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welp heres a few filler pieces i got yesterday from lowercase j.. i had no idea what i wanted to do when i got there i just showed him the spot and we went through some books of smaller flash and made some shit work. sorry if the pictures are big. my girlfriend is way tougher than i and got this big fuckin eagle on her chest by timmy tatts. took about 2 hours.

I just got this clipper ship and "finger waves" from Russ Abbott. He had an idea and I let him run with it to put a different spin on a classic design. What do you think?

Lessons From Ink Smith & Rogers: Week 2 | TAM Blog Week 2 of my son Nick's month long stay with Inksmith and Roger's On tattooartistmagazine blog? - - - Updated - - - http://wp.me/p14cQJ-52c

have ya'all been around long enough to know what Squidpants are?

Everyone here at Last Sparrow really, really loves tattoos. That being said, they are not mandatory for all citizens. It sounds like you're not really that into them, and, to once again echo @Graeme, maybe you shouldn't get one. And no maybes about this: forget about your palms. You would damn near die from the pain, and no tattooer would tattoo your palms as your first tattoo.

Bubbleberry .

What the hell...my entry is from Russ Abbott done at Off the Map in Mass. It's a Clipper Ship with "finger waves" to add a newer element to a classic design.

Painted this gorilla recently! Mike Wilsons tattooing one on my neck in 2 weeks! great thread!

Welcome to LST. I have a nautilus tattooed on my forearm so I like the idea, but that one does nothing for me. It looks like something pulled off of Google Image Search and just looks kind of cheap. To give you a couple of ideas of what you can do with a nautilus, here's a picture of my forearm, which was tattooed by Thomas Hooper (it's kind of hard to get a good picture of it because it wraps around my arm): And here's a picture of one Seth Wood did that I also think is super cool:

Welcome and kudos for researching your 1st tattoo. It's good that you can recognize good artwork. Get familiar (here and elsewhere) with what makes a good tattoo good - the physical process and application. DO NOT assume that because your desired image is simple that just any artist can pull it off. That is definitely not so. In fact, the simpler the design (especially a geometric one like a bisected shell) leaves NO room for error. The artist has to be perfect the 1st time. No way to hide mistakes. Take money out of the equation. You'll likely end up paying the shop minimum in any case.

Welcome to the forum, Hope you find it helpful. The first thing that stands out to me is the idea the whole I don't need an expensive artist to do my tattoo, which in part is true, but you do need a good tattooer to do a good tattoo, not all people who are good are expensive and not all expensive are good. I think people assume they they have to settle for lesser quality tattoo. The price of a tattoo is relatively small in regards to how long you will be wearing it, and a cheap wrist tattoo and an expensive one, aren't going to vary that much. Also I have found professionals are way more efficient with their time and end up costing less in the long run, even if their price is more per hour. Second, what is the image in the tattoo reference you posted. Not trying to be a smart ass, but it's hard to ask someone to create a custom tattoo of a design that really doesn't have a description. I think people gravitate towards these ideas because they can't commit to an actual image on their body, or don't know what they want, I would say this is the reason there were so many tribal tattoos in the 1990's. That being said, these types of designs can make a nice tattoo if you find the right tattooer, you probably just need to find someone with a knack for this kind of design or still has their Spirograph from when they were a kid. Just saying may not be the design to price shop on. You could draw something yourself, but I have always found it best to advise people to let tattooers design tattoos, even those who are artistic, hence the expression "artists pay double", nothing set in stone, just all things to consider.

Got a healed picture of mine I stole from his Instagram. It's done, for the time being. Tattoo by Paul Pearson

KABOOM!

I just heard from Dave about a week or so ago and he said a friend just opened a shop in Stockton about 45 minutes from him...and they were treating him very well there! I am guessing this is the shop you saw him at! Who is Dave Gibson huh??? I had to chuckle a little but I can understand how some people might not know who he is now! Dave gave me a list about 8 years ago.....I asked him for a list of tattoo artists that had 40+ years in the craft that did solid work and he gave me a list of world class artists! I have been chipping away at that list ever since adding as many of these people's work to my body as I can! I owe Dave.....he really is partially responsible for a lot of the wonderful tattoo artists I have met over the last 8 years! Debra Yarian and Debbie Lenz were on that list and I was tattooed by both of those ladies two weeks ago during my trip to Ohio..... Yeah.....you met a legend in the craft! He seemed like he was going to retire and stop tattooing.....I've been on him about not stopping....and I was stoked when he said he was working a day a week again in that shop! Definitely go get something from him while it is still an option! And please tell him I said hello if you would! :) Here are a couple acetates Dave sent me a while back!

While waiting for a couple of tattoo appointments coming up I decided to get a tattoo while I wait. This one was by Nathan Draper at The Pearl. He did a great job and is a really nice guy, too. A good experience all around. Update: Please ignore my disgusting sock!

I have been wearing this for awhile, but this was done by Ross Carlson from Artwork Rebels awhile back, before the AWR days.

Hi and welcome to LST. If you aren't ready to commit to the permanence of a tattoo, you shouldn't get tattooed. Period. Sit on it and think about it for a while...there's no reason to rush into getting tattooed. Stick around though, watch the artist interviews, look at the tattoos people here are getting, and maybe it will help you to decide one way or the other.

Shooting ink like a goddamn wizard. Ye Olde Tat Zappery.

.@samuelebriganti (samuelebriganti) 's Instagram photos | Webstagram - the best Instagram viewer samuele briganti italy

I got this from Steve Byrne yesterday.

Hello my name is Pavel, I am 24 years of age residing in Hayward CA. I work at a shop called Blazing Horse Tattoo here in Hayward, this place rules, i work with some really rad dudes. I think this is the first forum i have ever joined...

Nice tattoos!

@David Flores Hear hear! What I don't understand is why everyone has to have their own damn shop. Why not go work for the qualified people already in town? Aside from how much more a tattooer could learn with that opportunity, running a shop is stupid hard work and a ton of responsibility. I honestly cannot imagine wanting to open a shop any time before my 15 years. Perhaps too many people in tattooing for the wrong reasons...

There are some really great gorillas in this thread. Here is a shot of me and my ape hanging out on a Saturday afternoon. This was done a while back by Tim Pausinger at The Pearl.

I would echo what Graeme said, as, I'm sure, 99.9% of other LSTers would as well. But apart from that, if you do decide tattoos are for you and you can handle the permanence, then research shops in your area (wherever that may be). This is crucial. Once you find a shop you like and an artist who works in the style you like, bring him or her your references and have them design the piece that they can best put on you. Give them the freedom to create the design they will be tattooing on you. Not to take money from the hands of the artists here on this site, but there's no reason to pay for a service that's completely integral to the overall tattooing experience: consultation for and drawing of an original design. You know what you want; let your tattooer bring your vision to reality.

So near, and yet so far

I haven't felt this teased since I dated that orthodox chick in high school. Marcus is giving me blue balls!

That Hooper/Peck video never gets old. "PARTY TATS!"

Go to Elm St.! I'm trying like hell to save some money to get tattooed there. I don't think you can wrong with anybody there. And that convention they're throwing for Fri. the 13th mentioned above is filled with the best in the business. I'm bummed I can't go, so you go, get some bad ass tats, and let me live vicariously through you! Ok? good!

Marco Hernandez in Olympia WA. He owns Lit Fuse, and is the best black and grey around. Portraits or anything else.

Cool tattoo, but how dare you get ink on your socks! Shameful! :)

Stunning work

Tanners dragon and koi full back piece by Ben Lucas. Professional Tattooing & Piercing | Chico, Ca | Eye Of Jade Tattoo

Hope it's ok to revive this thread from a few months ago. Here's my gorilla on the back of my calf, this pic was taken right after it was finished. Got it done back in Feb of this year, probably time to take a good healed pic! This one was done by Endijs at Chalice Tattoo in Boise. I'd been wanting a gorilla tattoo for quite a while and when I saw this painting of his I knew it was the one I had to get.

This is my first post for any if the competitions but here's my Don Nolan battle royale tattooed by Chris Reid in Melbourne Australia Chris operates from a private studio known as "Reid family tattooing"

Another painting, Made a few mistakes I am going to try to repair.

Tebori by Horimasa Tosui in his private studio in Amsterdam. The baku was done at wednesday and the pictures are taken today (sunday).

Here it is, my naked self on a cold winters night...finished and healed pics of my back by Dean Sacred.

I think it's time I try my luck in one of these. Done by Chad Koeplinger.

What the hell, I will enter this one, pretty sure everyone knows who did it, haha. Man that Kore Flatmo sleeve is great, that is who I am voting for this month.

El Carlo recently finished my fiance's chest...

another Yoneyama:

Iron crown tattoo in Monterey CA was established in 2010 and has grown faster than imagined. We are a full custom shop in a great location. We have 2 colleges and 2 military installations and countless of local tattoo enthusiasts and tourists and travelers that keep our shop plenty busy. We need artist with high talent and skill with 3-5 years at least of experience. You have to be comfortable with custom artwork, top quality customer service, and providing a welcoming and enjoyable environment. We need someone that is dedicated and reliable. We've earned a great reputation locally the hard way, and need folks that arent afraid of the hard work it takes to keep it. A love and passion to the craft of tattooing is an absolute must. What we DONT need are the typical things no tattoo shops need these days like rock stars, druggies, unreliability, unprofessional talentless, inexperienced, drunks, tough badasses, drama queens etc. We encourage you to come guest spot to see if you're a good fit to our team You can contact us and send some samples of your work to [email protected] Our website is being revamped as we speak so you can check out Facebook.com/ironcrowntattoo

From handbag to douchebag

I've posted this one before. But I had to post it again as it is an absolute poultice.

While I can relate to being pissed off about general rudeness, I feel some things tattooists need to lighten up on. Basically being unknowledgable about tattoos in general, asking questions we have heard a million times before, bringing references on phones, wanting stuff that is too detailed or won't work. A gentle approach goes a long way. The way I look at it, I patronize a lot of business where I don't know jack, and I don't appreciate being treated like an idiot for not being in the know. A good example is when I went back to my local print shop. I was asking why I couldn't open a certain file which was a flash sheet I had scanned to a tiff file. The print shop guy snapped at me "ITS A MULTI PAGE TIFF FILE!! YOU CAN'T OPEN IT UNLESS YOU HAVE PHOTOSHOP!!" I am like ok, can you change it to a file that I can open? Again snappage "I CAN'T DO THAT! YOU HAVE TO HAVE THE ORIGINAL IMAGE!" I am like "ok, I have that, could you please scan it again?". I also had them saved as PDFs for easy printing. So he was like "I am just going to change these PDFs into JPEGS". I said I would prefer to have both, as the PDFs print original size and all. Even more snappage " UNLESS YOU ARE GOING TO PRINT THEM OUT, THERE IS NO USE". I calmly explain to him that they are commercial art, of course I am going to print them out. Then I ask if I have the jpegs and alter them, they can be saved into PDFs again, right? More snappage "ONLY IF YOU HAVE PHOTOSHOP!" The guy was literally yelling at me. Needless to say, I won't be doing business there again. Think about that the next time a customer says asks about things that seem readily apparent to you. A lot of times people are not trying to be difficult. You are the expert, not them. Try and take this into consideration.

I haven't been tattooing very long, so I feel awkward replying to shit like this. But here goes. I like the act of tattooing. I love watching pigment go in the skin, seeing the line as it's being pulled across the stencil. I love it. So when I get requests for annoying shit, or things I'm sick of,(and denying that you ever get sick of shit is fucking retarded. We're humans. We get sick of shit. Period.), I try to just get past it in my head and think about the application. Not that I'm applying a tattoo that I hate, but that I'm applying a tattoo at all. And get right back into that mindset of enjoying the work aspect of it. Without trying to sound like a wagon jumper, I too like tribal. I love watchign the black just go in solid as fuck. I know this dude is just some dude looking to look just like his boys, but in my head I'm thinking, "man, this shit is going to make your buddies tribal look like shiiiiiiiiiiiiit!". I just try to get in that zone as much as I can. The clients though.... None of us can control the chaos that is our client base. That is the unknown quantity part of the job. Lots of shitheads, and lots of people who don't actullay want tattoos. They just want their very own "me too, guys! I did it too! See!" story. They spend hours trying to find the least tattoo-ish, most benign design possible and stick it somewhere no one will ever see it, because to them it's just proof that they did it too when the stories start flying. I try very hard to pick my battles, read clients and choose which ones would be receptive to some swaying. Not into something completely different to stroke my ego, but into a better planned out version of what they want. Just gotta pick the battles. Can't do it with everyone or you burn out, and you can't responsibly be the guy who says "fuck it, I know this will look, age and heal like crap, but i'll take your cash." All the time banging rainbows up their ass telling them how good of an idea it is to keep them and their dumb friends coming back for more. Regardless of how it will effect responsible tattooers who try to do a good, well thought out tattoo for the benefit of their clients. Just gotta do what I can to sleep at night, like trying to explain to people that upside down is upside down. I try. If they get it, awesome. If not, I'll at least try to do it clean. Sorry for the ramble. I just felt it on this one. I felt that I need to make an ass of myself on the internet. Word.