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I just got this from Aaron Hodges at Idle Hand SF: Aaron's a really great guy, and I was stoked to get something from him. Two days ago, I realized that a torch would fit really well in that little spot, so I hit him up yesterday and he said he'd have time today. A great experience, and I'm really happy with it.

There's already some seriously stiff competition, but here's my entry for this month. Done yesterday by El Monga.

Might as well give this month a shot too then :o From Xam at The Family Business, London.

I keep popping in and out of this website, but I do love that you guys keep at it! Anyway, here are a couple of photos of my front piece from Filip Leu & Sabine Gaffron, in progress. I'm adding a selfie taken close up while lying on my couch because it cracks me up how I look like a piece of fabric :))

It's all in Fun, does it really matters who wins, not that the idea isn't cool, but other than being a pseudo celebrity on the board, it's really just a t shirt at stake. The goal is just to show off our tattoos, and see the work people are getting around the world. I like tattoos that I think should win or that i would want to wear.

I posted this on my introduction thread, but I just got the tattoo last week so why not post it here too.... Got my first tattoo from Nathan Kostechko while he was doing a guest spot at Ink and Dagger. a little snake with pattern on my chest - almost didn't get to put a pattern in because he doesn't travel with his patterns, but there was a book at Ink and Dagger we were able to use. I wanted an asanoha pattern, but I think this worked out nicely.

How about a Dip Shitster?

Just cause I feel like playing. I got this last summer from Mario.

Got this fella from Deno.

Just for the heck of it, I'll throw in my right arm 3/4 sleeve done a couple of years ago by Henning Jorgensen when he was guest tattooing at Kings Avenue Tattoo (both the Manhattan and Long Island shops). This picture was actually compiled by Henning and shared with me. Enjoy!

I'm finally able to post my contest entry. Just finished up my back piece by Rodney Raines, Ace Custom Tattoo, Charlotte, NC. Sorry for the blurry pic, it's all I have. ETA: found a few more in progress shots on Instagram

By Rye Gregg, Quarter Horse Tattoo, Stockton, CA

Im always impressed at the amount of tattoos people on this forum get. I get more tattoos than any of my close friends here in town, but this forum always puts me to shame. That being said I got a small spider above my kneecap yesterday. I was looking through the partially finished sheets in the back and spotted a spider I had never seen. It didn't quite fit so he had to redraw a couple of the legs on me, but turned out pretty cool. Ross Ferrie brought me into the tattoo world and it was nice to sit down and get a tattoo from him, like we used to do. Also right after he finished a friend of his from when he first started tattooing came in and got to relive some stories of Chris Conn, Robert Klem and Mav Mess's early days of tattooing.

Im the other way around. Though I'd love to win this competition, I'll vote for those who I'm up against because the tattoos are just that good. I'd rather have the best tattoo win than my ego stroked. Plus, sitting here looking at all these tattoos, I dont know how you keep your fingers from the like button!

Just said good-bye to ChrisVK and put him on a boat to denmark. a bunch of days with beers, talking shit and just having a awesome time. good guy that dutch fellow!

Claudia De Sabe now working out of Black Garden Tattoo London .

3 days in.... jeebus.

Not a tattoo but a cool tattoo souvenir. I scored these shoes on eBay 6 months ago, they were designed by Grime for Vans and part of the proceeds went to Shriner’s Hospital Burn Center for Children. I brought them up to SF with me last week to have Grime personalize them for me :D Stoked on them!!!

Same here. If the tattoo looks good to me personally, I'm going to like it, same as on Instagram. It's all in good fun and to each his/her own. Great stuff so far and looking forward to seeing more.

I am in with Valerie Vargas at the end of May, then I am booked in with Phil Wilkinson middle of June, then I am getting tattooed by 3 artists in 3 days at the London tattoo convention in September, Jess Yen, Jee Sayalero and Chriss Dettmer. I am also starting my back (Neck to knees) at some point in the next few weeks....I may post in the back piece thread about that when we get going!

Call your tattooer and ask him.

Yes they have. Most notably would be the post it note tattoo I got with lyrics from a panzer AG song. I got it two years ago right after my dad got out of the hospital. Every day I look at that tattoo and realize I need to make my parents proud and honor them. They may not agree with or like all the tattoos I get, but they sure as hell influenced that one and it will forever be one of my favorite pieces of work that I have on my body. It will always remind me of how you can lose your parents at any given time and you need to respect them and spend as much time with them as humanly possible while they are alive. Luckily my dad pulled through and after two weeks in ICU he was released, but it could have easily taken a turn for the worse and not have happened that way. I am thankful that it did not. I have the utmost respect for my parents and love them with all my heart.

Got this one last year off Sway, first pic is fresh off his instagram second healed I just tried to take, if you've ever tried to take a pic of your inner bicep you'll understand why it's so shit :D

Just got this put on me by El Monga. Picture stolen from his instagram.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RypZcxDe7as

Well... This marks 6 months since I took my daughters and left an angry wee man who had a hold over me for 10 years of my life. I guess leaving an abusive relationship is pretty awesome. I think a couple of drinks tonight, whilst packing up the house to move tomorrow ,is in order !

didn't enter last months but this is my most recent. made by Justin Hyde @ Old Soul Tattoo

This was the first ever 'Traditional' tattoo I got, late last year, and I think I got a good one! By Frank Carter, Frith Street, London.

Hey! I am brand new. Jumping in at the deep end. I love this forum - been lurking for ages! I had this namakubi done by Danny Rossiter from Rain City in Manchester, UK. He's from New Zealand but has been tattooing here for years now, very talented and very underrated! Didn't an awesome tiger win last time??

My only problem is there are too many good tattoos. I'm going to break my "like" button some day soon!

Haha cheers :) I don't rock just yet...if I can make it through everything I will be pleased with myself though! Valerie says she is trying to get away from what she is most well known for (sad girl heads), and do some very traditional work, she had a load of stuff in a big flash book she had drawn up, so I picked out a traditional dragons head, going on the lower calf, should be sweet!

BANNED

Not sure if this should be posted in snakes, snakes, snakes - or skulls, skulls, skulls. Oh well, I can remedy that . . . William Yoneyama

Not sure if this should be posted in snakes, snakes, snakes - or skulls, skulls, skulls. Oh well, I can remedy that . . . William Yoneyama

Pointless for me to vote, I like them all.

I don't know if you can see the swelling in my ankle, but here it is. I think it was even worse by the end of the day. The other side of my leg is a matching rose but it was not colored in. It was less swollen but more red. Even the untattooed parts were red. Judging by the experiences everybody is describing here, I'd say if you just have nasty swelling and redness that it's probably normal and unrelated to the color. Of course, I don't know for sure. Just thought if your leg looks anything like mine maybe you'll feel better about it. Hopefully I'll get the other side finished on Monday. More swelling...

Can't wait to get Tattoo Wasted.

Hah! I was thinking the other day how much money I spend on tattoos (I don't have many tattoos yet so I'm only around the price of a small car into my collection), thinking that I don't actually have that much money that I can spend what I do on tattoos, and then realizing that I had this money too before I started getting tattooed and what do I have to show for it? A couple of guitars and amps, but mainly mostly nothing.

ahh ye good olde slayer! - - - Updated - - - and RIP jeff hanneman

yea...OOPS! Hmm you might be on to something here...

I'm a week behind, but I think we need a "Which undercrackers best accentuate squidpants?" thread. My vote is shamrock boxers, but it's not for everybody;)

I see far less than 50% who "regret" their tattoos, I do see a high percentage of people who aren't happy with the quality of the tattoo and have outright told me they where a cheap-ass with their first tattoo and not that cheap tattoos always have to be terrible tattoos, but it usually means a less experienced artist or apprentice, so lines aren't always as clean as they could or should be. Wow that's a huge run-on sentence, ha.

I never knew scrimshaw was a term for it, that's rad. I've often admired this style of tattooing and not really known what to call it, other than "looks like an etching or lithograph." One of my favorite artists who works in this style (and I feel almost bad because I am constantly telling people about his work, I just really think it's so beautiful) is Max Buchi. He travels a lot, mostly between New York and London these days. some good stuff:

I just go with a spot at this point and then it opens up other random spots and the more I fill it up the more cohesive it becomes. I get stoked after a tattoo now cause I'm like oh shit, I could put "random tattoo" there

There is a tattoo of a pizza slice on the Instagram lst thingy on the right while I type this, does that count.

tattoo day tomorrow, more work on my left arm. No idea what! There has been talk of a blonde haired lady, mandalas but i have no doubt whatever he comes up with will be fabulous. Only one more session with my tattooer after tomorrow before he's off to travel America for a few months. My body is breathing a sigh of relief!

Even when i plan a tattoo, it usually doesn't have that much thought involved, you know I just pick an image and then add the names of every person I know below it and then we are good to go. But seriously I have been planning a pretty tattoo for some time now and am for once proud for coming up with my own idea, I just haven't been able to get around to doing it, I have been starting at line drawing for months, just need to get started. But at this point I still have a dragon to finish on my thigh and an appoinment Matt Arriola in late June before I can even get started.

Chad Koeplinger posted this earlier this week. Sort of reminds me of something Jef Whitehead would do...power tat status for sure. Also this.

Got these skulls from Jondix back in October...

I think I would be remiss if I didn't add Junii Salmon to this list, considering she's a) a total bad ass, and b) she did my last couple of tattoos, and will be doing more! 'b)' of course is not a criteria for this list, but I thought I'd throw it out there ;).