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Finally get to post in this thread!! Screen capped right off Instagram. Karl Lark/Bert Grimm? lady head flip by Jason Phillips at FTW in Oakland, CA. Ribs are brutal. But I'm stoked on the end result. Felix by Adrian Sanchez at FTW in Oakland, CA for their 14 Year Anniversary Party. I've always wanted a Felix tattoo. It fit perfectly in the spot.

drove down to portland to get this. underrated tattooer.

Don't tell me that people walked into a shop or picked up a phone, talked to a human being, looked through a portfolio and then made up his or her mind and booked something (or not), because that's obviously crazy.

Weatherholtz is a great tattooer and he can do just about anything. You won't be sorry! And to top it all off, he's a super nice dude with a really positive attitude. As far as the, "How did you guys know these places are good shops?" it just comes from looking at thousands of tattoos, getting thousands of tattoos (collectively) and being exposed to situations where you can see tattoos in person. Just keep researching, keep looking and learning, and go visit shops and get tattooed. And disregard Yelp entirely. After a while there will be a moment when you say something like, "Wow, those lines are so clean, and I love those little tips of purple he snuck into those leaves." And you'll probably think, "Huh. Where'd I learn to look for THOSE things?"

Tattoos were invented sometime in the early 2000s. 2003 I think. There was no tattooing prior to that.

arters gonna art

Just for clarification's sake, I didn't mean "Brooklyn" in terms of any attitude there. From my very limited experience of the shop, both from me getting tattooed and seeing other people getting tattooed there, some of which were "normal", ie not collector-type, people, they are friendly, professional, and make everybody feel welcome there. I meant "Brooklyn" more in the sense that things are very carefully and deliberately put together a way that you often see in Brooklyn.

@marley mission I got a walk-in from Eli in 2011 and it's a cool shop. What they do isn't really what I'm looking for anymore, personally, but it's a neat place, the flash is gorgeous, and it's totally the sort of place you can go without having anything in mind. That's what I did and I ended up with a cool wolf head. There was a sheet up that I believe Dan did that had the headless Acéphale man on it and I've toyed with getting that at various points over the years, but the idea doesn't sit totally right with me. Anyway, there's a LOAD of great stuff on the walls ranging from tried and true classics to stuff that's pretty far out there and still looks classic. I'd also recommend that you check out Electric Tattoo in Asbury Park. I haven't been to the new shop, but the old one in Bradley Beach is one of the neatest shops I've been in. It has walls covered in hand-painted flash too, there are great tattooers there (I got tattooed by Tom Yak, my wife got one from Robert Ryan), but it feels far less "Brooklyn" than Smith Street is. There's really good vibes at Electric.

hey friends! Short little session on Saturday with Scott at Sugar shack, I was feeling quite sick so we only did a bit, background down the left side and gave the tiger some stripes. Really wished I could have gone longer. Since finishing I havent been able eat much without puking. Its been a shitty couple days. Really hope to have a good long session next time, hopefully finish background down the ass and thighs.

Beautiful lady arms! Here's mine, along with some unasked for lady back and butt (in progress). All of mine are done by the same tattooer, Gemma Pariente at Full Circle. I don't think sleeves are masculine on a woman, get what you wish, epic tattoos are for everyone.

This topic came up in the shop the other day, I'd like to get some perspectives from tattooed folks who live in other areas of the country and the world. It was Friday, I had just gotten to work and it was just me, Carlos, and Sean that day. Our 14th anniversary party was the following day and the shop had just painted 10 sheets of over 120 original designs for people to come in and pick from at the party. Between expressing our excitement about getting to tattoo fun designs all the next day, and mentioning how glad we were that it was so busy this January after a slow December, we got to wondering! How does a shop full of flash affect the flow of business? FTW is located at the very tip of North Oakland, just a couple of blocks south of the Berkeley border on Telegraph Avenue, which runs all the way down to Downtown Oakland. We are just across the bay from San Francisco, and in Alameda County alone there are over 200 shops. 200 tattoo shops! Is it a coincidence that the 3 busiest shops in Oakland, one of which is ours, is a street shop with flash, paintings, and classic tattoo iconography covering every inch of space? The bay area is undeniably changing. If you are looking for a place to live in the bay area, asking rent changes on a monthly basis and it's definitely not going down. With the sudden and dramatic influx of money to the area, it seems as though tattoo shops are gentrifying as well, becoming more like salons and art galleries, and less like street shops. With that being said, there is still a very large population of lower-income working class people who I would easily say are still the majority of folks here. Anyone who has worked in a street shop is familiar with what the "money makers" are as far as designs go. Usually, you will make a lot more money in a day if you tattoo several smaller designs over the course of the day versus the regular hourly for one or two longer pieces. Largely speaking, unless you are a known name in tattooing and booked steady, walk-ins pay your bills. So as tattooers do, we catch up with our friends in other shops from time to time, often inquiring about work and whatnot and it seems like most people are working by appointment these days. This was our theory: Are gallery shops losing walk-ins on account of image? Do the blue collar people of Oakland go into a tattoo gallery and feel intimidated by fine art on the walls and think that nobody working there wants to do their tribal armband or kids' names for them? Are street shops more relate-able and comfortable for people who aren't necessarily looking to get a sleeve done? I'm not saying that either way is right or wrong or even that my thoughts on this dynamic is totally correct. A lot of business comes from the internet for most tattooers here and now more than ever is it easier to be tattooing the subject matter and style that you're interested in doing, for that I am very grateful. Is this something that you have experienced or noticed? Looking forward to hearing other perspectives.

I'm so glad you did this buddy!

Walmart however..

Yessir I took a red eye flight from SFO 2 JFK and got my 3rd and 4th tattoo there. So much great flash. I could stare at it for days. The pinup flash in the bathroom is my personal favorite. Krak did my tattoo in 45 minutes. I didn't know what I wanted at the time and figured it out when I got there. When Eli tattooed me we talked about Wu Tang Clan samples. It was great. I didn't know what I wanted from Eli neither. Picked it out on the spot.

Images in tattoos don't always represent something, but I think how they're executed represents that period of the person's life (to some extent). So while I agree some styles age differently and may be more appealing to certain age groups, I wouldn't necessarily say that gives them an expiration date. If anything, I think these differences contribute to the overall timelessness of tattoos.

Got some more work done on my Bakeneko by Josh Damnit at Classic Tattoo Upland, CA

Not mine (my arms are blank as of yet ;-)), but gorgeous: by Andrea Ottlewski, Slave to the Needle

Today I capped my other knee with a demon head by Franz Stefanik at The Okey Doke in Toronto. Its always a great experience with Franz. Interesting conversations with a great guy who also does amazing work. I'll have to update my legs in the Squidpants thread soon. I'm really looking to forward to getting some filler work around some of the larger pieces on my right leg now.

Wow, that snake and roses is so cool. Here's a little one I got yesterday from Kurt Melancon at a fun Sailor Jerry birthday event at Leviticus in Minneapolis. Obviously not on the same scope as some of these but it's a quality tattoo and fun to share.

Been trying to keep busy painting lots of things, having a slow start to the year but slowly turning that around. Here are a few of my latest efforts.

I'd like to be able to pass gas and have everyone in the room fall over.... wait.. I have been doing that for years!

My friend Nick Paine is putting this show together and I'm telling you guys, it's gonna be amazing! If you live in the bay area, I definitely encourage you to check it out. Prince Gallery is a small but cozy space in downtown Petaluma, and knowing everyone who has work in the show, it's basically going to be a relaxed gathering among friends coming together to appreciate good art. I designed the poster up there and will be selling a single edition of 25 prints for only $30 each. Total steal, I know, but I wanted people to be able to afford them in good conscience if they wanted to buy one. I'm sure some of you have already seen this all over instagram, but it's gonna be so rad that I feel like everyone needs to know! Hope to see some of you guys, cheers :)

Looks awesome! How do you even have any room left? I'm trying to keep up with you, bud.

tatt bros for life!

Why not make an artist into a book http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anthropodermic_bibliopegy

This kind of "Brooklyn?"

Hello! I'm Kimmie. I have always loved tattoos and got my first one a few years ago. Though it is incredibly meaningful, I wasn't very knowledgeable about what makes a good tattoo and picked an artist that didn't execute it particularly well. In the last couple of years, I have fallen even more in love with tattoos and soaked up every bit of information possible (following artists, reading articles, watching shows, etc.) On February 6th, I am getting my next piece from the incredible Erick Holguin of Ink and Dagger. It is in memory of my Mom and I could not be more excited. So hello!

@Mush I really like how the tiger stripes are being done. It complements the background nicely.

I always get a little bummed after a tattoo if it's not going to be a while before my next one. Right now I'm working on my biggest tattoo to date, and it'll take quite a while. After the first sitting last week I was immediately bummed that it would be a month before the next one! I keep hoping I'll get a cancellation call.

I got a small tattoo from Mario Desa when he was at Smith St recently - for what it's worth I absolutely don't look like any sort of person who should be getting tattooed in Brooklyn, but I felt relatively at ease there. Also the dog at that shop is the best dog. Check out this thread: http://www.lastsparrowtattoo.com/forum/general-tattoo-discussion/2057-smith-street-tattoo.html

Aaaaaaah that is awesome! Your Triceratops made me LOL. I love it. I actually find it kinda inspirational...I'm a total weirdo. :D Thanks for sharing!

Tristen Zhang... Instagram Just completed... http://instagram.com/p/yS0EQuwuPl

Ask and ye shall receive.

My arms are still in process but here's the 1/2 sleeve so far

I think @Tornado6 means Art Deco ornamentation? Check out some of Lars Uwe's work, @Tornado6, see if that gives you some ideas of how bold and feminine Deco/Nouveau-ish stuff can look: ETA: Since I see a lot of people posting their own tattoos, I just want to make sure it's clear the above image is not me. :)

Here are my lady arms! My right arm in the left pic was still in-progress. Not too masculine for my taste.... but I guess it all comes down to personal taste. Get what you like! I also don't know what a deco-ish googah is...?!

whatever... Jamie Sawyer Immortal Ink Clinton NJ first time with Jamie awesome and fast artist great convo does it get better on a 'sick day'

Had my left knee tattooed yesterday and wow I really had a hard time with it, when I had my right knee tattooed it was quite easy in fact I enjoyed it. Not to sure why it hurt so much i believe mentally I wasn't prepared for it, the artist that did it said I sat like a rock and did not move at all so that was nice to hear. Probably wasn't the worst tattoo pain I have experienced but man it was a tough day, glad I don't have a 3rd knee.

Here's it is fresh. I'll post more after it heals up. I had a great time and came away with a bunch of new music to check out too. Can't imagine having a better first experience.

Just got this blaster today by Ron Henry Wells while he's in town at Lombard St. Tattoo. A somewhat new take on his drippy wolf designs - I'm so happy with it! Photo taken by Ron and stolen from his IG - Instagram

or nachos. Removing calories from nachos would be an amazing power. Whoever said teleportation had a good one as well- I could spend hours just fantasizing about the kinds of days I could plan.

Lucid dreaming awake

Welllllllll....if it makes you happy get another one, right?! Went and saw Paul Dobleman at Spider Murphy's last week...please excuse the inflammation Hope everyone is having a great New Year so far!

Whoa, with all the awesome tattoos posted in the Lowdown thread recently I'm surprised no one's posted here yet. I'll kick it off! Here's my thigh by Seth Wood, started at Temple and finished at Saved.

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

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!

few recent ones.

Man, everybody already used my smart-ass answers but the Greg Irons quip was funnier than I could have come up with. But back to the original question. This is one of the newer approaches to tattooing that makes me slightly uncomfortable to be honest. Myself and a few tattooers I know and work with have noticed the trend of customers finding a sense of pride in how long they had to wait for their tattoo. As if that makes the tattoo more worthwhile. With some of the currently living/working tattooers mentioned in this thread, I personally know people (not even on the internet) that have tattoos from all of them. Filip, Horiyoshi III, Shige and Mike Rubendall. Yeah, they had to wait a little while for some of them but not as long as you'd think for others. Mike Roper is a different situation because he makes it deliberately difficult to get in touch with him, which answers the question posed above. But that wasn't really the question that was asked and it's rarely the question that gets asked. The question, or at least the implication, is "who has the longest waiting list' or "who has appointments booked furthest into the future". If I were to be snarky "who gives me the most bragging rights". For me the hardest people to get a tattoo from are the tattooers who are located furthest away from me. The ones where I have to get off my ass and do something about it. Time is easier to overcome than distance although patience is a different matter. It astonishes me that people call our shop from the outskirts of the city expecting us to change the way we work because they are catching a train to get here. On the other hand, we are humbled and honoured by the people who cross seas and continents to get tattooed regularly with us. But that's aside from the issue. Why is it a trend that makes me uncomfortable? Because I've heard people brag about how long they had to wait for 'x' artist and wear that information like a badge of honour. It feels almost as distasteful as bragging about who charges the most. Yeah, tattoos are for tough guys and tough buys like to brag and maybe that seems harmless, but it makes me uncomfortable and I have trouble clearly explaining why. Maybe it's because it's a phenomenon spurred on by the internet and the gossipy world of hearsay. Nobody calls and checks with the artists or shops they want to get tattooed at. Nobody travels down to the shop to ask the question. They just ask random strangers on the internet who have a lot of time on their hands and like to talk about something they know nothing about. Then the reality gets lost or twisted and in the end the real information is lost. I see this a lot with regards to the shop I work at. Forums are (or certainly used to be) bursting with 'facts' about how much we charge, how long we take, how far 'x' and 'y' are booked or how long their waiting lists are. Nobody calls the shop to ask and nobody suggests that the person calls to ask. I know that happens with a lot of things but it seems like this is starting to have a real-world effect, however small. People who wanted tattoos that we would love to do heard that we wouldn't tattoo them at our shop because we were so cool and busy and booked up for decades and rolling around in money 'n' bitches or something. We've heard of this a few times and it seems to be happening more. Yeah, we're busy, you may have to wait a little, maybe not. If someone has contact information, especially a phone number on their website it means that they want you to call. I'm not really going to touch on the tone of the "are they a fad or are they really worth it?" comment, except to say that if you have to ask, the answer is "no". Sorry to jump on this fun thread with a rant. I look forward to more witty quips.

Greg Irons

You can't nail him down because so many people have nailed him up on a tattoo cross.