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Had a few hours on my back yesterday. Worked on background was a good session, everyone at Sugarahack is so friendly. I had a chance to listen to the first couple episodes of the serial podcast too, I'll admit , I'm hooked. Listened to a few more on the drive home. Back at it again end of January bring down the left side and hopefully move below the waist. See how it goes. I'll say it every time, the love handle area is killer.

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.

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

It's done. It's actually done. The last session was the worst one I've had to endure. Major touch ups to the wind bars/clouds, double lining, basically every soft spot got hit in one day. By the end I was definitely spent, but so stoked. Dana was very pleased with how this came out, and that makes me happy too. He wants me to show up to the Baltimore or Philly conventions and do the back piece contest. This took a year and a half, and it was an amazing experience.

hi there i live in France, and i had my 1rst tattoo at 56, a sentence Alice Cooper said to me after having worn my red leather vest on stage (then he did at 52 other shows!), i am a professional painter and i paint and draw on leathers or for tattoos! * "It is part of the tour now" Alice Cooper * its on my right hand, the one that paint Home

@DragonFanSa It is 4:49 in the AM over here, and I have not had time to read this entire thread, but from what I've seen I do not believe @blackdots tried to attack your level of English. I did not know myself that "jap" was an offensive word before I was made aware a few years back. This forum has plenty members who's native tongue is not english, and I suspect he believed you were one of us, and therefor might not know that it was offensive. Anyway... Bottom line. Please refrain from using that term here again. I'm sure you didn't mean anything by it, but now you know. I really have to go to sleep now. Sorry 'bout the sloppy english. I'm half asleeo already.

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.

@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.

@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.

God I suck at intros, haha. For as long as I can remember, tattoos have appealed to me. I'm talking as far back as elementary school I can remember oggling anyone with visible ink for long enough they probably thought I was some rude little twerp. Now I am four months away from my 21st birthday with five tattoos, only two of which took over an hour. My first tattoo was a quote I wrote back in like my freshmen year of high school that I got inked onto my ribs at 18. "What is a rain cloud if a silver lining shines?" Yeah. Kinda lame. But my dad had just died and it reminded me to try to keep a PMA so whatever, I still have love for it. The quality is solid so I have no complaints. Tyson O'Bryan at Time Piece Tattoo in Panama City, FL did this and my second. My second tattoo is on my left wrist, my Dad's handwriting from a letter, "Kisses & Hugs I'm so proud of you, Love Dad". It's nothing spectacular, but it holds a special place in my heart. After getting two little bangers and drooling over "real" ink, I started doing my research to find good artists in my area. I hated the idea of talking the talk but not walking the walk, so to speak. I thought (and still think) about ink constantly but really had nothing to show for it. But at 19 I did not want to proceed to quickly, either. Also, I live in the redneck riviera and conservative is an understatement. I am learning daily if you want to be tattooed, you need thick skin around here. Aaaaanyway, my third is five hours worth of work on my right thigh, a rendition of a book cover. Survivor by Chuck Palahniuk. The cover was always appealing to me, and the book held a lot of themes that I found tattoo worthy. I couldn't be happier with it and the quality my artist, Corey Popp (formerly of Time Piece), gave me. I follow all of his work and absolutely adore it. He's a killer new-school and realism artist and that's definitely the style I shy toward. Not knocking old school, by any means! My fourth tattoo came to me out of sheer luck. A local shop runs a like and share contest here and there for fifty bucks and I won on a Friday afternoon. Not too much can be done for $50 but I was stoked nonetheless. I ride motorcycles and just purchased an r6 so I had a motorcycle sprocket in the shape of a heart thrown behind my ear and slid the dude a tip. For as intricate as the design is, and how tiny the tattoo is, I'm very pleased. It could have easily blown out but Bruce at Electroluxe Tattoo Company in Panama City Beach nailed it. My fifth tattoo is sternumish area and is a quill pen add on to my first quote. Corey does some awesome dot work and I really wanted something dotty by him on me, and I was dying for something else of substantial size. I also wanted color so he gave me the feathers in color, threw in some dots, and added an all dot work drop-shadow to top it off. He killed it, of course. And JEEEEEZZZZ did I feel like I earned that one, sternum area is definitely no walk in the park compared to getting my thigh done (DUH, Jaria). So here I sit. Five tattoos in. Not knowing shit about the tattoo world, or at least I don't think I do, so I joined this forum hoping to learn. I know I can distinguish between good tattoos and bad, and I know I am partial to a new-school style, but that's about as far as I can get. I'm hoping to refine my taste even more. Oh yeah, and did I mention I won $1,000 worth of tattoo work from an artist yesterday? Yeah. I have no idea how I'm getting so lucky here but I nearly fainted because other than Corey, Jerry Pipkins of IV Horsemen Tattoo Parlor is the only guy that really blows my mind in this area. To be tattooed by him is going to be a real honor. His realism work always makes my jaw drop, but my exposure to many, many artists is non-existent. Is it tacky to ask for the forums opinion on my tattoos by Corey and on Jerry's work? I want to have good tattoo and forum etiquette so correct me if you need, PLEEEEEEASE. The holidays have me running crazy so I plan on having a consultation with Jerry after Christmas to discuss my half sleeve. YIKES. I'm nervous. But I'm also beyond excited after thinking to myself several times "Man I really would like for this guy to work on my arm". I know I want more tattoos, but I am sort of struggling with the stigma that comes with being tattooed. I know, I need to put two middle fingers up and just get over it, sorrrryyyyy. I so look forward to hearing from everyone and learning all that I can. I've attached pictures of my tattoos for reference (with the exception of my first, I can't find a picture and I can't get a clear one by myself) . If I get the go-ahead from forum members about whether or not its okay to post Jerry's work for opinions, I'll do so. Other than tattoos I ride my r6, attend college, and different rock concerts. Wildly interesting, I am.

suit yourself bro - just try to help you get back on track which you kinda need help doing btw

Im guessing you stopped cause the artist ran out of black then? Looks good!

Only 6 weeks until the fun times begin. It will certainly help to break up the doldrums of the winter months. The wife and I are going to the store this weekend to pick out fundoshi fabric. "Just like buying curtains" I told her "....for my balls." Any suggestions for patterns? I shall pick a winner and wear it proudly.

@Graeme You should come to japan and I could do that for you. I put this on my friend and it's authentically really shitty! but you feel ok about getting the logo of Mike Vallely's band tattooed on you?

Congratulations, @Cork! Looks amazing!

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

I was very fortunate, my first tattoo was made very well and started me out on the right track. It is a black/grey St.Christopher with a colourful background of clouds and water to cap the top of my shoulder, which is now tied in to adjoining pieces. I had a couple of pals with a few nice tattoos who told me not to screw around. Just book an appointment with this dude named Steve (TheGangOfOne). Appointment was scheduled months in advance for the week in between finishing university and my 23rd birthday. I remember nervously asking Steve to redraw a couple times which he obliged ("look kid, I'm not drawing the Last Supper. You want a tattoo today or not?"). It was a very positive experience, except for the car accident on the way home aftewards (ironic for a St.Christopher tattoo perhaps)! When I asked how the tattoo would fade over time he told me tattoos look better as they age. I was puzzled. He said to come visit him in ten years and tell him otherwise. Eleven years later...he started my backpiece for me last week, the last puzzle piece! And i still get a lot of compliments on the blue ink, holding strong, really rich colour. I just smile and say the tattoo is a decade old.

@blackdots I feel that the bars should be poorly done. I've wanted some on me forever, well before I started getting tattooed, and I'm wondering if I should handpoke them on myself because it seems kind of wrong to have them done well.

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.

Hi @DragonFanSa! Welcome to Last Sparrow! I regret to hear that your tattoo experience has hit some bumps. With time, patience and the right artist it will all work out in the end. :) When something doesn't work out it is really easy to get into a space where you want to pursue corrections quickly. Sometimes, though difficult, it's good to just stop and take a breather. It will give you some mental and creative space to: 1) Get clear on what you want to change and how to best express that 2) Research some new artists, styles and ideas that will take you closer to your desired end result I got a tattoo once that wasn't terrible but sort of made me crazy from the moment it was finished and I waited, literally, years to change it. I got it re-worked into a larger piece that I am completely mad-crazy in love with. Living with it for a while allowed the emotional dust to settle and some objectivity to enter the picture in what I really wanted changed/didn't like about it. Also, don't be afraid to walk away from even a talented tattoo artist if there is no point of connection in your communication. It's not just about finding a good tattooer but the RIGHT, good tattooer for you. Trust yourself. If you need to see a drawing to feel more comfortable with what is going on, then find someone who will do that for you (as long as you are not micro-managing/controlling the process, of course. I know, I know...it's all about balance, right?:D ). I promise you, its is worth the wait, time, attention and money to find the right person with right skills who will facilitate good communication with you. All the best and good luck!

You have all probably seen this all ready but here is the session on my back piece from a week ago when I was visiting Rudy Fritsch at his shop Original Classic in Trieste, Italy. Had a super good stay in the city and the shop is truly amazing, I could be there for hours just looking at all of the originals on the walls from some of the best in the culture and also from Rudy himself. We had lunch the day after the session and he sure is a very interesting and inspiring person too. Beyond happy with how this is progressing! Next session with Iain Mullen, who is the other part of this collaboration, will be in Stockholm quite soon and then the three of us converge during the Scottish Tattoo Convention in Edinburgh early next year to put the finishing touches on this project. I am a lucky guy :)

Throwing the hat in. Newbie getting his second tattoo, 4 months after his first. I got this skull and dagger from Luke Wessman in NYC @ Wooster Street Social.

I met a girl, we talked tattoos, she's from az, shows me her legs done by roper, says they're friends and she can text him and give me a referral. Looks like I'm saving some money and flying to Arizona sometime this year. !!!! Also naturally me and this girl have been seeing each other. Life is cool sometimes.

Here's a couple of recent oils. The Rock of Ages is 5" x 7" on birch, the skull is 10" x 12" on canvas board. Both are for sale if anybody is interested.

Congrats, Bunny! I imagine finally getting that tattoo after seven years of waiting is a very satisfying feeling. Greg and I didn't get to two tattoos last night, since we got an unavoidable late start. We did go with the creepy Lo Pan hand holding a dragon that we were joking about the last time I was there. It's pretty much all a result of talking about Big Trouble in Little China with he and his coworker when I was the last one in the shop on my last appointment.

Finished another session tonight. Just banged out the stripes. I am so psyched with how the face is coming out. Have black in the tail up top then color hallelujah ! Cork man you should be beyond proud of that thing it's awesome. Edit: sorry about the sideways pics

Not mine, but great to see Kore Flatmo posting again, it's been close to a year!

first session - tiger on ribs... finished 2nd session with Scott Sylvia tying in new & old...super happy!!! :)

I finished this yesterday and I'm really happy with it. Which isn't to say that it's perfect, because there are a lot of things I'll do differently next time, but it was the best I could do and I'm proud of it.

Petri, great topic with a lot to think about. That's a really good Cliff Raven quote, too! It's strange, too, because I've been thinking a little bit about blackwork tattooing lately as I've been reading up on plains Indians (this is a really fantastic book on the Blackfeet, by the way if anyone has any interest) and learning about some basic things, especially how artwork reflected their beliefs and what was important in their lives.. seeing some old photos of the men and women, and gathering little tidbits about the importance of tattoos across different groups. Which also ties in to the sun dance that the Blackfeet participated in, incorporating some serious piercing… Anyway. I think this topic is pretty huge but I'll try keep it short. In my opinion, with tattoos, we're all struggling to apply ten million things to our bodies, most of which we’ll never fully understand. Aside from our struggle to reconcile our own mind and spirit with our physical world, we obviously latch on to art that we can identify with, be it music, tattoos, or the argument could even be made for clothing. And so much of it is ingrained in our culture and subconscious, it's tough to step outside those parameters, tattoo or otherwise. I do love blackwork tattoos and I do appreciate what those (growing) few have done and are doing by exploring different styles of the artwork. I do think it suits a lot of people but I think there's a certain... not problem, but maybe an uncertainty, when it comes to co-opting various styles and designs from other cultures. It's powerful and striking and instantly more "meaningful" or "exotic" than traditional western tattoos, but sometimes what happens is just a bunch of borrowing from other cultures. Now -- there's not necessarily anything wrong with it and, in fact, there's something very American -- and very human -- about that. We consume and incorporate and for the most part it's to understand and gain knowledge. And in that way, we create a new tattoo language, which is really exciting and maybe even necessary. All of this is to say, I’ve had a real, growing interest in blackwork/native tattooing as I’ve gotten older. And I think it’s because I’ve made myself think about things a bit more, try to understand the whys of tattooing and expression; whys that probably won’t ever be fully answered. I think folks that exploded the possibilities for our modern times, like Leo Zulueta, and those that are building on that foundation, like Thomas Hooper, have the right idea. When I mentioned “co-opting” and “borrowing” I didn’t mean it in the negative, I think that’s just our nature because we’re all trying to understand something we can’t put our finger on. Who knows – maybe as I get older I’ll get really into black-only tattoos. I identify a lot with both Celtic and American Indian designs but maybe that’s my own subconscious connecting slivers of my ancestry to my geography to my own search for meaning. I’m glad for the renewed interest in tribal tattoos, I just keep my fingers crossed people will treat it with respect.