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Hey everyone, I hear great things about this site.... Who else is on here? I been tattooing almost 17 years, and I own Bound For Glory in Staten Island.

Hey everyone, haven't posted much lately but finally have a reason to. Despite the new baby, found some time for a new tattoo. Artist Ryan Gagne, Classic Tattoo, Red Deer, AB. Thanks for checking it out.

Generally we like to keep talk about money off of LST.

And if you want a tattoo that's easy to conceal you can get, oh I don't know, A BACK PIECE. You can get your thighs tattooed, your ribs, your torso, your shoulders, and you can easily cover those with clothing. Wanting or needing to keep your tattoos covered in a professional setting, when you're with your family who doesn't approve of tattoos, or whatever, doesn't mean that you can't get pretty much covered with great tattoos.

I got this in aug of this year,I like this style a lot. I got this from Jess Yen,until I got to the show,I did'nt even know what it was going to look like,I told him to do what he wanted. there are also a lot of other styles of tiger tattoos that I like as well though. I am very happy with this one. . .

Matching tattoo pigment to skin tone so the tattoo isn't noticeable? Some people shouldn't get tattooed. That shit is retarded.

My smallest tattoo to date. This lil kung fu mantis is about the size of a loonie (that is a dollar coin in canaduh eh). Tattoo by Bryan Turnbull (from Gov Street Tattoo, Victoria BC) and was made at Shades of Grey Tattoo in Edmonton, AB during his recent guest spot visit. God damn this tiny zapper makes me laugh DON'T BUG ME EH

Hey fellas, hope you don't mind me entering since I'm new :O Tattoo done by Nathan Herbert out of Austin, TX

But it's for me!!!!!!

Cash is the best tip.

I'll answer a few questions in no specific order RE: Penis Dragon. That customer came to the shop after searching for someone who would be willing to do the tattoo. I agreed to do it because he was clear about what he did and didn't want from the tattoo and unlike others who inquire about similar work, he didn't seem to be 'getting off' talking about it. Also he wanted a tattoo that looked good, rather than just a tattoo that obliterated his genitals. It's his only tattoo. He's not what I would call a 'tattoo person' he doesn't really care about tattoos, he just knows what he wants and expects a high quality outcome. He has a profession where you would never know or see his tattoo. I'm told the only person who will see it is his long term wife. He handled the pain exceptionally well. He applied Emla cream before I tattooed the head of his penis but it seemed to wear off fairly quickly. He tells me the most painful part was his scrotum. That was also the most difficult part to design, draw and tattoo. I didn't need to see his penis erect to design or tattoo it. Tattooing involves stretching skin and it's possible to predict how skin will distort. He assures me it looks great at all times and all angles. That tattoo is by far the most technically challenging, stressful and difficult work I've ever produced.

Let's see some posts of your lil bug tattoos! by Bryan Turnbull IG is "bryanjturnbull" I walked in with the intent to get a mini sailor jerry-esque fly but on a whim switched it to a preying mantis when i walked through the door of the shop (re: good decision making lol). My smallest tattoo to date. Makes me laugh everytime I see it because everything around it is so big lol...it's on my rib cage, right in that brutal spot a couple inches down from the armpit. This lil filler fella is pretty crunchy right now...one of the hardest heals I've had so far. . The tattoo was completed entirely with a liner and was completed in half the time it took to setup the damn machine lol. I think I'm going to get a couple more bugs to fill in some gaps because this one makes me laugh everytime I see his big ass bug eyes. - - - Updated - - - beware...of the dreaded miniature karate mantis !!!

WOW!!! That is actually an awesome dick pic! If you had asked me before if I thought a penis tattoo would be artful or aesthetically pleasing, I would most certainly have said "F@!K no!". I was wrong. Tips hat to mr @Stewart Robson. Verra nice!

hello ooooo dave

But, I thought it was for me?

I don't like talking about money either and call me old fashion...or just plain old, I prefer to bring gifts. Books, bottles of alcohol, some type of food or treats. Sure cash can be king, but this works for me and the artist always seem to appreciate it.

Welcome. Goddamn that Rock of Ages is great.

Oh! You remind me of being young!! Soon enough you won't give a damn about what the checkers think about what you're buying. ;)

I tip 20%, once slightly more for one of mine that was cheaper.

I tip 15-20% depending on final cost Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Husband left on vacation Sunday morning and was done hunting and back home last night! Thought I'd get a bunch of work out of him since he wasn't supposed to be home until Friday but now he's got a cold, and we allllll know how it is when the man has a cold. Plus side, our daughter auditioned for a play a couple days ago and I've heard nothing but great things, so fingers crossed she gets a part!

I've seen, heard and experienced nothing but bad things about white ink tattoos. They're just not practical and always fade quickly. I don't understand the point of getting a faint tattoo that not only is not visible from a distance, but will inevitably fade into crap at a fast rate. Get it covered in black ink in my opinion. A job really shouldn't be a factor in choosing ink color. If you're not willing to fully cover it I think it would be a huge mistake to try and get it in a color that just doesn't work out well, just so it's less noticeable. Because now you have a bad looking tattoo and it might still be noticeable enough to have to cover anyways. Might as well get a good tattoo and just cover it without being told. Like the above poster said, wear a long sleeve shirt. No rocket science required here.

In the nearly 20 years I've been going to, hanging out in and generally being around tattoo shops and artists, I've never heard a patron come in and ask what kind of machine the artist is using. In my profession, I answer it almost daily. Right behind how much does it hurt? and what is this going to cost me? one of the most frequently asked questions I get asked is what machine I use to treat people. This is mildly important and yet, people really stress about it. Why it's important? There are China-made machines available on eBay for a few thousand dollars, these are untested, generally not FDA approved in the USA and worse, most don't carry an adequate UL rating. That last one is a biggie, that means there's not been proper testing on the machine to pass fire, smoke and safety regulations. The 4 main technologies used in tattoo removal: Q-Switched Nd:YAG - the most popular across the board, commonly called the 'gold standard' Ruby - thus named because it emits a red light and is typically used on grenn pigments Alexandrite - essentially a red laser as well, but less powerful than a Ruby, again mostly used on green pigment Pico - the new kid on the block, this laser operates at a 'pico' second, or one trillionth of a second, however isn't as effective on red pgiments There are many brands, but I'm not going to go into a this is better than that. The Q-Switched Nd:Yag is the most versatile as it operates at two wavelengths and does a great job on the vast majority of pigments, however it's also possible via a swap of hand pieces to operate this laser at the two other wavelengths, making it the technology choice of most facilities. This laser is a 'Nano' laser, pulsing light at one billionth of a second. Typically speaking, Ruby lasers are much more rare because the scope of treatment is much more narrow and you're likely to only find these in the offices of dermatologists who have a very specific need for them. Alexandrite lasers are extremely rare to be seen. Pico laser is the new kid on the block - and the one with the most hype. The claims are 30-60% faster removal, due to the 'trillionth' of a second light bursts. I affectionately call this the Viagra (or Lipitor) of laser machines. Why? Well, they are mass marketed to the general public, so the public learns the name of them fast and since they are only available by prescription, they are knocking down doctor's doors to get their hands on them. Yes, the pico is effective, I've spoken at length with their sales reps and read the clinical trial reports on them. Here's the catch, it costs almost 3x as much as a new Q-Switched Nd:Yag laser, which is also why you typically see prices 2-5x higher when using this laser. The sales rep justifies it as, people don't want to wait 18 months to remove a tattoo, this machine will get it done in 8-12 and we feel people will pay a premium for that. This could be true in LA, NYC, Miami, etc., in my market, it's not. OK, once we've established the place you're going to isn't using a my first laser beam machine and you now know what 'type' of laser you will most likely be treated with, here's why the machine used really isn't that important. Lasers are just like Michael Jordan Nikes, they are awesome, are cool to have, but you won't dunk like Mike. Just because you saw someone online who showed you great before & after photos after being treated with Acme Brand Laser doesn't mean you will have the same results. There are 3 main factors that go into any given tattoo removal, provided of course the tech is capable and they are using one of the main lasers available on the market. Immune system does 95% of the work! Yes, you read this right. The laser just facilitates the process. It's medically proven non-smokers heal faster (not just for tattoo removal, in general), but if you're in shape, eat right and generally take care of yourself you'll heal faster and see better progression between each treatment. Pigment varies bottle to bottle sometimes, even from the same manufacture. Aside from the fact there is no FDA regulation in pigment, even if there was it wouldn't stop your artist from mixing it with another ink, or even tap water, which could have contaminates in it. Have two tattoos done by the same artist 6 months apart? They could have switched inks in between sittings. Application. Tattooing is an art, not just in the work they create, but actually getting pigment into your skin. The needle groupings, voltage, angle the machine is held and pressure all make differences in how well your body takes the pigment, as does your ability to follow their aftercare instructions. While this typically is a very small contributing factor, if an artist has a barbed needle (fish hooked, typically from bottoming out in an ink cap while dipping, or from not inspecting needles while assembling the grips), it can cause damage to the skin. Most commonly this is seen in the form of a raised to the touch tattoo, or sometimes known as 'braille tattoos.' As mentioned earlier, seeing before and after photos is important, I also strongly believe seeing progress photos is equally important so you can see how the tech was able to treat the entire piece, but as it fades focus on the areas containing pigment still and avoiding those without pigment, reducing the chances of hypo-pigmentation. When you're doing your research, don't get sucked into the hype of 'state of the art ACME brand machine' because one of the leading manufactures that makes one of the most popular machines on the market today hasn't changed the guts of the machine from the two previous models available, they've only made the case prettier. This isn't just from my own research, this is from my tech who services my machine and has 15 years experience in the industry.

Welcome dude! It's not as bad as I thought it'd be but this is one you can file under Difficult Subject Matter That's Not Super Tattooable. There's a way to make it work and it looks like whoever is tattooing you is trying their damndest. Not a tattooer myself but I've seen similar stuff with a space theme that's come out great but it's tough.. Looks like this dude bit off more than he can chew. I would wait before you do any more work on/around it. Where are you located? We've got shop suggestions out the yinyang here..

yo what up Stewart!! @Stewart Robson - - - Updated - - - HEY THANKS!!!! - - - Updated - - - Thanks! @Jynarik - - - Updated - - - @Johannes Thanks!! - - - Updated - - - @Graeme Thanks!

I've one in my album, and though it's no Jess Yen piece, I like it a lot. :) His name is Little George.

Hi @Nick Caruso

Im using H2Ocean this time around and it's freaking amazing. I'm on day 6 and little to no scabbing. It was suggested to a friend a couple of years back and I figured being in a dryer climate I need a little extra to seal all the moisture in. Last tatt I was getting up at 3am because I woke up feeling like my surrounding skin was going to tear open but My feet are going great. I was expecting my feet to be way scabbier as I'm always running around after my kids.

Thursday, Halloween! Cool! Are you driving in or taking mass transit? I'm in to see Henning on Friday Nov. 1st. Don't forget to take pics bro! I'm sure I'll get the lowdown from Henning about your session.

Just get a tattoo and get it in black, it's probably not that big anyway. Wear bracelets. I don't know. So many girls nowadays have wrist tattoos I doubt you'll get fired over it...

I have a family wedding coming up later in the month, it will be a tattoo show as well. All of my nieces & nephews, a couple of my cousins, brothers are inked. So sleeves and pants will be rolled up, shirts opened at some point. There will also be a tattoo artist there. It should be interesting. My cousin, she's 60, just had a lot of recent work done. We had compared ink at my step mother's wake a couple of years back. Rob

I have had 1,000 plus miles of windshield time with the CEO of my company. I displayed to the HMFIC that I had been tattooed down to my wrist, and his response was, "no one will remember you for that." Awesome compliment from the HMFIC of my company.

This would not work with my kindergarten daughter who knows all about our tattoos. In fact she loves to go to the shop we like because every time we go in she gets to feed the koi fish and they give her a press on tattoo. We have had multiple conversations about how our tattoos are with needles under our skin, hurt, and are forever. She said she wants to wait until she is 50 but I guess we will see.

I just want to say, that because of the community at LST.com, and the attitude of the community on this website, I feel emboldened in my tattoo endeavors. I am working on a Super Metroid themed sleeve. I love video games, and I love Super Metroid. I am no where close to the best at the game, nor am I close to being an expert on tattooing. But those common interests have led me to where I am. $4,000.00 plus in tattoos on one arm, and I love every dollar spent, and every minute in the shop! Photos once the arm is done... "Keep on keepin' on" Joe Dirt

OMG! You are actually planning an LST meetup in a video game, unbelievable! hahahah Let's see some screenshots of this please!

Wear long sleeves.

Just got my hands on a copy too. LST get together in Los Santos anyone?

Don't think it has enough of the "wow" factor to win it this month but here is my entry: By Todd Noble at the 2013 Montreal convention

And here is my entry for this month, my 'Tamatori-Hime' sleeve (the one with the octopus ) that we finished today (with a bit brutal 5 hour session. This sleeve (and my other sleeve) are made by Bonel from Corazon Santo tattoo studio in Arnhem, The Netherlands.

Got these two pieces at the London convention, Fudo-she-o by Claudia De Sabe (Black Garden Tattoo), Panther-reaper by Bart Bingham (New York Adorned) As you can see I'm very happy with the trip to the convention this year! :D

Here's mine, done by Chad Koeplinger at the 2013 Montreal tattoo convention.

I have finally perfected my method. Leave the bandage on overnight. Wash ASAP with un scented dove white soap. Let it dry out the first day. No touching or washing, just let it relax. If its settled down and gets dry I start using LUBRIDERM (why did I never try this magical lotion before?!?!) the second day. Then basically wash and lotion once a day, letting it dry at least 1 hour after washing before putting lotion on. Twice if it gets crazy, scary dry and cracking. I tried dry healing but it cracked too much and pulled ink out. I was frustrated because I have never found a lotion that agreed with me, but Lubriderm is incredible. It's like putting nothing on it and I don't feel like I'm smothering my tattoo with a pea size amount of lotion lol. This is my first tattoo where (so far) I haven't lost any color!!!! Yay!!!!

Humor and novelty aside, I would like to say that @Stewart Robson did a really great job with that tattoo. Seriously, it's the best genital tattoo I've ever seen, and I used to frequent BME.

Yeah, Woody does tattoos, but he's more of a cartoonist. The interviewer isn't the only twat in the frame. So a famously publicity hungry tattooer, who's notoriously fond of gimmicks invests in a super-deluxe tattoo removal lazer. Because he had virtually no tattoos already, he tattoos deliberately inflammatory statements on himself then does a photo shoot and speaks to every interviewer who'll listen. No prizes for guessing what publicity grabbing event happens next... Yeah, this is the same tattooer who called a client and offered to tattoo the Jacko arrest photo with the words "Peado Cunt" FOR FREE. Although the client was a fool to accept the offer, he was a young student with little money who liked tattoos. Who, in that situation would refuse a funny, free tattoo? That client has since had a massive coverup of a traditional eagle. Woody also tattoos drunk metalheads for free at the UK Download festival. I'm a tattooer. Woody does tattoos. We are not doing the same thing. Irresponsible is the kindest thing I can say about his work and work ethic.