Leaderboard

Got this photo realistic elephant I once saw... spot on by Eli Quinters yesterday, at the Bay Area Convention.

bad photos but i got the dragon yesterday from Andre Cleary and the girls head a month ago from Adrian Hing , both are really nice humble guys. also sorry for the sideways pics ive tryed everything cant figure it out.

The people who said they didn't think the elbow was too bad are all insane. Or they have magical elbows. More fun stuff on the arm with Greg. Took the photo from his instagram. Feels weird to include something this little this week when there's so much crazy stuff on my instagram from the Bay Area convention, but oh well! The trend of 'never actually doing what we previously planned on' continues. At this point I kinda hope it always does. And now I am done until the end of November!

Sneak peek of my first day. Convention lighting sucks balls.

What a great topic. So what has tattooing taught me... Where do I start with that one. I have really gotten into tattooing over a period in my life where I have transitioned from education into the working world and both things have taught me a lot about myself and tattooing has definitely been a big part of what I have learned. The first thing that I think it has taught me is a great appreciation for anything that is made with a bit of heart and soul to it. This for me has revolved around things that are hand made and require time and effort. So everything from a good books, decent music, art and any sort of traditional craft. Art particularly has been something that my parents are quite interested in and I have never found an aspect of it that I really connected with. Tattooing has however taught me a huge amount about different types of visual imagery and as a result I have learned to read the images I see a lot more. It's gone deeper than the simple aesthetic though as I now know a huge amount about the history of where certain images come from and the cultural history that they stem from. This has then been something that I have been able to give back to my friends and family even in a small way. I have also started collecting original paintings and prints myself which just brings me a lot of joy to see them every day. Tattooing has also inspired me to start drawing and painting more myself. Now I would never claim that what I produce is great art, or even particularly worth spending a lot of time examining, however it gives me an opportunity to focus on something outside of myself and it inspires and frustrates me in equal measure. It has also given me the opportunity to give something back to my friends and family in a very honest and simple way. Especially over the last three years as I have steadily drawn more and more for other people. As other people have mentioned it has also given me the opportunity to meet some very interesting people. I have had some great conversations with friends and strangers alike and learned a huge amount as a result. There was one tattoo artist particularly who introduced me to sacred geometry and the patterns of nature which is another form of visual imagery that I now see everywhere. The variety of music that tattoo artists particularly have introduced me to as well is great. For example who knew that the verses in Lateralus by Tool follow a Fibonacci sequence. Youtube it... I found it fascinating. As a general statement to summarise tattooing has changed the way I live my life from the things that I am interested in, to the conversations I have with people and what I choose to do with my spare time. And I couldn't be happier about it. Here's to continued adventures within this world we call tattoo...

I have learned that in spite of all of the work I had done on so many levels I was still carrying the subconscious imprint of social beauty ideals and enculturation. On some subtle levels, I was carrying the social responsibility of ensuring that the appearance of my skin was still palatable to the general populace...the belief that women are still meant to be a part of the scenery and therefore "be attractive" (in a social sense). I really had to confront this in order to continue getting tattooed. It's amazing to be free of this. On another level, I saw that I lived in fear of being noticed or really "seen". Also, I learned that I can do anything if I have good company...walk through fire (or at least get both of my feet tattooed in the same session ;) ). And that snacks are never ever, in any situation or time ever, a bad idea. I love this thread.

See you guys tomorrow! I'm a 23 year old tattooed lady with green hair if anyone wants to say hello (:

Fresh one my girlfriend picked up this afternoon. Its a Nick Oaks design tattooed by a local artist, Mike Young.

That would seem reasonable to me. Mistakes happen, people usually understand.

Beyond happy with this rose from Chris Garver this week. Pic stolen from his IG

This reads like a personals ad.

It was awesome to meet u guys @Lance @CABS!! Hope to see u tomorrow!

thank you sir! I only had 4 hours of sleep and I am headed Back for my next session... the things we go thru haha

Been kinda forgetful/lazy to post in this thread. If you follow me on IG, then these are not new. I've gotten these since the Rassier baby heads. Tuesday flash from Candi Kinyobi at Tuesday Tattoo in San Francisco, CA. Under the tutelage of Jesse Tuesday (who's a badass tattooer that's totally under the radar). Ultimate sad girl with sad heart from happy tattooer and fellow LST'er Carolyn LeBourgeois @cltattooing at FTW Tattoo in Oakland, CA. Tengu from Stewart Robson at Black Heart Tattoo in San Francisco, CA. Was able to nab a cancellation thanks to Ross "INSIDE SCOOP" Hogg. I unfollowed a bunch of tattooers on IG, so I totally wouldn't have known about this. Thanks again @hogg!

Fun times in New York with my newly immigrated fiancée. Bug is on her by Bert Krak, torch and rose are on me by Eli Quinters and Beau Brady, respectively.

Well, we (finally) started - after almost 2 years waiting for him to move and cut down his list a bit. Start of a full half squidpant. I wasn't going to post it yet - but he did, so I stole this image off of Thomas' instagram:

I haven't posted this on here yet. Session four on my back, we shaded my butt and thigh.

Hello, hello! Yes, so, I'm new at this...obviously. A little bit about me: I'm 33 years old, female, born and raised and living in Oslo, half norwegian and half japanese american, french speaking. I've been surrounded by art my entire life, I now work in a cemetery, and I love tattoos. I first wanted a tattoo when I was 16, waited 16 years to get started, so I got my first one in 2013. I'm fascinated by this culture, I hope to contribute constructively to the forum at some point, but first and foremost I'm here to learn. Was that to much information? ...I don't know how this works. :) Malika

We're talking full traditional Japanese from neck to knees. My wife thinks I'm crazy, but I can't pass up the chance.

Over a year ago I had a couple tattoos lined up, but I had to back out. I managed to tear my labrum in my shoulder, which put me out of commission for quite some time. It sucks when a 100lb woman at physical therapy can make you want to cry. Anyway, everything is put back together, and I was able to get another appointment. I have no tattoos, but have always wanted a full back piece. So, I guess I'm just jumping in the deep end and going for it. My wife thinks I'm crazy, but I'm on the books for Dec 13.

@Lance, @CABS - it was nice to meet you guys. Wish we got to hang. I'll be there again tomorrow with @ELTOTTAGO to finish up with Mitsu if anyone wants to meet up. @ironchef - thanks so much for the tip on the scotch. Mitsu says you're a good dude.

I'll be on my way soon dudes.

@Lance I'll be getting work from Carlos Torres today. Come say hi!

@MoistTowelette, I saw you yesterday but didn't have a chance to say Hi. I'll try to swing by today. That's looking fantastic. Really works with the Jeff Gogue tattoo.

That's incredible, @MoistTowelette. I was hoping you were gonna post in this thread. Thanks!

Well since Stewart posted it on his instgram.....I will repost it here. Mine is top left. I will post a bigger pic when it heals.

Dude I saw that Fudo monmon cat backpiece in person while I was getting that shishi. It was right before the black shading and it already looked fucking amazing. Can't wait to see it colored.

I had a fantastic experience at Diamond Club last night with one of my favorite tattooers, Brian Kaneko (truenaturetattoo on Instagram). I got this peony: Shad, Junii, and Dr. Claw were there, too, which made it even more fun. But the best part is that @Iwar wanted to get something from Brian, but couldn't get an appointment. He asked if he could show up during mine, and I said, "Of course!" He walked in right after I got there, so I introduced him to Brian and Shad. They all started laughing, then Brian said, "By the way, I tattooed him earlier today. I had a cancellation." So now Iwar and I are not only banhammer bros, but we're botan brothers, too.

I feel kind of a kink to say that I have a pierced nipple (my only hole). I had that done before I really considered a tattoo. Then the second tattoo. Ahah! Piercings lead to tattoo addiction! All this after age 61. Some would say mid-life crisis, and if that is the case - Yeah! that means I'll live to ~120! BTW, absolutely no healing problems.

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

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?

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.

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.

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

The main thing I got really into because of tattooing is the art of sign painting. I don't paint signs myself (yet), but it's so fascinating to me to see Gary Martin in ATX and Ken Davis here in the Bay Area perfect their craft. Also, like others have said, I want to start eating healthier and work out harder because of tattooing. I don't have any tattoos on my belly (yet), but when I get to that point I want to make sure I'm in good shape. The stomach is the only part of my body that could go through some drastic changes throughout my life. I've thought about what designs would work on a giant beer gut, even though I hope to not get to that level. I've also grown to appreciate low-rider oldies, because it gets played often at Temple.

^ this. Tattoos have taught me a lot about being comfortable in my own skin, and comfortable with being myself in relation to the outside world. It's not so much an act of rebellion (which I think has kind of been taken away, to a degree) but an act of intentionally altering your appearance, in a way of your choosing. Making that choice is the liberating part to me. Also, like everyone else said, the number of super cool people I've already met through tattoos in some way is awesome. People from all walks of life, whom I wouldn't had made that initial connection with if it weren't for tattoos.

Tattoo experiences have got me into some cool music: Mastadon, The Dickies, Three 6 Mafia, American Me (soundtrack). But most importantly tattoos are teaching me how to own it, how to be confident being my own god damn self !

That tacos are the best food for discussing 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.

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

My arm by Joel Madberg, Salvation Tattoo Stockholm:

Right now they are hate handles.

Gotta request any possible update. A while back someone posted a killer andre malcolm back of a bound women and flowers , any progress heard of on it?? @Hospitelli it's coming out strong, gonna be so nice when done

Man, the all black and grey looks amazing! Stick with that theme for sure!

For fun, my peony by Wendy Pham done as guest spot at Red Rocket Tattoo in NYC

You mean like these? Horimitsu Mike Rubendall Henning Jorgensen

Oh how my leg has changed in just a few short months. I think my next move will be to cap my other knee. Then I need to work on the back sides. I'm too front-heavy. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Never posted on this before but here is my barbershop quartet done by Steve Bryne at rock of ages Austin last July, it's not going to win but thought I'd share it with people

@hogg & Mark Bee. The term "bikie" is another media term only. Many years ago, a person would come close to having his mouth shut for even using such a derogatory term. These days with everyone becoming an expert as to what's written in the papers and what they see on the news, pfft, it just becomes another little piece of history that gets lost and some of us become a little too tired in trying to keep it alive. Another term "gang" is also a media typo. They're "clubs". Again, if that needs to be elaborated on, then it just ain't worth the time. Those of us who had/ have origins from the Oi days know how retarded the media terms to "skinhead or punk gangs" appear. Same shit. Back to the tattoo topic. This is what we get when we offer mainstream a glimpse into our culture. We create opposing cultures with two completely different takes on the subject, and that has been the sad part for me. It's like the day when I was getting tattooed in High St, Fremantle Western Australia back in 93, directly opposite the Workers Club, oh, in an old time "biker" run art studio...sorry, tattoo fuckin shop...these were the days Tattooers started charging like $100 an hour!! After we had completed our 4 pack of Rum and the 3 hour tattoo, I laid out $300 on the chair to complete our deal. Old mate looks me in the eye, handed me back half my cash and said...mate, the day I start charging top dollar for tattoos is the day I may as well be just tattooing Drs and fuckin lawyers. Fuck taking it away from the working man where it belongs. And that was my very 1st encounter in that particular shop.

Road rash has ROAD in it, so no - you wouldn't want to wrap that in your skin. 2 of my last 3 tattooists swear by the wrapping method. They say it keeps the dirt out and "keeps the body's own natural headling juices in". You've got to give it about 4 half hour drying periods each day after washing and before re-wrapping - but it does eliminate any scabbing and hastens the initial healing process. I'm usually pealing by the 4th day and then no more wrapping. This process would be a pain in the butt if your work schedule might interfeer with the mid-day washing, drying and re-wrapping.