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Finished this with Shige the other day ... http://s22.postimg.org/w1oqen2gh/IMG_2948.jpg http://s22.postimg.org/pds4s1iy9/IMG_2953.png http://s22.postimg.org/67exov2gh/IMG_2954.jpg starting again in August ...

@Lance Its a huge project and right arm was just the beginning even though it took 50+ hours for this sleeve. Next is left, different deity, goes on par with the boddhisatva already on the right. And then, IF my wish comes true, I continue with full back, a special piece that will complete the full story. So for full completion, 2.5 yrs will be needed.

Wow. When I made the original thread, I had no idea that it would turn out to be a big debate; I was thinking that it would be therapeutic for myself and for anyone else that had experienced something like that, to share the anecdote, and encourage others to share theirs. About speaking up- that would have been great, if I had felt safe to do so. I think that now that I am 12 years older, more mature, more confident, and more assertive, I would have -at the very least- told him afterwards that I didn't appreciate that bullshit thank you very much. The situation I was in though, as a young woman, alone in a tattoo shop with a guy named 'Graham' who worked at 'Graham's Tattoo Studio' (now long closed), I didn't feel okay. I felt afraid. So I didn't. Thank you to those that got that, and wrote eloquent responses. It's all very well to say that I should be tougher, or stronger, or more assertive, or be able to fly, or whatever... but I was who I was, and I think that tattoos should be for everyone. I don't think there should be certain class of people who tattooing should be limited to, e.g. those who can 'take it like a man' or whatever, although I understand that attitude, because some women have had to fight long and hard to be treated as equals in a male-dominated field. Silence never equals consent when there is a power imbalance. The person in the more powerful position is responsible to ensure that their behaviour is welcome. This guy could have made a number of jokes, even some lewd jokes, that were not about my body, which I may not have enjoyed but would not have been offended by. The 'large cohesive upper arm tattoo' (@HaydenRose ;) ) that I am getting in a week or so is being done by a professional who I have met and had a lengthy consultation with, who works with others in an open studio, and comes highly recommended. I have a bit more tattoo nous now. But for those young ladies (and men) who go into a studio and point to something and say, "I want that one", or with less sense who get upside down tattoos, or pop culture references that will disappear in 5 minutes, or whatever, I want them to have an enjoyable, safe experience that they can think of fondly and get lasered off later.

@Zillah, I'll bring this back to topic. When I got my flapper on my chest, the tattoo artist basically had to touch right above/ on my breast (not like fondling but just had to stretch out the skin on my chest, etc.) and while it was mildly uncomfortable for me, it was nothing compared to what happened to you. The only acknowledgement that it might even be a bit awkward was his sorry as he first touched me. Nothing too serious but I was 19 and a bit shy. Now as for the silence as consent... highly disagree with that statement. Even the examples with Rosa Parks and MLK are WTF moments. Silence is never consent, never acceptance. Silence is taught, is a self preservation technique when there is a threat to speaking out. I was silent, when I was teased/bullied by girls who I knew could beat my ass if I said what I really thought about them. I was silent when I knew I would get slapped by my parents if I said what I wanted to. I was silent as groups of men talked horrible things about the way I look and what I should do sexually because I am so ugly to them and therefore desperate. I only ever speak out when I know that I cannot bear it anymore, when I am willing to take the risk of bodily or psychological harm, or when I know I have a fighting chance. Silence does not mean I consent to my treatment, it means I am too afraid of the consequences to speak up. and that's why deadspot missed the point.

I promise you that you are not on the side of Rosa Parks and MLK in this conversation, and that it's genuinely one of the most offensive things I have ever read on this message board to see you make this comparison. Rosa Parks and MLK were tireless in their articulation of the power imbalances that exist in our society, and the ways in which dominant groups silence marginalized ones. Pretending that their resistance is equated with "always speak up" with no analysis of power asymmetry, structural misogyny, and the fact that women HAVE SCARY FUCKING EXPERIENCES TALKING BACK TO CREEPY MEN is both painfully stupid and morally appalling. And that is the last thing I will say here, because I gave up internet arguments as a new year's resolution two years ago. But I just could not let this go. PS it gives me faith in this board to see so many like-minded folks calling this out, and not just women. <3 you guys.

I haven't seen a thread that focuses on gender-specific advice, information-sharing and support for the wonderful ladies around here. Little gems are randomly sprinkled here-and-there within other threads. I thought it would be a nice idea to collect that type of stuff in one place. Questions like, "what do you do about wearing a bra after getting a tattoo?" and "does it really hurt more to get a tattoo the week before and during your period?" And the empowering stuff like the wonderful thread about using tattoos to feel better about your body - especially the delightful discussion of beautifying the horrendous "batwings." In addition to starting new topics here, when we find relevant nuggets of info elsewhere (I'm kicking myself for not making bookmarks of them), we can add those links here so we don't have to repeat everything or we can refer back to existing stuff. About responding to existing content: When you find good stuff elsewhere, if it's part of a well-encapsulated or dedicated thread, it would be best to reply over in that thread so content is together (and put a link here if there isn't one already). If the good stuff you find is randomly spread through a larger or unrelated thread, then include the link to the first post where the good stuff starts, and respond here so your new info doesn't get lost over in an unrelated thread. The boys are welcome, too, you know, because anything related to boobs and bras and the lack of bras surely has universal appeal, etc. - - - Updated - - - So I'll start with the period question - does it really hurt more the week of and during your period? Have you dealt with it in any special way...rather than praying to the menopause gods or demanding a hysterectomy just to get more tattoos? :D - - - Updated - - - Here's the start of a thread about bras and tattoos in the bra area: http://www.lastsparrowtattoo.com/forum/tattoo-after-care/32-best-post-tattoo-care-page10.html#post51734

New one from Koji Ichimaru whilst he was at NY adorned

More back work from chad. We added animal heads to my ass 2 appointments ago as well as 1/2 the cloud background. He gets so booked up when he comes that I never get a chance to sit long enough to get a bunch of work on it but we chip aways each time and chad makes this look great. I think i have 3-5 more appointments. I may post a picture when its done but I dont really want to post my ass on here because besides the tattoo its disgusting.

Latest session, two and a bit to go!

My Sifu (kung fu master) passed away 4 months ago. I had been his loyal disciple for 9 years. Before he passed he called me and my Sehing (kung fu big brother) to the hospital to give us his final teachings and instructions for continuing his legacy. So we have been running our kung fu school and it is amazing to see how supportive our students are of the new leadership, in fact we've seen great improvements and consistency with the class, now at 50 students. As part of Sifu's last wishes, we have organized a return trip to the Shaolin Temple. Sifu had taken us a few years back and wanted us to maintain the connection to his roots at Shaolin in order to continue giving the serious students the opportunity to experience kung fu in China and train with the Shaolin monks. In 6 weeks we leave and I will be leading a group of 12 on a 3 week trip to China to pay respects to the master and re-establish our connection with our extended kung fu family at Shaolin. To say I'm pretty excited, well that's an understatement! I was planning on starting my backpiece this winter, however with my Sifu suddenly passing, new responsibilities at the kung fu school and planning the China trip I had to postpone. Which actually is quite alright. My backpiece is going to be Shaolin themed. So my eye is going to be tuned to the wonders of China and I no doubt will be re-inspired with the return to Shaolin! amituofo https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10150322232922222&l=a80b81a2f3

I feel that's part of the problem of you totally not getting it - how she reacted or didn't react to the sexual comment during a session is not up for our judgement! She was sharing her experience and handled it the best way she knew at the time. Your comment that "silence is consent" seriously gave innuendo that a person is asking for more comments if she doesn't say anything. Everyone is different, sure, maybe you would have said something, but stop getting all judge-y to those that don't. It's complicated, especially because it is sexual in nature and the person on the receiving end of the comment was in a vulnerable state. I think all woman have had some kind of sexual comment at some point in their lives. I know I have, however, I don't have a blanket policy how I react - it depends, where, the context, the comment, the situation. I've never had sexually slanted comment during a tattoo session and I've been getting tattooed since the early 90's. So if shit like that is happening in a shop, that is what's wrong, not how the woman responds to it.

Silence is not consent! I can't believe I am debating this! Just because one person would say or do something, doesn't mean some else in a similar situation would or could - that's ridiculous! Everyone has different coping mechanisms to get through a uncomfortable and vulnerable situation. She did the best she could, she did not invite those comments, nor is she bound to school that jackass about proper behavior towards women.

Small arm filler I got a month or so ago from Jeremy Swed at Inksmith & Rogers...based off a Zeis flash piece.

@Rob I it was great meeting you and thanks for sharing your collection of tattoos with me. You have some outstanding work! Don't forget to try to make it up to the Montreal convention this year. I also want to mention that all the LSTers I've met in real life have been some of the nicest and most down to earth people I've ever met. Also here is the tattoo Chad Koeplinger made on me. Some of you may recognize the design from Valerie Vargas's snake flash set. I went in thinking Chad would only want to use the flash as a general reference and make his own design but he was super excited to do one of her flash designs so we stayed true to the original design. I am extremely happy to have this as the first piece of flash in my tattoo collection.

mine from Claudia De Sabe (sorry if the photos are huge): photo's from when the tattoo was a month or so old but it still looks completely solid now. planning on booking in something for my other elbow from her soon...

@beez thanks for clarifying the "big-ass peonies" and "big ass peonies" I think the latter is in my plan in the future :) Those paintings are amazing btw I love the way the tiger sits on her back, absolutely stunning.

They blew that out nicely for you. I'm honestly sorry to tell you this but you're kind of screwed. Nothing about that is going to fade in the sense that it will uniformly fade and look good or entirely disappear. You'll probably lose some of that but hold on to some of it which means you'll just have a gray smudgy dirty looking part of your finger for the rest your life. When I say THE REST OF YOUR LIFE that's really real. You will get accustomed to it at some point or another, but that will still be kind of weird looking bruise on the inside of your finger when you hit 40. This is the epitome of irresponsible tattooing. Your tattooer should never have done this; even if he warned you that this would happen and had you said "I want it anyway" he should not have done it anyway simply on that principle. Please know that I am not being mean or disrespectful to you, I am honestly just saying what I would tell any customer that came in the door with that. It's your tattooer that I am talking about.

After reading this entire thread and double-checking the posts, I can say that you are not getting this. Before you go off in the direction of reading comprehension or something of that nature, I am above average intelligence and possess a significantly higher level of reading comprehension than I see you do, judging solely from your choppy grammar and punctuation. You can in no way whatsoever, under any circumstances, speak assuredly about what she "should have" done. Yes, you are correct in that if no one tells him what he does is wrong he will almost certainly never realize it on his own and self-correct. However, when you are getting tattooed by someone you are in a very vulnerable position. This person is doing something that is, for all intents and purposes, permanent and possibly holds great significance for you. That puts them in a position of extreme power over you, especially because you went to them and theoretically chose them over any number of other people to make this for you. Now, add to that the fact that this person has made an unwelcome and lewd comment with the underlying tone -whether intentional or no- that they can make whatever comment they want to you and there's not much you can do about it, and that puts you at an extreme psychological disadvantage for speaking up for yourself. On top of that, when she comes to look for people who have had similar experiences and vent about how she was mistreated, she has narrow-minded fools coming out of the anonymity of the internet to tell her that, wait a minute, this is mainly her fault for not going extremely far out of her comfort zone and correcting the behavior of someone who has the significant psychological upper-hand in the situation. You cannot equate her situation to one of where your artist showed you something and you didn't speak up about not liking a portion of it. She was in the predicament of actually being tattooed and the person who was tattooing her sexually harassed her. Whether you like it or not, sex is a very private thing to most people and not discussed openly or casually with someone who is ostensibly a stranger. That can be a very violating and even traumatic experience, ESPECIALLY when this person is doing something to you that has a deep significance and will be with you permanently. And before you start talking about what you would've done and how you would've handled it and how you would've told the guy to "back off, bub", please take a step back and look at yourself. I can think of multiple times on this board - including one interaction with myself - where you've made a bold, poorly-thought-out statement and back-pedaled immediately when someone called you out on it. It's not always so easy to stand your ground when you're put on the spot. Please consider the circumstances before getting mouthy on the internet.

Big night for me last night, having Chad Koeplinger start my back piece. I am so insanely in love with it and so grateful to Chad for tattooing this on me. I'm sure some of you saw his instagram with the pics below. If you can believe it, he did this in 2 hrs, with about 30 minutes of breaks for me scattered throughout the session. So, he did this in an hour and a half. No joke. He still has some more lines to add in the hair, and some more tiger stripes, but this, to me, was one hell of a start!!! Also, it was great to meet @BrianH. He was the appt before me, and got an AMAZING tattoo from Chad. AND to add to this wonderful evening, Jason Scott handed me a gift that Martin Lacasse sent for me. He gave me the ORIGINAL sketch, that was sent to the publisher, of MY dragon from the 365 Book!!!! OMG ARE YOU KIDDING ME!?!?!?!?!? I AM SO INSANELY PSYCHED!!! That was so super nice I can't even believe it. WOW! Oh, and in closing, This was EXCRUCIATING. The lines are so insanely thick, and it wraps some onto my ribs, up on my traps, and flirts like hell with the top of my ass. There was no easy part of this tattoo, just varying levels of hell. Explains why i needed 30 minutes of breaks in a 2 hr session. Got back to my hotel at 2:30 in the morning, and with all the adrenaline, and the fact that I thought I should sleep on my stomach (just can't seem to do it), i didn't sleep a wink. Hopefully tonight i'll get a good night's sleep. Anyway- I can't seem to get these pics to display correctly and I forget how to fix them. rob

Being a fat woman, people are rude to me about my body anyway. Might as well get all the great tattoos I want, fuck 'em!

Shit... I just wrote up a whole response to this thread-derailment and lost it trying to post... In summary: @Zillah *thumbs up* Let's drop this whole stupid argument. I'm tired. Blah blah blah story about getting my chest/shoulders tattooed. Jenkum jokes being passed around. Proof that professional tattooers can be crude and professional. Boundaries blah blah blah. Just keep getting tattooed and have fun.

I agree, roses go with literally anything, and almost anywhere. Aaaaaaand if you get lucky and pick up a rose from either Valerie (saw one she did with a reaper a few weeks ago that floored me) or Oliver at Frith Street (or anyone there actually) you will make me incredibly jealous.

i have a small one from tim pausinger on my arm. the picture is really small too :)

Yeah, I fancy something simple, timeless and classic. I want something that will be cohesive with whatever I get in the future. Especially since it is a spontaneous decision. Roses/flowers seem a good choice, they go with everything right! I've been eyeing up the moon thread too. Actually, I've been eyeing up a lot of threads. We're planning on having another baby pretty soon and I just really feel like having one last hurrah before I go back to the fog of having a newborn. "For me". I'll be sure to get it upside down, just for you guys ;)

You've got two, right?

You feel uncomfortable then tell the guy to stop.....get up....and walk out! I'm not saying that silence is consent BUT if you say nothing then nothing changes! I have been a tattooed female for 30 years now and I have heard all kinds of shit come out of tattooers mouths both male and female! The business has changed drastically I guess BUT when I was first getting tattooed.....it was always assumed if you weren't tough enough to take the banter then MAYBE you shouldn't get tattooed because the world was gonna give you a whole lot more shit about being a tattooed woman than the banter you were gonna get in the shop.....including this statement! I was terrified to walk into the shop when i got my first tattoo in fact the two ladies that went with me didn't go in and I went in on my own! I had heard all kinds of things about tattoo shops and although they were cool to me I am sure they weren't to everyone! Anyway.....what i am saying is they didn't offer wine and cheese like the "salons" do now! Most were street shops and this kind of comment probably would have been said as you were walking through the door instead of them waiting for you to get into the chair! I am sorry that you had a bad experience BUT this is honestly mild compared to some of the things I have seen and probably even said to men and women in tattoo shops! I am a year and a half into my apprenticeship....and I like women! Would I make a comment like this? Probably not.....but I can't honestly say! I do know I have said much worse......it's a tattoo shop after all! If people don't like my opinion oh well.....but don't try to change it because you won't! ;) And of course there weren't tattoo shops on every corner of the city either so if you wanted to be tattooed then you had to deal with whatever was thrown your way! I HATE what these stupid ass TV shows have done to this business.....I enjoyed the way it was much more....too bad the new generation had it ruined for them!

A panther head could cover that pretty well.

When I got my peony in December, the thing I had my arm draped over slipped down a notch. He leaned down and said "Well shoot, sorry about that I didn't have it in the right hole" then he turned a bit pink and was like uhhh umm...sooowaaaa....and I busted out laughing. It was a true enough statement, but just that little bit of dirty minded-ness is all it took. Had my husband been sitting there, he'd have laughed too, b/c it was funny, it was said innocently and it was our own dirty minds that took it there. HOWEVER. If he'd made comments on my TITS, and I'd felt too intimidated to say something, that doesn't mean it's MY fault. And he'd have had his teeth knocked down his throat after I went to my husband about it. WOMEN, as a general RULE are NOT encouraged to STAND UP FOR OURSELVES. Not around men. No, we absolutely are 100% NOT. it's one thing for dirty jokes to be bantered back and forth, especially when the shop is an open plan. It's SO not in even the same realm as speaking directly to another person's body parts. It's not ok. And it's not ok to say she should've spoken up b/c it's not always easy to do. I'm more outspoken about things (SOMETIMES) b/c I happen to have a big and mean looking husband who people find intimidating. And he has had to come to "my rescue" a time or two, b/c of things guys have said/done. I also have had to go to my incredibly protective brother. It 100% was rude and he's lucky he still has his teeth and is not speaking in a high falsetto if that's how he speaks to female clients. And really, if she'd have said something, what would've happened? Oh gee lady, you're right, I'm sorry. HA NO WAY. He'd have dropped his jaw and stared at her and slid back in his rolley chair and been like "are you kidding me? Seriously? You're OFFENDED? haha listen to this guys, this PERSON is offended that I'm looking at her TITS" or some such drivel like that. Set herself up for that? Why?

The problem is that when you are in a vulnerable position, it is pretty difficult to speak up. Calling misogynistic behaviour out rarely ends with the perpetrator apologising and reflecting on what they've said/done. At best, you might get a patronising 'lighten up' type response, at worst an aggressive response. "Silence is consent" is victim-blaming bullshit. This is far more offensive than I think you realise, and is scarily close to blaming her for what clothes she was wearing.

I'm not a tattooer so I wouldn't have to try to purposely fuck up a tattoo. It would just naturally be fucked up.

He didn't twist your post, he bolded something that you wrote. Maybe you should instead think a little bit about what you write before you post it.

I've probably posted this somewhere, but I think it fits well here. The screaming gorilla is on my left elbow, the tiger on the right. Both by Tim Pausinger at The Pearl. (The tiger is a little distorted by the way my arm is lying.)

Chipping away at my front.

Hello all, 37 years old, living in Tokyo, getting irezumi'ed by Shige, right arm done, starting left and going full back afterwards. Thank you !

Haha, I see what you mean re patience!! Love his work. I met him at the Bay Area convention when I was being tattooed by Rob Ryan. Funny because he had been looking at photos of my back the night before with Junii et al and discussing snakes vs snake + hannya etc - it was a pretty funny "Oh, that's *your* back!" and "Oh, *you're* Brian!" exchange, especially considering I was pretty much post-verbal from too many endorphins/too much tattooing in one day. You gonna get some awesome peonies, girl.

Brian Kaneko. Who is decidedly NOT on the East Coast, although I know he guests in New York regularly. Hence the need for patience!

I like peonies a bit better than roses, especially the Japanese kind like this. But all flowers are great.

YES!!! I don't have any peonies yet but I know where I want them and from whom and the wait for all of that to line up is kind of killing me (it'll probably be a couple of years).

Stole this to bump the thread. Great tattoo by the way @velvetlover36

Since you only got the tattoo a month ago, I'd wait another month or two to adjust to it before you make any decisions. Don't run out and add something to it on impulse just to erase your bad feelings... with time you might end up feeling fine about it. In the meantime, you could start putting money aside for a coverup or laser treatments, so when you are ready to make a decision you have the funds to support it. Also, welcome to LST!

Refinished a Mosin I picked up. BEFORE: AFTER:

Man, I'm so glad that @steve1461686340 reminded us of the "ignore users" function.

Yes, you being reminded that somebody bolding something that you literally wrote when you complain that they are twisting your words is the same as someone who is being sexually harassed while in an especially vulnerable position. You are even fucking stupider than I assumed you are.

So, because of its placement, Top of my left thigh, its hard to get a good picture of it. But it is a quote from Poe, “Those who dream by day are cognizant of many things which escape those who dream only by night.” Its stuck with me from since I was 6 and my Father read me Eleonora...

Are you blaming her for his rude comment?

I hope he says something like that to a woman who has a big and mean husband like mine.

my vote is for Claudia de Sabe

Per Graeme's suggestion, my entry into the Ron Henry Wells Tattoo of the Month contest: This is all your fault, by the way. The collective you.

I'm going to post some more pictures I found, and when I have time I'll try to find out who made all of these so I can credit them. I've been doing some research on kitsune since I decided they were cool tattoos. Some are considered servants of the deity Inari, and are considered more trustworthy than wild foxes. According to Japanese tales all foxes are capable of magic, however, and wild foxes can be both good or evil. Here are some links about foxes in case anyone wants them. Kitsune, Kumiho, Huli Jing, Fox - Fox spirits in Asia, and Asian fox spirits in the West Kitsune Lore Kitsune Kitsune Page - Myths and Ancient Stories - Japanese Kesa thru Kodansha Main/Kitsune - Television Tropes & Idioms I'm thinking of going down to the NYC tattoo convention to try to get this done. The website says the Horitoshi family will be there. I don't know how easy it will be to get something like this done though, I've never gotten a tattoo in my life and I've never been to a tattoo convention.