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Above is a picture of me laying like a passed out pale seal on Iain Mullens table. Today was the second to last session on my back. Can't wait to see it finished. We're doing the last bit and touch ups with Rudy Fritsch at the Scottish Convention in the end of March. Going to be fun/hell. Todays session was nice except for a few bits. I can't believe how quick this piece has been. I got the idea to start my back in April last year, asked Iain about it and then we started in mid June. It really helps that both him and Rudy work super quick and make for good company + conversations during the sessions. Secret bit of knowledge exclusively for LST (I know people love that exclusiveness, I sure do): that ain't a dark red, but actually a light gray wash looking bloodied and irritated. Haven't got a piece of color on me, except for a few patches of gray and white.

got this ganesh yesterday thanks to robert ryan @ electric tattoo in asbury park, nj

It's done. We're done. Except for a touch-up and tweaking session after this heals. Did the left ribs from love handle to arm pit (none of which you can see here), detailed the 3 fish on the left, finished up the eagle rays, ship wreck mast and the blue. Right now it's 29 hours after we finished and I'm still trashed. Healing this one is going to be special. But of course, since it didn't show up on his Instagram, all I am left to share is an in-progress pic he posted about 7 hours in! (Which coincidentally was the same time I was complaining over on the "Thread to post while getting tattooed" thread that I was running on fumes.) This is just before the final push to finish the eagle rays, ship wreck mast, blues and highlights in the middle. (Funny enough, at the time, I didn't realize it was also the final push to finish THE WHOLE TATTOO!) We're taking healed shots in a few weeks and I'll post the final results. For now, I'm just gonna curl up on the couch and nurse my tattoo flu.

Finished my back on Friday night (well, Saturday at 5:30 am). It was a hell of a ride - it took almost exactly a year of sessions every 2-3 weeks. We'll do a final session after this heals to tie the bow on it. This tattoo was made by Sean Zee out of Brick, NJ from pictures I've taken while scuba diving. I gave him 50-some pictures and a wish list, and he selected about 15 shots to create this scene. These pics were taken on 4 continents from 1998 through 2013 using (mostly) a Nikonos V underwater camera with an SB-105 strobe, UW Nikkor 35mm, 28mm, and 15mm f2.8 fisheye lenses, Sea & Sea (no relation) macro kit and Nikonos closeup kit. Sean is a great guy, dedicated and amazingly creative. It boggles my mind how artists just "see" stuff like this and make it happen. He put up with a lot of questions and "what ifs" and "why nots" from this nearly virgin canvas (as he likes to say, "this woman only had lil kitty paw prints on her shoulder before this"), explaining to me all the ways this tattoo would NOT work, and ended up just putting it on the table that it really needed to be a full back if I wanted so many references. And to prove it, he designed the whole thing superimposed on a picture of my bare back and emailed it to me. I remember the moment I saw it for the first time and it shorted out my brain. I committed to the full back about 20 minutes after I got the email. (And I admit at the time I did not understand in the least what I was in for...) Kinda funny, thinking back on it, how all the chatter and uncertainty and 14 years of wanting some sort of tattoo with my eagle rays were completely silenced and resolved in a heart beat. Anyway... So, the critters making appearances, starting at the top right and going clockwise are: two moon jellyfish, two Moorish idols, two clownfish and anemone, a batwing coral crab and mustard tube sponges just behind him, a leopard moray eel, two squirrelfish hiding in red sea fans that cross my lower back, a sea snake in lettuce coral (very poisonous, which I didn't realize until after I'd crawled up in his face to take the picture and then been admonished by the divemaster after the picture was developed), a queen angelfish and a hammerhead shark. In the center are two spotted eagle rays and the broken mast of the Nippo Maru, a Japanese supply ship sunk during WWII by US forces in Truk Lagoon, Micronesia. When I look at this, I don't just see a tattoo of fish. It's a diary of my favorite diving experiences. Each part has such different memories of the location, the people I was with, and the experience on that dive. (Yeah, poisonous sea snake. Whoopsie on that one. And the clownfish was actually guarding a little ring of day-old eggs. And trying to photograph moon jellies in a surge without being hit is like playing a 3D video game. And that I really really wanted my spotted moray eels but Sean said the pattern wouldn't age well, so with resigned sadness, my handsome spotted moray had to morph into a leopard moray. Sniff Sniff.) All of this flooding my brain at the same time. And then I get this goofy grin on my face thinking about walking around with this huge awesome back piece that anyone I know would be shocked to learn I have. He put up a little video where you can see the ribs, too: Video of SeeSea's Back. Healed pics coming to an LST contest near you. I want a T-shirt, dammit :D

@ironchef I. Can't. Even. It hurts my feelings its so good.

Here's a photo of my winged lion by Valerie Vargas, its quite big so a little distorted and wraps a lot, it's only a start but I love it was such a great experience and a lovely shop and atmosphere, plus it's like the first tattoo I've had in six years that's needed more than one sitting, looks like il be visiting home again sooner rather than later

I went on a cruise alone the week of Christmas. I ate like shit most of the trip but I managed to go to the gym 3 times on the ship. Had a blast on the Quantum of the Seas (Royal Caribbean) Came back and been hitting the gym really hard and watching what I eat. Not a new years resolution just trying to add to my massive weight loss. I'm feeling great the last week!!!

Part two of my Simpsons in Space leg sleeve! Keep in mind that there will eventually be a black space background so the helmets do not look right yet. For example the circles will be stars. I posted part one here a while ago but here it is if you missed it. and here is part two on the other side. Work is being done by Rev. J.R. out of Vicious Ink in Rochester Hills MI. Next up, Mr Burns and Smithers! - - - Updated - - - whoops, those are way bigger than I intended, sorry about that.

Next session on my backpiece tomorrow, with Iain Mullen. We're doing the flames that goes on both sides of the ribbs and down the ass a bit. It's going to suck.

Just booked in with Franz Stefanik to start work on my stomach. Starting with a devil's head, then we'll see what happens next.

Happy New Year LSTers!!! The rules: The tattoo picture that gets posted in this thread for January 2015 with the most 'likes' for the month wins! The contest starts on the first of the month and ends on the last day of the month. Your tattoo picture must be posted in this thread (both tattooers and tattoo customers can win) in order to qualify. Include with your photo/post...tattoo artist name & tattoo shop. You MUST be the one who has the tattoo or did the tattoo. You can 'like' as many tattoos as you want. It can be a finished or in progress tattoo. You cannot enter the same tattoo in more than one contest. Sorry for posting this a day late you guys!

Good point about the State Fair. The MN State Fair is almost like a bad tattoo contest- although there are plenty of very good ones as well and all are fun to see. I actually had an elderly lady come up to me once and say that mine was the best tattoo she had seen all day. She was talking about the Koi flower pot with Thai peppers that is my avatar pic.

Late start to tattoos has it's advantages. I got my first at 38 or 39 and still have a lot of space for more. Welcome.

Welcome! Ditto on the share?

Such a stellar tattoo sir. Congrats!

Just figured out what this spring is going to be like, travel-wise. In somewhat chronological order, four trips 1. 9 days: Istanbul with my girlfriend. 2. 3-4 weeks: Copenhagen and Bruxelles to visit one some of my best friends who just moved -> Toulouse for a tattoo -> Barcelona for a tattoo (->Paris/Amsterdam?) -> London and or Cornwall -> Edinburgh for the tattoo convention and finish my backpiece with Rudy and Iain 3. 1 week: Very north of Sweden, with my parents and brother (and maybe two dear friends), to visit relatives and do wild life shit 4. 3-4 weeks: Berlin to visit friends -> Krakow -> Lviv to visit old study buddy -> Kiev for my cousins wedding -> St. Petersburg to visit a new friend (-> Moscow?) Actually, I haven't done this recently.. what I did do was to make a decision to work less and enjoy life a bit in the near future. Bye bye all my hard earn cash. Bring on the fun times, adventures and inspiration!

Baby shed Gosh, today the baby chameleon and I are hanging out, peeling.

I've been in a relationship with one woman who had a single tattoo (quite big skull wearing a crown, and snake or dagger, on her lower leg) and I've been with some women who really liked my tattoos a lot (fascination, more or less of sexual nature) and wanted to talk about them and about how they percieved me because of them, that it was a turn of for them and so on. Honestly, I don't care for being some object of fetishism for a person that I care about and who knows me well (for a one night stand it can be a fun game to play though) And I don't really like talking at length about (my) tattoos with people without their own, and with little understanding, taste and knowledge of the art (usually goes hand in hand) My girlfriend as of a few months back has a really good approach to it, which makes me feel very comfortable. In the meantime I've been chipping away on my backpiece and gotten four other tattoos. It took a long time before we said anything more about my tattoos than the fact that they are all over my body. She knows that tattoos are important for me (and as with anything I'm passioned about she is encouraging) but since it's not an interest we have in common we seldom speak about it. She is mildly positive towards tattoos, but has none herself (she was going to get the logo of her punk band tattooed but it's been postponed indefinitely) She likes my tattoos and she doesn't think it's a big deal whenever I talk about the next one. I can show her tattoos on instagram and I can feel that she is starting to "get it" more and more, but she is not doing it to please me, she's honest. She is also very well rounded when it comes to taste in culture in general and appriciates different art forms, I think it helps. I don't know if this was such a good explination of how tattoos sits in our relationship, but for a plainskin I must say she has an amazing attitude. As for myself, I'm turning more and more into a snob when it comes to tattoos and I would much rather be with someone with no tattoos than someone with bad tattoos. It's not often that I come across a woman with really great tattoos and a lot of coverage, but when I do see someone like that : god damn, it's hot!

Haha, thanks @KBeee we all knit differently, but it's the end result that counts right? :) Not knitted in ages, because am currently working like crazy on a non-knitting project.

Congrats @Cork!!!!

Congrats @Cork. Killer tattoo!

Even if there were a lot of entries, the second I saw your post I knew immediately contest over hahaha Good work and congrats homie.

Was looking like a slow start to 2015 for me but things changed quickly. Coming up between now and end of March: Bryan Randolph Jeff Rassier Tim Lehi Theo Mindell We are spoiled in the Bay Area...

It's very interesting reading everyone's responses. Thanks to everyone for getting involved. I was never under any pretence that a traditional eagle was a remarkable new idea and I knew full well that Bert's version comes from a long history of traditional flash. As a result of that I certainly don't begrudge anyone for getting one. I'm sure in fact that there are plenty hidden amongst these forums and galleries. On reflection, and after a bit of common sense, the similarity between the two eagles is not something that worries me that much. I really like mine and will continue to get a lot of pleasure from it. I do however think the issue of copying will be something that keeps raising it's head in this art form we all love, and that's something that it would be interesting to keep hearing people's thoughts on.

Yesterday, by Trevor @ Liberty Tattoo Seattle.

Oh god, this reminds me of a story i heard from one of the guys at Frith Street (i won't say who, not my place). Anyone who's been to Frith Street will know it's not the biggest of shops (they've moved the counter now to create more floor space, but this took place before the move). You walk down the steps, open a door and you're staring right at the counter, with probably 4 people tattooing 4 feet in front of you, and an area for clients to sit around on your side of the counter. From what i recall one of the non tattooers in the shop was talking a couple through some options for a tattoo - at this point one of the resident tattooers comes down the stairs, walks past this couple and notices that the guy is... how do i phrase this tactfully... allowing his hands to fly south for the winter. He must have been pretty discreet to hide it from the people on the tattooing side of the counter, but i mean come on! Who the fuck behaves like that! I'm pretty sure neither of them got a tattoo that day

Cringing for Graeme - I can't believe people would pick lining over shading! This is full back lining we're talking about; it's in a special category of mind blowing.

Cross posting from the latest tattoo thread, this is after session 1 of... i don't know how many... with Marius Meyer

So we have finally started the shading on my back piece. It's a great feeling to be filling in all those lines. There's a long way to go but here is a picture of the first bit of shading we have done on the back of my leg.

I have no visible tattoos. My back is always covered. My 4 year old granddaughter saw the big sea scene for the first time the other day. She just stared, and them immediately tried to rub it off! And it wouldn't come off! Then she tried to rub harder. But when I asked her if she could find Nemo - bam, she picked him right out. Kids are fun.

It's funny because while it seems a lot of people worry about looking balanced, I've always been more attracted to an asymmetrical look. For example, maybe having a 3/4 sleeve on one arm and a full or half on the other, with the opposite side ribs done on the short sleeve side, etc etc. I'm still early on in my tattoo experience but the more time goes by and the more I take in the culture, the less and less I care about uniformity and the more it's just fun to get tattooed.

Hi! I got my tattoo last Saturday, November 15, and my artist used Saniderm on it (This is my very first tattoo of my life, I decided to go big or go home lol). I still have not been able to take a picture of my back with Saniderm because I just have a hard time twisting my back (It's painful!) but I will try to take a picture of the tattoo covered with Saniderm tonight using a mirror. The picture I posted is from 10 minutes after the tattoo was completed. So he applied Saniderm 15 minutes after completing the tattoo. This started leaking ink and blood everywhere and I had to use two layers of clothing to prevent it from messing up my bed that night. Then the day after I went back to the tattoo shop to take it out, get cleaned, and replace it with another new Saniderm cover. This time there have been no leaks so far. Today is the 4th day of my tattoo and my Saniderm is still sticking. Here is my question: 1) Can I leave it on for as long as I can? I was thinking of even keeping it on until next Satuday (That would make 6 days of covering) 2) Do you use any cream on top of the film or do you just leave it on and do nothing? 3) I was given a couple of sanitizing/moisturizing cream jars by my artist. I guess I will have to start using them after I take my tattoo off. How often would you use it in a day? 4) Also, how long will it take to stop feeling tender? I can't wait to go back to the gym! Thank you for your help!

I love this post, and especially the last sentence of it. I wish I'd understood earlier that spaces and asymmetries are ultimately temporary and to not worry about looking lopsided and needing to balance things out right away. Then again, while I never planned on getting just one tattoo, I also never planned getting as much coverage as I currently have, and I think one the super cool things about tattoos is that you end up with a more or less permanent record of the process of figuring things out. I may not have always made the choices that I would knowing what I do now, or will in the future, but that's tattoos. I totally agree with the sense of freedom that comes when you decide you're going to be more or less fully covered. Having a back piece in progress has been pretty wild in terms of how much of my body is getting tattooed in a fairly short period of time.

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

This is NOT my back yard, but I wish it was! So much fun! https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=10151658937849364

Well I received the grand price today :) Unfortunatly I can't show the t-shirt together with the backpiece, but at least I got some sleeves that pair nicely with the t-shirt ;-) (and yes, I'm sooo wearing this tomorrow to the office :) )

oh ya ! this is my goof ! she is the love of my life, . .

Yeah, up to the fence. There is land beyond it that's not ours, and a herd (pack?) of deer that wander around. The chipmunks are going nuts right now chasing each other around the patio. Drives the cats nuts!

Wait, is that YOUR yard? I am so jealous!

We've been blaming it on that reeeaalllly smart squirrel who spends hours practicing his gymnastic skills at the bird feeder. But no... "

Nothing better to do on a sunny Sunday afternoon than hang out in the park with this goof:

This is my buddy, Goku the ferret from work and my baby girl, Fiori.

My cat was judging my beverage of choice the other night. (A good many of you have already seen this.)

if i fits...i sits

Don't worry, the ones that don't think you friendly/approachable are the ones you probably don't want to be friends with/approached by, anyway.

Hello! Just chipping in to say that I don't think having lots of visible tattoos necessarily makes you unapproachable. I was at a wedding a few weeks ago, and wore a red halterneck dress. After the ceremony and dinner, I felt comfortable enough to take my cardigan off, thus displaying tattoos over both arms, and the top half of my backpiece. I found that whilst obviously I drew a few double-takes, people felt if anything more able to approach and even touch me - one male guest even attempting a peek down the back of my dress (without my prior consent, I might add!). I have very short buzzed hair, and am also pretty tall at 5 foot 10 - so you'd think I'd cut a rather imposing figure, but my husband tells me I have a nice open face, and I am very smiley and talkative so I think that overrides any potentially negative impression given by my tattoos. Perhaps if I'm having a bad day people might give me a wider berth.

Today I got my kneecap done by Franz Stefanik at The Okey Doke. 1 down.