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Operation Double Dobleman Thighs is now complete: Between this and my Pharaoh's Horses, I couldn't be happier. (No jokes about what's actually between this and the horses, please.)

Sorry to be off topic with the way this thread turned out but regardless of any "witchy witchy" (whatever that means) or other current tattoo trends. Sometimes we gotta take it back and look at why?... Not just why you got a particular tattoo but why certain symbols are grouped together in the first place. Female figures and the moon make more sense than most associated designs. - As a side note, Diana worship became very popular in Europe in the early 19th century as part of the revival of earlier religious ideas by the middle classes (who had more time on their hands, probably because of the Industrial Revolution) which led to more works of art, visual, written and performed that included these ideas and symbols. These are often the very works that modern tattooers appropriate. Remember that some tattooer, somewhere knew this when they included a moon in a design of a lady head. (or they took it from an illustration by someone who knew.) Then it was imitated because it looked cool or resonated in some way. I've said it before and I'll say it again, I strongly believe it's a tattooers job to understand the mechanism of symbols and apply them to create relationships that have a deeper value than just looking cool. There's nothing wrong with looking cool and often I don't bore my clients with a lecture about the historical connections with the symbols I include. I just try to make their tattoo look cool. Hopefully one day they will discover the meanings and connections behind the symbols and realise it makes the design slightly richer. Sorry to derail yet another thread with a boring self-righteous rant...

This is what went on yesterday at Memoir w/Kim on my raven/roses/jewels arm. I am in love with it!

When you started this thread @Delicious, I didn't think I had a moon, then I remembered I did have the faint outline of a crescent moon shaped jewel. Today Kim shaded it in along with some other stuff, this is a pic taken from the table: (better pic now on Latest Lowdown)

I crossed 3 things off my bucket list last week :) Had a great time in Chicago, learned SO MUCH at my national conference, and came home with a dragon on my thigh :)

Another session down with Dana, picture stolen from his IG of course.. Next session is color! The fundoshi massacre.

Where would we be without your self righteous rants, Stewart? I for one (usually) enjoy them. I interviewed David Bruehl back in 2008, and he had some similar thoughts on the more abstract concept you're talking about: "I take on the role of the educator. We live in an entire world of symbology, and I think everyone who chooses a tattoo does so because it resonates with them, albeit sometimes on a very subconscious level, so I don’t judge. They likely may not know the specific significance, but a part of them speaks the language." - Bruehl "On the same subject, but an even more light-hearted note: Every time a person has ever come in wanting to get a yin yang tattoo, I’ve joked with them that I won’t do it unless they tell me what religion/philosophy it’s associated with. In my seven years of tattooing, I’ve never had someone correctly answer “Taoism” or even “Chinese” philosophy. So they may be ignorant of the origins surrounding the symbol, but they do correctly seek to realize the balance that it represents." -ibid

fuckthisthread fuckthisthread imsopoor fuckthisthread @Hogrider thatssofuckingreditissofuckingcool @Cork fuckfuckfuckfuckthatissometal fuckthisthread iloveallofthese

Put this up the other day in the full back piece thread and forgot to put it over here. Last session in for 2013 and starting back up in January. All work being done by Rodrigo Melo at Northstar Tattoo NYC. Mike

Thanks. I'm extremely excited. I wanted it to not just be about the tattoo but the whole experience. The best advice I got was find the artist who's work is exactly what you want then figure out how to get to them. I wrote this whole idea off years ago but it ate away at me. So I booked about two years ago and made it happen. It 's insane I'm less then 3 months from take off!

Coming out of LST hibernation to say "I approve of this tattoo".

This is a not very good picture of what I've been sporadically working on for the past couple of months. When it's finished I'll try to get better pictures: This is my first attempt at working with oils, other than a little bit of dabbling with it when I took art classes as a kid, but I don't really count that. I'm pretty happy with some things with this painting, but beyond my obvious technical limitations, it has quite a few significant flaws that have largely to do with me being too excited to start painting that I didn't properly work out a sketch beforehand and figure out composition, perspective, light sources, use reference, etc. My next one will be better.

This is what I've had done so far. Four sessions; the rose and yet more black went in last Friday. By Grez at Kings Avenue.

Latest session. Two more to go!

anyone here into printmaking? i found photos of some work i did a year or so ago this was the biggest silk screen print i've ever done. its about 1 meter wide and 1 and a half tall from what i remember ive done a bunch of lino cuts, etchings and woodcuts as well. it's been a while, i'm craving the craft

Here is my bleeding moon. I posted this a long time ago. Matt Brotka in Richmond, Virginia, but that fine gentleman is now at Left Hand Black in sunny San Diego.

Hello folks! I'm Abyss, I live in ATL Ga. I've been reading on this forum for a while now and thought to myself it's about damn time to register and join the community lol. I am always hesitant about forums because I just don't know what to write about. But I figure, I could write about the tattoos on me for this forum. I recently just got tattoo by Mr. Rubendall in August. We did 4 sessions (2 consecutive follow by 2 weeks of healing and another 2 consecutive) total so far. I have to fly back to NY in November to finish it up with 1 more session. Here's some flicks off the outline and shading. I actually have color on the dragon, I just haven't taken a picture of it yet. I will take some picture soon and post it! Let me know what yall think! Thanks!

@TrixieFaux that's gorgeous!!

Really great, Paul Dobleman is one of my favourite tattooers/painters his flash is so damn good.

Awww! C'mon!! You're no fun anymore :p Seriously, that's fantastic!! - - - Updated - - - I missed you around here @Brock Varty (I have to admit, I've been more scarce lately too.) It's good to see you!!

Spent a weekend watching the Three's Company dvd's my brother got me for my birthday. That's about as awesome as it's been around here lately. We're pretty lame. Trying to convince husband we need a dog I saw on a rescue website. He's soooo not going for it. Dill hole. I've already got her name picked out and every stuff. gah. Oh, we celebrated our 12th wedding anniversary last Sunday, so I guess that's kinda awesome, that I've been able to not smother him in his sleep for 12 years.

Beautiful work!! I really like his work and his book is a good one. @Iwar and I actually talked about him a couple of days ago. Looking forward to follow the progress on your back!

From tonight.. I know the top of the hilt looks crooked but it's not, just a bad angle. I'll snap more pictures later.

Great tattoo from a great shop. I hope you enjoy Chicago. I was there for the first time this August and loved every minute. So much to see and do.

Getting my leg filled in by Kore Flatmo. I know it's been said many times, but visiting Plurabella is such a freaking great experience. Still have the back of the thigh and the shin to do, but that's all I could take. Day 2 we just worked more on the cover up he's doing on my arm. I dont have any good pictures of that yet.

There you are! @Brock Varty

Hi Ry4n! If you haven't already, check out the Fine Arts Library on your campus. If you are lucky, they may even have an Asian library or collection. And don't stop at your campus. Most colleges allow general admittance to their libraries and California is chock-a-block with institutes of higher learning. I have enjoyed several UC libraries this way (including Berkeley...they have some of Horiyoshi's books including 100 Demons...that was a really fantastic day:D ). It's old school but still my favorite way to find inspiration. Take a day. Do a general search ("Japanese art" or whatever). Get an idea of where your subject is and walk the rows. Pull the books that seem interesting/have a lot of pictures and sit and flip. When you find something you like, photocopy or cell pic that bad boy. There are things in university libraries that you will never come close to finding on the internets...magical things...:rolleyes:

yeah but how nice is that dragon?

So rad, @else! I had a great experience at GLT last month. How nice is that shop?

Been 2 sessions since my last update on my back piece. Saturday was my last for 2013 and going to start back up in January. All work being done by Rodrigo Melo at Northstar Tattoo NYC. Mike

Turned my speedball dip pen trial into this.

latest from Eli Quinters

After some helpfull advise I went out and bought a speedball dip pen to try to improve the line quality in my paintings, These pens are hard to get the feel for but I think with ALOT more practice it should work out. First quick effort/trial

i painted this shitcatbird yesterday. definitely was fun.

As if he hadn't suffered enough already, the poor guy...

Eh, not really interested in a work related tattoo. I love what I do, but I feel like there needs to be separation between my work and private life. Tattoos are about art and escape for me. If I wanted a constant reminder of work, I'd pick up extra shifts.

Few more, had a try at coffee staining on the boxer due to a mistake with some yellow ink.

Maybe not what you were thinking, but this moon is pretty cool. It's on a buddy of mine and done by Aaron Mason at Soul Expressions Tattoo in Temecula, CA.

I posted it in the Tattoo of the Month contest but I got this one done by Adam Warmerdam a week or so ago. Some of the best lady heads out there right now, I'm sure it helps having Chris Conn upstairs.

Fixed that for you. :)

I've gotta admit, I never noticed the lack of black women in flash/tattoos before. I feel kinda stupid now. Done by Dusty Neal (more info at THE STATIC AGE, I started thinking one day how I )

Tony Nilsson at Blue Arms Tattoo in Oslo, Norway is doing incredible girl heads in my opinion. I just recently started paying attention to his work and it is very solid. I would definitely love to get a tattoo from this guy.

This is what was written about the book when I bought it, It might help some more. In all of my years of collecting and working with tattoo art sources, I have never seen another one. It is 15" x 10.5", 200+ pages, 2 1/2" thick. It comprises prints of the work of many of the world's most reknowned Japanese tattoo artists, such as Horiyoshi III, Horitaka, Hori-Goro, Hori-Mono, Hori-Hide, Hori-Cho and many many more. After the introductory pages and a layer of rice paper are sets of black heavy, heavy construction-type paper. On the right is a silver-printed index of the tattoo work with the title (such as Dragon) and the artist's name is Kanji and English. On the left side, a handmade print is hand-cut-out and affixed with adhesive to the black construction paper backing. This entire book is handmade! On some pieces, a double-wide page of black baking paper is used which folds out to 17x15 onto which multiple images of the same tattoo are affixed. At the end, there is a 30-page black on white history written in Kanji. I believe this gives background information. The condition of the book is overall excellent. Inside the book, the spine needs a little repair but it is not necessary. After all, this is a 40-year-old book. It came from a bookshop owned by someone related to the very famous tattoo master Cliff Raven who was a contemporary of Don Ed Hardy. There is light wear on the jacket and a few dusty areas that can be cleaned off. This is a reference work of the artists that define that style, grace and history of Japanese Tattooing. I'm sure that very very few were made and it must have been incredibly expensive since it's handmade.

With color: