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My back. Finished with Chris O'Donnell. Couldn't be more stoked on it.

I was waiting to post this until it was healed up and haired over. Chris O'Donnell. Completed at Saved Tattoo, Kings Avenue, and Chris' private studio.

So the shop got this gem sent to our facebook yesterday...

I'm really just posting this to get my post count up haha. Apologies. I know most of you are into traditional here, but this was the first proper back I've done and I was fairly happy with it.

I'm tattooed damn near all over, and I can safely say that the ribs were far and away the worst for me. Way worse than the ass, spine, kneecaps, and feet. Listen to what Killercook76 says in the post above this one. All of it. But hey, you're 16, and as such, probably don't give a shit what a bunch of old strangers on the internet have to say. Signed, An Old Stranger on the Internet

I got to do my first dragon yesterday!!! So much fun, I really can't wait to do the color. I'm pretty sure we're gonna turn it into a half sleeve, so that's exciting as well. There are no words to quantify how difficult traditional Japanese tattoos are, hahaha.

Wow! That's the attitude that every great tattooer had when they started. I've never worked in a tattoo shop with Photoshop. I've never showed a customer digital mock-ups or proofs. I can show a customer a sketch and have them in the chair before I could even open the file in Photoshop. That's not 'cos I'm old and slow (I was a graphic designer for a decade before I was a tattooer) I use a copy machine % +/- every day. but sometimes it's much quicker, ant the end result fits better if I draw it on the skin with pens or markers. Nobody was born great at lettering but you can bet your paint-bucket tool that they didn't get good by tracing fonts or typefaces.

A tattoo shop without photoshop, the horror!

Thw whole "women have higher pain tolerances than men" thing is total balls - It has been debunked time and time again. Its just an urban myth due to the whole childbirth thing. Google it. What I have mainly found is that there is no correlation between men and women when getting tattooed - It's all about the individual. I have seen some women scream the house down and cry their eyes out for a very small tattoo in an easy area, I have seen some men sit and get their ribs and crotch carved up by a VERY heavy handed artist for eight hours without a single complaint. I have also seen some men who cant sit still for ten minutes at a time due to the pain, and some women who fall asleep because the pain just doesnt affect them in any way whatsoever. Everyone is different!!!

I have a yoneyama snake in my leg as filler, he also did a hermit crab/skull on the side of my knee. Two of my favourite tattoos! I usually never post my own tattoos but Williams work needs showing off

Little write up on this I saw on the TAM blog this morning Art Theft | TAM Blog

I agree with everyone here 16 is too young to get a tattoo.. Firstly the only people who will do a tattoo on a 16 year old .. not very good artist.. I would wait and save money to get a tattoo from only world class tattooers.. As far as the pain.. 30 mins aside.. It will not feel like a sunburn!!!!!!!!!!!!! HAHAHAHA who ever told you that is full of ... Being your first tattoo you have no idea so i cannot tell you how it will feel but it is painful. Scale of 1 to 10.. Like a 8.9 lol.. I started out with arm tattoos .. those are like a 3 or so.. I completely understand you wanting a tattoo now.. it's not a good idea on so many levels at your age... Unless your parents are willing to pay for a decent amount of money and only go to the best tattooers/shops. Otherwise wait!

Why would an artist disrespect their client by letting another tattooer do that same custom design? Please let's keep this forum to real-life things instead of strange flights of the imagination.

Saw this on IG had to share here... Stefan Johnsson

It won't be long before craft breweries have kids standing in line for no-wage apprentiships, just like tattoo parlors. :D

@AriTattoos, I think I'm right in assuming that the tattoos in your gallery are by you rather than on you, since there are clearly some different people there. That said--and I'm not a tattooer, just someone who likes looking at and wearing them--there are some shaky bits there that you might want to look to. Maybe better off with a real apprenticeship. Certainly best not to just tattoo whoever will have one in the meantime. Even you said that you were doing well enough in graphic design. We don't all need to tattoo. Enough just to be really into them and get good ones. Like @SacramentoDan wrote, no offense intended.

Oh shit that's awesome!

I've got an appointment scheduled at my local shop on the 22nd this month. I'm already all geeked up and excited. I told my artist to come up with something cool Yoda inspired for my upper right arm. I can't wait to see what he comes up with. Upon finding out, my wife asked why on Earth I would get another Star Wars tattoo when I already have a Darth Vader one. I told her, "Duh, I have Vader, but I need Yoda to balance out the force." She just rolls her eyes. ;)

Ribcage really and truly, honest-to-Wotan, hurts. Don't do it.

Actually, about that "women have a much higher tolerance" thing - I have been researching an article about pain, how the body handles pain and how each person handles the pain of getting a tattoo. I have always heard the "women have a higher pain tolerance than men" trope, and it was a given as far as my assumptions pre-research - turns out it is not strictly true! Here are a few links with some information - prob best used as a jumping off point, but interesting and helpful, to say the least! Gender Differences in Brain Responses to Pain Do men and women feel pain differently? How Women Work I know as far as pain and tattooing go for me, I concentrate on my breathing and everything is fine. It becomes warm after the initial sharp feeling, and that's that. I actually started this research because the last time I was getting tattooed one of the artists said he couldn't believe how calmly I could sit regularly for 6 hours at a time. (Really it never occurred to me to do it any differently! Hah!). I responded with the "women have higher pain thresholds than men" answer, and filed it away to research. He said he uses meditation to get through pain, and he can sit for about 4.5 hours before he's done. Hopefully it will be an interesting article when all is said and done. If anyone has cool pain info, point me to it, please!

another Yoneyama:

I've found, in my experience, that the best tattooers are the nicest and most professional ones. Tattooers that have big egos and harsh personalities are probably just overcompensating for/grumpy about their sub-par work. Just my $.02.

Congratulations on splitting up with him. :eek:

I think that something everyone should strive for in their tattoos is timeless design. Fashion trends come and go, and it's highly unlikely that you'll have the same fashion tastes at 55 as you do at 21. If you want a tattoo to have a tattoo, go get something really beautiful that has strong imagery done by a talented artist. If you think you may have regrets, don't do it, flat out. The possibility of regret outweighs the short term satisfaction of the process. And research, research, research.

Don't get tattooed.

You really shouldn't be getting tattooed at 16.

When I met my (now EX) husband I already had a tattoo and he didn't have any. He decided to get one but didn't want me to get anymore as he didn't really like them on women :rolleyes: We have now split up and I have recently started dating again and had a brief fling with an old friend who has lots of tattoos. Tattooed people are more interesting naked ;)

Heavy hitters already this month... Done by Stefan Johnsson @ California Electric

Chris Garver Invisible NYC - - - Updated - - - not sure how to add a lager pic..

Just got this lady put on me this afternoon by Mina Aoki at Fun City. Now I just need to figure out what to cap my shoulder with and I can start filling in the smaller spots. Three hours out and already planning the next steps....

This is exactly why Grime told me to keep my back piece off the internet. I'm glad I listened to him. Copying flash is nothing like copying a totally custom piece made specifically for the client. You just can't compare the 2. I commented on that 3re pictures instagram and asked if he was proud that he completely copied another persons tattoo. We'll see what he says...

did this one recently tattooerman.com

Did this massive Jesus today slightly smaller than A3

Man, do you not how much I am beginning to like you, for these JCVD references?

Thieves shall get a complimentary groin shot. "

@Some Grass, God's balls, that is good!

Had to laugh the other day. I work with this one guy for years, he always wears a static-control lab coat due to the area he works in. We all have the coats, he just wears his all the time. I was driving home the other day from work and i'm passing him on the highway, I see a tattooed arm leaning on his door, he sees me coming up on the left and pulls his arm in. Another closet tattooed freak on the payroll. Rob

The sense of pure indecision and the word "regret" came up way too many times in your posts. I work with a bunch of way-too-tattooed 15 & 16 year olds (which I know you are not) who will come to loathe their arms as the years pass. I would suggest waiting until (a) you know what you want, (b) you know what you want, © you know what you want and (d) you are absolutely, positively, 100% sure you know what you want. Wear beautiful ink.

Please dont get tattooed. you'll be doing yourself and us a favor.

last one for tonight i promise

Best of luck to you in your travels.

Hi all. My name is Lucky Malony and I work at Anatomy Tattoo in Portland, Oregon. I've been tattooing for 15 years. I like tattoos that look like tattoos. Not sure what else to put on here. Here are some recent tattoos and paintings that I've made.

Me and @Pugilist are moving in a month but before we do that we're going to stop in at the shop around the corner and pick something rad off the wall. We're considering what @JeffK did with his lady and choose something for each other but I'm not sure there's enough trust in our marriage for that.

It's only outlined but I'm proud to say that I entered the Backpiece family.....:rolleyes:

long time lurker, first time poster. My latest from Andrew Slater, All for One Tattoo in Richmond, VA.

I don't know if someone already mentioned this guy yet? check out this skull collector On instagram he is jasontattooskullcollector.

part of my back piece skull action.

Dusty Neal

Everyone needs to check out Geordie Cole out of Tattoo Magic in Melbourne Australia...next level stufff..also I'm partial to Martin LaCasse in Philly..very quiet and low key..but just a monster in the talent dept. Check out his 365 project...best 60 dollars you'll EVER spend