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Worked some more on my back yesterday with Mike Rubendall And then a new one today from Thomas Hooper

Ok, short story background 1st. I got my 1st tattoo (the "traditional" snake on the left) in 1974. Between then and the early '90s I kept adding on, making the mistakes of a/trying to get the tattooist to replicate my artwork, b/thinking my designs and attempts to tie it all together would work + c/trusting that the last artist could "refresh" the look by re-inking everything. Result = helter/skelter, muddy jumble on prime real estate (all you youngsters - I hope you truly realize what a wonderfull educational tool the internet has become). The artist I now want to do a nice back piece thinks he could cover it without laser, but I want to give him more freedom/options. Here's how it looked last fall: I'm going to New Look in Houston. They offered/used Dr.Numb for the 1st 2 treatments, both of which lasted about 45 minutes - and this is the result 8 weeks after the 2nd session: I'm real happy with the progress so far. That's the good news. Here's where I'm starting to squirm. Had my 3rd session 2 weeks ago tomorrow only to learn that the entire staff had been replaced by management (??!!), they no longer use/provide numbing cream and the tech who I got passed to did an exceptionally painfull session in about 15-20 minutes. I'm going to wait 8 weeks and see how the results are before I buy my own Dr.Numb and book my next appointment.

While most of my body is still empty space, this particular empty space was bothering me the most... Drove up to Toronto yesterday and had this sparrow/rose done by Tim Pausinger. It was my first time at that The Pearl Harbor Gift Shop - what an amazing place! All three of my tattoo experiences have been great but The Pearl was on another level (maybe due in part to me being more experienced at getting tattoos also) of cool. Definitely now going to be my default recommendation to anyone who asks me where they should get tattooed. If they don't want to drive an hour and a half then they just don't want it enough ;) edit: Just wanted to add that this was my first tattoo since joining LST and my first chance to post in this thread. Looking forward to many more.

I know I joke about a lot of stuff (especially my skinny naked man-ass!!!) but really, getting the back piece has been like therapy for me this past year. Starting March 19th 2012 I started having some really bad back and pelvis issues. Through misdiagnoses and what not it has been a real struggle to get it corrected. A LOT of really low points in my life over the past year with some very bad chronic pain. I was beginning to get to the point that if pain was all that was left for me the rest of my days, I'd just pull a Hunter S. Thompson and not live like that anymore. Chronic pain over a long period of time can fundamentally change your personality. But, anyway I went ahead and I got the back piece started on June 30th, 2012, and about once a month thereafter I'd go in for another 3 hour session. For those 3 hours I'd know getting tattooed was going to hurt worse than my back and pelvis was that day, when it was gonna start hurting, about how much it was going to hurt, and then, when I'd had enough, I could say "Stop, I've had enough." Long story short, I got the back all finished, touch-ups and all around January 20th 2013. Ironically (hipsterism!!!) I was reading Tamblog shortly thereafter and saw one of the health posts and discovered Piriformis Syndrome (look it up on wikipedia folks, it ain't fun), turns out that's what I have. It can be fixed with exercise and physical therapy, and I'm now on the road to recovery. I ain't out of the woods completely yet, but I'm getting there. I feel much better now and I've buried Hunter completely.

Since a lot of us are getting tattooed at the same shops, I was wondering if it would be useful to have a thread to consolidate bar and restaurant recommendations around those shops, sort of like a LST tattoo-themed travel guide. I searched the board before starting this thread and found posts about specific cities, but nothing that could be used as a general resource. Is anybody interested in this idea? If so, where do you get tattooed and where do you eat around there? Where do you go for a drink after your session? For the tattooers: what places do you recommend if your clients ask for advice on where to eat or drink?

I've got two more to post but i currently feel like I've been hit by a truck. I'm having trouble getting good pics too. I'm excited to post the dragon Nick Colella did on my inner bicept last night. Holy mother of god that's a tender spot. Sleep was elusive.

Yeah, missed the n. Hoest burgers could be something quite different...

check out the tattoo elite international facebook page https://www.facebook.com/tattooelite/posts/10151306861151750 looks like they have a little sale going on until about noon (EST) today. I made a few purchases to start my collection of prints/flash. Horitomo, Hoyer, and O'Donnell are a good foundation for a print/flash collection right? :)

I actually decided recently that I'm really not interested in chicks that don't have tattoos. It is such a huge part of my life that I don't think a "plainskin" would understand. On a basic sharing of interest level, my partner would need to be tattooed...preferably heavily, and by awesome people.... :)

Lost my LST shirt so maybe my tiger can help out. Tony Hundahl - Rock of Ages Austin, Texas - one shot

I got the opportunity to get tattooed by Stewart Robson while he was up in Scotland for the Scottish Tattoo Convention. After the convention Stewart was tattooing at Lab Monkey Tattoo in Stirling so I travelled through and got this Kitsune mask on my shoulder/chest. This is my second small tattoo from Stewart and I suspect it wont be the last. Edit: sorry the picture is massive but I can't seem to make it smaller...

Got this from Eli Quinters at Smith Street at the beginning of the month.

1. Inksmith and Rogers - Jacksonville beach, FL. Rag time tavern is a must. Best shit in the world with some good beer. 2. Electric Ladyland - New Orleans, LA. Coops place. Bad ass jambalaya.

If you're in Richmond and you're visiting Absolute Art, Salvation, or Hold It Down, here are some suggestions. 1. 821 Cafe - I can't say enough about this place. Good food and beverage. Vegetarian friendly. My favorite place to eat in Richmond. Just about everyone there is covered in quality tattoos from the likes of Brian Bruno, Timothy Hoyer, Mike Rennie, Matt Brotka, Katie Davis, etc etc etc. 2. Galaxy Diner - Cheapest PBR prices in town! Deep fried pickle with every meal. What more could you want? Diner food with a little southern flair. 3. Lamplighter/Black Hand - Two great coffee joints. 4. Edo's Squid - Around the corner from Absolute. A more upscale place to eat, but really good food.

Frith St/Soho in general - London Koya - Japanese udon noodles on Frith St, sometimes there's a bit of a wait and you can't book in advance but it's really fucking tasty and they do a good beer from the Kernel brewery. Honest Burger - Really good quality burger served medium unless you state otherwise served with rosemary salt chips. They also don't take bookings, but if you go along and they can't seat you they'll take your number and ring you rather than having to wait so you can just toddle off for a well earned beer round the corner somewhere. http://honestburgers.co.uk

Great idea, I love it! I have had a very similar idea bouncing around in my head lately! "The Tattooed Traveler: Where to Eat, Drink, Sleep, and Find Cool Shit to Check Out"

Good idea, Graeme. I'm happy to start. The shop I go to is The Pearl Harbor Gift Shop on Kensington Ave in the heart of Toronto's Kensington Market. There are several good places to eat in drink in the immediate area. I'll list my favorites: Food 1. Pho Hung Vietnamese Restaurant - cheap, tasty, and proudly has the worst service around. But the pho is so good you won't care. On Spadina Ave just north of Dundas on the west side of the street. 2. Ajisen Ramen - like the name suggests, it's a Japanese noodle shop. Tastiness awaits! Also right on Spadina a little north of Dundas. 3. El Trompo - like Mexico City style tacos? This is your place. Friendly, reasonably priced, and very good. It's on Augusta Ave just south of College Street 4. Nu Bagel - on Augusta Ave. this is the best place to get a Montreal style bagel in Toronto. For those who don't know, Montreal bagels are simply the greatest dough-based product in the planet. It will run you 9$ for a dozen and 5$ for 6. Always fresh and perfect. Meet your new partner in weight gain.

one more session to go on this, for color. Super raw and bloody

action shot (NSFW) :D

I'm hoping to have Oddboy continue with my half sleeve if I can get an appointment with him, and just booked a consultation with Tutti Serra :) for my most traditional tattoo yet! That one could be anywhere between June and August so I am told...

At this point I am just used to lifting my skirt and letting everyone stare intently at my ass under very bright lights for five hours or so. Oh, my mother would be SO proud! ;) But yes, despite feeling self conscious, the tattoo studio is a relatively comfortable and safe place for droppin' the drawers, and the results are so awesome I am totally glad to do it. :) I think @hogg mentioned a bathrobe trick? Bring bathrobe. Ensure Lebowski status. Change in bathroom so that the opening is facing the back instead of the front. Waddle out of bathroom. Shake that booty a bit. (my edit, natch ;)) Then be serious and let your artist do her work. WOO Tattoo!! >:)

It was a Black Flag Reason For Living board, mint condition, made by Rip City in Santa Monica back in 1983...

Chriss Dettmer's got the "power" . In his blurb for getting tattooed by him he adds " If you have grim and dark ideas that seem to require listening to metal , tough and bold , that also lives right up my alley " http://theblackholetattoo.blogspot.co.uk/ Imagine if only the Millennium trilogy folks went totally buck wild and had Lisbeth Salander wear this tattoo !

Oh so cool! @Tim Burke what are you getting from Xam? I was really lucky getting my appt with him, he first told me that he didn't have any openings but then I got another email saying it's my lucky day and he just got a cancellation on the day I'm in London so it couldn't resist, even though I might have to live on nothing this summer to be able to afford all this :P Anyways, very stoked :)

My list is getting longer everyday now, and wallet getting thinner.. :O Valerie finishing 1st part of my back-piece and Xam doing my front arm in April Bryan Burk and Chris Conn in May Timothy Hoyer and hopefully Bailey Robinson in September! I got something to look forward to almost every month now :)

Mine stops just below the belt, on purpose... The conversation about how to do the layout on my back piece was as follows... Tattooer: "You don't want this to extend onto your ass do you? I've known you for quite a while now, your my friend, and all, but if I never have to see your skinny naked man-ass in person, I won't feel like I've missed anything." Me: "Eh, same here. If I never have to feel your nitrile gloved hands spreading my ass cheeks apart I won't feel like I missed anything either."

ok mine is frome Chad Koeplinger! done at invictus /Oslo a few days ago!

I guess I'll go first, but I already have a feeling that I'll be going up against some really tough competition this month. Nick Colella formerly of Chicago Tattoo Co., currently going rogue until he makes an announcement about whatever he has in the works:

So I wasn't sure if I was going to post any of my new tattoos but decided in the end to just go for it. I moved to France four months ago and have been sat in a lab isolated from the world pretty much ever since. I went to the Mondial du Tatouage show in Paris for three days as a birthday present to myself. I booked in with Stewart Robson and Valerie Vargas from Frith Street and also Greg Christian. I ended up getting tattooed six times in three days. It was also my first convention and I'm going to make sure I go to a few more :D I stole all the pictures from the respective artist's instagrams apart from one which I took with my phone. Demon head on knee - Stewart Robson (Frith Street Tattoo) Geisha Girl Head - Cody Miller (Blackheart Tattoo) Flaming Torch - Greg Christian Castle - Cody Miller (Blackheart Tattoo) Medusa Head - Valerie Vargas (Frith Street Tattoo) Devil Head - Nick Roddin (Blackheart Tattoo) I can't wait for the convention next year

I'm in with Chris Garver while he's guesting in Amsterdam in June. I'll most likely get a harpy on the side of my thigh.

When I was 16 I wanted a tribal tramp stamp more than anything, glad that never happened ha ha.

Ha ha. Getting a foxy pin up with tradtional tattoos. Snakes, panther and roses are thrown in there as ideas too so ill see what valerie comes up with.

i think someone needs to get this

The other day I was looking at Shiges' site and saw this photo I then realised that this client must have the same concerns and considerations for his artist as @hogg does ;) Shige to client "Lets get a photo of your chest piece and sleeves" Client to Shige "Just let me take off my pants"... lol. (yes I am aware that on shiges' site you can see that the same client was getting photos of his backpiece at the same time... but for the purposes of hilarity we won't acknowledge that)

Lets see some. I don't know if there is already a thread strictly for awesome/funny/realistic/old school skulls but if there is i couldn't find it so i decided to start this thread! bring em onnnnnnnn

Starting my torso with Valarie end of May!!!!!! train tickets booked, anybody got recommendations on where to eat close to frith street? was going to try china town when I went down for my consultation but ended up in pizza hut

Thanks! ...I am taking credit for Ron's good choices. :D

My newest tattoo done by Ron Henry Wells:

I'll put my newest up there, from Mike Fite:

Ian, tell him to give me a call already... I get to see my drawing from Horitomo next month. Start the tattoo soon thereafter.

TITS! what is she doing for you? tell her I love my thighs and molest myself frequently in a mostly non sexual way

Hi vPooch, I am an older gal (45) that just got her first tattoo a couple of weeks ago and I wanted to give you some advice about your appointment. I don't know the driving age where you are but try to have someone take you and pick you up. It's an exhausting yet exciting time for you and you will just want to breath when it's done. Take bottled water with you and drink it during your session. I had to lie down for mine and the water gave me little breaks and kept the dry mouth away. Try to eat a decent meal before you go so nerves don't get to your tummy. Listen very carefully to your artist when you are done so that you know how to take care of your tattoo when you get home. Try to get that care in writing if you can so that you don't have to remember exactly what he said. I wish you nothing but the best, you sound like a great kid with a solid head on your shoulders and I am proud of you for being brave about coming on here and being polite in regards to what these fine folks said to you. They only mean the best for you. Be safe and share your experience with us.

Im pretty sure i subliminally picked it up at BME many years ago

I've always said you just can't trust a guy with a nekkid face and no tattoos.

I don't enjoy doing full paragraphs of lettering in a "type face" style.If someone asks for something "hidden" in their tattoo,such as lettering or a name,I ask them......Why are you getting something tattooed on you that you aren't proud enough to wear openly in the world? I was taught to tattoo anything that walked in the door and I hardly ever turn down a tattoo.I just cannot understand the reason that people want to mess up a perfectly nice tattoo with,names.initials,vines that turn into names,names in white ink,names hidden in flowers,etc.. I wish more people in this area would figure out what they want,stop watching TV and get a tattoo that in no way involves a sad story or their favorite 15 lines of Sylvia Plath poetry or a half page of bible verse tattooed with brown pigment.I quit doing solid bands around anything and I have never tattooed a face.I don't believe in it.Inner lip is fine.I just tell them that it's going to be the most painful and expensive 10 minutes they have had in a while.

I know how awkward it is for some artists to ask a client to undress, so I avoid that awkwardness by undressing completely before all tattoos, regardless of placement. Common courtesy, really.

I once had this wonderful young lady bake me a dozen cupcakes after I covered up some crap on the back of her neck. They were the most amazing cupcakes I have EVER had in my life. Instead of oil or whatever one uses in delicious cupcakes, she used pudding. They were intense!!!! I occasionally still bug her about them. How this angel only weighs about 103 pounds is beyond me. She will always have a special place in my heart. I believe my heart is located somewhere in my stomach.

next is our counter guy, Matte Wagner. He does a lot of cool collage shit. His is titled "Evolutionarianism" It's a digital collage on paper. Mounted on wood. Here's mine. It's a front and back of the same imaginary person. They are titled: "A Travelling Man 1 & 2" Ink and watercolor on paper. Mounted on wood, and shellaced. 72x36 Thanks. Hope you enjoyed.

I like to see more paintings, so I guess I should post one of mine.