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Here's a new one: one of my best friends is almost done with his backpiece, and he just texted me to say that, the day after getting his ass tattooed for 5 hours, his penis is sore and tingling. Our combined best guess: he was subconsciously trying to escape the pain, so he unwittingly smashed his junk into the table. That poor, poor table.

So pleased I'm all done with my back.

Having had my backpiece for a few months now, I gotta to say that I keep loving it more and more. I wanted to get one for years, and I'm so glad that I finally said "fuck it" and went ahead. The only downside is that I have to keep looking at photos of myself to get a proper view of it. Can't wait to start filling up areas that I can actually see myself. Here is a recent photo from my holiday in Ibiza.

If I may throw in my 2 cents as a newbie: If thou art new to tattoos and tattooing, thou shalt read this forum prior to joining so that thou hast a basic understanding of what it stands for. Thou shalt back down and reconsider thy position when contradicted by a forum member with greater knowledge and experience. Thou shalt be willing to learn.

Heyhey everybody! Yoni Zilber has art in a show in Bushwick, the opening is tomorrow night. Here are the details: The Active Space, 566 Johnson Avenue, Bushwick. Opening is at 7pm. I know there are a couple of folks on LST who have work from him, figured I'd spread the word.

The things I have to look forward to. Full backs are stupid tattoos to get. Stupid, stupid tattoos. What is wrong with us.

Yes (at least I think so) but only on Friday. ADMISSION GÉNÉRALE/GENERAL ADMISSION: FRIDAY/VENDREDI 5sept.: 6pm-12am: 20.00$ SATURDAY/SAMEDI 6sept.: 11am-11pm: 20.00$ SUNDAY/DIMANCHE 7sept: 11am-8pm: 15.00$

No idea. He's bringing a book of 100+ designs so will choose one on the spot.

I love love love love love love love love your back piece and am completely astonished at how little time it took.

max kuhn tattooed my whole back in around 12 hours total. it didn't seem to be going by quick while i was getting done but thinking about over it now that it is finished i think i lucked out. mario desa is super quick too. outlined a scimitar on my stomach in literally 10 minutes around 2 years ago. the whole thing took about an hour and 20 minutes which again i'm grateful for because it was pretty awful. timmy tatts & lowercase j are both very fast too. timmy outlined a friends rock of ages backpiece is 45 minutes!

What does the tattoo look like now? Is it hard or tough under the areas that are really itchy comparative to nearby non-tattooed areas? Do you scar easily or have an overly reactive immune system?

Sometimes, even years later, tattoos will react to weather and other factors, raising up and getting itchy. I couldn't really tell you what it was you scratched off but you could maybe take some antihistamines to help deal with the itch. - - - Updated - - - Sometimes, even years later, tattoos will react to weather and other factors, raising up and getting itchy. I couldn't really tell you what it was you scratched off but you could maybe take some antihistamines to help deal with the itch.

oooooo look at the iPhone cases ....

Tattoo Designs There is way more tattoo design going on than you guys think. It's all over the place. It is so common now, that someone who makes money off it who doesn't even have any tattoos would feel comfortable joining a forum for tattooed people and think they would be welcomed with open arms. I mean... that's a completely hypothetical situation that I just made up, but you can understand what I'm trying to say.

If someone particularly loves an artists style then they are better off buying a piece of art from that artist in whatever medium the artist specialises in. It's like commisioning an artist to do a watercolour painting, and then taking it to another artist and saying actually i'd like this as an oil painting. It makes no sense.

Kyle Hollingdrake who tattoos at the Okey Doke in Toronto wrote a thing about a specific design website, parts of which relate to the matter at hand:

Very nice!!! By all means post progress shots too. That's going to be so cool when finished.

Nice @redoid!!!!!

Do tattooers give a steep discount if I bring in a pre drawn design? You did all the hard work so they just have to do a paint by numbers, right?

Exactly how I got tattooed by Bert Krak at Frith Street last year. It was great doing it that way. Also, I'm booked in to be tattooed by Bert Krak and Freddy Corbin in London (Frith Street & convention) in September.

@redoid Much lines. Many hair. Wow.

Update on second sleeve from YB Shige, went down two days ago: Postimage.org / gallery - IMG 4084, IMG 4085, IMG 4106, IMG 4107, IMG 4108 Outline, 10 hrs. another 7 to go, will post when finish in December, Cheers

Finally got some mediocre pictures taken of my Fudo Myoo backpiece done by Chad Woodley here in Vancouver. We're going to get started on the background in the fall, and I'm definitely looking forward to getting it all finished up! Also, sorry about my butt!

Was told I might fit in over here. Back piece done by Josh Damnit Classic Tattoo Upland CA. Took about a year and a half (slow and steady). Couldn't be happier with it. Tribute to cousin who passed.

Here is mine, done by Erick Lynch. About 8 years old at this point. The praying hands/snake were done about two years prior to the rest.

Thanks @hogg I am in awe of how it is turning out. Like you said the pain is worth it. I still enjoy it when you get home after a session and wash all the crud and shit off the new work and see the art progressing. For me that is about a 2-3 hour drive so by that time I am ready to see the latest progress. Is what keeps me going knowing that it looks great 1/2 done so imagine what it will look like when complete. The thing I love about serious work like a backpiece is that everyone who gets them doesn't do it on a whim and is prepared to commit to a big undertaking. They do the research, they spend the time and work out the artist best suited for them and the style of work they want. Because of all that research that they get an awesome piece of art. I have said it in previous post and will say it again, Since I have started my backpiece I now have alot more respect for people that get extensive work.

Another progress shot. Did a bit of colour as I didn't fancy having new work on both sides of arse and thighs at the same time. I can't wait till we get away from the arse and thigh area. :(

Okay....you seem to be getting good tattoos by solid artists........ BUT.......slow down!!! I know.... "You won't give a shit what they look like when you are 50".....at least that's what I hear all the time.......but I promise you when you are 40 you will care! ;) I just am trying to pass some important advice on to you and like a lot you probably aren't going to listen BUT tattoos do age and if you take care of them and yourself then they age well! Just be smart please??? You are lucky.....most young ladies your age don't start off getting quality work! You're heading in the right direction......just slow down.....and be smart babe! Welcome to the forum!

Great idea. Time for IG AUDIT! Keeping LST homies too. ATX 2015 OR BUST DAWG.

Hung out with my buddy Joe today. He's like a mentor, older brother, super cool uncle all rolled into one. Joe's responsible for introducing me to Henning and putting me on the path of my ongoing tattoo journey. For fun we snapped off this pic of our Henning backpieces. Both our sleeves are also by Henning. Joe has awesome work from Tin Tin, Aaron Bell and Mike Rubendall as well. Enjoy!

Second session done, going on six hours now :cool: Just Having FUN !!

Because the easiest way to make a tattoo tougher is to put a dagger in it!

One more session left.

By coincidence, I have just moved cities to Canberra and realised that I am now living around the corner - literally 2 streets away - from the site where I started collecting my very first proper tattoos in 1996. So I've always travelled to get tattoos. Back in '96 I travelled from Sydney to Canberra (280km) to get tattooed by a dear friend who was apprenticing with a really great artist called Ex de Medici who's now pretty much stopped tattooing and I think is working on her amazing paintings. For the last few years I've been travelling from Aus to Switzerland to get tattooed by Filip Leu & Sabine Gaffron, an incredible experience. Filip is starting my backpiece this year and even though it's super stressful getting all this money together to do it, once I am there and we start working it all feels worth it. The advantage also is that he tattoos faster than lightning, and has a very unique approach to large scale work. I've given him a few key elements I'd like and the coverage and I don't think he'll plan & draw the design until our first outlining session! And that's usually with visiting tattooers watching, asking him questions and hanging off his every word. Don't ask me how he does it but it really is watching genius in action. That said though, the first time I took a regular train and then a little 2 car mountain electric "train" up to the tiny mountain village where the Leu Family studio now is, I was laughing all the way up at where I was travelling to to get a damn tattoo!

We are a Queer positive shop so we have no - NO - shortage of every kind of person from every fringe queer community and it's AMAZING. The other day, a guy said to me "This new album is SO gay." and I replied "YES THAT IS AWESOME!" It felt mututally nice that when someone called something gay the first reaction we all had wasn't like "Oh, really? It's stupid?" LOL Anyway, as for the massage tables -- STAY AWAY from the ones that have the beams that pull out and you click them into the four corner legs. They're cheap cuz they're week. Try to find one that fold out as simply as possible with as little assembly as those are the ones that I've used for years and had no problem getting REAAAAL big boys and girls on top. It's a nice thing, too, to be able to tell a client who is scared that they m ight d amage your table by virtue of their weight to, "do their worst." Or similar jokey-type-thing. Really breaks the ice and let's 'em feel like no one gives a shit if they've got a few extra pounds. We just wanna tatttoo em and not judge.