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Chipped away a few more hours on my back. I think we're pretty much done the black shading, I think there's some greys to do in the water still, we still have to figure out the scales or patterns on the snake, but we're making progress. All work, as always, by Dave Cummings of PSC Tattoo.

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.

Yesterday I went to Liberty Tattoo for a short little appointment with Mark Cross, who had a guest spot. Got a little scorpion on my unmarked arm. No pictures posted yet, but I mention it because as I was standing around afterward pre-wrapping, somebody came up to me and said 'hey, you're on Last Sparrow, right?' It was nice meeting you and the wife and friend, @Avery Taylor! Thanks for all of the kind words. I hope you guys enjoyed the party. Sorry to run out in a hurry -- sometimes living on an island and being ruled by ferry times is a drag.

Been lurking for awhile. Dome really good info here. My first tattoo was done this past Aug (Maple Leaf Poppy) Angel was done Nov 4 and the pocket watch with roses was done Nov 12. Pic was taken shortly after getting the last tattoo. Angel is still peeling. What of you think of my ink. Welcome all honest opinions.

Finally started my back piece after what feels like forever. Getting it done by Scott Duncan. He rules. Got the majority of the outline from shoulders to a bit into my ass done. Totally sucked, especially around the sides/love handles. Back in January to hopefully finished lining the ass and things. The crew at the shop (sugar shack) are amazing so that helped. Just had my first shower after a bit ago. My boyfriend had the unfortunate pleasure of hearing my complaining while he cleaned it. I owe him an extra gift under the tree.

I know that @MrsGougeTheEyes has one on her forearm that I believe she got from Cody Miller and I'll vouch for it being super rad. Also @polliwog won a Tattoo of the a Month contest with a big rad fuck off Chad eagle. I think Chad's eagles are the best, they're so powerful. I don't know how much my opinion counts for here, but I'm going to say that eagles on women (or on men) are pretty fucking badass.

Yup, I love my Chad eagle, and if anything I wish I'd gone bigger with it. And I want another one. I'm also totally un-badass - though to my mind yoga instructors are pretty tough, since yoga kicks my butt every time I try it. I feel like eagles combine power and grace with toughness in a way that still feels natural and not try-hard on a pretty nerdy person like me. I couldn't get away with a dagger on my forearm or something.

Look's great @Mush and @Graeme. Chugging along! Isn't it crazy how a little background really makes the image jump out.

^^^ Where are the cries for commiseration with a bunch of you lately?!? Where are the laments for massive itchification and scratching and sticking to the sheets? For color loss and cankles and other assorted swellings and dangling precariously over toilet seats? I propose a new rule for LST - Thou shalt not come to the commiseration thread and happily dance about in joy that your healing is going beautifully. <insert repeated lashings with a well-used fundushi>

@Rawok Toronto has some amazing female tattoo artists, Pearl Harbor has Glennie Whittal (who I've been tattoed by a couple of times now, Lissa Vino, Jennifer Lawes (who I need to be tattoed by) and the incredible Alex Snelgrove at The Okey Doke - Vancouver also had a terrific shop called Liquid Amber who had some great female artists.

"Involuntary twerking." Ok, well, there is that. Involuntary, you say. (And, freaking amazing!)

You're just jealous, homie. Today was okay except for when he did some extra lines around my crack. Goddamn I hate lining. There was a bunch of involuntary twerking as well, that was interesting. Thanks @Iwar!

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

Everything is healed properly so it's time post some pics of my completed sleeve. It use to be a 2/3 sleeve but had it completed to a full one. Let me know what you all think.

@Marwin3000 - nice save!

I'm on my fourth day of healing a piece on th outside of my lower arm! Everything is going great so far. I always use Aquaphor the three first days, and after that I'm using a mild lotion! Works wonders for me!

welp just got another appointment with robert ryan for january 2nd but down at electric in NJ this time. getting my hand tattooed 4 days later by max kuhn. starting the year off right, i'd say ;)

I'm thinking about sweet eagle tats, and possibly having one, or three, on me. Are there any ladies out there with some good strong eagles on them? I do think of eagles as more of a masculine back piece/ chest piece, and I'm no tougher than a geriatric miniature poodle. To be clear, I'm not asking for opinions of what to do with my body. I'm wanting to get feedback/pics regarding eagles on chicks, from chicks with eagles, or dudes that love chicks with sweet eagle tats. I'm also not opposed to finding out whose eagles are so good that they make you mad.

Super stoked on your behalf @Cork! Congratulations man. Looks amazing!

Lookin' good @Graeme!!

Get a haircut, hippy! It's blocking my view. Looks like today was a brutal session, but damn, it's already great.

I just went with a plain white sheet fabric. Now it looks like a rainbow though. Mostly red.

I didn't buy a fundoshi before starting my back because the shop I'm getting it done at just doesn't seem like that kind of place (it's pretty old school in all the right ways) so I've been wearing a sock...but after six sessions I think I should just get a fundoshi. I saw one on eBay with a dragon pattern so I'd vote for that if you can find the fabric.

@Mush Looking great and that seems like it was a really serious session! You're killing it!

I got yesterday new tattoo on my "Prodigy leg"... The incredible, famous and terrible song "Smack my Bitch Up" has now find a place on my body For those who know the video clip, I assume I took care to carefully respect the atmosphere...

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

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

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!

#1 AC/DC Rock or Bust My number one only because It's the only album I've bought all year. (no new Social D album this year)

You could call it a rule, or you could call it a design principle - so the tattoo flow looks right. If the head faces backwards, the tattoo will always be in conflict with the wearer, moving opposite to the body. Rules are meant to be broken! But if you are breaking more rules (or principles) than you are following you lose a lot of the focus on the piece. That being said, I have a tattoo where the head of a dive bombing eagle faces backwards, but the momentum and body of the eagle fits with the flow of the body with the placement. I think it works in the context of my surrounding tattoo works and also on its own.) To the OP, if you put the beak on the shoulder, the body of the crow will remain static and the beak may twist awkwardly with the arm. It may look distorted if the design and placement isn't correct. But if you find a legit artist, they can tell what they can make work and (hopefully) will make your crow design look like it was always meant to be there on your body. The tattoo becomes part of you. Tattoos need to look good on their own, but more importantly tattoos (and placement) need to look good on the wearer, to flow with the body and move through life. ---- ps...and trust me, after you get a bunch of rad tattoos on your chest/back/torso, you'll be going shirtless more often than you'll care to admit! haha

So many people have bulging discs, and report such varying degrees of discomfort, that there's no way to know. There's a big mental component when it comes to back and neck injuries IMO. Some people with a bulging disc take months off work sick and really struggle when someone else with a full blown herniation might be still doing everything they were doing before. For what it's worth I have a couple of bulging discs and never felt them to be an issue getting my back done other than to experience some added stiffness from needing to sit still so long. Objectively speaking I can't see why the tattoo process would reach deep enough to interfere with anything going on at the level of the spine.

Thanks to everyone for the awesome advice & encouragement! I am proud to say that my back piece is now finished!! Woohoo! Did my full back in three days! Here's a pic for those interested :) Artist: Erin Chance, Guest tattooing at: Sacred Tattoo, Auckland, New Zealand

I've never gotten a tattoo as a 'show piece'.. infact some of the tattoos i have that I love the most are in areas only the people very closest to me ever see.. and FYI we all know what the human body looks like... posting photographs of your body parts isn't gonna get you better tattoo advice ;)

no superman, no numbers. full on eagle across the chest. you won't regret it.

this isn't your first season is it? Then you surely know about ringworm and the legion of other skin diseases you can get. I wrestled 125 at your age, and a healing tattoo is not something you want while in season. Don't get your weight class tattooed on you, that's dumb. If you continue to wrestle your weight will fluctuate and you will end up in different weight classes. And once you stop, say when you start college, you will gain weight - lots of it. Forget 103. Personally, I'd say no to the superman logo. It might be funny to you and your friends now. But just imagine explaining that to strangers out of school. Or ripping your shirt off in front of them. Anyways, everything that's been said is solid advice - follow it if you want to

1) wait till off season when wrestling and training won't fuck up a healing tattoo 2) wait a month before prolonged sun exposure 3) eagle 4) Panther 5) eagle fighting panther 6) eagle with superman logo on its chest 7) 'Supereagle' fighting Bizarro Panther Damn I could go like this for hours