Leaderboard

Skull and Peony on the inner side of my elbow by Chris O'Donnell. Future appointment to add leaves, water, wind bars, etc. to tie it into my existing half sleeve.

Um sorry for not replying earlier, i don't get on much, anyway this is a photo from 2months ago. The rest of the blackwork is just about done. The artist is Kian Forreal his website: Home | Authentink Studio - Traditional Japanese Tattooing by Sydney Tattoo Artist - HORISUMI - Kian Forreal & Crew Sydney Tattoo Shops & Sydney Tattoo Studios AustraliaAuthentink Studio – Traditional Japanese Tattooing by Sydney Tattoo Artist & Here is the picture i dont have a current one so this will have to do, i will probably take one once the the blackwork is finished..

I live and work in China and got my first tattoo here this summer. Although more popular with younger generations, in China tattoos carry a much stronger stigma than in the west and are associated with prisons, crime and lack of education, in a much more narrow view than in other countries/cultures. I started a full sleeve and and the general response of my Chinese colleagues in the office (I'm Caucasian) was one of total silence, except for two younger girls, who asked if it hurt and said it was cool. Old ladies in the bus are scared of me now. Man I'm such a badass.

I'm also a fan of @ironchef 's cat

I did the exact same thing after this past Tuesday's session. I probably would have slept like a rock already having been worked over on the table for so long and I generally HATE taking pills. But with that said the Benedryl is two-fold, helps me sleep and also to mitigate any allergic reaction I might have. Previously I spoke about contact dermatitis I had after getting work done on my thigh. Now I incorporate the anti-histamine into my post tattoo work routine to avoid any issues.

"Why does that heart on your forearm say 'WOW'?" "Because I love my mom!"

I think every tattoo collector needs to ask themselves this after every new tattoo.

Slayer tattoo

This isn't an insect, but it does fall into the tiny tattoos that make me happy every time I see them category: A tiny baphomet by Seth Wood, done a little over a year ago. He did a Necronomicon on me previously and I saw him after it was finished and he said he wasn't satisfied with the tattoo because the pages in the book were blank and he wanted to put some illustrations in them. I suggested a twenty-sided die and he did the rest, including that little baphomet that he drew on with a sharpie...I didn't even know what it was going to be until it was there. It makes me happy because it's this kind of secret tattoo that not many people know about. It's one of my favorites and I'd love to get more little things like this.

Made a new one. Sorry about the bad photo.

Having my back worked on by Junii @ Diamond Club booth from opening til 7ish...that video just made me realize how open air the tattoo environment is...should have thought about that! HAH! Thanks for posting @Hands On! I'll be around Friday, for sure, just checkin' things out. I feel like I should write LST (#squidpants) on my forehead. ;p

This is what happened to me today: Rudy Fritsch, of course. I encourage anyone who as a chance to get something from this man, very inspiring and unique in every way. Well worth the trip to Trieste (nice town!) where his studio is. I think that's it for me, no more tattoos until spring. Ciao! edit: not really necassary to comment on how much I love this tattoo. I do. A lot.

Bad photos (part of the reason I dont upload many tattoo photos) heres my dotwork tibetan skull so far . Its still to get more stuff added Fuckin spot appeared right in the eye whilst healing :)

I fucking wish all I ever tattooed were dragons...

I found this in a search here,I have a friend in Tracy I am staying with in nor cali for a minute and I will be at Quarter Horse for an appt with Dave Gibson this sunday(10/20),I am excited about it.

The other med I like during/after a brutal tattoo begins with and X and ends with and anaX.

Hahaha GET A TATTOO OF SOME RIMS! Ask your artist to make em spin!! @NotExpected85 A rimshot is not an image, it's a sound. It signals the punch line of a joke. (Mom/wow heart zinger Hoggy did) But yes, now I am encouraging you to get a tattoo of some 22s

I have just two, from Chinese colleagues: - Did you remember to consult a fortune-teller before deciding on the motive? - Why isn't it a dragon?

Not ours

I met him today, he was tattooing a sick ass parrot on another guy in the shop where my sister got her chest tattoo. I've seen his flash before on the internet, and I gather he must be at least somewhat known... Very cool guy and very talented.

I haven't really posted anything here...y'all who follow me on Instagram usually see my drawings or my cat. My mentor asked me to paint him something he could hang in his station...no pressure right? I came up with this.

When I was getting my first tattoo, for months beforehand, I wanted to get a phrase taken from a John Cheever quote -- "write to make sense of life" (full quote: "The need to write comes from the need to make sense of one's life and discover one's usefulness.") -- AND I wanted to get in Latin. This was only six years ago, but I don't even remember what my reasoning was for the whole Latin thing. Anyway, after stressing over the correct spelling for the Latin (seriously. wut.), font options for the script, etc., I finally decided the reason I was dallying on actually getting the tattoo was because I didn't really want to get words written on me. I wanted an image. I wanted something that would look beautiful. I wanted art. So I found the ibis, the bird that represents the Egyptian deity Thoth, who served as scribe to the gods. As soon as I stumbled upon it, I knew it would be the image I got tattooed on me. It held the meaning I wanted, that was important to me, but it was also a beautiful image of a lovely bird (my ibis is in flight). Now that I have three more tattoos, I feel confident saying I don't think I'll ever put text on my body. I think script can look really great incorporated into certain designs, but what I personally like about tattoos is that they are mobile art that I get to carry with me everywhere I go. It's a bit ironic given how much I clearly value the written word, but hey, a time and place for everything, right? :) Side benefit -- there's more ambiguity with pictures. They feel more personal to me. I know what my ibis means, and if someone who sees it asks me about it, I can tell them. For everyone else who doesn't ask, they'll just see a pretty bird in flight. And that's cool, too. Anyway, good luck with your tattoo -- I hope you get exactly what you want.

I forgot to mention that my contact dermatitis was a combination of skin irritation from being shaved on the thigh, irritation from being tattooed...and maybe the stray cat hair or two that made it on to my pants. DAMNED cat is gonna be the death of me! ;)

@mmikaoj goddamnit, your collection fucking rules. way to do it right, hahaha also @BrianH oh my god, that PINK

Should we start a new hashtag? #lastsparrowcats ??

Thomas recommended taking Aleve when we finished my arm to deal with the pain and to fight off any fever that can come with long, brutal sessions.

3 Weeks today!!!!!! I'm a little bit exited.

Pardon us, you opened the flood gate of opinions :). If all you are looking for is aftercare advice: http://www.lastsparrowtattoo.com/forum/tattoo-after-care/32-best-post-tattoo-care.html, I wholeheartedly encourage you to take advantage of the search function in the future.

Raised a Catholic. Still consider myself "Christian" in the non-judgemental sense of the word. I look at the question and answer that spending an eternity interacting with and dealing with the shit tattooed to me, is way more pleasant than a year or two of what my current job is. Gotta love people that threaten you with their idea of hell. Unbeknownst that your personal hell just might be having to tolerate that person's presence. Fearsome, Terrifying, and Dreadful are shit I would rather deal with at the moment, or any moment, than Repetitive, Boring, Unrewarding. Looking at my tattoos and thinking about what made me decide to get them makes me feel better, and pretty much every tattoo I have gotten was based on the fact I just like tattoos, and video games, and metal.

Pentagram

I am, it's been 23 months.....

I love your cat!!! Odd to say but...uh, your butt is pretty cool, too.

Ha, yes, I take a Benadryl or something similar when I get home from a tattoo...so I can get some sleep!

I've learned through these forums that the symbol does not have to be literal.. It's a strange concept at first if it's new to you but it opens up the possibilities to endless

Ach. it's nearly 3am here (CET) and I'm all speedy and sleepless. Is this a known side effect, why did you not tell me?

Oh congratulations on that! I am for sure swinging by to see that piece after not being able to see it at JANM.

<bows> Thank you, thank you! All I had to do was lay back and think of England. - - - Updated - - - hmm, possibly not the most internationally known idiom to choose. - - - Updated - - - Ach, I'd love to but it's kind of not mine to share until it's finished. Well, to my twisted mind anyway :rolleyes: I suspect my firstborn would be very tasty, she's a good size too.

Finally I have my first tattoo! It's reasonably small and it's not finished but I'm beyond chuffed.

if you're all not already stoked enough... how about some moving pictures?..

Rimshot jpeg

Dick on my jawline was tattoo number one. The fire-jizz coming out was tattoo number two. No regrets, mofukka! I love it cause it has so much personal meaning to me. I also got it upside down cause it's for me.

This is considered upside-down; the tattoo should face out towards the viewer (not you) and be readable/easy to interpret. Everybody will know the tattoo is "for you" even if it reads outwardly this way - it's on your body after all! Also, upside-down script on a wrist is such a common request that it has become a common eye-roller for many (most?) artists.

Welcome. There was a poster recently who got her wrist tattooed and was concerned about the visibility of it, especially in terms of employment, so think very seriously about what it will mean to have a tattoo that is difficult to conceal. Are you in a line of work that accepts visible tattoos? Are you willing to possibly commit to a life of wearing long sleeves even in the summer if people don't accept your tattoos? I'm not saying don't do it, but just tobe aware of how people might react to it. Some nice script could be nice, but you could also look into images that convey a similar meaning...how about a big Fudo Myoo tattoo?

I really want one from Jeff Rassier. Photos stolen from his IG.

Okay folks, quick update after yesterday's session. Great experience as usual over at Kings Avenue Manhattan. As I stated in my previous post, I took the summer off from tattooing and just jumped right back into it with a 6+ hour session with Mike Rubendall on my back piece. To get the real effect of this, check out the first two pics. Started off during the day and ended well into the evening. Needless to say I'm very happy with how things are turning out so far. LOVE the colors. Will be seeing Henning at the end of this month for upper back portion of this collaboration. Enjoy the pics and my goofy commentary: The man himself laying it into me...noon time shot Almost end of the session...about 7pm or so You want to talk about a shop with heavy hitters? Rubendall, Grez and way in the back....O'Donnell. And each one of them super down to earth and funny as well. Can't really ask for anything more. Messy and yes...painful Full on progress shot, what we managed to get done Left cheek and right inner thigh Right cheek

Black ink.

Wooohooo! Looking forward to seeing Henning myself! Will be working on the back piece end of the month. Can't wait!

@Graeme oh my god, hahahahahahaha I love it.