Leaderboard

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

Yeah, I was trying to order from the U.S when the first re-release was done. Maybe an xmas present! @CultExciter

That's awesome.....I will mention this to Gale this evening when I see her! Very cool!!! :D - - - Updated - - - @MattB .... Baltimore/Maryland is a very strange city when it comes to tattooing! There are some really amazing options....a person could stay within a 50 mile radius and get GREAT tattoos by so many different tattooers and never get a bad tattoo as long as they understood who the right people to go to are! Then factor in NYC/PHILLY/DC & Richmond and you have insane choices of world class tattooers! But for some reason the Baltimore tattoo community seem to be more "shop" loyal than they are "tattoo quality" loyal! Nothing really wrong with that....but people really cheat themselves but doing that! You sound like you are definitely on the right path to getting some amazing work!!! Keep that mindset!

I really want one of these cats now..My cat passed this year and I got a rose with her name,but a monmon of her would look awesome.The only question is do you have to go to Horitomo to get it done,or can I just go to a shop in Jersey.Would my monmon be a counterfeit if I didn't get it from Horitomo?

Fodder for another perfect comparison. I've used comparisons as superlatives when people try to extract from me how much this costs. Hmmm. A mani-pedi (manicure and pedicure) with fance-shmancy goofy designs on each one at a mid-level place with tip can get to $100. And let's assume a round $150 tattoo per-hour rate. Say the Housewives of (insert your favorite suburban/metro area here) have their nails done every two weeks. Let's even stick them with some chipped nails and say every 3 weeks. Let's contrast that with a 3 hour tattoo session with tip at $500 (NO TIP COMMENTS PLEASE). A break-even on these babies is 4 months. In other words, if you have a tattoo session less frequently than once every 4 months, then you spend less than the nail girls do. So it's easy to say, "yeah, my getting tattoos costs less than nail maintenance for those who regularly paint their nails." (Ok, not ME in particular, but you get the idea. :)) Sorry Bunny - I know you'd say screw any type of justification, but your comment reminded me of the plainskins thread and things to say to derail such questions from well-meaning friends without sounding like an ass. [Edited to correct typo]

@SeeSea. There's a couple of nice ones in there. I made a point of riding to my bottle o the other day to purchase some Aspalls but they were all out. Went the Ol' trusted Bulmers instead. I've noticed you guys have a truck load of different ciders on tap there. I'm envious. I'm thinking a U.S.A trip might be on the cards one of these days. I wanna ride your roads for one. A mate just returned again from riding a 30 day trip through the States. He had a blast! What to do!!.. Just started saving for another motorcycle.

@rads, Glad to offer the advice. :) If nothing else take from my advice, if you plan to have your current work removed. Get it started before you start your back. I wont bore you with the time frame of my backpiece but once or twice my ongoing removal of old pieces on my back got in the way of new work. Plus tattooing over relatively new lasered works hurts just that little bit more. My suggestion is if you want your old work removed, get it done now. Give your skin a few months to recover and then start that backpiece. :) Cheers Jason.

Oh man, I might try to make this happen.. Working weekends sucks for getting covers though.

I'm not a tattoo artist... I just like drawing like one. I am currently designing a deck of tarot cards - "78 Cards". Here are a few of my favorite cards so far :) The Empress The Devil Ten of Swords Five of Pentacles

That's it! Slam em in I say. Anyway, when you got coverage man, placement means fuck all, "tramp stamp" terms alike cease to hold any relevance...that's if we gave a fuck to begin with. And people coining these terms anyway? are people I'd have nothing to do with. Gronks. It just means we gotta get more tattoos, so we don't fit in with the norm of people these days wanting to ink down. "Booze, Blues & Tattoos"

Was it here that someone suggested we all coin the tattoos on the "love handles"....."Hoe handle tattoos? He he he.....lets see if we can make people even more self conscious than they already are! Who cares what it's called......just get tattooed wherever you like! :) I'm not sure why a term would make someone ashamed of their tattoo honestly.....I am not trying to be an ass.....but maybe it's because I have been tattooed so long that I got very accustom to being judged for so long....that just about nothing bothers me anymore other than people coming up and touching me for no reason! 10 years ago I started grabbing women's boobs who thought it was okay to touch me........it's funny as shit now when it happens....I almost want it to happen sometimes! ;)

I'm actually going to see Christian about a ROA next. Hopefully I'll book something for November. Other MD tattooers on my list are Todd Noble, Brett Burnham, and Gary Gerhardt just to name a few. I also have some work from Matt Taylor from Saints & Sinners. Thanks for the welcome.

There is a time and place for both. I've had experiences with stencil, sharpie-on-the-skin and various combinations. But regardless, a tattoo will always look a little different once in the skin. I have a polka dot dragon by a fellow named Scott Rusnak. He stencilled the overall layout of the dragon but did all the polka dot scale circles direct on with the machine. It was nuts. The sharpie-on approach works well with for another one of my tattooers. We have a good tattoo-trust built where we both feel comfortable with him using the sharpie-on method on me. It makes for a different type of tattoo-experience and excitement. I still have the stencil for my L arm, it's 1 complete, huge, wrapping stencil. Blows my mind how perfect I feel all the elements of the tattoo land on the skin and body contours. This tattooer in particular is a stencil monster and everytime I smell speedstick original I think of that particular perfect stencil experience. Stencil placement...that is a fine art on it's own!

My folks saw my new tattoo today and my mom said it was pretty, remarked that it went together well with the other one on that leg and then said her usual "please don't get any more/I don't understand why you're doing this" piece. Still think she's gonna end up with some flowers on her shoulder some day. She thought Chad Koeplinger was a very nice man...

I was on Horitomo's wait list so long I forgot about it.

i'll post a healed pic of this birdhead in here since i uploaded it to my flickr... a month old. the wizard is two weeks old. whitehead birdhead by misomad, on Flickr

Far east Norway. As well known we have some brutal winters, so the "bikeseason" is quite fragile because of unstable weather and short summerseason. So whenever there is time I take a swing on my 1955 Triumph.

this looks dope!