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Thanks, everybody.I wish I could take more credit for how rad the hand is, but all credit goes to Steve. I have one more to share, from today. Hyottoko from Civ, followed by one last pass to get rid of the money in my wallet, then about 10 hours or so back to Kansas. My coworker Jimmy also got tattooed by Paul Dobleman and Stefano (the flower/chain that he posted earlier) to finish his lower arm, and we brought along my parents and got them tattooed. Neither had been to a convention in about 20 years. My mom got a big Texas tribute from Oliver Peck (after I told her an idea she should get while we were in a Whattaburger), and my dad got a really nice rose on his neck from Bobby Padron from ROA. He also won best small B&G with his 30 year old Charlie Cartwright hand tattoos. I doubt we'll ever hear the end of it... in a good way. Also picked up tons of prints, a small Beppe Strambini original, and some stories. Learned through keeping my eyes open as well. Looking forward to next year.

None of these trolls will ever match the sheer idiocy and frustration of Bubbleberry... not sure why they even try.

Yes, definitely waaay too many tattoos. Living beings should never be marked by the ravages of time, their environment, circumstance or human intervention! Won't somebody PLEASE think of The Children!

This troll has way too many, too. What was he thinking?

Are there way too many feathers, especially on ducks? The body is not a pillow. What's wrong with these warped pieces of poultry that they don't have any concept of what it means to be a living bird? You're not an eagle that rents grass for piles of snakes and crossbones.

I think part of what it means to be a living being is not calling other living beings warped pieces of garbage.

I think your coworker is just missing the "nuance" section of her brain. Wanting to be tattooed does not mean it feels comfortable to invite comments on them in every single social and professional situation. We all feel differently about how much we show and conceal. That's ok.

@finegentleman You should email Luca Ortis, who did the first tattoo you linked to. He's a nice guy and a very professional and businesslike tattooer. If you're serious about getting a tattoo like this, most tattooers wouldn't mind a few newbie questions. We all have to start somewhere. If you're asking so you can have fuel for a chat session with your buddies, keep asking strangers on the internet. Maybe they'll start arguing amongst themselves - that'll be fun for about zero seconds.

Got a gnarly tattoo of a hot stuff...riding a pig (the top from the pigs is pigs). it is super weird and hot stuff looks like a bright red head of a penis with horns. it's 48 hrs old, was super spontaneous and my wife is rather unimpressed at my humour. some post-tattoo anxiety and thinking maybe i should have just gotten something easier to comprehend like a skull or a rose...meh i already have a few skulls and roses. i just keep telling myself that this hot stuff is really funny and well worth the $300. oh geez - - - Updated - - - ^ my post is worthless without pics abstract closeup

Just a quick update on this ,here is a map of where I'm planning to Travel in America It is just a loose plan and I may even decide to travel to more places or change some. these are the Tattoo shops i want to get tattooed/visit.(note I won't be visiting every single one, I've tried to pick a few shops just incase certain artists are away.) Idle Hands, San Francisco Spider Murphy's, San Rafeal Temple Tattoo, Oakland High Seas Tattoo parlour , Los Angeles Immaculate Tattoo,Phoenix Love and hate tattoo parlour ,Phoenix Rock of Ages ,Austin Mainstsay Tattoo ,Austin Pride and Glory Tattoo, Nashville Live Free tattoo, Atlanta Hold It Down, Richmond Greenpoint Tattoo co. Brooklyn Smith Street Tattoo, Brooklyn Also on the map RED means travelling by bus BlUE is by plane and PURPLE is an alternate route by bus instead of plane. Also if anyone has suggestions for things to do in these cities feel free to throw them in. one last thing @cltattooing and @daveborjes id like to stop by your shops , so you should send me a link to your shops.

Women with snakes and crossbones? Sounds goddamn tough and sexy!

hence this forum, bro

Roper has covered a large majority of Dana's torso (or maybe the entire thing, I can't remember exactly) and it's amazing. This makes me think of the SNL skit where they talk about the fabled salesman Bill Brasky, and each story just keeps building off of the others. Roper once tattooed the Pharoh's Horses on the Pharoh's horses.

Down with homework, up with miniskirts!

He's in Arizona. And if you want to see a few of his tattoos, as well of plenty of others that are beyond amazing, buy the Bloodworks: Bodies book set. Two full bodysuits of his in there.

how many hours did it take to make too many tattoos?

I can say this from me personally. I really don't mind answer the same questions we all had in the beginning of getting tattooed. We've all been there. Yes there is repeat questions, because honestly most people share similar fears or doubts. I know sometimes I (or us as a whole) come off a bit rough when we say "go ask the artist(s)" but realistically I feel that, us "internet strangers" would not be giving the most accurate advice. There is only some much information we know or can share without just basing guesses on personal experiences, which really would be just throwing out opinions. Things like "how long will it take", "How much time was that", "Can this image/idea be done", really are best left up to the actual artist doing the tattoo. I know personally I cannot give a quote for price/time, or tell you what can be done. This I feel applies as well to just about all other LST members (unless they happen to the be artist you are getting tattooed by!). I'd say my biggest "rules" I like to enforce on LST as a moderator are as follows: 1. Be nice! 2. Do not ever talk money! Treat this place as if it was a gathering of friends. Friends don't talk disrespectfully to each other, and I have yet to really start talking money with my friends, outside of the casual "if I won the lottery" conversation.

Is that a Simpson's reference to the MAD magazine shirt?

Did a mind-blowing Kirin backpiece on Ichibay that I got the privilege to see once. Holy shit. It was so smooth it was almost more like a silk painting than a tattoo. The (amazing) bodysuit he did on Dana and the work he did on Dandylion are the only other things I've seen in person and then the handful of pics that we've all seen online and the suits in Bloodworks Really glad that you CAN'T find his stuff online.

There may be one or two backpieces floating around on the internet other than those, but other than that, you won't find much, if anything. And that's for a very particular reason.

Personally, I don't care how long bigger pieces take--the artist can take as long as they need to finish it to their satisfaction. They are professionals. I save up enough per session and get tattooed once a month or maybe skip a month here and there until they say it's done. I don't really like to tally up exactly how much it cost in the end, I just like to see a good tattoo. I do know approx how much each session will be and that is helpful. I was at the shop 8 hours yesterday working on my arm...it was maybe my 3rd session on it and I believe there's 1 to go. Yay! So psyched. @DeadSpot, the specific thread titled "plainskins say the darndest things" is not to make fun of what newbies who are looking to get tattooed say, it's more like shit my mom says--and other people who have never and most likely will never be into tattoos. And it was meant to be light hearted and funny, not mean spirited. Not seeing the point in calling anyone names. IMO @Graeme is often right, if a little blunt.

hello rok lets see some of your tattoos

This post is awesome!!!!!! I feel like it's 1987 again.......when this was the general consensus of 85% of the population! Ahhhhh.....the good old days....how I miss them! It's good to know there are still people out there that haven't been swayed into thinking tattoos are acceptable by the media! Thank you for the post! ;)

The difference between Bill Brasky and Mike Roper is that Mike actually does drive an ice cream truck covered in human skulls.

My $0.02: Those of us here may not judge people negatively for having tattoos (obviously!), but the reality is, some people do. I think it's your right to present yourself the way you wish -- if you want to cover up and not have to deal with any repercussions from those people who might judge you, especially when it comes to your livelihood, you can. It doesn't mean you're not proud of your work or happy to be tattooed; it means you have a grasp on what it means to live in the real world, where there are people of all kinds, and consequences that aren't always "fair."

Eli Quinters, Smith Street

I believe he is located somewhere in the southwest United States? Correct? Maybe Arizona? also good job! @finegentleman on continuing your research of high quality tattoos! happy you weren't scared away by our responses in the other thread.

Mike Roper is one of the most low key tattooers out there, so you won't find much of his work online. Maybe a few pictures if you search #mikeroper on istagram, but that's about it. His tattoos, the few I've seen, are beyond incredible though.

@motsimus I'm jealous.

My current situation is my lower legs have work for a handful of artists and I'm currently planning on adding pieces from a few more. But I'm leaning towards ditching the "collect from a variety of artists" plan and instead having 1 artist (Chad Koeplinger) fill the remainder of my open spaces on my lower legs. My reasoning is every time I think "I'll book an appointment with X and get a Z from them" my next thought is "I really like the way Chad K does Z's maybe I should have him do it." Has anyone else reached a point in collecting tattoos where they fall in love with one artist's work and find themselves basically comparing other artists work against it when deciding on who to get tattooed by next?

@keepcalm I've decided to push the trip back to September/October and I'm going to be in the states for hopefully 3 months, I can't wait.

Welcome to getting tattoos! You go into it anticipating and dreading how it feels to get them, not once suspecting that healing them is the worst part of it.

We have all been in @finegentleman shoes at one point or another. Deciding on an artist to do your first tattoo is no easy task considering the choices of talented artists that are out there especially in NYC. With that being said I wouldn't choose an artist solely based on whether or not their estimation is lower than the others the same way I wouldn't rule out an artist based on their hourly rate. This is because when you ask for an estimation all that it is; is a "ballpark" estimation. There are a ton of factors that go into the time it takes to complete a sleeve that people have already mentioned so I'd say it 's next to impossible for an artist to judge exactly how long it is going to take. Also, if you take their estimate on time literally you're only setting yourself up for disappointment when you surpass their estimated time by a few more hours and then you may be pissed that it's taking longer then they originally said when it wasn't done on purpose. In the end though if you're serious you are going to have to start having some consultations with the artists to discuss your ideas and have your questions answered.

It's been my understanding that the general public has no interest in educating themselves on the subject of tattooing. Most just want to know where they can get the cheapest tattoo closest to where they live. The people I work with know I have tattoos and they constantly ask me, "where's the best place to get tattoos in town? You've got them so you must know." I tell them, they ask how much, I tell them to ask the artist and that's where they stop because it's too much work or they say "well they're probably over priced," and at that point I just roll my eyes. To echo the others, yeah this is preaching to the choir because the people on here all express an interest in tattoos beyond just getting them. I may sound like a pessimist, but I believe that most will never bother to ever educate themselves about tattoos, their history, the culture surrounding them, or search for the amazing artists all around the world. It's all about convenience. And to be honest, I'd rather it be that way.

Name calling and insults are not tolerated on LST, let's keep it classy guys.

Damn, that's nice. Rock of Edges? ;)

Why is it helpful? Because if you're looking to estimate the cost of a tattoo you want to get it isn't in any way helpful because how long it took Luca Ortis to do that tattoo has absolutely no bearing on how long it would take Regino Gonzales to do a similar tattoo. There's only so much useful information you can get from the internet, at some point you need to physically walk into a shop and talk to actual people.

Everlasting jobstopper/liferuiner/diploma burner from Steve Byrne today. Photo taken from his Instagram. Can't express how much I like it in words.

I think it's a given that regulars here are aficionados of good tattooing. So you're preaching to the choir, here on LST at least. If you've read around you probably noticed the calibre of work people are getting. I don't really have a view on whether tattooing is a profession or a craft, I'll leave that one to the tattooers.

Anyone know where I can find more of his work? I'm specifically looking for the finished version of this tattoo he worked on: http://distilleryimage2.s3.amazonaws.com/f8cdb5f01f3f11e292a022000a1e8849_7.jpg Here's another one of his tattoos I like: http://distilleryimage7.s3.amazonaws.com/73f964dc4a7211e38f17127ac3642ee8_8.jpg

I feel like most of us put on a kind of 'public face' or 'professional face' when we work anyway, whether we have tattoos or not. We all know that some people seem completely different outside of the workplace. I do cover up my tattoos with a suit and tie, but sometimes that's a smaller act of concealment than the minding of P's and Q's that goes on, and the careful way people present themselves.

if people just could stop trying to find every answer to every question on the internet that'd be great. how bout meeting the real world? and yes, let's be nice. and yes #2, no money talk. (except if you're talking about giving me money)

Over the years plenty of people come in to the tattoo shop and friendships are bound to develop. I feel like a lot of friends I have started out as customers in the tattoo shop, or me patronizing their business, which is great. We all seem to be able to still do business with one another, with no real issues, because everyone respects the friendship and each others business enough for the two to co exist. On the other hand a person doesn't have to be my best friend to be a good customer. There are plenty of people that come in get tattooed, we have a nice conversation and we never see each other outside of the shop. They show up on time, sometimes even take your design advice. Some people don't say two words and just want to get tattooed, that's cool too. I guess what I am getting at, is there is a group in between that seems to give me the most trouble. People who maybe have a couple tattoos, they really like their tattoos and or the vibe of the shop, and they think because they spent a little money they have achieved VIP status. They will call about coming in on a certain day and not show up, then call the next day and ask if there is any walk in time and not show up again. I won't make appointments over the phone, it's always first come first served, but still it's annoying when people flake. In certain cases I have allowed a person (a friend) to drink a couple beers (2 maybe 3 at most) while getting tattooed, I don't advertise it but if someone asks I am usually okay with it as long as they are of age and take their empties with them. Unfortunately a few people have interpreted this as show up drunk and drink a whole six pack during your tattoo and not be able to sit still and have to pee every five minutes. I am not their mom or their bartender and it's hard to tell a person who is drunk that they are cut off especially mid tattoo. Recently a guy who was tattooed by my boss who pulled the get drunk thing, and a 3 hour tattoo took just under 5 hours to complete. There were a couple spots in the black that needed to be touched up and honestly he didn't get to blend all the colors' in the tiger as he would like to and the guy came in for a touch up, after calling three different times saying he was going to show up, finally showed up three hours later and was really not very pleasant, he expressed he wasn't happy with his tattoo. So my boss took him to the side and explained that he would be happy to sit down and finish the tattoo free of charge, but explained to him that he just became really hard to tattoo while he is drinking and he would need him to not do so in the future while getting tattooed. The guy seemed to understand but then was kind of pissed off because he had to come back in an hour to get it fixed because my boss was in the middle of a walk in tattoo on a friend who didn't keep him waiting for 3 hours. A half hour later he shouted some stuff from the door way about customer service and stormed off in his car with his girlfriend. My boss stopped him in the parking lot and had another talk with him, but he just wanted to talk about how much money he spent and that he deserved to be treated better. I don't know, I think the guy got treated fairly. I am interested in people's thoughts on this. I really everyone to feel at home at the shop, but it seems to me like some ass holes just ruin it for the others.

It doesn't make anybody any money.

Agreed with @BrianH. There are many factors which can determine the amount of time a tattoo was done in. How well can a Client sit. How big a Client is. How fast the Artist is. What environment were they tattooed in. I don't know how many times I've heard a potential client walk into the shop I go to and ask this. The Artists and Shop Guys I know always tell them it's hard to say because a lot of it is not determined by the Artist but the Client. When getting my first tattoo, I asked the same thing. It's a popular question for people with little or no tattoos. If it's a money thing, all people need to know is have enough cash for each session and they're good. If it's because they have a low pain tolerance, setup shorter sessions and it'll work out.

Can't make this shit up. Two recent conversations from the bar. Number One! Me: What're you up to tonight? Girl: Well I supposed to get tattooed but my tattoo artists rejected me! Me: What?! What happened? Girl: (Pulls out a piece of paper with a crazy long math/physics equation and begins to unfold to show me.) Well, I was supposed to get this on my finger, but-- Me: (Bursts out laughing) Yeah, that ain't going on your finger... Girl: He laughed at me, too! Me: Yeah. Sorry to laugh, it's just so long you won't be able to get it that small and still see what it is. What about on your arm, or wrapping around your wrist? Girl: Yeah, that's what he suggested, too. Especially because it's my only tattoo or whatever. But I'm a programmer and I want to look at it while I'm working at the keyboard. He also suggested that I shouldn't get it in white. Me: White.. ink? Girl: Yeah. Because it's for me. And I don't want anyone else to just be able to see it like that. Me: Sounds like maybe you should think about it some more.. After that initial talk we had a pretty cool conversation about the equation and the dual reality somethingorother it pertains to. She was a super smart person in that realm for sure. I left her with the suggestion of getting a cat in a box as a much cooler design (part of this theory about a cat being in a box with the lid closed and there being two realities..) but she was pretty set on the equation. Number Two! The set up here.. it was late, this chick was at the bar for a while so obviously a little drunk. Girl: Hey, you get your tattoos here? Me: Yeah, mostly, at this point kind of all over. Girl: Where should I go? Me: Hard to go wrong in this neighborhood, Three kings, Eight of Swords, Adorned, Saved... Girl: Are they open? Me: When...? Girl: Now. Me: It's almost two in the morning -- no shops are open right now. Girl: Really? None?? Me: You could go into the city and check out West 4th St. but I really encourage you to not do that. Girl: So.. there are no tattoo shops open in Brooklyn right now is what you're telling me. Me: That's what I'm telling you. Girl: (Takes her drinks that I made her and begins to walk away.) Fuck this borough. And I thought that would be the end of it! She came back and wanted to talk some more. Girl: So, it says XXSHOPXX is right off of XXSTREETXX -- is that close by? Me: It's not far but I'm telling you it's not open. Why don't you just wait? Girl: YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND. My friend over there is only in town tonight and we won't be in the same city again for like maybe a couple years. Me: Well that might work better, you can both get great tattoos in your respective cities and they'll probably be way better than trying to get it in at like 2 AM. You could get something awesome! Girl: Nope, you don't get what I'm saying. Me: (Past the point of patience and I can't walk away because I'm making them another round of drinks.) It sounds like you probably shouldn't get tattooed. It sounds like a bad idea is what I think you're saying. Girl: Well aren't they all? Me: I'm sorry..? Girl: All of this (pointing to my arms) -- you can't tell me any of this is actually a good idea. Me: Did you really just say that? Girl: Well, I mean, come on.. when you're 90. They're going to look like shit. Me: No, they're going to look awesome and I'm going to be an awesome 90 yr old with tattoos that I didn't get at fucking two in the morning. This is going to be your last round, I'll have the server bring your check over and you can still make it over to West 4th, the cab ride shouldn't be much more than $20! Girl: Whatever. Me: Have a good night! Good luck! Hope I'm not sounding like too much of an asshole.. My bar persona is always ten thousand times nicer than my real life demeanor but this second girl really pushed it. I'll put up with a lot of idiots and I know how to handle plenty of bullshit but when you outright insult me in my own bar..? You're done. I hope she went and got tattooed.. everyone gets the tattoo they deserve!

Mike Rubendall: Dragon and Spartans also try searching for "western dragon tattoos"

My name is Kevin (first name) and I disagree with both of you. Just in principal because you are both Kevins and I turned my back on the club.