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One from today by Bert Krak at SSTP:

Lars Krutak has written a fair bit about tattooing in Africa. I believe he has written books about this, but here are some things available online: Tattooing in North Africa, The Middle East and Balkans by Lars Krutak Tattoos of Sub-Saharan Africa by Lars Krutak TRIBAL TATTOOS of MOZAMBIQUE'S MAKONDE - by LARS KRUTAK I once worked with a woman from Senegal who was casually interested in tattoos are she talked a little bit about traditional tattooing in Senegal, nothing really in depth, but there is a tradition of tattooing there. In general, if you want good information, I'd spend less time on the Internet and more time talking with people. I would guess that Lars Krutak, who wrote the above articles, has an email address and probably does speaking engagements or lectures. You said that your nan doesn't like tattoos, but what about your other relatives? They may know things, and even if you don't get anything useful about tattoos in Ghana, maybe you'll get some good stories regardless. You're in the UK, right? I'd also suggest talking to guys like Curly, Alex Binnie, or Tomas Tomas because I can only assume those guys have a tremendous amount of knowledge and information about pre-technological tattooing, and I'm sure they'd be super happy to do a tattoo like this. Finally, you have access to some of the world's greatest libraries and universities, use those.

I posted this over in "http://www.lastsparrowtattoo.com/forum/general-tattoo-discussion/5952-thread-posting-while-getting-tattooed-page9.html#post107507" mid grind last night, but here's an update. Right ribs to arm pit and detailing out the right side. I'm still limited to what he puts on Instagram, so it's not close up and the lighting isn't great. But man this is getting me crazy happy! Although, of course, next session was supposed to be my last one ... but now it's not again... ;) But he can detail it out all he wants - I'm just in love. Ahhh, he just put up a detail shot. The right is finished - second pass on the blue and rays are next, and finishing the left ribs, then a final pass for whites and blacks. Stolen from Sean Zee's Instagram

Just got done with my chest/half sleeves from Horitomo at State of Grace. Took me a couple of years to get it all done since I had to fly there and book back to back sessions. First, here is a pic of my fucked up tattoo that I got when I was 18. Horitomo touched it up and incorporated it with his art. SOrry not sure why some photos are posting sideways, I have it upright when I loaded them. [/img] [/img] [/img]

my boston with his "'sup yo" face

My faked line idea is just one week away from being permanently placed on my right forearm! Getting so excited! It's like waiting for Christmas morning when I was a kid. Since it is for my right arm, I'll be using my left to handle my tablet (hoping they have wifi), and I'm so right-handed that it will be lucky to get anything to work. My left has a mind of its own.

i'm imagining this guy:

Small burning ? devil by Marc Nava at Da Vinci Tattoo

The best thing you can do is call the shop or send an email, lay down a deposit, and treat him/her professionally. Protocol should be the same whether the person is "famous" or not.

In my opinion, the back is the one unique piece of the body that was made for one giant piece. To each their own, but I don't think it gets much better than the scale and size of a full on back piece.

I think there is often a personal tie with the artist. This should bring back happy memories for her and I think that leaving the piece unfinished is not only a good thing to remind you of that tie, but also adds an immense amount of story to the piece to treasure and share when you have come to grips with the loss. As for sharing with the wife, why not seek out and ask someone else in the same shop? They would probably know how she has progressed in her grieving.

Mid grind. Lovin' the ribs and armpit. Not.

http://fc09.deviantart.net/fs71/f/2010/164/6/3/Laugh_Dragon_by_talpimado.gif

Here's an update on my back piece - love it :-) xccx

Those of you who follow Lee M Knight have probably already seen this one I got from him a few weeks back but here it is anyway. Done at Cult Classic Tattoo on my trip to England. Was a ripper bloke to get tattooed by and he went out of his way to make this tattoo happen!

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.

i'll put this up here, not all healed up yet but whatevs Untitled by misomad, on Flickr

This is more of a general comment on bereavement than this specific situation, but my observation is that people handle things in different ways. Sometimes you will meet someone who wants to talk about their deceased family member / spouse etc. and you can see that it's clearly helping them and it's part of their way of addressing things. On the other hand, there are people who are less keen on talking and here in Ireland at least I know that some people find it really difficult when, for months, they have to hear people's condolences endlessly. I fell into the latter category! It's not that I hate people, but I'm just not a big talker in that sense. I think in the situation described the key, at least as far as talking to the lady about the work you have, would be to suss out whether she is open to talking about something that personal.

Finished or unfinished is certainly fine either way with a situation like that, I'd say. Possibly he has a friend or two who could respect what he's done with it and bring the art to some closure, too. If I were the partner, I'd certainly want to see the old work. Just ask her before whipping it out. She might even have some ideas about who he might have liked to see it through, too.

Nah, too old to consider full coverage (and some very ugly varicose veins to preclude anything on the calves - which I might have considered otherwise.) There are other things for the cash to go to, also. Gotta think of those retirement years and the money to enjoy them. I'd love to see all 48 lower states by motorcycle. I have a few foreign places on my bucket list, but I want to see all of my home country first. All except big cities. Not a fan of cities. I'll continue to follow and be interested in inked skin, though. Had a ball at the Knoxville Tattoo Convention this year. A lot like a bike show. I love being around people freely enjoying and sharing their passion. It has the feeling of a powerful church service. custom tapatalk sig goes here

There is this really fantastic book I read last year as part of my research for something else I'm writing that discusses the concept of identity as neuroscience understands it in great detail, at a layman's level. It's called The Self Illusion, by Bruce Hood, and it draws many of the same conclusions about the myth of identity as the article. While the conclusions he draws are still contested in some circles, I don't think there's more evidence against them than there is for them. The 'tl;dr' take-away is that identity is an extremely vulnerable construct assembled from countless exterior pressures and events, organized into a narrative that our brains tell us in order to help us make sense of new information. It does this with an aim toward efficiency and survival, rather than accuracy; it's remarkable how fallible human memory can be (and memory can be entirely overwritten or altered with astonishing ease). It's this way by design, though; these things make us adaptable to new circumstances, more resilient in overcoming traumas, etcetera. There is no little person inside of us with a set register of traits, operating switches and levers in us with pre-defined consistency. We are an accumulation of impulses defined by experience, and what we think we know or feel about those experiences is more malleable than we realize. One of the central points of the book insofar as the studies it uses is that it's extremely easy to challenge even the most dominant values and beliefs of someone's identity under the right conditions, social pressures being what they are. Given the right parameters, a person will do things they'd never believe themselves capable of otherwise -- for better or worse. It could be that the fast and furious pace of social pressures we're experiencing these days via social media are responsible for causing people to seek out ways to define themselves in a more lasting manner... ...but it could also be that the fast and furious pace of social pressures we're experiencing these days via social media are pressuring people to get tattoos who wouldn't otherwise get them. This, I think, is a point the article probably glosses over too handily. People polish up the details of their lives and shovel them onto facebook, instagram, pinterest, and other people sit around judging their own lives based on these idealized representations from others. Someone still trying to figure out who they are spends six hours a day on pinterest, imagining what their life could be like, and somehow a dandelion-turning-into-birds tattoo becomes part of the landscape of social pressures that they're using to define themselves. It could have less to do with a lack they're filling, in other words, than a lack created by this idealized lifestyle they're constantly consuming. This is a long and rambling post, I know. I do think it's relevant to tattoos, and other people's reactions to tattoos, though; I think there's something very interesting about imposing permanent images on one's self, and folding them into your self-image, regardless of whether they have deliberate meaning or not. Inevitably they'll commemorate something, even if that isn't why they were gotten; even if that something is just the moment in time at which they were tattooed, and even if that moment in time wasn't special for any reason other than that the tattoo was being done. And that act -- commemoration, deliberate or otherwise -- is definitely a thing. The word itself revolves around memory, after all, and memory is the essential thing from which we construct identity. The tattoo is permanent, the memory consequently more likely to stick around, and I suppose that could matter, even if we never intended it to. Speaking generally, people tend to view permanent things with some wariness. I think they do that for a lot of reasons, but one of those reasons may be that it affixes them to some identity or other. People are prone to being heavily influenced by the social opinions and trends of others, obviously, and I think people don't like the idea of being trapped by any given identity. It makes them nervous. It feels final, and that finality is not conducive to adapting to the social fabric that surrounds us. I can understand why someone might look at a tattoo and be bewildered by the choice to mark one's self in a way that makes being a social chameleon less easy to do. They probably find that viscerally strange, even setting aside the social implications from earlier decades. ...which makes it interesting, to me, that so many people embrace deliberately changing themselves in such a permanent way. I can't think of many other ways that a person can change themselves with such permanent intention. You can make lifestyle changes, sure, but they're usually internal...certainly not so publicly observable. Don't get me wrong, here...I'm not suggesting that tattoos necessarily change anything about the tattooed individual, or that the choice to be tattooed necessarily indicates anything deeper than the desire to just get a really awesome tattoo. I just think it probably can, given what we know about how human beings create their sense of self, and I find it really fascinating to think about what a unique relationship tattoos could have with the way our own subconscious forms our narrative of identity. I think there's probably something special about the mental attitude of anyone who can fearlessly embrace a permanent change to their self image as it's perceived by others. That all being wordily said, I think it's pretty dumb to try to psychoanalyze anyone based on the actual tattoos they have. These are interesting concepts in theory, but people are just so different...I don't know that I'd ever be comfortable making assumptions about this kind of thing with anyone, ever. Anywho. Long-winded insomnia blabbering over!

i tell ya the more coverage i get the more i see the blank spots haha this is NOT good anyway -i find myself trying to balance out not it terms of content / theme more in terms of general coverage 11 and 12 coming up in jan - placements still up the air somewhat my current work varies in 'size' if you will ranging from 3 hour to 10 hour (multi session) pieces upcoming works are each 3-4 hour pieces give or take currenty i have right upper arm x1, left upper arm x1, left chest x1, rt rib x1, right lower leg x3, left lower leg x2, left thigh x1 future placements will be left rib, right upper chest, right thigh, and then the back - ah the back - definitely going there but i have to consider if i just want to add individual pieces or do i think full piece

@MadeIndelible thanks so much man!!!

my girl head faces forward and my fudo faces backwards. the fudo stencil was originally placed looking forward but the tattooer felt that it didn't look "right" with the heads neatly stacked and facing the same direction. moral of the story is get tattooed by todd noble and eddy deutsche

Good tattoos aren't really that expensive in comparison to what I see acquaintances spend on motorcycles, travel and cocaine.

Thanks for the shout out. I hope you are doing well.

i'm not going to clutter up the board by making a thread for it but.. today i made my first tattoo, and i thought i would share it with you all. i have been apprenticing for a bit and was given my first pair of machines last month. today he let me put this small design on my cousins thigh next to tattoos by all my favorites. was incredibly nerve racking but turned out better than i expected :D

If you ultimately desire to be tattooed by <famous> tattooer...shoot them an email and be prepared to wait. Be polite, clear and concise on what you want, demonstrate you are serious. No need to disclose who your Plan B artists are at the shop at this point. I'd wait to see what (and perhaps if) you get a response. If you get turned down or don't want to wait, then you could ask for a recommendation of his colleagues. I waited patiently for 2 years to get my back started by my tattooer. I kept in contact every few months after he said he was into the project. Eventually got measured up. And then suddenly it was "we can start next Tuesday or Thursday". He's in high demand and has the luxury of choosing the projects that are up his alley. But I'm sure he gets bombarded by emails. So be patient. Good things come to those who wait...

What on earth is a "laughing" dragon?

Dude, you've got a massive tiger on your back! That tiger spirit is you now, you have no choice but to be brave, you got this, piece of cake ;)

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.

So far we've got either a dragon or tighty whities. I also like the idea of the backwards robe (I have one with my initials), knee high ski socks, and a stocking cap. Pair this with a sherlock style bubble pipe and the look will be complete.

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.

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

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:

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.

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.

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!

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.

The thing about that video is that I'm pretty sure the whole thing is meant to be tongue-in-cheek, sort of like Oliver Peck and Thomas Hooper are playing caricatures of themselves. The palm still seems horrible though.

Had a massive 20 min session today. Added some more Germanic Runes.

Angel Tyrael with Giger wings. Angel Tyrael healed, wings fresh. Tattooed by Tommygunn, Belfast City Skinworks, Belfast. I am beyond happy with it :) Next session in May 2015.

Was lucky enough to get some work from Chris Conn last night. 1st session, halo and color next time. Ill try to post a better pic later. By the way.... one of the nicest guys I've ever met.

My buddy jaie came to town so i had him stick this dagger on my shin.

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.

Haven't read the article as of yet, but responding to the extract and replies. Just my 2d's worth: You can't lump everyone into one group, yes we are all tattooed and we have a love and appreciation for the art but that is where the similarities end. We're all from different age groups, different cultures and countries. And we all have different reasons for getting tattooed. The person who decides to get something tattooed because they like the design, that reason is no more or less valid than someone who spends years deciding. Likewise it makes no difference if there is a meaning behind the tattoo or not. It always bemuses me how people try to analyse the tattooed. I haven't heard of someone analysing why people buy (for arguments sake), Monet over Picasso. It's a little bug bear of mine. Yes, a lot of us get tattooed to mark an occasion but some people buy new clothes, shoes or a bag so what is the difference? None, in my opinion. Do these people get analysed? No, I'm sure they don't. As for idenity, it can be said that people's clothes and/or make up identify them. Sorry, this reply kind of turned into a rambling/mini rant.

@polliwog - I agree with you that "A lot of the most fervent defining seems to be done by people looking at the tattoos, rather than the actual tattooed person." The article is a thoughtful read, but it also needs to be understood in the context of what the vast majority of tattoos are, i.e. those tiny infinity symbols and whatever. The kind of work folks on this board get is not the norm, and so our reasons and attachment to tattoos is probably not going to conform to that data super well either. I do often get tattooed to mark particular moments in my life or transitions. I have many tattoos that to me did feel like alternative rites of passage where there were no "mainstream" ones (getting a tattoo to mark finishing my PhD, for example), so I can relate to some of what the article is saying. But I have two principal issues with it nonetheless. First of all, I hate these strange studies of "identity" because they make it seem like this rigid, easily defined concept. I mean, I feel like I have a strong sense of who I am and am searching for who I am at the very same time, and I imagine that is true for most people. I find their discussion of that stuff very over-simplified. Second, I am fucking sick of all these millenials articles, and I am not even a millenial! But like seriously, the desire to cast each new generation as a bunch of iconoclasts with no connection to the past is insane. Millenials are not a fundamentally different kind of person than the rest of us, and writing like they are some kind of alien culture that must be studied makes me crazy. Like we live in a weird world where we are increasingly less and less attached to communities that traditionally defined us. So yeah, we're all searching, and maybe tattoos help us with some of that searching and maybe they don't. We invest a huge amount of time and money (and blood!) into them, so obviously they mean a lot to us and impact our identities. DUH; I would have a hard time disputing any of that. But trying to turn it into some kind of "definition of a generation" psychobabble is a bit much.

That's where it lays. I got some old mates, who have been around, who are also into tattoos, but none of them can fathom the heavy suit approach like punching the armpits solid, in through the groin area solid. It's the attitude that gets you to the stage of firstly making the decision, committing to it then finally sitting through it. There's so much more to that statement than meets the eye as the attitude forms years beforehand. It's the attitude that separates the wishers from the doers.

show is bumming me out lately - i power watched the first four seasons this summer and this rivals thing just has come up lame for me - i will still watch though - ha - its a family affair - my kids love it and wife too - so its fun but yeah the drama being the focal point is too bad more ink - less nonsense would be better would rather see them do a weekly profile of a contestant - showing footage and work and interviews - i dont know - anything but that ultra contrived couch talk setup where they film what seems to be a pretty scripted drama fest