a few more trips to finish the tattoo :D

I got a spider tattooed on my thumb earlier this year and for maybe two hours I was thinking "Man, maybe I shouldn't have done that" (BTW that shit is in there. It ain't washing off). But that went away real quick because I really wanted a spider on my thumb, besides no one hardly ever notices my hands anyway. Far worse than regrets, I've had this nightmare two or three times where suddenly all my tattoos are gone, i'm a total pinky all over again.... It's caused me to wake up in a panic thinking "Oh God, now I have to go through getting them all over again".

I think you hit the nail on the head. Getting tattooed can be like Christmas, months of build up and anticipation to that day, then it the day comes you get the tattoo and you wake up the next day and start the wait all over, and nothing magical happens, you are the same person just now you have a tattoo, a badass tattoo, but still just a tattoo. i can relate to that and I imagine it also afflicts me. It's probably thing in my head that always makes me focus on how much blank skin I have, not on how much of it is tattooed. I would say sometimes I shake my head at how silly this whole tattoo thing is and how I got involved, but most days I wouldn't have it any other way. This is kind of the reason I don't travel more and get tattooed, it is kind of a head thing for me. I feel much better about going to someone i know and getting tattooed either same day or next couple days type of thing. To many stuff involved, too many things to go wrong, and I hate being on vacation and having to stick to some schedule.

I tend to get depressed about 48 hours after sessions of four hours or more. It doesn't have anything to do with HAVING the tattoo, but just a general burnout that is part of the healing process for me.

I have this feeling too, i think its a normal thing, like you have to adapt to a new change in your body and your brain has to absorb the new intruder being there. Maybe each of us deal with this diferently, and one way is to feel a little sad/afrai/nostalgic etc.

I didn't find my collarbones to be super painful as far as tattoos go, though when I was getting my first one done where was a point when he was going right over the bone and I felt vibrations through my entire skeleton and that was really unpleasant. Then of course because I was lopsided I needed to eventually get the second one done and I wasn't looking forward to it. It ended up being okay though. I have five sessions booked for a tiger on my ribs and I am fucking terrified.