Leaderboard

I'm visiting SF from Tokyo with my family and met up with @CABS and @hogg for tacos n beers in the Mission. Good times! Rad dudes.

Latest session. 18 hours in now, the end is in sight! Thanks to Stewart Robson and FST.

Not sure whose they are - but they're awesome. Artist = Jeff Ensminger

Passed stage 2 of my track racing accreditation . This is the Olympic velodrome our track stars triumphed on in 2012 .

Some more on my back by Marius Meyer. It starts looking like a backpiece I think Next session is the 10th of May:

Between that Bingham panther/reaper, that monmon cat, and all her other insane tattoos, it's safe to say I want to be @Eilin when I grow up. Edit: I just realized I inadvertently stole this line from @Diehardonvhs in last month's contest thread. D'oh! Regardless, it's still true. Haha.

Just pulled the trigger on flights to Tokyo in September. The wife and kid are coming along this time and we'll make a bit of a family holiday out of it. I'm going to get two days in with Tomo at Yellow Blaze to chip away at some more of my front piece. Then, bar an unforseen change, another day on it at the London Tattoo Convention, which will be interesting. Not my ideal place to get work like that done, but I'll take any opportunity I get to make headway on it. I don't think three more days will finish it, which is kind of a relief, because then my wife would tell me I have to take a break from going to Japan for a while.

Bill Loika at Tattoo Peter

Here's one of mine, redrawn from the Bowery book and tattooed by Sophie at Eight of Swords last year, a very nice birthday gift from the one and only @MrsGougeTheEyes

When I think about people I actually know in real life with bad tattoos, a lot of them want their tattoos to be "meaningful" or "representative" of something above all else and they basically don't care about the art, history, or culture of tattooing. They have somebody they go to, they're happy with what they get, and they go back to that person. I don't really talk tattoos with them because I think that even though we're both into tattoos, that we're both after very different things. You can't make people care about art. It doesn't make them bad or stupid people.

A while ago I decided I want to start my left arm with a panther rose from Jeff Rassier. I hope to join your ranks someday.

True. Customers should respect an artists suggestions. There are a ton of people living here in NYC and luckily, many quality tattoo artists. Enough artists and clients that many artists stick to their preferred style and regularly turn down work. So far, I have 4 tattoos by 4 different artists. Two artists have 15+ years tattoo experience. I like them all, but the difference in the quality of the tattoo is following the artists experience level. Thanks for the kind words on my octopus. Funny story that is applicable to this thread. The artist is deviating from what I said I wanted. He said it would not look good in a tattoo. I am taking his advice.

^^^ Good points. I knew when I started on my arm that I was gonna be looked at more frequently, and asked about it's meaning - yada yada. I don't mind it at all, I knew what I was getting into. Most of my other tattoos can be covered up, but it's fucking hot in So. Cal and I pretty much live in tank tops year round. I just throw a 'bitch please' look when I am being stared at my scurdy cats at school. Never had a problem with my sons' friends coming for play dates though.

Let me add this dynamic to the whole conversation I started...... Over the years....30 of them now....I have had to deal with the judgement of others....and have endured true discrimination at places I have worked....and "circles" I have traveled in! Even my kids paid the price a little because other parents didn't want their kids going to "their house....their parents are tattooed" LOL It was fine because I look back now and see how far I have come compared to most of those people and I am far better off than they are on just about every level as are my kids! ;) Here is my point though...... I made the conscious decision to alter my body at the time in a way I KNEW was not accepted by the society around me and as fucked up as this may sound.....I never blamed society for their ignorance or the discrimination! I took what they threw at me and turned their garbage into my gold! Yeah....I had to work twice as hard to get where I am in life....but it made me a much stronger person! My point being is.....people can cry about discrimination all they want.....BUT it's not like they were born deformed or a certain race....sex...genetic factor.....or some other thing beyond their control! WE have chosen this....knowing inside there are people who do not agree with us....and full on knowing that there could be some backlash for doing it! So me personally......I have never taken it too personally when people have placed discrimination upon me! Is it ever right? Hello No!!! But I personally do accept some responsibility only because I knew society wasn't going to agree with all of my decisions! Much like @TatsNCats......I just never gave a shit....LOL

Don't hate on the Osmonds. Crazy Horses is metal as f*ck. "

Shit, I am discriminated against just because I have tattoos period. I take my son to school and all the broads in their 'Mom Jeans', gawk at me like they have never seen anyone like me before. It's pretty stupid. Lucky for me - I don't give a shit. =)

I just watched the Bourdain Parts Unknown: Tokyo episode and it blew my mind and really really really made me what to visit there some day. I've never been to Asia (besides like, a day in Turkey) and I can only imagine what that experience must be like. We have a vacation booked to Zion and Bryce and some other places in Utah for June with a couple friends of ours. This is my first camping trip/hiking trip/outdoor adventures, gotta be one with nature trip. Will probably be just as confused as if we were going to Tokyo.

Oops! My phone wasn't playing nice.

Ok, I get what you're saying - we're cool. "Bad" in terms of construction/design is also bad, but in another sense of the word. It's unfortunate to see something very well done, but not readable. I was watching (I think) Tattoo Nightmares last night (I know, I think it's fun...) and there was a coverup that in my "less enlightened days," would have loved. It was this funky old player-type piano in the desert with clouds and mountains in the background. But when they showed a finished shot from about 10 feet away, it was unreadable. Poorly placed, not enough black, etc. Sad thing is, it was the ARTIST who designed it without dictation from the client (who just wanted a piano in the desert with mountains). Even if the client had dictated more of the design, it was still up to the tattooer to try and make it work, but this tattooer, when given a nearly blank canvas in terms of guidelines, did something that wasn't a solid tattoo. That's a bummer. (But the client loved it, is it was a coverup for a horrible experience of involuntary tattooing.) Anyway, I digress - we're on the same page. Up close I really liked it, but it wasn't a good tattoo.

You're willing to drive close to 15 hrs? ... How about as long as 16.5 hours? (Houston to Tempe AZ.... ) It's well worth it. Home to someone doing hands down the most amazing Japanese tattoos in the US. Anybody that knows, knows. Anyone that knows would agree without thinking twice.

Yes thats mine indeed! Veery happy with it! And it matches my Bingham panther on my other leg too :) will post a better picture when Im back home. He took his time, it's a very small tattoo and it took him aprox 4 hours! He is very meticulous about his cats! Hehe He does do tebori, but he used machines on me, im happy he did. Can imagine it would take even longer with the tebori technique!

Got this pantherose from Jeff Rassier at Black Heart yesterday. So stoked. If I lived here, I'd get a lot more tattoos a lot more quickly.

A lot of my real estate has been filled up and so I've ended up going the unorthodox route of putting multiple smaller pieces on my thighs. So thought I would share a racy picture of me in my underwear...I mean of this bizarro mystical panther I had placed on my inner thigh by Shawn O'Connor (now in Nelson, BC at Timber Tattoo Co). One sit for 4 hours. I'm planning on getting another sit in at the end of summer to add some flames as well as fill in all the thigh gaps with spider webbing. - - - Updated - - - "Don't lick the frog"

I love those blown up flash back pieces that Judd does. Great suggestion, @kylegrey .

In Copenhagen I would seek out Judd Ripley at The Sailors Grave . The Sailors Grave danmarks bedste tatovør best tattoos denmark japansk

This thread is worthless without pictures!!

Hiking / outdoorsy stuff would probably be my wife's first choice of a holiday... I'm more the "find a craft beer bar and visit every second hand bookshop in the city" type. We've done some good eating in Tokyo previously, but it will be harder this time with the baby. You feel like a bit of a loud gaijin at the best of times, bringing a baby along could be a step too far for some places I imagine. Definitely going to go back to Tsukiji fish market for early morning sushi but the fine dinning options, such as they were, money permitting, are probably curtailed.

I see someone else has commented on it above, but I happened to notice again today that none of my tapatalk 'likes' are showing up. I guess given it's probably a problem on their end there isn't much that can be done, but it's unfortunate, as more and more I find myself browsing the forum on tapatalk via my phone.

I don't see anything

Any news on Japan Part II?

I understand and, in the global sense, agree with what @Graeme wrote, but I don't agree with the notion that there is an "undeniable correlation between 'meaningful' and just plain bad" and that going for personal is a "recipe for terrible tattoos." Maybe I'm misreading your comment, but those knives or Matisse painting may be amazingly designed and executed. Now, if the "recipe" is that the tattoos are done in the chef's kitchen, then you're on to something. But meaningful and original IMHO doesn't imply a terrible tattoo. @Graeme made the point that just because two people are into tattoos, he's not going to chat it up with someone who doesn't share his aesthetic. I'm into music and listen to a lot of classic rock and "kids these days" just can't appreciate the amazing talent of bands and composers in the 60's/70's, and I'm not going to chat it up with someone digging hip hop on the beach next to me. Not my thing, but I've listened to some that I really enjoy. I'm not going to slam the entire genre as crap. Anyway, my $0.02.

Panther. Eight ball. Wolf head.

my guess is Mike Roper.

I second Jason Brooks.

yeah that tattoo is awesome. favorite panther rose hybrid i've seen as well and jeff is super nice. if i lived in sf i would get more tattoos from him. if i go back i might get some more.

Chris Lain at Pinnacle Tattoo in Corpus Christi Jason Brooks at Great Wave in Austin

Chris Trevino at Perfection in Austin has to be mentioned. Another Chris--Ayala at Scorpion Studios right there in Houston--also does gorgeous Japanese work: Chris Ayala

Your hands are so beautiful, @rozone. Good luck with the healing. - - - Updated - - - Jeff is just unbelievable. And such a cool guy. I love that tattoo!

I've recently fallen in love with this piece: Absolutely love the abundance of finger waves and the classic simple but powerful koi imagery. Adding this to my folder of ideas...

Spinal fusion to correct kyphosis (similar to scoliosis). I can elaborate more but it might start to feel like an episode of Miami Ink...

Looks like Eddie Deutsche will be visiting Boston in May: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Fat-Rams-Pumpkin-Tattoo/136706736001

I agree with this 100%. As a whole we have a tendency to mostly recommend a select group of well known tattooers/shops even though there are plenty of other experienced professional artists that do solid quality work. I think this is a good definition of a "quality tattoo". We should all be getting quality tattoos. Maybe they lack the "wow factor" or don't have a name brand artist attached to them but it is still a quality tattoo.

Some people just like the sound of their own voice. I am always so pleased to hear the expert insights from non-professionals into the craft I've been involved in and working in. I especially love the client that talks the talk like they grew up in a tattoo shop or fell out of the womb onto a stencil. Until someone has sat in my chair doing what I do their opinion or expertise or whatever the fuck they think they know doesn't mean shit. And critics that don't tattoo have the same amount of credibility as Dave Navarro.

Can you please stop talking about tattoos as a "scene"?

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.

I have really been digging on Adam Guy Hays' tigers.

Hah, those are sweet. My little companion of sixteen years just went to the big litter box in the sky. I have been considering a cool tattoo to honor the little beast.

The "like" button cannot adequately convey how much I love this, as it is such a perfect combination of two of my great loves, cats and art. Fuck, I should get this tattooed on me, to take its brilliance to its logical extreme.