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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

Got this Chrysanthemum from Alvaro Llorar at Barcelona Electric yesterday. Had a great time, very cool studio and such a gentle and funny guy. Very pleased with the result. Also very amazed that he drew this on my shoulder in like 20 minutes, masterful artist.

I'm super impressed by this shot that Bert Krak "recently" put on instagram. All tattoos in this photo from Tony Polito, Mike Perfetto & Bert. This is what I would like to achieve at some point. Full coverage, but each tattoo being readable on its own.

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.

I consider make-up....clothing.....hair (even facial) styles......and anything else humans do to alter their appearance to either be different or the same (including tattoos) as body mods! (maybe clothing is not an actual mod to the physical body but it still has the same affect..... I have seen some people I personally think look ridiculous (although I do hold my tongue because that is their form of self expression) so I am sure there are those who feel the same about me/us! BUT.....no one should ever be ashamed to be who they are and freely express that! Society does it's best to force people to conform.....that will never be me....he he he....even though I do and have fallen into that trap on occasion! :D

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]

I was looking through a tattooer's pics on their instagram a while back and noticed a guy getting his back done in the background and looking like he was about to die. I looked a little closer and realized that guy was me! Here's the link to the pic. The account belongs to Jennifer Lawes, now tattooing at The Pearl in Toronto. I haven't been tattooed by her yet, but she is very good. Definitely worth checking out her work. http://instagram.com/p/n02VwcuTNO/?modal=true

Flirtatious innuendo? Haha

Every time I have a session, I take a picture of the ink cups with all the different colors we're using for the session. Today is a happy palette with green, yellow, dark green, orange, black, white and two different color blues. I'm going to make a little slide show/video when this is all over and use some of these pictures. I don't want to forget some of the interesting details of this experience. Speaking of which, I should probably include a screen shot of this thread! Good times. Hey @Graeme - are you doing the grind today or tomorrow?

Awesome! @sophistre I would be so stoked if you just keep getting badass animals with badass flowers.

[Delete post, replaced by obligatory non-sequitur] Italian Word of the Day: "Ebola" "I pick-a Guiseppe for my bowling team because he Ebola perfect game every time."

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.

Some are related by blood, others born out of respect. "Booze, Blues & Tattoos"

I think for ease, I'll divide this into sections: 1. History I've learned 2. New art forms I've discovered 3. Cool people I've met. 4. LST Although I got my first tattoo back in the very early 90s, it wasn't until about 4 years ago that I started seriously looking into the history of tattooing. Since then, I've discovered a rich and deep worldwide artistic practice. From Japan, to the American carnival, to Scandinavian sailors, I have learned a great deal about how different cultures have appreciated (or denigrated) the art of tattooing.I've seen WWI records of soldiers inductions, complete with detailed descriptions of their tattoos. Fascinating! A trip to Great Lakes in Chicago led me down the rabbit hole of tracking the post-war era of American tattooing, (Tatts Thomas, etc), which I quickly fell in love with. It must be the historian in me. 2. Originally I thought of tattoos as simply a mark on the skin. As I've become more and more involved in the tattoo scene, for lack of a better term, I started looking into how different cultures' styles developed and spread across the world. It also opened up a new way for me to understand complex cultural markers and how we relate to them and respect them. Tattooing has opened my mind to being ever more interested in how other cultures mark themselves and express themselves through art. 3. All the cool people. This cannot be overstated. I have met interesting, talented, funny, smart, people from all walks of life by spending as much time as I do in the shops and in the surrounding areas. I've met tattooers with amazing stories of travel and adventure, and tattooed people who share the same passion and fascination. This has had the benefit of getting me traveling more than I had been over the last decade. Montreal, Chicago, and beyond! 4. The LST community. 'Nuff said. You are good people.

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.

you could always find an artist you like that does nice black and grey work and have them do a custom drawn version of that eagle, more dimension and depth to the bird might deter from the nazi comments your worried about

Haha! Ok, I'll get some help and come back stronger. :) Thanks again!

Thanks :) My first tattoo was one of The White Rabbit, kind of spur of the moment thing. I wouldn't get this today, obviously, but I'm ok with this tattoo, it doesn't bother me. And it's on my lower leg, so it's not a very visible spot. Jeeezzz...How do I insert images in this thread? (I should know this!) Lol I'll be back with pictures once I get the hang of this. Sorry!!

The importance of breakfast aftercare. Johnny Appleseed cider. A little sweet but good for a post tattoo morning meal.

@mmikaoj hell yea, that looks awesome. Something about giant flower shoulder caps, man.

@motsimus, thanks! It's funny you should say that...we were joking around about it. I think after the rose appointment, we're gonna do an appointment for a funny little Dietzel dragon. I guess technically that's still a badass animal and a flower, though... :o

It got me travelling across the motherflipping US of A!!! And meeting good people along the way..but seriously I'm drunk again and pretty much everything @Mark Bee said.

I'm doing a Monmon for a sweet kitty who crossed the bridge in June. There are some other artists currently doing the Monmon style, but IMO, there's nothing but the original. I saw one the other day on Instagram and it just doesn't have the spark.

Not really books, but part of my collection. Just got these two Monkey Kapalas in the mail. They are stunning!

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

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).

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

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.

@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.

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.

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! ;)

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

Aside from the spiritual side of things, which could take a while, getting tattooed has made me a lot more conscious of not just external, but also internal health. A lot of focus is put on moisturizing with lotions, etc. However, just as, if not more, important is how healthy your skin is from within. Doing both will keep those tattoos looking their best. I drink a lot more water and stay as hydrated as I can, as this aids in the healing process and overall epidermal health, which in-turn makes my tattoos look brighter and better :cool:. Also watch what I eat, less fried stuff more good stuff, etc. I'm also very aware of any and all sun exposure I get nowadays. I used to want the nicest tan during summers and, and now I'm the guy wearing spf 70 and UV protective shirts when I go out haha.

great thread idea! as a result of wanting my tattoos to heal nicely i've gotten into eating significantly healthier and crossfit/weightlifting so my ass will look nice on instagram #tattooedmanbutt #instamanbutt #buttgram i'm more willing to travel if there are tattoos involved in the trip. visited nyc, austin, montreal, and burlington vt for the first time as a result of tattoo collecting. i also hangout with more canadians than i did prior to tattoos

Pictures taken while getting my back done. Session one: Session two: Session three. NOT FUN: Next session in a week. Can't wait, not being sarcastic there either. It seems that the more I get tattooed the more I want to get tattooed, and here I was thinking going into this that getting my back done was going to destroy me and make me want to slow down.

I'm in Stockholm at the moment and joel madberg did some more on my arm. There is some space left on the wrist and a candle waiting for color in the inside of the elbow. We will finish that in belgium hopefully. Cheers [emoji4]

Here's a beautiful one taken from Miyazo's instagram: I will enthusiastically third how much that spot sucks to get tattooed. It feels so awful to get tattooed there.

My dude Matt Brotka drew this and posted this on instagram a bit of a time ago. Very relevant. Photo, obviously from his account.

@cvportagee Cool!! I look forward to meeting you. What did you get from Horitomo, and what are you getting from Jill? Ha, I just heard the news @hogg! Norwegians gonna be all up in your hood soon. Post 1000 ya'll!

Regino Gonzales of Invisible NYC. He's a cool dude.

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

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

I totally cringe when I see the plastic wrap. Just feel like it doesn't look professional, and there's no proper barrier for a fresh tattoo. Not only is it keeping your tattoo clean, and absorbing the bacteria that goes with it...when you take it off, the cleaning is that much easier than saran wrap cause everything dries and sticks to your skin/tattoo.. I find it absolutely gross.

That's a great question @Dennis, without going into all the boring details, both of those factor into doing treatments but black & red are actually treated almost identically. With that said, what you see as "affected by the laser" isn't actually anything more than water vapor exploding within the layers of skin, that's white color looks like. If you watch towards the end of the video the video pans back to where they started and you can see the white has started to go away, this usually happens 5-15 minutes after the area has been treated. Because the laser only facilitates the immune system to dispose of the ink, you don't actually "see" the fading right away. Most people will see more fading between weeks 3-6 of treatment than weeks 1-3, and this is assuming you take a photo before hand to compare it with. What I usually tell people is that tattoo removal is similar to weight loss / gain. If you look in the mirror every day you might not notice that over a 6 week period you put 10-15 pounds on, because you see yourself every day. A friend you don't see on a regular basis will see the difference. That's part of the reason we document every treatment, for a comparison / reference. If the treatment facility "you" go to doesn't, I'd suggest doing it for yourself.

In my experience, that's not true, in fact that only accounts for about 1/3rd, maybe 1/2 of my business. Sadly, I lived through the early / mid 90's when anyone who had a visible tattoo, or a facial piercing was a vagrant, low life or non-employable punk, according to society. About 1/4 of the clients I'm seeing are removing tattoos not because they are awful, but because they got something small a decade or more ago in "prime real estate" and now want to do a sleeve or larger piece and it's in the way. Another 1/4 of clients have sub-par quality tattoo's from the early and mid 90's, and simply don't want them anymore. The number of people who are having "regretful" tattoos removed is far lower than you might actually think. The sub titles in that video explain the process, but it hurts. The vacuum like thing you see in that video blows cold air onto the skin, a about -30f, some people like it some don't. Most people will tell you that a treatment feels like a hot rubber band being snapped over and over. I'd say from my experience that feeling is pretty accurate. What many don't understand is that the time per treatment is a fraction of the tattoo time, which you see in that video. They go through about 1/4 of the back in 4 minutes, that tech is very experienced, some may take a little longer to cover the same area. Most (including myself) feel no pain within minutes of the treatment ending, and by the time the heat dissipates your skin (totally within about 20 minutes) you're left with virtually no pain at all. The most amazing thing to me was the shower the following morning, expecting the sunburn feeling from being tattooed, there is no shower pain. The skin is also not sensitive to the touch. Answering the 2nd part of your question, if the client properly treats the treated area, within 4-6 weeks another treatment can be done. Most people are suitable to receive another tattoo 8-12 weeks following their last treatment (wither lightening or total removal). In my personal experience healing mine, the skin "looks" normal after about 3 weeks. The best thing I can do to further explain it is this: As a kid, I'm sure you had a scab. If you waited a few days to pick the scab, so it wouldn't again bleed when it came off, under it you'll see a shiny, almost silver-like skin. That appearance on my skin was totally gone within about 25 days. Since tattoo removal relies almost entirely on how well your immune system disposes of the fractured ink partials, you'll continue to see fading of a treated area for up to 6 months in some clients.