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Hello Everyone, I would like to introduce myself. My name is Craig and I love high quality, professionally-done tattoos. I love Japanese tattoo styles, especially the new japanese styles as well as traditional japanese styles. I also like neo-traditional tattoos as well.:p I am amazed at how many great artists are out there now. I have a half sleeve by Ed Hardy in 02. Have too many artists I like now but I am hoping to get Inked by Shige, Gogue, and The Grime in the near future.

I mean, can he get banhammered if he doesn't show us?

Welcome and I'm sure I'm not the only person here who would love to see pictures of your DE Hardy tattoo!

No, there's not gonna be "growing up" here. It's late, and I'm tired, but I'll bite. Sit down and listen up, kid. That word has been used since WWII to put down Japanese people within the US, but only just symbolizes the ongoing discrimination and illegitimation of Asians within the US, a country where discrimination against my race is seen as more permissible than most other minority groups. Being called a jap along with other racial slurs, being treated differently and getting into fights over my race, that's not something that I'll ever grow up from. It's not like I went hard at you, I asked politely if you could not use that word. I thought that you may not have been aware that it's an offensive term to use since you're not from the US, so I wanted to make you aware. Learn to keep your mouth shut and be respectful, especially when someone asks you to.

@Patrick Bateman I wouldn't say all realism will age like crap, just most. I would suggest watching this site's newest interview with Brian Bruno and Mike Rennie: Brian Bruno & Mike Rennie Tattoo Artist Interview Video In it there is a good discussion on the craft of doing things like realism and the ethics involved in it. Bascially, it boils down to how the artist tattoos. Whether it is for instagram fame, competitions, getting that "wow" factor, or putting the client first and designing something that will age and look good in the future. In my opinion, tattoos that age well aren't restricted to traditional and I have seen very fine line black & grey stuff stand the test of time. This thread (entire site for that matter), works in realigning peoples' expectations with reality. Realistic styles can be done, with certain limitations, and still endure. Probably not the same level of realism that is so commonly attempted nowadays, but still realistic as far as tattoos go. The hard part is finding an artist who is honest AND skilled enough to pull it off. I'm no artist, nor do I know what or how these things can be achieved in different styles but I have seen it, albeit more rarely.

Today by Duncan X at Into You, London. Photo by Duncan, screenshot from instagram.

@chrisnoluck Fuck yeah! Here is what I got from my friend Adde Ramstedt the other day. Felt so good to get the other foot done, never more (still need to do sides and toes...) Adde just moved down to Berlin and will be working at Lowbrow Tattoo Parlour for about 6 months. I encourage anyone to visit Berlin, hugely inspirational city with many things to experience and explore. While you're there, get tattooed by Adde too ;)

yesterday i got this kali from robert ryan while he is guest spotting at old soul. was awesome to get tattooed by one of my favorite tattooers in one of my favorite shops.

@ironchef get a doctor's note that says it is medically necessary for you to work in a fundoshi all day. your employer should be fine with that.

Just got this done by Tony Nilsson(stole his Instagram pic)

Oni Head by Stewart Robson guesting at Blackheart tattoo before the SFO convention. This shot is from today, healed. BOOM in your face, @Cork you're not the only one with a massive Japanese tattoo this month, haha!

@DragonFanSa We've been respectful and kind towards you here so far, please be respectful back to people when they tell you they find your language offensive.

I know a dude who covered a Nikko Hurtado tattoo with a panther. My friend makes good decisions.

I haven't posted in forever, and I guess I never entered this one from Steve Byrne that I got over the summer in Austin. This is still the best photo I have of it, but it healed nicely. Arm is just about done other than very small gap fillers. Based on this World War I German propaganda poster about the dangers of Bolshevism that I saw earlier that day in a World War I exhibit in town.

I've been lurking for ages and thought I'd say hello. Ive learned a lot and followed information found here from far and wide. First tattoo at 18. Tiny one I look back on and laugh at! Youth and silliness on a whim one evening long ago. Some 20 years later I found an artist who's work I enjoy locally. After waiting months for my sessions my left thigh now complete and better then I could have imagined. This spurred the want for another! After many months more sitting on my hands my right thigh now covered as my left and I really couldn't be happier. More on deck as hours and money allows. 2014 it seems the year I learned just how much skin I have yet to go!

Hello all Last Sparrow Tattoo members.My name is Sean Kelly,I hope to make the acquaintance of fellow Tattooers and collectors alike.I work @ High Caliber Custom Tattoos in Western North Carolina and have been tattooing for 11 years professionally.My style is what i like to call the Classic form of Tattooing.I believe this to include Traditional American,Japanese,Illustrative Neo Traditional styles of Tattooing.I also do Black and Grey realism and Black work.I design Tattoo themed artwork and am working on a collection of Flash.Grateful for this opportunity to meet more good people in this industry! I stay true to the Tattoo and Loyal to the coil! skelly

Hi @jimmyirish it's not hard at all. Just a relatively short wait. Go for it!

Hi @jimmyirish from your photos on your profile, I take it you're from London? Duncan's the nicest person I've met in a long time. I'd certainly recommend going to see him if you're interested. There's a tonne of excellent flash/drawings of Duncan's to look through.

Re: latex allergies - SOMETIMES people are allergic to the chemicals that are used to preserve the latex and not the latex itself. So, you can be allergic to latex and not have any of the cross-reactive fruit allergies. I used to have a fantastic document on this aspect of latex allergies, but lost it in a computer crash :( @ironchef - how are you doing today?

This has been a great thread - I realize I need to be more appreciative of how my folks and family have reacted to my ink! When I first started getting tattooed (almost 20 years ago now) my Mom hated them. We had to have the "why are you doing this to me" and "I don't see why you want to deface your body" conversations where I had to explain that none of my tattoos were about HER and that I didn't see it as defacement. Over the years, and many more tattoos (big hiatus in the middle where I got an eyebrow piercing instead, ha!) she now understands that this is a form of my own self expression and it's not a reflection of her. I've proven that I make good decisions on placement, style and content and that they don't hurt my life opportunities. My Dad is slowly coming around, but he will never like them. My brother and sister in law show them to my nephews (4 and 2 now) and we play "what is this? yes, bird! what sound does the bird make?" with the younger one. My other nephews show me their press on Spidermans when we Skype. None of my family would ever get one. And some don't 'understand' them. Which is fine. They don't have to. But nobody should make you feel BAD about them. Or ashamed. And look at all these stories of parents who came around to some understanding in the end. I think there is something burned into our psyches (especially us girls) that want our Moms to be proud. And those of us with tattoos know that our tattoos are part of us and it feels like a rejection of ALL of who we are when someone is just nasty. Never forget you are more than your skin. Good luck. :) (that got a little rambley! sorry)

The tattoo is yours now...own it! and feel good about it, feel like the bad ass you did a few days ago. Looks like your tattoo still has some unfinished spots to fill in but overall looks ok. Once you fill in that hot fire it can change the contrast, change the way the tattoo looks overall and change the way you feel about it. What I'm trying to say...Don't stress! You're experiencing some post-tattoo anxiety. It's normal in the days after, after you crash from the excitement, endorphins, the rush of finally getting that tattoo you've been wanting to make happen. Right now you are so focused on that new tattoo. Get your head out of the details and let the tattoo just be, there is no such thing as the perfect tattoo, the imperfections is what makes a tattoo ours. If you really like tattoos and want to get into it, get a few more. You may be surprised how it changes your perception. Start a piece to balance out on the other arm or put a few small ones elsewhere. You are a blank canvas! Or if this experience really didn't do it for ya, maybe tattoos are not for you. And that's ok too. - - - Updated - - - You want to talk about post-tattoo anxiety!...check out the hot stuff tattoo in my gallery. It was spontaneous and was hilarious in the moment. Until I got home and took off the bandage and had that omg what have i done moment. My heart sank, I just felt awful about it, about how careless I was. My wife still hates it (lol). It is pretty ridiculous and kind of looks like a ding-dong...but after i let the tattoo "just be" for a few weeks a few months, I embraced it. It's just so silly and ugly and I just love it for that. It makes people cringe, like what the hell maan! It makes me laugh and reminds me that sometimes you need to embrace spontaneity and not give a shit! Embrace the imperfect. It wasn't a bad decision. It was just a decision that left a mark. And the essence of that makes Hot Stuff more important than some of my more carefully planned out works. In the end, a tattoo is just a tattoo. And that's what I love about this whole mess we've all gotten ourselves into ;)

Banana is another one of those latex cross-reactive fruits. I get itchy mouth when I eat avocado or banana. Which doesn't help you @ironchef, sorry. My hubs' skin gets irritated sometimes where clothing tags or linings touch him--those "no-tag" Hanes undershirts were the worst, because you can't cut those off--but usually as long as we use a dye and perfume-free detergent and softener, he's okay. It does flare up sometimes out of nowhere, though.

Just finished up my second session with THooper on Monday. Have some serious crankle action going on today. Next booked for 2 days in a row in early Feb. Wife also got her 1st tattoo started yesterday, with Joey Ortega. They'll also finish up this one in Feb:

So much this ^ . All my new stuff is from recommendations in the metalheads thread so thanks to all of you who post in there ! Here's my very short list . YOB Clearing the path to ascend EYEHATEGOD Eyehategod Electric Wizard Time to die

Tattooing got me back into drawing all the time like I used to in High School. It's also got me into more types of history and styles of art, history and symbols and the strength and meaning in images mean REALLY peaked my interest. Basically tattooing made me fall back in love with art and creating. I have a real deep appreciation for that good shit now...well I always did but it's deeper now

This is done but its not done. Its going to be part of a larger space piece and my artist does not want to do the space background intill the rest of the pieces are done. So it looks a little odd, the circles in the bubble will be stars eventually. In a few weeks I will get Bart in a spacesuit on the other side. This is by Rev. J.R. out of Vicious Ink in Rochester Hills michigan.

I spend all my money on tattoos, got none left over for music. The only album I bought this year was the new SWANS but honestly I haven't even listened to it yet because they're a band that requires undivided attention for extended periods of time and I haven't managed that yet. I'm lame.

Here's something you don't expect to see under the santa suit! Santa Claus is Coming to Town -- and He's Covered in Tattoos - NBC News

Don't crush my dreams. :P

Yeah! Can you call my mom and tell her this?! Haha!

Gah, @keepcalm and all others, I certainly feel you in regards to parental disapproval! (although my mom did get a tattoo on her hip in an ill-advised attempt to bond and understand me and recently got it removed...and it was waiting for me in a tupperware container full of salt when I got home. She had a tummy tuck but asked the surgeon to save the skin for her. Creepy? Yes. Sweet? Yes. Fucking weird as hell? Don't even get me started)(ah, family). (y'all want pics?) (also this is my least fav tattoo, i am soooo glad to get it covered now! never would have done it unless she had agreed to also do the same tho) My parents have never liked tattoos. My dad didn't speak to me for months after he found out about the (little teeny tiny) flower on my back, and my mom just looked at me with sad, disappointed eyes. I really wanted more tattoos, and when I decided to go for a highly visible tattoo on my forearm at 23, I knew I was doing something that might cause my parents to literally never speak to me again. It was fucking tough!!! And then all the guilt for why I would do something that I knew would basically divorce me from my parents, what a bad kid, blah blah blah. Lots of guilt. But I still loved my tattoos. At some point before I got that first, highly visible tattoo, I showed my mom a picture of some cherry blossoms that stretched across a woman's entire body. I thought they were beautiful and I was sure my mom would feel the same way, even though they were tattoos --- NOPE!! And it was at that point that I realized that just because my mom didn't like something didn't mean it was not cool/right/good-looking/whatever - and that I could like something independent of her and that my opinion is still a valid one. As I collected more tattoos over the years, my parents began speaking more about what i would do at work, and what was I supposed to do at black tie events? At the time I was on the film festival circuit and attending opening galas pretty regularly, so it wasn't an out of nowhere question...but nowhere did I feel comfortable saying "I LIKE the way my tattoos look in dresses!". In fact I just felt humiliated and ashamed. Again, this feeling of guilt - how could I be so shortsighted and do this to myself? Do I not care about my future? Why would I have wasted all this education and this good job etc etc etc ad nauseam - it's really hard to get your parents' disapproving voices out of your head, even when you think they've been banished! Anyway - guess what - they can be covered up if you really want them to be. I attended a black tie event two weeks ago with my What Tattoos? look in full force. Long sleeves. Long gown or pants. NOT HARD TO DO. I did attend a few events this summer with tattoos out in full force. Surprisingly difficult for me to do because of those nasty voices in my head, but I got over it. (I'm 31 now) I personally gauge the event, the hosts, where I am (seattle is fine to show tattoos, oklahoma is decidedly UNWELCOMING). I make a point of looking spectacular to the normies so that not only are they embarrassed if they've trash talked tattooed people to me (more common than one might think) and later see my tattoos, but that maybe it gives 'em something to think about. In Oklahoma, when I am home visiting family, I keep mostly covered up. This keeps me from dealing with the huffs and puffs, stupid thick tension, and any assaults on my character or future. I used to feel very comfortable with this, because I'm not rebelling or trying to piss my parents off with tattoos (though they have certainly leveled those accusations before), so why poke the bear if it's not necessary? But now I feel kinda bummed that I can't be myself around them. Or like walk downstairs in a tank top. And I was just in OK for thanksgiving and I felt totally trashy and hated myself for getting tattoos. ?!?!! I LOVE TATTOOS so that was a weird feeling for me - I was just basically sucking up the disapproval in the air, I think! bc i adore my tattoos. I was just home recently and my mom had to use a fabric glue to stick the collar of my dress in a certain place - not to cover a tattoo, but so that the dress would fall right - and she moved the collar and saw some tattoo and made the worst noise...it made me feel bad, but whatever. It's okay if we all like different things! My mom gets hella plastic surgery, I'm not into that kind of body mod, so that's what I relate the tattoo thing to at the moment. I stopped expecting my parents to treat me nicely many years ago, @keepcalm. Eventually I ported it all into a "them" problem and have minimized my contact with them. I keep my tattoos covered up, though they are aware of them, and I choose to interact with them about different topics, and I refuse to be baited into an argument regarding tattoos. I guess what I'm trying to say is what many have said before me in this thread - wishing/hoping/waiting for parental approval that's never gonna happen is a dumb game that will make you feel bad. It's okay if they don't like tattoos - they don't have to - but they don't have to be jerks about it. If they are gonna be jerks about it, minimize your exposure and choose only to interact with them in neutral territory. If you're comfortable with it, cover up and just show your tattoos off to your friends who think they're cool as hell!

Hi all, been slacking on my updating on here so heres some bits and pieces: Most recent thing I've had done was continuing this, was cool to chat to Brad Fink briefly prior: one session to go, hopefully soon although it will be hard not to get something else by Andre. Also got this from O'Donnell back in July: Both shameless instagram thefts.... As usual this thread has blown my mind with the awesomeness that LSTer's choose to get...

I finally get to give this a shot! Dana Helmuth, 95% completed at Read Street Tattoo in Baltimore, the rest done in his private studio.

Got this from Horimatsu in October. It was a great experience, he is such an awesome dude with some pretty cool stories to tell. Also I got this cattoo on a caturday so I kind of won the internet that day :D edit: can't figure out why the picture is all wonky but if one clicks it again for full size it looks like it is supposed to... edit2: oh, and it's located on the outside of the calf.

One more session to go and filling in the blank spot underneath.

I only started getting tattooed five and a half years ago. These years has been very turbulent and challenging and, in the later years, also filled with positive learning experience on so many levels. I feel better than ever about myself and I now live a life where I am happy in the moment and also with where I am heading. The experience of getting tattooed more and more and learning about the art and culture has been like a companion through the struggles and personal development. Tattoos has often been a big part of my life so it's hard to separate what comes from what. One way for me to handle rough emotions has been to keep busy all the time, working for money. This money in turn needed to be channeled somewhere and I turned a lot of it into tattoos and travelling. So that was a delayed very positive side effect of negative emotions, new positive experiences. Tattoos have absolutely taught me to appriciate art more, different kinds of art. This has also been inspirational when it comes to drawing and painting my own stuff. Art of course ties into history, structures of society, religion, symbolism and culture: all things I that interest me now more then ever. The more I learn in these subjects, the more I get associations when looking at tattoos, which is also interesting. Tattoos and travelling to get tattoos has given me some very interesting meetings with people, and sent me to places I might not have visited otherwise. I've had many good conversations in tattoo shops and also made a few friends. Most of my friends that I met in other circumstances are not into tattoos, so I tend to not talk so much about tattoos with them. But to know some people that are as neerdy as me is a great joy. Some of these people have told me things that spiralled into new interestest and knowledge that I want to pursue. The experience of getting tattooed also gave some valuable lessons about pain and the body. I am more interested in sensations now than before, I used to be really inside my head and logical in my thinking. This was sometimes acting as a wall when it came to having good experiences so it was something I wanted to change. It's hard to say what's the egg and whats the chicken in this struggle but tattooing has been part of solving this problem and being more mindful and physical in many aspects. I am now more aware of my bodily sensations and I tend to enjoy them more. The tattoo process and the people I've met has also tied well into my interest in health care and nutrition. I also took a course in yoga recently, after friends and tattooers told me about the benefits. Getting tattooed quite heavily also did something to my body image. I am still not happy with the shape of some parts of my body but now at least they have very pretty wrappings. Also in relation to other people, who may view you differently when they see your tattoos, being a tattooed person has made me think new thoughts in social situations. Sometimes in makes me uncomfortable but not as much anymore, despite more and more coverage. It's funny because in many ways tattoos are more then something that I care deeply about and want to imerse myself in. At the same time it is "just tattoos". I think sometimes that other people, without tattoos, make it a bigger deal than it actually is. Like it's being fetishized and or stigmatized in many contexts. Some years ago I would still feel a bit uneasy when someone would ask me "what if you'll regret all this later on?". But now it is "just tattoos", there is so much more to me as a person than what I choose to make my skin look like. On the other hand I feel that I would take quicker showers if I wasn't admiring how damn cool/tough/pretty and sexy I look now. I could probably go on for a bit but I'll stop now. Tattoos has enriched my life a lot and I love it.

Look at my 38 year old one in my Gallery! I'm still astonished that the colors are still good, even if the outline has "grown".

Recent conversation. Me - hi there, what can we do for you? Customer - look at this shit tattoo *shows some wobbly writing on her wrist obviously scratched on* isn't it rubbish? Look how crap it is. Me - we'll, it's pretty bad, yeah. Customer - that was done by **** at ****'s tattoos. It's rubbish, I hate it. Me - ok. Well, I can promise you we're a bit better than that, at least. Customer - so how much would it cost to get just a little name on my other wrist? Me - if it's just small it'd probably be our minimum charge, which is £25. Customer - £25? Fuck off. **** at ****'s tattoos (same place she'd just been complaining about) will do it for a fiver. I'll go there. Me - ..... You get the tattoo you deserve.