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Okay this is going to be one of those "Meaningful Story" tattoo stories. Deal with it. On 26 June, out of nowhere and with no previous symptoms my wife of 34 years had a Grand Mal seizure. On 26 July she had a brain tumor removed. On 30 July we learned that it was malignant and she has an 85% probability that she won't make it 18 months. But she's a fighter. 85% against just means there is a 15% probability she will make it. My wife spent her entire life fucking up the curve and that's not changing anytime soon. She was told that visualization is helpful. Make it a tangible "thing" you can combat. She takes chemo and radiation 5 days a week (for 6 weeks), then has a re-eval. She nicknamed the tumor "DLB" (dirty little bastard). I saw some flash on line and heard a 90's era song, added a little of this and that and the next thing you know I was in the chair. I hope you all like it:

i'd only have color realism stuff on me. maybe some small script all over my ribs.

Well, you tried to be a good friend.

The best spam filter on LST right there

I like this thread idea and I'm interested in what people have to say. I think that if I was to do it over again, I'd probably get tattooed pretty much exactly how I have been so far. I don't want to get into what my tattoos mean to me here, but all tattoos have stories and experiences that go along with them and I'd rather keep those than have tattoos that maybe go better together or whatever.

I'm back from my honeymoon in Chicago and it was brilliant. Chicago is a gorgeous and incredibly friendly city. I can't wait to go back. I went to Great Lakes Tattoo for a couple of sessions. The first (hand of glory) was with Chad Koeplinger and the second with Mario Desa (torch). The shop itself is stunning. It's in part dedicated to the history of Chicago tattooing and the legacy of Tatts Thomas - you feel connected to history going there. What an amazing collection of artists in this space. I was at the opening night party, though only for a little while, as my wife was ill that night and I didn't want to be away from her for long. I saw a ton of familiar faces from instagram, but being generally a little on the shy side, especially as I don't actually know many of the people there, I didn't meet as many people as I would have liked. Some, whom I later recognized from here, I wish I had introduced myself to, but oh well. It was a great time anyway. I'm already planning a return trip.

New to this forum and want to say a quick hello. Thanks for putting up the interview Ryan did. Glad to be here with old and new friends.

A couple from Seth Wood

If I didn't get tattooed by the people I chose at the start, and the way it ended up happening, I wouldn't have some of the best friends I have today, so no, I wouldn't do anything differently. Im very happy with my tattoos as well, and I really wouldnt feel like I was me if they were different, if that makes any sense, they become a part of who you are!

I'm getting tattooed by Chad Koeplinger at the Montreal Convention and I'm getting something fucking awesome that I am so stoked about.

Could have been the beginning of a glamorous modeling career!

I got this one today from Steve Boltz at Smith Street Tattoo Parlour. I had too much black & grey on my left leg so felt the need to get some color.

Not that I'm unhappy with where I am heading, but if I was naked and starting out now, I'd go for a full suit a-la Hooper-Jondix-Sultana-Jacobsen-Kostechko-Forte-Roxx-Wells.

I totally understand your concerns!! I would just talk it over with your artist! Stop over analyzing!! I was like that too! Just pick out an amazing artist!! Most important in MY OPINION!!!

What about Lucky Bastard at Fine Tattoo Work - Lucky Bastard / Horiko or Chip Douglas @ Port City Tattoo. Chip does nice black work and Japanese. http://cdouglastattoo.com/

Holy crap!! Richard Smith

Haven't posted in a bit... Session number... 7 or 8, I think, from Mike Rubendall today. Finally hit the ass, which made my ribs seem like a breeze. About two months ago Thomas Hooper finished my torso: And then one from Scott Campbell about 3 weeks ago:

If you could go back to a time when you were free of tattoos and start over again, what would you do differently? the order you got tattooed? the people you got tattooed by? different style? Black and grey only? Go bigger? Interested to hear your thoughts!

Agreed, but he doesn't seem to mind either way. Definitely a tattooers' tattooer. Super humble but incredibly talented and he stays plenty busy from the people that actually know how good he is. It makes me even happier getting work from him.

only one thing I would do differently... use the re-wrap healing method on all my tattoos, it would save me from some healing struggles I had with my first few. edit: and book appointments with rubendall 4 or 5 years earlier.

Shit man, best of luck to you and your wife. Nice tattoo too.

I wouldn't change a thing! I am a patchwork quilt of many styles....and maybe I am just fortunate that it has all turned out the way it has!

Hi Bunny thanks you good to see a familiar friend!

Ryan Gosling in The Place Beyond the Pines somehow pulls off way oversized, inside-out, ratty t-shirts, and terrible, terrible tattoos.

I was trying to convince a friend to book with El Monga at Rumi, but I don't think he did.

Got my anchor today :D loving it! Can't remember which thread we talked about these posters but here's Ray's 80 something of 250

@rads no appointment for me yet, but I'm crossing my fingers for walkups :)

You should've asked her what her blouse means.

To be honest it depends on many factors with how long color will last. It could vary from artists skill, pigment used, how it healed.... etc. Who are you wanting to get tattooed by?

I've had scabs come off tattoos and they look light like that but then settled in just fine. Give it some time.

That's pretty cool.

So, we did the BB&B frames and mounting tape just as @ironchef suggested and here are our 3 prints:

Thank you! I've got no pictures at the moment, but my favorite items thus far are my front panel (still very much 'in-progress') by Jeff Rassier at Blackheart Tattoo in San Francisco [a whale biting through a ship]; a cholo vulture on my leg from Nervio at Roses and Panthers in Hermosillo, Mexico; and my first tattoo, a zombie pin-up girl by Khalil Rintye at Tattoo City in San Francisco. I'll be starting on my neck with Derek Noble at Lucky Devil here in Seattle next month, so I'm more than a little excited about that. I'll post some pictures soon!

@Iwar found this photo yesterday. Mike and Mike, Rubendall and Roper. Sooo good! Coolest thing I´ve seen in long time! Another dragon-king, Hide Ichibay:

My favorite recent personal experience. This was Monday. I was out for a jog, which is a sight in it of itself. I was crossing a street and noticed a small SUV teetering towards a stop sign, but thought nothing of it. As I passed I heard, "Hey, hey, excuse me." I stopped, assuming the person needed directions. I turned around..."What's up?" "You've got beautiful tats." "Uh, thank you..." "Do you ever let people photograph you? Would that be something you're interested in?" "No, that is not something I am interested in." I then jogged off. This exchange stayed with me the rest of my run. Mainly because I was near the park, and if the guy wanted a mouth fuck, he could've been more direct. I still would have said "no" but I appreciate a candid nature.

For every person that has a tattoo there are 100 more that are going to get one.

"Why have you got roses tattooed on you, isn't that a bit gay?" One of my most recent favourites.

If you visit LA often you could finish a large piece over time. If you want to go big Japanese and on your back that's going to take a long ass time. I know there are amazing Japanese artists in LA but I'm blanking right now, some one here will be able to recommend a good shop.

-insert rant on people who don't tattoo making money off tattooing-

Your artist knows what tools work best for them.....some prefer one over the other....some prefer to use them both....whatever works best for the artist............and every tattoo feels different to the majority of people based on where it is on the body and even where their mind is that day. What is crazy painful to one person is no thing at all to someone else! :)

I went in yesterday since their "Fleet Week" is going on and got a rib tattoo from Ross Nagle visiting from Ireland. This shop is the most gorgeous tattoo shop I've been in. Such a nice design, huge without feeling vacant or cold, tons of amazing tattoo history covering the walls and cases. Seriously, stop in even if you're NOT getting anything done. It's worth looking it. Eye candy. Plus they played Iron Maiden live the whole session.

Today was the third session on my Tamatori-Hime sleeve/chestpiece. It took 5 hours to put in some background on my upper arm :) (There is some old kanji on my upper arm that's in the process of being covered) And this is the complete picture of how it is now:

I like having tattoos so some people automatically assume shit about me. This way I can weed out the stupid assholes from the people who are, seemingly, worth dealing with. They don't need tattoos to be worth dealing with, just not assume stupid shit.

As a kid I always had low self esteem and no self confidence. That has carried over into adult hood and it's a constant battle with myself. When I started getting tattoo's I always kept them hidden. For the first 8 years of my tattooed existence I could cover them all up by wearing a tank top. No one knew I really had any and always assumed I was the type of person who wouldn't have them. I often enjoyed letting them in on my little secret and watching their face change shapes. I had always wanted a full arm of tattoos but never could decide on something. I knew it had to have some sort of meaning and it had to encompass who I was. It was going to be my first full view piece. I was so scared of what people would think. What they would say. Would I be treated differently? How would I like myself with a large tattoo showing. Up until this point my tattoos were all hidden from the world. It was a HUGE deal for me. I kept envisioning this work of artwork on my arm and wishing for the day I could look in the mirror and gaze at it. I kept wishing for the courage to say "F you" to the world and just do what I wanted to do with my own body and not care. I have spent my whole life worrying and caring what other people thought about me. Letting their negativity shape the way I felt about myself. I came across a Jeff Gouge piece and instantly knew.... that was my reference piece. I finally found the look and feel I was going for. So I contacted my artist and we started tossing ideas around. I was sooo scared to take the plunge. October 13th 2012 I sat down in the chair and we chatted and drew out the whole image on my tiny arm. I looked at all the marker lines and smiled. I gave the go ahead and the line work started. I remember that feeling of the first line on my forearm. There was no going back. I was ecstatic. I remember looking in the mirror after the first line session. I remember thinking that it didn't look right on me. I didn't think I looked like it belonged. 10 months later and we have mostly completed 3/4 of it. We still need to do my inner bicep area and I have decided to continue down to my wrist (we stopped 3/4 originally). I now look in the mirror and see it as part of who makes me, ME. I take pride in my artwork and who it has helped me become. I am now much more confident with who I am. I am not concerned with other peoples thoughts anymore. I did something for me, and me only. I am proud of who I am becoming and how this tattoo has helped it happen.

I made a short video about my visit to The Ohio Tattoo Museum! Check it out its an enjoyable three minutes. Thanks! http://youtu.be/6Jxdw8XOdv4

Just more proof that the American public will watch literally anything. These "Reality based" programs are cheap to produce (no Actor's Union, no Writer's Guild, No Union Grips = no professional actors, no script, no sets). Scab TV.