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By Jasmin Austin down in Perth, Australia.

Marius Meyer started this one a couple of weeks ago. Gonna add more dragon next time.

I love this contest. Have been to busy looking at amazing stuff, but now i figured it´s time to show something off. This is my backpiece by my favourite Norwegian tattooer, Marius Meyer.

Wifey got her 2nd session done earlier in the week. Picture stolen from the obvious source . . .

Fun little Friday the 13th banger at 510 expert tattoo. Almost the whole shop was just doing walk-ins yesterday churning out cool 13 stuff.

Here is my heart / rose by Talley Matthew. He works quickly and gently. This was super fun, and I'm excited to have a tattoo I can see easily :) Drawn on single needle

Tattoos are permanent. That's the whole point. If you can't handle the commitment, the no-turning-back, maybe you should reassess why the hell you are getting tattoos. They aren't for everybody. While I applaud the scientific development of no-laser-pain-free removal, I worry about how a low cost easy-removal-remedy will trivialize and water down the tattoo culture and make tattoo even more accessible than I believe it should be. Kitchen tattoo party mistake? Sexy 90s lower back tattoo got you down? Tribal armband not so cool anymore? No worries! Rub the snake oil on and goodbye bad decision! Maybe this product will be a good thing though. Allow serious tattoo folks to delete some of those not-so-awesome tattoos and upgrade with nicer work. And then we can all have the perfect "collection" :/ I say learn from your mistakes, blast over and get more. I don't think I will be re-writing pages in my colouring book anytime soon. Even my scrappiest of tattoos I still love and actually love them more for the imperfections as they/I age. On the other hand, this PhDude is about to patent a goldmine. So go and get your tattooed lumberjack look and tea-cup tattoos, the future is now!

Jason Colehour, Lifetime Tattoo Denver Last Friday my girl and I drove down and got some walk ins, I got this fun filler, she got a panther. Fun times

Got this last night in Philly from Mikey Holmes. Inner forearm hurts.

Got this on the same day i finished my sleeve. lol.

Here is a quick pick of the back of my knees...thank god, never again. Hey unless I can get my hands on that removal cream, then let's party all over again... TheGangOfOne rolled in the blackness on the left 5 days ago, it is just continuation of my backpiece. So my whole L backthigh (and buttocks) is all black water waves and rocks. The R side was put in back in 2011 by OllieXXX, the green water connects a sperm whale on the thigh to an octopus on the leg. That lizard on the side needs a touch up yikes That red-yellow rising sun was my bright (?) idea to fill in my lower leg. It kind of looks silly but folks always seem to point it out, and the red and yellow have held really well for 10 years so whatever. I'm almost tempted to black over and continue the black/grey water waves down. The scrappy looking black tattoos on my calves are a palm tree (Island Records) and a Bad Brains bolt that I got in 2003 from this skinhead pal. THe plan all along has been to keep them open and completely fill around. - - - Updated - - - Knee tattoos are painful to get, but manageable if you have a tattooer who can work quickly and efficiently, as the knee will balloon up and once that happens the pain will intensify. The healing I find more difficult and painful than the tattoo, either when moving or at rest. Especially that friggin lizard, he took longer to heal than anything else. Hard to bend the leg when the skin is raw and tight afterwards for a few days so you will have the zombie limp. Don't let that deter you! I went jumping and kung fu kicking 2 days after a knee session, that was dumb but my leg still works and the tattoo is still there. You won't die haha. Within a couple days that swelling and bruising go away, you regain some mobility and it's business as usual, just with more colour to accentuate yourself :) the mortality rate is very low! good luck, you can do it! Also, be aware that knees take a lot of abuse over the years. I've banged up my knee a couple times since I got one tattooed. Took a big chunk out the centre and one off the side. So you have to be prepared for that happen. Just part of living life. - - - Updated - - - i found this pic of my "squid pants" from a few years ago on my computer last nite, enjoy...a colourful dude and his ugly dog. Turtle is 10 years old, from Miles Kanne. Hard to believe the blue is still blue. They do look better as they age :)

Franz Stefanik, The Okey Doke, Toronto, Ontario

Got this little guy yesterday as a 49th birthday/Friday the 13th/30th anniversary of my first tattoo gift to myself from Paul Pearson It's right next to the first tattoo I got 30 years ago.

Cover up action. Who doesn't love superheroes? I have one more session in 3 weeks

Yeah I agree with your comments about laser. Laser demands client commitment to follow through with many sessions, the pain, the healing. Tattooing isn't for everyone, as much as Instagram and internet want you to believe. There are no friggin short cuts in tattooing! - - - Updated - - - ok time to stop my ranting, i'm sounding like a snob ;) i am content with the best and worst of my works so really snake-oil cream doesn't really affect me either. although it will be sweet to be able to rock a mike tyson tattoo at the bar-crawl on the weekend, like pick up all the chicks bro, then cream that shit off on sunday afternoon so I can keep my office job :p

Cross posting from the back piece thread, this is after session 2 with Marius Meyer yesterday. Yesterdays session was all the scales, all the shading in the skull and all the yellow. Looking to get the next session booked in for around the beginning of April, hopefully.

hey everyone. just wanted to share this new tattoo I got from Steve Boltz at Smith Street Tattoo in Brooklyn about 2 weeks ago: sorry for the crappy pic.

My tattoo artist, Sean Zee, is tattooing with Myke Chambers in the Seven Swords Tattoo booth this weekend.

Walked into Melbourne Tattoo Company today with some sketches and a very specific ideas in my my head, but was struck by all the amazing handpainted flash by all the artists in the shop - have never been into a tattoo shop with all the artist's work actually up on the walls before. So I picked a flash piece by Josh Sutterby and asked for one small tweak (I have been a lot more controlling and picky over design specifics in the past, so this is a nice change for me) and am much more excited about getting a tatto than I have been since I got my first one done! Booked an appointment for early May, which is when I'll actually have the funds, and am already looking firward to a lot more flash pieces (with no tweaks) in the future. That shop is an absolute gold mine.

Agreed. One of the things I've always loved about tattoos is that they require commitment. Its not something one can just walk away from. Even with lasers being an option, they are still expensive and painful. I respect folks who've gone the laser and replace route. Its still a hard process that also demands commitment. If all it takes is a bit of creme and a few weeks, then it really opens the field up to anyone. Is that all bad? Probably not. It might mean a lot more work for tattooers, which would be good. That said, I can't help but think something is (potentially) being lost. From another angle - how does it affect me? I'm still thinking this through. I'll still be getting tattooed. I love the art, and I love the process. I enjoy the shops, the conversation, and the people Ive met along the way. So, I'll keep on doing what I do. Of course, maybe this is all bunk and it will never arrive on the shelves of Wallgreens (or Shoppers for my Canadian colleagues here).

Yeah man It is worrisome what these advances will do...so if tattoos aren't permanent anymore and the tattooer/client has a magic (and cost-effective) "undo" button I wonder how the trendline for workmanship and quality will be affected? Getting a dumb-dumb stick n poke or joke tattoo really isn't that big a deal anymore, in fact it's pretty common at the moment. I guess that's my issue - tattoos, to me, have always been permanent. That is the best part. They are forever. and if we keep making things easier and painless to undo it will really trivialize the whole experience. Kinda like marriage I guess. Just too easy these days to get married and divorce when you find something better or have a change of heart. I dunno. That being said, my tattooer was telling me about one of his pals. Had a bunch of coverage and so-so early work, lasered it off, got a new suit, lasered it off and is getting a new world-class suit from a master. Three bodysuits, insane! I would be interested to see what some of the tattooers around LST think about the development of these products. Maybe it's a good thing and has it's place. Everyone (well almost everyone) deserves an awesome tattoo and something like this may make that more of a reality for people who truly want some real-deal tattooing.

@bongsau You've managed to capture just about everything I was thinking about it too - right down to the goldmine this guy has (potentially) found. @eldolmago and I were driving around today talking about the implications of this "advance." We thought about whether or not we'd remove old tattoos, and decided we probably wouldn't. The whole prospect of what this treatment represents raises as many problems for me as solutions that it offers.

Plus, besides his fantastic tattoos, Scott is the reason this place exists! I've changed my mind about 9 times now, but I really think I'd like him to do my back. Being that I love really bold traditional work, you can't really go wrong there. /fangirl

I have a very active job (transmission lineman) so I've been climbing pylons within a couple of days of getting my knees tattooed, it hurts and makes it awkward but at the same time it is manageable, you can right off doing squats or leg press or even any kind of exercising for at least a week

Here's my baby! Seven hours down, an estimated two to go to finish up. Done by the incredible Erick Holguin of Ink & Dagger in Roswell, GA. It got a little sore at the end, but he was so gentle/light handed that it was smooth sailing for the majority of it. It's in memory of my mother, who loved cardinals, and is even better than I ever imagined.

He is so cute!

I actually gave my now-husband a bottle of lotion when we were in school, as a secret santa gift, because we were living in the desert and he always had super dry hands that were cracking open. From my point of view it was an innocent, helpful, caring kind of gift (that was also weird), but from everyone else's it was super dirty. We still laugh about it 13 years later.

I still believe the most effective method of tattoo removal is the belt sander...

Congratulations @graybones! It's beeeyoootifull! I love it!

seeing this thread getting bumped is playing with my emotions!

https://occultvibrations.wordpress.com/2015/02/13/cliff-raven-2/ Found some more footage from 'Tattoo Take Two'- with Cliff Raven. Short clip but better quality than anything I've found so far.

I'm actually lucky enough to have an appointment with Scott Sylvia in march! Just wanted to actually give a quick thanks to all the members of LST because without all the conversations about tattoos I would have been stuck with a bunch of mediocre tattoos on my body. When I first joined I was only getting my second tattoo and didn't even really know what to look for in an artist. Since then (about a year) I have my forearm, a half sleeve, and now this upcoming appointment with Scott Sylvia. So thanks to all of you!

finally updated my blog. writing is hard. let me know you see any grahamar or speeling misteaks. The Back Piece: An Uncomfortable Journey: Session One: Kings Ave NYC

Thanks, @OutOfIdeas! I've had a great time working on them. I had a rough time with the demon knee (appropriately enough). I limped around with a cane for three days. By day four I was pretty much all right. The bulldog was much easier, and the only pain came from the skin stretching around the healing tattoo. When I did my knees I did the bulldog Friday so I'd have the weekend to get back on my feet. The demon was done on a Saturday and I could have used the extra day. Overall, though, it was ok. I went through a major job interview process that week, including giving a major demonstration, and I was good enough to do all that successfully. I wrapped the demon in bandages each day to protect it from all the movement and scraping across my trousers. That worked nicely and the heal went smoothly.

I thought I'd post a pic of the knees (both done by Franz Stefanik at The Okey Doke in Toronto.) The demon is still finishing up its heal, so its not a perfect pic.

Engineers are just vastly interesting people, after all. That outfit should look great, SeeSea! Don't forget the high heels (please, no platforms) for a few more points from the male judges (maybe the females, too). You might want flats for walking around the show, however. I know ladies that can strut around in 4" heels (with small feet, too!) all day, but I'm sure it is because they are used to it. As a male, I can't see how you ladies pull it off for ten steps, but I have to appreciate the overall look. Good luck with the contest! I'm still in awe of your piece, and have shown it to friends at work who find it amazing.

This is Sophie, my wife's Persian. She likes to yowl at 3:00 am. I like her the rest of the day, but I hate her at 3:00 am.

My dog is a huge nerd. Her name is Zelda. She steals seats. My cats are pretty silly too. They are Maine Coons named Ares and Mars .Ares is the little one, at 15 lbs; Mars weighs in at ~30. Together, they turn my house into a zoo.

A scented candle and/or scented lotion.

Finally, after a handful of attempts over the past four years, managed to book in with Guy Le Tatooer. Going down to Toulouse, and his (by then) newly opened studio, in the end of march to get my lower belly tattoo. Very happy!

SICK!!! - - - Updated - - - I saw it. Him and his chick are on another level. Matheson's front/torso is pretty rad too. And Chris Grosso goes from Tattoo Age to Munchies. Pretty sweet transition.

Done, 2d sleeve by Shige : View image: IMG 5047 Next is back in November (or maybe earlier) to complete my mandala. Cheers

Here's my left lower leg done with Matt Deverson from Progression tattoo in Adelaide Australia and the top of my right done with Matt (Dr Claw) from Diamond Club

I know a fair few tattooers. Some you've heard of, some you haven't. Of the few of them who have actually taken an apprentice, I don't think they did so based on a folio of awesome drawings or paintings. I think they took them on because of their attitude and dedication, sometimes based on the tattoos they have already done. The drawings came later. Much later. It's a common misconception/dream that showing a tattooer your finished drawings will impress them so much that they will teach you to tattoo. It's like the dream a busker has of being 'discovered' playing covers in the subway. Even though I've not been tattooing a long time, I've been shown a hell of a lot of drawings and paintings by hopeful people. Up to now, I've never been impressed. Although I have been impressed with attitude and dedication over a span of time. I still haven't been tattooing long enough to take an apprentice. I don't see that changing any time soon. On a slightly related note, I'm not sure when hopeful apprentices decided that paintings were the way to learn to tattoo. They are the way to impress your hopeful apprentice-level peers and get popular on the internet, but they don't teach you a thing about tattooing in the real world. Maybe it's something non-tattooers on the internet advised them to do. Anyway, nobody even shows us drawings anymore. They don't even come to the shop. They call and ask if we 'do apprenticeships' or they send me a generic email with 'dear sir,...... I'm a fan of your work and the work from your studio...'

Jaycel, I got the tone of your post and the intention. Although the intention was sincere enough, It's great that you realised, or have started to realise that the principles of most other crafts can seem to be applied but don't translate well to tattooing. Mostly because tattooing is a permanent mark that somebody has to live with and carry with them every day of their life - There is a responsibility that comes with that, although I'm reluctant to discuss it (and other subtleties of tattooing) with non-tattooers as it's easily misunderstood and mis-used by laymen. The reason any discussion of this type is met with hostility from tattooers is firstly because of the responsibility I mentioned and unlike other crafts, tattooing has magnetic attraction for people who wouldn't involve themselves with any other craft-based endeavour. Many of these people are not prepared to undertake the work necessary to create good tattoos. They are only prepared to do the steps they think are necessary to make sick tats. Here's the bit that may get me some shit. Getting an apprenticeship isn't the holy grail. An apprenticeship from a shitty tattooer is worse than no apprenticeship at all. What's that you say? No good tattooers are prepared to teach you? Well there's a reason for that. That doesn't mean you should let an incompetent fool enable you to become a more inexperienced incompetent fool. This is the part non-tattooers ignore when they spout on and on about 'sticking it out and finding an apprenticeship, doing it the right way' It's not right if you are taught wrongly. Many many shitty, inexperienced tattooers have an apprentice. Some of those apprentices have a lofty sense of self-worth and think they are 'real' tattooers because they cleaned the toilet of a shitty tattooer for months. Eventually the work you create and the way you conduct your affairs becomes more important then the way you got there. Mel, I seriously doubt that your dad could make a shitty machine better. Maybe better looking or better constructed, but without knowing how to tattoo, or having a great tattooer teach you. It isn't possible to make a tattoo machine work well. If someone came to me asking for an apprenticeship with pretend tattoos drawn on a mannequin, I wouldn't take them seriously at all. An apprenticeship isn't an art school mixed media project. There are a million smaller things to learn before you get to that point. If any budding tattooers/apprentices read this, the important thing to remember is - Never take advice from someone who isn't a tattooer. Even better, don't take advice from someone who isn't teaching you.