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To be honest, I like your tattoos more than I like that Cripwell body suit. Your arms are fantastic, there are so many good pieces on them from great artists, everything sits really well, the stars and dots filler is great, and they're these perfect traditional arms that don't feel forced or overly deliberate. Maybe part of it is because I've seen your arms mainly through spending time with you instead of seeing pictures of them on the Internet, but I feel that I get a sense of you from them. I guess it all comes down to different ways of getting tattooed and people wanting different thing out of tattoos. For me, how I get tattooed has been this fairly gradual process of learning through experience. What I wanted before I first got tattooed is very different than what I want now both in terms of extent of coverage, and what styles and designs I want, and I think that while this inevitably means that I'm going to reach a point where I'll wish that I did things differently, left more spaces open, got fewer little things until I'd gotten more large pieces down, or the thousand other ways I might have done things if only I had the knowledge or foresight, I think there's something cool about tattoos being this record of a process of learning and understanding, even if the results are sometimes less than something that looks incredible in a photo. Japanese tattooing aside, I guess I don't really understand the motivation of somebody who goes from no tattoos to a deliberately planned out (and kind of anachronistic) bodysuit, it almost seems like a fashion statement. Anyway, different strokes and all.

Yeah I just logged in to around 500 notifications. I thought my nudes had leaked!

Got this Rock of Ages from Bradley Tompkins last week when he was guesting at Frith Street. So happy with it and as an added bonus its started peeling already.

Well I haven't posted in forever but I've been following along, anyway, started my back on the weekend, didn't finish the outline but after 7 hours I had to call it quits, Im pretty embarrassed I had to tap out. Anyway, Done by Scott Duncan at Sugar Shack Tattoo in Kincardine

You're in luck! Knees like these can be yours for the one-time, low, low price of their hourly rate multiplied by the size of your knees! Simply, go to Atlas Tattoo and ask for the "Mike from Vancouver" special! Tell 'em Mike sent ya! Also, go to the "Wolf & Bear's" food cart down the street from the shop for a falafel, and then subsequently feel a profound sense of disappointment with every falafel you eat all other establishments for the rest of your days! Also, I'm jealous of most of your tattoos!!

Hahaha, I was like, damn, I must've said something right!

It's almost as if you're talking about my knees!

Done by Greg Woodrow - Taunton Tattoo Co. Oshawa Ontario Canada

Yup. I never really planned how it would all turn out and placement would have been different if I did. When I started I just wanted to be able to get tattooed by my favourite artists (and didn't want to go below the elbow) I do plan getting some backgrounds added though. Sorry for the crappy picture quality.

Anyone going to the Blackheart pre-party on Thursday? I'll be there, unless I get even older between now and then and go to bed at 9 (always a possibility).

Tattoos also led me to Buddhism in a roundabout way. I had wanted to try meditation but didn't know how and couldn't find the motivation. Until one night @TrixieFaux & I went to a Jondix art show at this place in L.A.: Against The Stream Buddhist Meditation Society. I came back for their Wednesday night class and have been going ever since. It's pretty inspiring to sit in front of this at class – Aeons-Tulpa | A Solo Exhibition by Jondix – and I'll be bummed if and when they take it down. Now I meditate (almost) daily, went on my first silent retreat, and stopped using drugs & alcohol a little over a year ago. I definitely feel like I fit in there. There’s a very punk rock ethos to what they do there which does not feel hippie-dippy or bullshitty or creepy/cultie in any way. Noah Levine, who started the center, is tattooed head-to-toe by @Scott Sylvia, Eddy Deutsche, Freddy Corbin and some other heavy-hitters. He’s starting to become one of the most influential next-generation Buddhist teachers in America. I like that my koi and dragon tattoos have deeper meaning in the Buddhist tradition though that’s not why I picked those images in the first place. I mostly just liked the look of Japanese style tattoos and the stories behind them, but now they feel as much a part of me as my practice does.

Welcome! The length of your session depends on several factors. Others around here can add more. - The size of the tattoo. If it's small, couple hours, it's easy to sit through in one session. If you don't, you will be mocked and ridiculed. Maybe even to your face. If it's larger and your tattooer has the expectation you'll sit for the whole thing in one sitting, you do it or try your damnedest. - Your tattoo artist's scheduling methods. Some only schedule in well defined time slices, for example, 3 hours. If the tattoo takes longer than that, you sit multiple sessions. If your tattoo artist schedules open-ended sessions, then you'll go until he finishes whatever goal he set for the session. This could be time or a particular part of the tattoo. Or, he'll keep going until you absolutely can't take another second and you have to tap out. No one likes to tap out. It's a sign of moral weakness, contributes to global warming, and will cast poorly upon your family and children. Even after many hours, it's so psychologically awesome to hear, "Ok, we've reached a good stopping point" instead of crying silently into your hand and whimpering that you're sorry you just can't take it any more. The silence that follows such an abject admission is enough to curdle milk and paralyze small dogs. - The body part. This thread can shed some light: http://www.lastsparrowtattoo.com/forum/general-tattoo-discussion/206-most-painful-spot-get-tattooed.html. Personally, I can't speak to many body parts because I'm only working on a back piece, but yes, location can play a role. (Although your back, in terms of pain, is it's own set of differing body parts.) My one and only tap out was after 5 hours on the top/middle of my back that included spine down to the bottom of my ribs and the bones of one shoulder blade. I've had many sessions longer than this. Apparently, many think the shoulder blade isn't bad. My next session is to do the second coat in that whole area. I'm queasy just thinking about it. - Your own preparation. How you prepare for your session has a big effect - some may argue that good preparation plays as big a role as where on the body you plan to get tattooed. If you go in tired, hung over, or on an empty stomach, body part may matter very little. Anything else to add, anyone?

This board is so heavy on the bromance.

Look at this bromance developing. @CABS I'm hurt.

It's great you are trying to help her if this is what she wants, and you say this is both of your goals. However, you're asking for help, and you've just insulted everyone on this board. There are incredible tattoo artists here, and many folks who are very well versed in quality tattoos. And folks who can point you to very relevant threads where different ideas are discussed in length. We can certainly throw out ideas, but no one will design a tattoo for her - that's where you go see an artist who brings all that creative juice for HER specific needs. Only the tattoo artist can look at the work to be addressed, consider how things might flow on her body if she goes larger with a coverup, etc, and have a dialog about possible designs. We can certainly throw out ideas based on some interests and styles, and provide references for good artists. But to throw in our faces that you'll go elsewhere, perhaps you should. Maybe I'm grouchy because I'm not done with my coffee this morning, but I just lost any interest digging for useful design threads to help you.

Cartilage piercings are always a long heal, sadly. It depends on you, obviously, and the gauge you were pierced at, but, yeah. I was always tender for months. I've taken out more piercings than I will likely ever have again, for professional reasons years ago, but I still have some. Philtrum, septum, just took my nostril out to get symmetrical nostril piercings in about a week from now! And ears, currently stretched up to a very modest 7g. I probably would never have gotten my philtrum and septum pierced last year, but jewelry has come a looooooong way since the 90s. There's some gorgeous, classy stuff out there, these days. Jewelry-store quality stuff. Just take a gander at BVLA's catalogue sometime. I got some pretty stuff recently. My face is so fancy. (Though not as fancy as it'll be once I get those nostrils redone.)

This is a little more technical in nature, but I think it's kinda cool to share. My mentor(s) have really had me focusing on the craft of tattooing lately. Making needles. Making pigment. Tuning and rebuilding machines. It's something that we take for granted with the ease of pre-made and disposables. But it feels good to know that I'm gaining the skills the old timers relied upon.

I spent this weekend hanging out with my old buddy @Iwar and new buddies @Wilhell and Nina and their little boy. I went with Iwar to his Horitomo appointment on Saturday and all of us had lunch and visited the Academy of Sciences yesterday. Great times with great people!

'Cattoo': The Rise of the Cat Tattoo - The Atlantic Short video with Betty Rose at 8 of Swords

Ask your mentor or a more experienced tattooer at your shop. See also the bit in the FAQ about trade secrets.

@Graeme Thanks very much. I appreciate it. It was a fun and also agonizing process, but in the end I am very happy with the way my arms turned out. I'm having a load of fun working on the legs right now. Soon.......so0oon...I'll get back to the back!

I thought some major spamming must have happened at first.

I currently show 1,711 likes. I must be very popular!

What I do is a form of Vipassana or insight meditation. My understanding is that it's very similar to Zen/Zazen meditation, and that one is not better than the other. As opposed to, say, Transcendental Meditation which involves mantras or chanting. Not to slander anyone, but I have heard some bad things about TM – mostly that they want your money, and that it can be very expensive. The place I go, for instance, is by donation only, and no one is turned away for lack of funds. I also prefer the more secular approach. There's certainly nothing wrong with Shambhala. It's one of the biggest if not THE biggest Buddhist organization in North America and probably one of the most mainstream. Otherwise, there's really no wrong way to do it, and the instructions are very simple. Set up a timer, sit on a chair or a mat, focus on your breath – that's pretty much it. There are of course some more advanced techniques to help with posture, focus, etc. I do find it very helpful to sit with a class once a week, which makes my daily practice easier. Plus I like being part of a community and listening to Dharma talks. I also recommend listening to Jack Kornfield's Intro to Meditation podcasts, which I think you can find for free on Dharmaseed.com. (They have an app too.) He's my teacher's teacher, and he breaks it down in a very straightforward and entertaining way. If you tell me where you live, I can maybe also suggest a place.

Checkout the coverup Will Lollie (located in Asheville) just posted on Instagram

You really should go see a tattooer to discuss that. They will be able to provide you with the best route.

I like to heal from the inside out.

This is my main man, Rufus, probably falling asleep in the this picture, one of his favorite activities.

@BrianH - If you can identify the high end of the going rate in your field, go straight to the top. Since you've been gone for a while and they need your experience, DO NOT let them negotiate off your old salary. That old salary is out the window. It is not a starting point and don't let them use it as one. And be straight with them if they try to do so. Get them to ID your responsibilities (even if they are the same) and negotiate based on those responsibilities and what the market will bear. And then add some because you are already "up to speed". Good luck!

Scott brought out your drawing and we were talking about it, it looks awesome! such a cool idea. I actually asked him when you were starting because I wanted to try and stop in and see, but I'll be on a trip when you start. Look forward to seeing some pictures. I actually live in London so its not that bad of a trip for me, just under 2 hours. @Cork - Thanks dude!

Penises are like boats... you're probably better off to have a friend that has one rather than owning one yourself.

Thanks, @Pugilist & @Mark Bee! I think the number one misconception about meditation – or at least one that I had – is that it's supposed to be pleasant. Like you're all blissed out or you "clear your mind." In fact, it kind of sucks a lot of the time. Your foot falls asleep, your brain is going a million miles an hour when you don't want it to, but that's all part of the practice. I don't necessarily think of myself as a "spiritual" person. For me, meditation is a kind of bio-hacking that makes me feel happier, calmer, etc. And it's shown almost immediate results which is why I keep doing it. But a year plus in of daily practice and it's still really hard to stay focused. My mind still wanders but maybe I'm a little more aware of it now. When you're getting tattooed is a great time to meditate – to kind of lean into the pain instead of trying to block it out. I'm trying to coin a new phrase for us: tattooddists. Maybe tatuddhists. Tattoodists?

This is one of the douchiest things I have ever read on this board, which is saying a lot, because people have written some pretty douchey things on here.

Maybe your girlfriend should get an account and speak for herself.

Out of curiosity, is this your idea or hers? You keep using words like "I" instead of "she"...

Went to the Calgary convention today and picked up a piece by Todd Noble and a bulldog by Shaun topper, both really nice guys, my partner got a native girl head by Todd and I can safely say it's one of the best I've ever seen in person, met a few other artists aswell and was good just to have a look around and catch some of the local talent at work

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.

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

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

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

95% of the "big names" get these big names for a reason, they have stellar work. this isn't the actor or Hollywood industry where people get names for being pretty, or stupid, you get a good name in the tattoo world simply because your the best at what you do, this is why I go to them

Hey, shoot an email to cltattooing at gmail dot com if you remember! I'm way into this, would love to contribute a piece or two. Also if anyone else is interested in learning more about the horrors out life on reservations, watch this documentary: The Canary Effect

That Cripwell suit is beautiful and so perfectly executed, but I find it a little too perfect for my tastes. Looking at those tattoos, I don't know if I get much of a sense of the person who has them. I guess aesthetically I prefer a more organic mish mash of tattoos where you get tattoos of different ages complimenting and clashing with each other and you get a whole that transcends any individual tattoo.

Check out Jess Yen @ My Tattoo

I read this entire thread - it's really helpful to people like me who are new to getting tattooed. So some good's coming out of it, even though it's a downer.

I followed that method for an early tattoo (because I was told to). My take on it is that, thinking about it rationally, I do not want to create a warm, moist, non-breathable barrier over my healing tattoo for days on end: I think that would, indeed, equal 'bacteria death trap'. It's been suggested that this approach reduces the chance of a hard scab forming. To be honest, though, since I've started using a light application of Bepanthen I don't think I have had scabbing with any of my recent tattooing in any case... They've all healed with some peeling, but more like as if I had a bit of sunburn rather than scabbing. I know there is an argument that individual tattooists know best about aftercare for their own methods, but it would take a lot of convincing to get me to try this again.