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My accidental half sleeve by Rodrigo Souto, Black Garden, London, UK :D Photo nicked from his instagram (Instagram), the blue peony is healed, the pink are fresh.

We're all a little neurotic, welcome to the club...& LST. Rocked in this morning to have a look at this heavy, slam back of the neck panthers head tattoo, but gonna wait a couple of weeks until on leave as it's gonna be faaarkin brutal! After a bit of a chat, a couple of cold ones, we had one of them spontaneous moments and slammed an old time bird behind the ear & threw my kids names in. Nice & simple :) The only words I have tattooed on my skin. Good time tattoo Sunday.

I kept on with the legs today, getting a scorpion and a pineapple from Franz Stefanik at The Okey Doke in Toronto. Its a great shop in the west end that is moving shortly (July 1 I think) to a much larger studio closer to the core. Really looking forward to seeing what they do with the space.

Heh, not quite that frequently...but yeah, I'm making the most of my opportunities. I'm not at The Pearl today though. I'm sitting outside The Okey Doke tattoo shop waiting to get tattooed by Franz Stefanik. Just doing a couple of little ones to fill in my leg a little more. I'll get back to The Pearl in the next month or two to continue working on my back. Gorgeous day here to sit and read and wait! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Sunday: Walk-in Day. Filler. Fun. More.

I know I've been missing here for the last few months.... between discovering reddit (btw r/tattoos is a clusterfuck) and the drawn out end of a bad relationship, I guess I have avoided it here. Kept in touch with a few on IG but it's not the same. Just wanted to say that I am alive

@keepcalm you should stop by the shop even if you don't get tattooed, it would be rad to meet you! Also FTW is just a really fun and rad shop to check out, flash from floor to ceiling. And last week I called Tattoo City and put my name on Kahlil's list to start my back. Wee!

Welcome to LST! I'm going to jump in here and recommend not getting a design that you drew yourself. I understand that with your first tattoo the idea of total control over the permanent image you're about to have placed on your skin could be appealing, but I'd like to point out that professional tattooers are artists first and foremost (okay, a lot of them will identify as craftsmen over artists but you get my point). On a daily basis they are creating designs made to look good on skin, they see the tattoos come back years later and learn what works and doesn't as far as design (the drawing itself) and application. I wouldn't scoff at a pug tattoo at all though, my roommate has some dogs and I love the shit out of them, when I get my own place I plan to get a pup or two and it's pretty likely that I end up with a dog portrait at some point in time. Here's a few examples of awesome pet tattoos that I've seen lately: A couple from Guen Douglas (I know they aren't pugs but...) Fun one from Erikka James Sketch by Sock ...and the best put tattoo that will ever exist, by Ezra Haidet Just a little food for thought, feel free to ignore my advice and get your own drawing, I'm not trying to shit on your plans I just like seeing people with good tattoos made by good peoples

Hey @Dog Bite The most important thing is that you like it. Tastes vary widely here, as everywhere else. Welcome to LST! - - - Updated - - -

I got this lil' dude on my forearm from Mat Welch yesterday. It's really hard to get a solid picture, but you get the idea...

Weird little gap filler from Adam Shrewsbury, cool dude, had a lot of fun today

Hi all Thought I'd give you a little update on the phoenix tattoo that is slowly (but surely!) taking shape on my back. It is very much a personal celebration of triumph over adversity (when you lose everything that is familiar to you, you almost experience a rebirth of sorts, I find). We have all gone through tough times and these experiences usually give us a chance to learn lessons about ourselves and our reactions, re-awakening our ability to grow. The phoenix to me is a symbol of strength, resurrection and survival, and now a permanent reminder that I am stronger than I think :-) It is my first tattoo so please be gentle :-p Tattooed by Danny Rossiter of the Rain City Tattoo Collective (Rain City Tattoo Collective | Rain City Tattoo Collective, Manchester) xccx

8-12 mos for a consultation. Which is the perfect amount of time for me because it's enough to plan accordingly but not so very far away. I'm really excited and nervous, haha

That scorpion is fuckin cool.

Over the past couple of days I was looking into tattoo forums through google as I am getting my first in August and wanted to find a friendly and insightful community to gain knowledge and share experiences with. I came across this forum and spend maybe a few too many hours than I'd like to admit reading through discussion topics and have already learnt a lot. I am looking forward to being a member here as this community seems friendly and supportive of people who are respectful and friendly themselves - which I hope to be. Can't wait to be a part of a new community :)

Thanks! Yeah, I wasn't sure if I wanted colour so I decided to just get the outline and live with that for a while, but so far I'm already of the mind that it could use some. I figure I'll still give it a month or two past once it's healed, think it over some more. Better safe than sorry, and that.

Here's another one by Franz at the Okey Doke.

I really like tattoos with tattoos and that one would really pop with some light blue diamonds for example but ask your artist!

Delighted to have found this place thanks to my friend, growltiger. I'm about to get my first large scale tattoo, a part back/shoulder/upper arm piece from a great woman called Delphine noiztoy in London (England). As yet to be designed, but hopefully incorporating some art noveau style and some geometric... Plus a small forearm piece (flowers) from Rebecca Vincent. I see merit and beauty in all styles, but personally am drawn to blackwork and dotwork. I'm looking forward to spending time here getting useful advice and lusting after everyone else's ink. So, hi!

Yep, that was the one. Can't stand anyone, maybe especially other women, use such derogatory and sexist terms to describe women. Thank crap there were a few sensible folk and some who could reflect on it from a wider perspective. Someone even mentioned body policing :) I saw that there's a feminism and tattoos thread here so will go and have a read as I have a few conflicting thoughts that might have already been tackled there. You are in the best company! :D

No, but hopefully before the end of the year I can make plans for one. It's been a year since the last one

A good friend of mine, has a shop in Hayes in London. Called Mantra 2, his name is Steve Evans

@jimmyirish I took some quick, really bad, laptop cam pics for you. There was pretty much no coordination between the arms. I like the negative spacing and how each image can stand on its own on my american arm. I also like the coverage and how heavy the japanese arm is. I couldn't decide so I just said I'd get one of each lol. Understand that your arms will always be a little asymmetric, just a little. The only way, imo, that you might make them more similar would be to get stars & dots filler when you finish the american trad arm. I probably won't go that route just because I like the negative spacing on it. But to each their own. In the end, overall symmetry wasn't that important to me. I just like tattoos, and wanted both styles. Sorry for the horrible pic quality, but it's enough to get the idea I think :cool:

I think from now on, whenever I get a tattoo, I'm just gonna come read this thread again. Not that I expect all of mine from here out to be "better than yours", just to remind myself that even if some are bad, I'm hardly alone on that front. ;) EDIT: Yikes, that sounds kinda bad. Hopefully nobody took that the wrong way. I seem to be having a hard time putting thoughts together coherently tonight. All I was trying to say, is that it's nice to know I'm not the only one with less than perfect tattoos.

May we all have accidents this good! :)

That's gorgeous, @growltiger. His peonies are so distinctive.

@Fala, @TrixieFaux, @Breakme, @polligwog, @Zillah - thank you, and those who liked posts. Yes, it is a terrible thing, and I broke down the morning of, because she had a really good couple of hours. But now that she is gone, I know it was the best thing for her. Not having her here gives me more perspective looking back at her decline into old age. I'm not sure we'd've done anything differently, other than perhaps require more frequent ultrasounds with other kitties doing forward. (She had great and regular vet care.) They couldn't even feel the masses on palpation, although one was 2x2cm and the other in her pancreas was 5x2cm. Insidious. So, love your animals and listen to them. I will dream about the monmon cat - I am thinking upper thigh or front rib cage/abdomen. It still has to be hidden as per my line of work, etc. But that means it will be on healthier skin for the white. Hoping for this fall if all goes well.

Counting down the hours at the airport bar. Appts with EQ tonight and SB tomorrow. I am very excite.

Went to Japan on the end of a 5 month Asia backpacking trip and got this beauty tattooed by Toni Aguera as a souvenir to myself. Toni does some really sick, quirky japanese stuff. His instagram is @kezamtattoos if you wanna check him out.

Late answer: @jimmyirish glad you're so into it! I am too, the more I look at it the more I like it! We haven't decided on the day yet, I'll let them two decide and then I'll probably post in the London Tattoo Con-thread here on LST in case anyone else is interested. @Iwar Thank you! Yes the plan is to have them both work in all the sessions. We are aiming for 4 or 5 sessions, they are both really quick. I just need to bite down hard and let them hurt me for long enough each time haha..

Getting something from Adam Shrewsbury tomorrow while he guests at Lifetime in Denver

Thanks for the input guys, I would prefer not to have any more Japanese, just because i like the contrast between western and Japanese styles - do you reckon it would work if I went for a traditional piece on the inner bicep and then filled up the rest of the gaps with little fillers and a few roses as suggested? I just ordered 'These old Blue Arms- the life and times of amund dietzel' and was hoping I might be able to incorporate some of that old flash as filler. Thanks again

Starting my back & ass-piece tomorrow. Collaboration between Iain Mullen and Rudy Fritsch. Very happy that this is going to happen!

get a tattoo from @cltattooing

by Stewart Robson On a side note, me and @ThatGuy crossed paths in Frith Street without realising, Crossing the online/reality divide. It's a Fantastic back piece! Gets my vote this month.

Some crazy lineup for this year indeed. I might have to go even if I'm not getting tattooed this time.

I realized that besides for instagram photos in the Latest Tattoo Lowdown-thread, I haven't uploaded any proper hi-res healed pictures of any one the tattoos I've gotten since I first registered here 3 years ago. I'll make sure to get to that. Anyway, here's my twiggy pale legs at their current state: Left leg, top to bottom: Rose - Eli Quinters Judas wearing devil mask - Iain Mullen Heart factory-thing - Rudy Fritsch Dietzel masked girl - Joel Albertsson ACE-script - design by my friend, tattoo by Iain Mullen Swampy horned skull - my friend Isabel Crocodile bird - Joel Madberg SOOS Man with birdcage head - my friend Isabel Ancient aliens UFO with wings and bird claw - Iain Mullen Gorilla in tower holding skull - Deno Crossed bones RMA - my friend Isabel Återkomst - some scratcher named Jens (traded for a small photo) Badly healed heel tattoo - Iain Mullen Upside down skull - my design, tattoo by Iain Mullen Right leg, top to bottom: Shaman and hyena - James McKenna Rock of ages, upside down cross - Peter Lagergren Girl sleeping in moon - Jaclyn Réhe Human cuddled in egg shape - my friend Isabel Whispering devil + indian symbol and three moons - Iain Mullen Baboon head - Matty D'Arienzo Saraswati/indian looking head - Adde Ramstedt Behive - Knibbe Pallius Upside down eye of providence and snake - Ville Prinsen Big angry snake head - Deno Cat reaper - Joel Madberg SOOS Funky tiger coming out of flower - Cezilia Hjelt Equaly badly healed heel tattoo - Iain Mullen (both to be redone in a few months) Bum dreaming "C.R.E.A.M." - Frej Lind Hårda Tider-band logo on toe - my friend Isabel Edit: Oh wow, long post. Thought they were thin enough to go side by side in pairs. Well.. enjoy

Three absolutely great tattoos so far! will add this into the mix just for fun. My 3/4 peacock sleeve by Mie at Nine Tails Tattoo in East London. Its a cover up of an old black and grey piece that I had 6 laser sessions on over a couple of years. Final touch up finished last week.

I got this(^) from Cori a week or so ago. Started this guy today(^). Unfortunately, I had to bail early, but it's gonna be sick! By Alan Berg

I wish. Stupid saving money for tattoos getting in the way of travelling for tattoos.

This thread makes me jealous.

I'm still working on figuring out getting tattooed. The homey Nick Rodin might be taking some time off and Mr. Sylvia will actually be on the east coast. My pal who is traveling with me is going up to Portland on the Tuesday of that week to get tattooed by Jef Whitehead, so I think I'm going to pop down to Oakland that day. Let's hang y'all.

Here is my eagle not finished yet. What do you think?

Oh I've got a few, some laughable some not, but I'm definitely not ashamed of this one First tattoo I ever did, at Tux's studio in '99. I was so nervous telling him & his wife the night before; I asked them to meet me for coffee and got it off my chest that I was ready to do this. He tried to talk me out of it by mentioning no heath benefits, no retirement pay, high-risk occupation, "why don't you be a vet or something, much easier. That's what Alex Herman did after quitting the biz". I could not be swayed. So he said"OK, show up at the shop tmrw and you can tattoo yourself". That really surprised me, I was not expecting that. I was prepared for "what the fuck, you shouldn't be doing this get the hell outta my sight". He had a legit rep for being rather brash and didn't pull punches. Chased a few people out of the shop looking for apprenticeships. When I got there I realized I had no idea what to put on myself. That part had not even crossed my mind, just "Holy shit Tux is gonna let me tattoo myself". So I said, "what should I pick?" He handed me this one and said "That's the first one I did on myself" which may or may not be true (once upon a long time ago he did the borneo scorpion on Higgs and told him he drew it himself hahaha what a classic fibber) but I didn't ask twice. He set up 2 Percy Waters, loud as hell, told me they were worth more than my life, showed me some basic info and turned me loose. That was one of the most exciting moments ever up to that point in my tattoo experiences. Best design ever? no. Best job ever? No. Some good blowouts? Yup. Something I'm proud of? Most definitely.

Okay, here's mine. I got it when I was 17, less than a week after I decided I was getting a tattoo. For extra shit points, it's an album cover: The guy who did it started it and then said, "Wait, are you 18?" "Uh... Yeah." "Okay, I just have to ask." I actually found his portfolio online not long ago and I'd never realised how lucky I was until then. My tattoo was one of his much better pieces. The top isn't bent like that, I took the picture at a weird angle. I hated it for a long time but I don't think I could ever get rid of it now. It's old school as fuck.

Remember the saying " It's a black thing, you wouldn't understand"? i think that may be part of the issue in a mixed forum. So, i'm going to use that metaphorically. in a mixed forum, people can talk about cultural and political issues,personal musical and literary tastes and all contribute and all gain from the experience--- but as soon as one person starts talking about bigotry that they, as a black person- have encountered, or have a question about hair relaxer, a division occurs. I think many non-tattooers , certainly can empathize with tattooers about an issue specific to them--- just like many tattooers can still relate to non- tattooers in matters of , let's say design,artist shop choice etc. But when you get to a certain point that division can occur. Just my thought on what may be going on.

Comparing Black Power symbols to those of the Nazi's seems a little harsh. The former are symbols of pride, pride of overcoming discrimination and oppression, something all the white people who like to use the term "White Power" have never had to overcome, and are in fact the ones perpetuating that oppression. One symbol is promoting equality while the other is doing just the opposite. Black Power movement leaders didn't execute (or order the execution of) millions of people. But yeah, this just sounds like an all around uncomfortable situation. Post updates.

I was 19 for my first one, got in October on my left calf and was able to hide it until my 3rd (which started peeking out of my sleeve.. summer would've screwed me over anyways). Anyway, my idea behind it is to keep your loved ones close since you don't know how long they'll be there. I get a few meaningful ones here and there, but the majority of mine are just because I liked the artwork or needed to practice during my apprenticeship :)

I show up an hour early, stand in the window and shake with excitement while chain smoking and yelling "COME ON FUCKER. COME ON!!!"