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Tattoo number two today! With Greg Whitehead again, photo from his instagram...not a great shot but it's good enough! Sounds like I'm coming back in a week to put a rose on my elbow, too. I'm guessing that one's gonna be fun.* *not fun

Greetings from Baltimore!!! My name is Matt, I'm just your typical office jockey that's into tattoos, art, music, crossfit and anything outdoors. I've been lurking on here since I started getting tattooed 3+ years ago. Hopefully I can contribute some quality/thoughtful posts in the future. The attached images are of my 2 latest tattoos done earlier this year by Christian Beckman at Saints & Sinners Tattoo in Baltimore. I have some other work I’ll post later when I get some pics. Thanks for having me.

I was talking to an acquaintance about this recently, and they take a lot of stuff while getting tattooed, while I never have. We were discussing our different approaches and came to the conclusion that it's a bad idea to experiment with prescription painkillers for the first time when getting tattooed. This person is fairly happy to experiment with various drugs in their day to day life, and so they know how they react to things fairly well and know what to expect. It's a pretty informed choice for them to drug themselves up for a tattoo. But even they said that for me, someone who has almost no experience with things like prescription painkillers, and who feels kind of anxious about that stuff, a tattoo is not the time to try new things. We all react differently to medication and there are better and worse times to experiment!

Just got this from Eli yesterday. I think I have Smith Street fever!!

I cosign this. Getting tattooed led me down the path to go to art school, mostly b/c I was so encouraged by my friend (who is my tattoo hero) to draw. And well, yeah, here we are. It's never too late to do something you want to do.

@Cork thanks for sharing. i think i have similar anxiety leading up to the appointment and i'm more worried about the anxiety/restlessness than the pain. i'm going to ask my doctor to prescribe me some anxiety meds to help with my anxiety about buying anxiety meds from shady characters.

I think getting tattooed gave me a really intense appreciation for craft, and dedication and hard work. It was a tattooer that convinced me that I could still learn to draw at 25, and that obsession with craft eventually drew me to printmaking and has kept me there. Now I'm thinking of training to become a master printmaker.

I feel like it's good to have a super posi thread every now and then! @Graeme and I talk about this a lot - that being into tattoos has not only gotten us, you know, some amazing tattoos, but that it has also broadened our horizons in about a million different ways. This is thanks to the fantastic people we are privileged to interact with and the amazing knowledge and insight that they've shared with us. I had no interest at all in Japanese/Chinese/Tibetan/etc. art before we started hanging out in tattoo shops, for example, and now it feels like an amazing world of art has been opened up to me. Tattoos have also led me to learn more about Buddhist practices and indirectly influenced both of us to learn how to meditate. Basically it's turned us into goddamn hippies, which I am super down with. I'd be curious to hear about ways that getting tattooed has led you to learn and experience new things, beyond the joy of a needle in your ass crack. In the age of Inkmaster, I think it's worth talking about how rich tattoo culture is, and how connected it is to other amazing cultural, artistic, spiritual, etc., movements and practices.

Exactly! Oh, and after...lots of it. It's all about keeping the average up. "Booze, Blues & Tattoos"

Pain meds & alcohol. A great combo, at anytime. Especially for breakfast. "Booze, Blues & Tattoos"

It's taught me not to tolerate fools as much. "Booze, Blues & Tattoos"

!!!

got this little herbert hoffmann-design as a tribute for my omma - which is a colloquial expression for grandmother (oma) in my area of germany///@alexwildtattoo

I got tattooed by Eli back in January. I dont think I ever posted it here.

During the outline on my stomach, I definitely crushed two beers back to back. I think that's only the second time I've had a drink during a tattoo but I gotta say it helped a ton and healed fine (it was just the outline).

I use them to calm my mind for my back sessions. I'm not sure what I'll use them for in the future. Going in to the back it took me a good 4 or 5 sessions to decided I wanted to hop on to pain killers. I would get pretty bad anxiety and it really helped me. I would be a wreck for the couple days leading up to a session. Even for an appointment that was on my right butt cheek when I had already felt a session on my left butt while being straight. So I knew I could handle it, but I am my own worst enemy. I kept thinking over and over in my head "What if I have to tap out and can't last the session." I just wanted to get the most of my time and Dana's time. In the future, I may use them for another multiple session piece where I get an idea of what it feels like first, then decide whether or not to use them for subsequent sessions. It really helps clear the mind.

Right on the point of the elbow was interesting, but overall not that bad of a spot. Swellbow is spot on though. Mine looked like a grapefruit for a few days.

I just had my elbow done yesterday for my sleeve and it was just as awful as the last one. For myself, when a particularly bad session is over, I feel a sense of accomplishment about getting through it. No offense meant to the pussies that use pills and numbing cream! haha. Only kidding, I only judge myself.

I didn't find the elbow too bad as a spot, though it's a hard heal. For sure discuss aftercare with Greg, but I strongly recommend icing it over the bandage before you wash the tattoo because they don't call it the swellbow for nothing. Great tattoo, as well! You've gotten some great ones from him.

Nice work dude..I also want to get tattooed by Gary Gerhardt...his work is so clean..And this dude does nice work in Baltimore too@ Instagram

@Shaggy. Nice one! It's funny the cold alcoholic beverage in the warm shower routine. It's one of those secret handshake in the know kinda deals.

Hey All, I've been into tattoos for as long as I guess I could be.... I'm 29 years old, and I got my first one at 18. Style wise, I'm into traditional and neo-traditional work the most, but I also really like sacred geometry and heavy black work as well. Most of the tattoos I have fall within these categories. Perhaps more than actual tattoos, I absolutely love the drawing style of tattoos - heavy lines, bright colors, big patterns. It's great. I'm an architect, and have been for about 8 years. Though, about six months ago I decided to start working toward acquiring a tattoo apprenticeship. Consequently, I've been reading about the industry a lot more and found myself on these forums quite often.... So, I made an account. I've been drawing my ass off, building my portfolio (drawing an entire deck of tarot cards). I've been working on it every single night after I get finished with work, and most weekends it's all I do. Once I realized I wanted to tattoo, I just dove into my artwork head first. It has been non-stop and very intense. I don't think I've ever wanted anything as bad as I want this apprenticeship, but it's super awkward to work so hard with so little idea of if your efforts are paying off. Slowly, I am feeling more confident that it is going to happen.... I'm building a better relationship with the artist I am hoping to be mentored by, as well as the owner of his shop. Regardless, it's all super weird, and feels like hazing, but... I understand why. Here's a link to my tumblr if you want to check out my drawings - feel free to give me some feedback. I would love it. -- Lana Zellner Anyway... that's probably way more about me than any of you care to read, but enjoy! See you all around on the forums :)

People don't always agree with me on this BUT...... I chose to alter my body in a way I knew at the time (and still to this day) that society was not going to fully accept! I was not born this way.......so no one else is to blame but me! I knew how stupid people are and how they would treat me....and I was pretty much right! BUT....I made that conscious decision to do it anyway! If I had been born this way then their judgements would have been down right ignorant....BUT....the people who give anyone crap about tattoos are just mindless sheep that will follow the rest of the herd right off a cliff if the rest head that way! Be proud you made the decision to be different....YOU are being who you are while they just follow trends! Some women decide to get tattooed to adorn their bodies and some get those goofy little (imo) designs painted on their finger nails for $100+ dollars.......to each his/her own! <3

@Bunny Switchblade you are a gem, and thank you for the words of wisdom. I'll be taking a leaf out of your book if any further tattoo shaming happens and say "fuck 'em!" :D

Really like this, it's a beautiful way to look at it.

I think this is probably in reference to what I wrote about being ashamed. I can say that I'm not such a sensitive snowflake that I was all those years ago. Back then I had low self-esteem and another nasty little disorder that made me very critical of myself and sensitive to peoples negativity. I'm still no where near as mentally strong as I want to be, it's a work-in-progress and will be till the day I die, but I'm getting there, hence why it took me 15 years to get another tattoo and start to commit to becoming heavily tattooed, and being prepared to give the middle finger to anyone that stood in my way or made any negative comments. As I've mentioned before, my close girl friends have zero interest in tattoos. I caught up with one last weekend and she asked me if I had any coming up and I almost fell of my chair. She also asked how far I was going to go with it. When I mentioned an idea for a chest piece her face screwed up, she grunted and said "Urgh, don't ever, ever get your chest tattooed! They look disgusting" I said to her "Well thank god you don't have to live with it then! I'll do what I want!" and that was the end of the conversation. Boy did it feel good to say that though.

Hahaha it's true! I honestly think substantial muscle definition/low body fat takes away from the look of a tattoo.

That I love easily consumed, portable, chocolate covered fruits.

I love tacos...... <3 It's taught me how to attract other women without even trying! ;) Like a fly to the spider......he he he I hope you wanted a serious answer!

This came across my newsfeed today. Poked around and didn't immediately find it, so posting here! Pic captions are taken directly from the article. THE VISUAL ENCYCLOPEDIA OF RUSSIAN PRISON TATTOOS A snake around the neck is a sign of drug addiction. This inmate is not an authoritative thief, but has tried to imitate them with his tattoos to increase his standing within the prison. The lighthouse on his right arm denotes a pursuit of freedom. Each wrist manacle indicates a sentence of more than five years. The eight-pointed stars on this inmate’s shoulders indicate that he's a criminal. This prisoner is one of many who contracted syphilis, AIDS, or tetanus while being tattooed in unsanitary conditions. (GNARLY!) The devils on this inmate's shoulders symbolize a hatred of authority and the prison structure. This type of tattoo is known as an oskal (grin), a baring of teeth towards the system. A dagger through the neck indicates that a criminal has murdered someone in prison and is available to hire for further hits. The drops of blood can signify the number of murders committed. The skull and crossbones on the prisoner's shoulders indicate that he's serving a life sentence, and the girl "catching" her dress with a fishing line on his left forearm is a tattoo commonly linked to rapists.

Spent some hours on the shin last week. Finish this up and a couple of small pieces to complete the leg sleeve hopefully next month.

Just got tattoo today by Eli. The whole crew is super cool and the atmosphere was great. Here is the panther he did

what I do before and during a tattoo is this, 1)don't party hard the night before(no alcohol),get a good night's sleep, & pre-hydrate the day & night before with water or something with electrolytes(gatorade & most sports drinks) 2) eat a good meal right before 3)bring 2 or 3 bottles of water or sports drinks with electrolytes,a banana,skittles & M&M's,and maybe some jerkey all to munch on & drink during.(keeping your sugars,proteins & potassium levels up). 4)*like was said,if you have high anxiety,maybe take something like 1 or 2 mg of Lorazepam to relax you a little before & during the tattoo. 5) most important ! NEVER DRINK ALCOHOL BEFORE OR DURING A TATTOO !

I have loved watching you explore this path from afar!!! Tattooing has certainly been a big inspiration for both the dude and I to work on our own art stuff. Being around creative people a lot will do that to you!

I can vouch for @Fala 's herbal tincture! I took it on three different occasions and while I know it helped all three times, there was one session where I could definitely tell a big difference. Could still feel everything, but was more relaxed/separated. Only thing I've ever taken.

And that @Breakme is what will continue your path of inner strength, that only those who are committed to becoming heavily tattooed will ever understand. As someone mentioned on this forum a little while ago, it's a visual representation of loyalty, commitment & strength. Never a truer word spoken which sums it up perfectly in any context of conversation with anyone at anytime. There's no need for further elaboration to those who don't understand this concept. "Booze, Blues & Tattoos"

oh definitely. that's one thing i've always been really closed mouth about. thanks to everyone for the insight. haha

I never took losing weight and doing weightlifting so seriously until I realized that if I want to tattoo my body, I better get in shape. I'm still working on it.

Go see John Rippey and Krooked Ken while you're at it too.

I mean.....who doesn't???

Welcome fellow Marylander! Matt Rinks.....Brady Duncan....Eric Gregory......Dave Sobel......Uncle Paulie......Hunter Spanks......Tom Beasley......Kike Castillo....Vinnie Meyers! And these people to your list of Baltimore tattooers you should get tattooed by or at least look into! Shop loyalty is awesome......BUT with as much talent as we have in Baltimore it is almost silly to be a loyalist! Frederick has some incredible artists.....Hagerstown has Dave Kruseman.......and the list could go on honestly!

Au natural, baby. Just sleep the night before, a good meal before hand, and a Gatorade.

I'm waiting on bookcases for our front room so in the meantime things are mostly piled in the attic room. Tattoo-book wise this is it... 'Stab City' is the most recent. 'Eleven Fourteen' and the 'Spider Murphys' book are cool but from a collectors point of view my favourites are Shige's book, 'Underway is the only way' and 'Tattooing from Japan to the West'. Amazing interviews.

I will most likely be at this Saturday/Sunday. So, yeah!

The issue is that this is a public forum built for tattooers and enthusiasts alike, most of us simply love getting tattoos and want a place to talk about our passion and have a place to check out new artists and discuss the radness of others work. We don't discuss the technical aspects of the craft because for a majority of the forum it is irrelevant to our discussion, and, being public, should we talk about the technicalities of tattooing, any jerk-off scratcher can come along, read what was discussed and attempt to use that knowledge in butchering their friends.

We should figure out another dinner! Either way, super down to hang out!

just got my copy in the mail! had a brief flip through this morning this book is awesome, lots of cool historical flash and photos!

66 Triumph Trophy

Honestly I just hate it when the customer doesn't know what they want. I'm a tattooer, not a shrink or a image consultant. Given my own choice I'd tattoo mostly skulls and naked chicks. Or skulls on naked chicks, lol. Its frstrating when customers bring in reference, want me to draw something based on it but with my own style or whatever, then aren't happy with my drawing because it doesn't look like the reference they brought in. I'm happy to trace your sticker, t-shirt, whatever and make a tattoo out of it, just ask for that. As far as flat out bad requests? Its usually wanting too much in too small a space, or just a bad space. I seldom allow my personal taste to come into the equation too much, unless asked outright. Not a customer request, but a common customer comment that does push my buttons.... After I've explained to someone that I'll be glad to take their money but a rainbow family tree with no black outlines and the name of every Jones that has ever lived on the east coast on the bottom of their foot is a bad idea their response is "oh, well I'll just find someone who can do it." Those are the folks I'm sometimes tempted to follow screaming into the parking lot.