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Started this last night. Done by Mat Welch

I'm booked in for one next month. Can't wait!

Here are some of mine from Kurt Wiscombe!

@keepcalm I'd also highly recommend Margot Mifflin's Bodies of Subversion. It's specifically about women and tattoos and it's a really well-written, intelligent, and insightful book. The third edition recently came out and it shouldn't be expensive. I might have a couple of books sitting around elsewhere but on my shelf now is: Burchett - Memoirs of a Tattooist Cooper - Tokyo Tattoo 70 DeVita Unauthorized Flash From the Past Gilbert - Tattoo History: A Sourcebook Hardy - Wear Your Dreams Hardy - the Tattootime hardcover reprint Higgs - The Doomsday Bonnet Higgs and Ranson - Morph Traits Horitomo - Monmon Cats Greg Irons - various books and comics JBxH3 Kitamoto - Myths, Gods, Legends Kitamura - Bushido Malone - Bulls Eyes and Black Eyes Mifflin - Bodies of Subversion (2nd and 3rd editions) Stony - Stony Knows How TAM - issues 1-5 hard bound There's a lot of stuff I'm not including here that isn't directly related to tattoos, like reference books on Asian art, Buddhist iconography, books about the myths and legends of Japan, books on folk art, ornament, and art generally that have been very helpful to me in understanding tattooing and just art as a whole.

Someone tagged me on Facebook with this link and video. Interesting. Amazing: Watch someone get a tattoo in slow motion - Salon.com

I'm always interested to see what tattoo related books/items people have purchased. If you don't have any photos of what you've got, post a list of your books! If you've acquired anything tattoo related such as Japanese masks or something similar, I'd love to see those as well! Man I love tattoo books! :D EDIT: Oops, should've posted my picture to start this thing off! I just finished moving all my school and science related books to a different shelf to make room for a couple new tattoo books I've got coming in, which is what prompted me to start the thread. The only tattoo related book I've got that isn't on the shelf is Bloodworks: Bodies! The book is so massive it won't fit anywhere! The shoeboxes up top are filled with stickers and tattoo business cards!

Here is the list that I think would get you going without breaking the bank: Stoney Knows How Sailor Jerry: American Tattoo Master Bushido: Legacies of The Japanese Tattoo New York City Tattoo Ed Hardy's Tattoo Time

I've been meaning to take account of all my books. This was as good an excuse as anytime to figure it out. I think this covers it, but it's likely I have a couple more hiding somewhere. Mostly Japanese stuff (big surprise, right?). Some are quality. Some are academic. A couple are meh. Mostly good though. I think anyways, but I need to fill in some gaps that should be a part of any collection. Tattoo Related: -Full Coverage: NSK Collective -Bloodwork: Bodies (Analog) -Iron Will (Grime) -Two Year Autopsy (Grime) -The Fingerwave Book (Grime) -Scott Campbell: If You Don't Belong. Don't be Long -Tattooed By "The Family Business" (that one put out by Mo Cappoletta's shop) -Bunshin: Tattoo Art By Horihito -Bunshin II: Japanese Traditional Tattoo, Horitsune II, Dragon & Kannon -Horitoshi I Storia Dell'Irezumi (Robert Borsi) -Japanese Tattoo Designs: Ichibay (Luke Atkinson) -Shige (Hardcover) (pub. State of Grace, Inc) -Shige (softcover) (pub. State of Grace, Inc) -Tattooing From Japan To The West (Takahiro Kitamura (Horitaka)) -Bushido: Legacies of The Japanese Tattoo (Takahiro Kitamura (Horitaka)) -Tattoos Of The Floating World: Ukiyo-e Motifs In The Japanese Tattoo (Takahiro Kitamura (Horitaka)) -Studying Horiyoshi III: A Westerner's Journey Into Japanese Tattoo (Jill Mandelbaum (Bonny)(Horiyuki)) -Underway Is the Only Way (Grime & Horitaka) -Tattoo Artist: A Colletion Of Narratives (Jill Mandelbaum (Bonny) (Horiyuki)) -Fudo Myo-o Tattoo Design by Horitomo -Monmon Cats (Kazuaki Kitamura (Horitomo)) -I <3 Tattoos (Takahiro Kitamura (Horitaka)) -Perseverance: Japanese Tattoo Tradition in a Modern World -Horiyoshi III (Grime & Horitaka) -Sketches of Horiyoshi III (pub. State of Grace, Inc) -Legacy: The Horiyoshi III Tradition (Juan Puente) -Japan's Tattoo Arts Horiyoshi's World 2 -100 Demons of Horiyoshi III -58 Musha By Horiyoshi III -Wanzakure: The Road To Shisei (by Horiyoshi III) -Denotwaza (on Nakamura Toshikazu) (Alek Reinke/Matti Sedholm) -Those 3 Japanese Masters Books The Red one. The Black one. The Blue one. (Japanese Pub) -Backpiece Tattoo II (Japanese Pub) -Backpiece Tattoo III (Japanese Pub) -Tattoo In Japan (That thick hardcover one by Edition Reuss) -Horikazu (Edition Reuss) -Wabori, Traditional Japanese Tattoo -Japanese Tattooing Now: Memory & Transition (that tan colored book from around 2001ish) -A History of Japanese Body Suit Tattooing -Tokyo Tattoo 1970 -Mau Moko: The world of Maori Tattoo -Sacred Skin - Thailand 's Spirit Tattoos -The Mammoth Book of Tattoos (Lal Hardy) -Tattoo World (Marisa Kokoulas/Michael Kaplan) Tattoo Reference: -Of Brigands and Bravery (108 Heroes of the Suikoden) (Kuniyoshi) -The Faithful Samurai (47 Ronin) (Kuniyoshi) -Heroes of the Grand Pacification (Kuniyoshi) (come to think of it, I actually gave that one to Jill Bonny as "thank you" one session, so I need to get another copy) -Kuniyoshi: From The Arthur R. Miller Collection -Samurai, Stars of the Stage, and Beautiful Women: Kunisada and Kuniyoshi Masters of the Color Woodblock Print -Art of Armor: Samurai Armor From the Ann & Gabriel Barbier-Mueller Collection -Memoir: Tattooed Portaits Series (Shawn Barber) -Time Present & Time Past Images of a Forgotten Master (on Kunichika) -Hokusai Manga -The Secret of Noh Masks -A Japanese publication on, Tsuyoshi Nagano, a contemporary artist who paints a lot of samurai motifs -A few more Japanese publications. 1 on Kyosai, 2 on Yoshitoshi, and probably 4 more on Kuniyoshi (Can't read Japanese so don't know their names) - - - Updated - - - Nice looking collection going on there. I zoomed in for a closer look and thought, "oh I want that one and that one over there too!". And @ironchef, how's the wenren book? I'm tempted to order it if they are still available.

Here's mine in list form if you can't make them out in the picture! Horimasa (signed) Organica Bunshin II The Japanese Tattoo Suits Made to Fit Bushido: Legacies of the Japanese Tattoo Tattoo History: A Source Book The Eye of Atrocity Demons from the Haunted World Outlaw Swords of Death Samurai Ghosts and Monster Wars Night Parade of Dead Souls Shawn Barber's Memoir Escaping the Gallows Japanese Ghost Stories Japanese Mythical Creatures The Extraordinary Drawings of Laurie Lipton (somewhat related as reference material) Jef Bertels (signed) Backpiece Tattoo 1-3 Ed Hardy's Tattoo Time Ozuma Kaname's Shienrenjo Tokyo Tattoo 1970 Wabori The Art of the Leu Family (signed) Underway is the Only Way Smilin' Buddha (signed) Myths, Gods and Legends Studying Horiyoshi III Rodrigo Melo's Japanese Style Tattoo Art Perseverance Ed Hardy's Wear Your Dreams JBxH3 Japanese Demon Lore: Oni Shunga: Japanese Erotic Art Cosmic Mook Tattoo 1-4 The Mammoth Book of Tattoos Full Coverage Chris Trevino's Gods and Warriors In a World of Compromise...I Don't (signed by Bob Roberts) Leu Family's Family Iron Tattoo in Japan Hiroshige: Sixty Nine Stations of Kisokaido The Fingerwave Book Bloodworks: Bodies Some knock off books of Horimouja sketches and Filip Leu's dragon books. Given to me as a gift, they meant well! Hahah Currently waiting for the "Black & Grey Tattoo 1-3: From Street Art to Fine Art" box set to come in!

Vintage Tattoos by Carol Clerk is another thats really affordable and a great place to start . Here's what I have Horiyoshi III by Grime and Horitaka Tattootime: Art from the heart (original ) Tattootime : Music and Sea (original ) Bulls -Eyes and Black Eyes ( Malone / Hardy ) Tattooing the Invisible Man ( Hardy ) Nihon Dentou Shisei vol 2 ( Tattoo Burst Japan ) Cosmic Mook vol 4 ( Japan ) You call this Art a Greg Irons retrospective Sailor Jerry Collins American Tattoo Master Stoney Knows How Shienrenjo Ozuma Kaname Vintage Tattoos Carol Clerk . There's so many great books out there funds permitting I would have many more .

I am on the wait list for a Monmon cat and I'm just dyyyyyying waiting for the call. I am so in love them them!

I actually took this picture a couple weeks ago when my scorpion front stuff showed up. Just getting started. Not pictured: Ed Hardy's Wear Your Dreams, 2000 Dragons, and Monmon Cats

Picked this up from Ethan Franklin at James River Tattoo in Lynchburg, VA while I was up there yesterday (picture stolen from the James River IG page).

Finished up my Valkyrie tattoo yesterday. Couldn't be happier with how it turned out! Beautiful work by Megon Shore at Fist Full of Metal in Seattle.

Marius Meyer was kind enough to let me shoot some video while he put the finishing touches on my friend @Wilhell's back piece. Hope you enjoy it! (Sorry German LSTers! This unfortunately won't play in your country due to the licensing restrictions of the soundtrack)

This is true. My mate, it's now been 6 years. We have become such close friends that we have acknowledged it will never end. I only have a little fill to complete back of neck (this w end), some colour fill on the butt cheek & upper thigh. Now only the feet to design and fill. Our regular visits will continue, our Sunday morning cider and beer tasting sessions, the presence of like minded people going through the same experience of suiting out...and by going on your advice @SeeSea, we can still enjoy doing some relining, punching some more black over black for good times. For me, it's not the end, just a new chapter in a lifelong friendship.

My wife has peonies from Junii, they are absolutely stunning and Deverson is one of my favorite all around flower guy. That being said, check out Kevin Marr's peonies and Chris Brand's they are some of my favorite out there

Still trying to establish myself enough to afford all of the books I want... plus, my little bookshelf at the shop is already full. There's a few new sketchbooks and flash books I'll be getting ahold of soon, and the next book I really, really want to get is Ed's big red book. As of now, if the shop were to catch fire, I'd grab the prints GTC sent me, my Malone acetate, and the Irezumi book by Morita and Ritchie. This omits my fiancée's Angelique Houtkamp books (she's since moved on to Wendy Pham and Guen Douglas in that vein), ElevenFourteen, Our Tattoos Vol. 1, 3, & 4, and The Mammoth Tattoo Book. I also have a few suitcases full of magazines I'm slowly cutting good stuff out of to make a few scrapbooks of what got me more interested in tattooing.

Perseverance: Japanese Tattoo Tradition in a Modern World $19.99 plus shipping. everyone should own a copy or two.

Ramen noodles totally taste better than you remember... just sayin

All the Instagram posts this past week and a half where people are heading to London for the Convention is driving me crazy. I'm really tempted to book a last minute flight over and check it out as well as the Somerset Gallery show. Seriously, I've been pouring over hotel room fares and my bank account since last week. Still trying to work it out. Do I really need to eat next month? Everyone who is attending, you lucky people!

Done by Rev. J.R. out of Vicious Ink in Rochester Hills, MI.

These newish photos from Cripwell's instagram of The Chap With The Legs need to be here, I think. <swoon>

My wife just got this little guy on her foot. Instagram

Got this rose from Holly Ellis at Idle Hand's Get What You Want/Get on Saturday. I was hoping to end up with her and I'm glad I did because it was a LONG day.

I would add Tattoo History: A Source Book to that list as well. Affordable and extremely informative! The Tattoo History Source Book: Steve Gilbert: 9781890451066: Amazon.com: Books

Hello Everyone! My name is Kate, I am a freelance writer working with Barber DTS and a bit of a hobby artist - so an interest in tattoos is kind of a given, right? Feel free to say hi, I'd love to chat :)

In the spirit of outlines and alcohol @Pugilist needs to attack @Graeme with a box of markers. #you'regoingtoneedmoremarkers

I bought this bit of spaulding & rogers flash off of ebay a while ago: wonderin' if it was based off of anything by somebody else?

Just starting my book collection: Wabori Wanzakure Fingerwave Book Shige Immovable Monmon Cats Kingdom of Wenramen JBxH3 Horitoshi Perseverance Ed Hardy's Wear Your Dreams

Thanks! I'll pass those along.

@ironchef your peony is beautiful....and Wendy looks so young,and damn she's so talented. I love Rodrigo Souto's peony's the best..His work just does it for me. Instagram Instagram Instagram Instagram Instagram

@ironchef Likewise! Henning and Rubendall are two of my favourites!

Colin@ TIME AND TIDE TATTOO Bloomington Indiana hammer down...

Did you ask him about the shotgun he sold Kurt Cobain? That would have gone over well. What? Too soon?

I see this all the time. I wanna scream, "Tattoos don't have to mean anything!" but there's no use with some people. And I don't mean for that to sound harsh. I just mean that some people have their minds made up and nothing I could say would change that.

These cats make me smile every time. My artist has a great one on her lower leg--tri-color nekomata with skulls.

Earth was fantastic (as I expected). Got to speak briefly to Dylan Carlson after the show as they were loading up when I passed by from getting food on the way back to the car. Very polite, cool dude.

So sweet!

Thanks @graybones I can't take credit for that, just let my tattooer do his thing.

Totally agree about bongrippers Satan worshiping doom. My favorite.

Hey! Finished my back piece by the great Marius Meyer last week. Take a look on this thread by @Iwar: http://www.lastsparrowtattoo.com/forum/general-tattoo-discussion/5940-i-made-little-video.html#post102519 Enjoi! I will post healed pictures in a couple of weeks I think..

My peonies from Rodrigo Souto (brand new in this picture so very swollen, nicked from his Instagram. They've healed up perfectly). He's a lovely bloke too.

@jimmyirish - agreed on all counts. I just think tattoos are not the big stand against the man that young people sometimes think they are! @keepcalm - I also don't "look like" a tattoo person due to my very strategic coverage and my bookish appearance, but have been lucky enough to get to know people in this community that see past that, respect the work I do have and return my own respect for them, and they have been very welcoming. Lately I have started to feel more "a part" of the community than I ever expected to with my almost bare arms. It's funny how this particular subculture can work (or rather, collection of subcultures). Anyway, that's a whole other topic, but I'll just say that I am very grateful to live in a place with a really awesome and warm tattoo community. Back to the thread topic - I had to give a lecture in a very warm and tiny room yesterday, so halfway through I could not help but take my jacket off. The dress I was wearing totally exposed the top of my backpiece, so I just made sure not to turn around, haha.

I got a thing today. Hard to believe it too me almost 33 years to finally start. A fun Percy Waters bird from Greggletron/Greg Whitehead at Scapegoat Tattoo. I stole the picture from his instagram. Side note: I really appreciate this forum. I went to my appointment totally prepared and actually knowing more than the average bear (which is still only a very little, admittedly), and he kept asking me 'are you sure this is your first tattoo?' He kept talking about how pumped he was to work on somebody who'd give him creative license, who knew about Good Tattoos and what makes them good, and...yeah. It made me feel really good. I'm pretty sure I learned all of that here. He would probably thank the forum too if he could. Haha. Booked my next appointment for October. IT BEGINS.

My latest was so much fun I had to write my first LST blog post about it.

My never-ending front piece by Tomo...

Here is my submission for this months contest. My whole backpiece has been done in a 6-month period (just 31 hours in total) by Bonel from Corazon Santo, Arnhem, The Netherlands. I also have a full size picture available HERE