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By Trevor Shea in Vancouver BC. Healed and no filer...seriously. Trevor is the Mike Roper of Canada in my opinion. Bodysuits that you will never see online.

new lil dude from Hector Fong at Tattoo 13 in Oakland :)

@bongsau - Shad is super nice, and SO FAST! We got that snake done in 4 HOURS! 4!!!! Outline, shading, color!!! He does use bactine, as you mentioned, and that helps so much. He said he is going to be up in Canada, so I hope you get in to see him! This was a really painful session, all in all. The upper back is like hot fire. Not fun! I am so stoked to get to this point in my tattoo, though, and I can't wait to continue the collaboration. We were talking about a dragon on the rest of the back of my legs looking up at the snakes. !!!! Anyway, for those who might have missed it on IG, here is my new snake!

With the full understanding that this is glaringly hypocritical since I'm starting a new thread about it (though I couldn't really find one that addressed this issue), I have sort of a use-of-LST question for you all. I really hope it doesn't come across as jerky or out of line! One of the things I liked about this forum when I joined was that there were relatively few threads considering the amount of content on here, in contrast to others forums I've used. A lot of the longest-running threads on this board contain a ton of fascinating knowledge and first-hand experience from members, collectors and tattooers alike, who've come and gone, and when an old thread gets dug up and bumped to the top, to my mind it's a welcome chance to read through the archives. Trawling through pages of the Latest Tattoo Lowdown thread, the What Makes A Good Tattoo thread, etc etc blew my mind as a newbie. So, from there I'm wondering: when is it appropriate to start a new thread? What makes the board the most navigable for everybody? I guess I've already revealed my bias, but it seems like a discussion worth having. Also: I'm not saying that new discussion doesn't add anything, more that it's maybe easier to forget what a wealth of information already exists here if it gets buried many pages back. Obviously all bets are off in the random stuff area...

Next session with Kore Flatmo is 2 weeks away! Then I start stomach/rib pieces with Thomas Hooper a few weeks after that! Super pumped!

Hogg, your snake may or may not have ended up in my reference pile ;). I'm flattered! Polliwog - I have no idea how in the HELL he did that in four hours. Even though I was there for it I can barely believe it. He said that since he had drawn and colored the snake completely already on a picture of my back, and then he drew it again on me in marker before we started, that because he had drawn it and colored it in he knew exactly where to go and that's why it was so fast. <throws up hands> he's a mad genius! I have never been tattooed by anybody who is particularly slow, either! But the other half of my back definitely took multiple sessions of AT LEAST 4 hours each, so this was soo fast! The one thing that may have helped was that he used bactine after the first 1.5 hours, and the lidocaine in bactine kept me nice and numb. But once I was numb he went for it and started digging in there - I could DEFINITELY tell I was being worked on. I don't know if I could have handled it without the numbing. On numbing: I used to be sort of anti-numbing, but I got numbed for the last 90 min of the eagle/dragon thigh piece and then for this, and I don't feel like I really missed out on the tattoo experience. I was definitely there for all of it! And the numbing may have removed the "hot fire" element of it, but not the continuously working over chopped up skin feeling. So that's it! @cltattooing that hector fong piece is sick!

if i get annoyed by a new thread it is just a sign that i spend too much time here.

I like long, consolidated threads ... But there's also a case to be made for closing really long-running ones and starting a sequel thread. On another forum I'm on this is the done thing and I think it does add to their readability. I've been here a long time and actually I probably wouldn't mind re-reading 5-6 pages of a resurrected thread but if it's 10+ it's probably not going to happen. I'm sure newcomers aren't reading some of the bigger threads from scratch. And if you dip in towards the end some of them are "cruising" with updates - the keystone posts might be scattered earlier on. Not that it's a big deal either way. Things seem to be working OK.

I'm totally going to line draw that

so here is my input,this is a "discussion" forum,as long as the thread is put in the appropriate forum or sub forum IMO it should be ok,but unfortunately some people think they are mods when they are not,and feel they need to police the boards,if a rule is broken then a "moderator' will let you know,otherwise,as adults in a public discussion group we should be able to post ANY questions or thoughts without fear.Threads don't take up much server space and if anyone doesn't like a topic then they shouldn't look at it.

I should mention I totally did not start this thread with the goal of making anyone feel bad - if it turns into that, I hope it can be locked. I'm mostly wondering, probably ineptly, about how to organize all the information on here.

Don't reschedule... Let your tattooer decide this. If you get up there and its still pealing let him know and he will look at it and most likely reschedule you.

Greeting, I am currently living in Bangkok, Thailand and have been yearning for a tattoo for years. My journey began when all I wanted was a tree on my back - the next phase was what design - hence the years its taken to decide. A friend of mine sent me a picture of a tree and the process of umming and ahhhing over the butterflies and flowers went on for ages. The day and moment of action stations came when I was sitting on the beach along the coast of Thailand. Everything is very chilled here but I was quite shocked to witness a man getting some brush ups done on his tattoo - right on the beach! Gulp! That can't be very hygienic but I inquired if they had a shop and went to check out the scene there. They looked experienced and everything looked hygienic and a well run business. I duly turned up for the creation of my work of art - after the first hour I kindly informed the tattooist that if he didn't step back I was going to punch him. Im not a person of violence but in that moment the pain was so unbearable that I didn't trust myself - lol! Shame, in the tattooist's defense he was a little Thai man and realised that this almost 6 foot Farang meant business. The outcome of the tattoo after 2 sittings wasn't what I wanted - there was no shading but I blame myself there - he was genuinely scared of hurting me. I returned back to Bangkok and got hold of the 'big guns' who had been referred by numerous tattoo lovers. Ten hours later, 2 sittings, pain killers and numbing cream changed my life. The numbing cream worked wonders and I left feeling empowered and proud of the art on my back. In the past, before wanting a tattoo, I used to look down on tattoos but through this journey I have realised that it is something that is cherished, shown off and special to each individual - it sets us visually apart from anyone in the world!

Day 2.

I believe I do. This was...jeez, a year and a half ago.

@beez Absolutely incredible!! You must be so stoked with it!!

All right, you guys are awesome as always, @Graeme, @polliwog, @marley mission, @RoryQ, @AverageJer, @BrianH and @Breakme! Sounds like I won't die ;-) Just keep moving, not too much, dresses or loose pants, don't plan big exciting things for the morning after, and have a great time! My trip started out as, "Fly out for a tattoo, spend a couple days with Mom." Now it's turned into, "Mom and I fly in and have a nice vacation in SF and I happen to be blasting down to SJ to get a tattoo while I am there." ! Yes, planning on getting the tattoo on a Wednesday and flying back on Friday, so we'll probably fly there the Saturday before. This would be a perfect situation to use Saniderm, but since I've never tried it before, I don't want to start with this one.

Thigh tattoo swelled a lot but basically didn't hurt at all while healing, no evil stabby feelings upon standing up as with the lower leg. I did an 8-hour workday standing up the day after getting it and then walked around in Boston/went to a baseball game the day after that, both days with Saniderm. Keeping the blood moving seemed to help. You will be OK, just bring loose pants in case the airplane makes the swelling worse, if you're prone to swollen legs/feet while flying...

@beez that is beyond cool. Also: 4 hours...howwww??!

I was having breakfast when I scrolled to this. I accidentally inhaled food and almost died. Worth it though. That C&P...

Damn you, @beez. I already have a huge snake on my back, but now I'm jealous of yours. Very jealous.

Hello friends. It's been a while since I've posted, as it had been a while since I've been tattooed. That ended today with the first sit on my back piece. Overall, I'd say it wasn't as awful as I expected, but certain areas were downright painful. Notably the bum. Next sit isn't for 9 weeks, so I've got time to mentally prepare myself for more pain. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Progress shot....pretty much finished the top half.

Not the finished product. But this is a peek at my latest piece.

I don't have a one and I don't think I'll get one either, our relationship is rather, erm, complex. I do really like them though, this one from Bob Geerts (@bobeus on instagram) is rather nice, I thought.

Saw hello to my new tattoo, which I got done yesterday, pic was taken by tattooist shortly after it was finished. A tribute to H R Giger, a portrait of the man himself, it wraps around lower left leg and, was roughly 6 hrs, done in 1 session. I slept through most of it. Tattooed by: Tommygunn in Belfast City Skinworks, Belfast, Northern Ireland.

My wife's getting tattooed by Calle at King Carlos in June. I'm going to be around but no plans to get tattooed ... The shoe is on the other foot. Sebastian Murphy at Stockholm Classic impresses me.. Quite a personal style I think, traditional yet hint of Mad Magazine illustration or something.

I'm about 3 months into my apprenticeship. Last week my mentor says "Set up a machine and draw up some small designs right now, I have someone coming in for you to tattoo in about 30 minutes." "Are you sure this is a good idea? Who is coming in?" I asked. "Just some big biker guy I know." I was shaking so bad that I could hardly get the machine set up. Hell I hadn't yet been taught how to use a machine. I wasn't sure if this was for real or a joke, but this is definitely the kind of thing he would line up just for the sake of fucking with me. I imagined some gnarly big dude he met at the local dive bar. I'm sitting at my station frantically drawing a spider and a skull and I hear the back door ring and my mentor say "Hey man come on in, he's just finishing up your drawing." I walk over to the station shaking and see a grapefruit sitting on the chair.

I saw Chad Koeplinger while he was in town the other day for rose #4. Done at Rock of Ages in Austin.

Very nice @xcom ! What's behind the pixel design? Update on mine: after two weeks, I'm still peeling. Not used to seeing ink flakes still. Probably compounded because of poor circulation and smoking. On the plus side, it's only the lightning, drowning hand and whirlpool areas by the ankle; Poseidon's face is on the final peel!

Here is my latest work on my back:

Appropriately posting this one on Easter. I got this one from Matt Arriola a few weeks ago at Spotlight. Photo stolen from his IG: For reference, it's on the back of my thigh:

The last major piece for my right sleeve! Now I need to address the negative space - or not... Original artwork by Biz Matos, Columbus.:cool:

Well that was a brutal last session but damn the result is worth it:

My first tattoo was done in the consummate walk-in shop, S&W Tattooing in Amityville, NY. Flash all over the walls and you ordered it by letter and number. That "hot stuff" devil may have been an "A7" for all I know and they blew them out probably at least one a day for $25 each. The place jumped on a Friday and Saturday night, people lined up out the door waiting. Once you were in, you were on your way in 20 minutes. I don't recall them doing any bigger work, although the flash was there. We were in awe that a tattoo may cost over $100 and more than 1 session to complete it was unheard of. I like to see shops with flash, it gives the impulsive customer something to look at and they make a decision quickly. For me it brings me back to the shops of 1975. I also like flash to give me ideas on what I like. Some shops do have a dedicated walk-in day, which is cool. No appointment just stroll in and sit in the chair once something is picked out. Again, it takes me back a few decades. People were different then, most would dig up the $30-40 for one tattoo and get it done. Some stopped right there, some became festooned with postage-stamp sized tattoos. Why save up and get one good $200 tattoo when you can get 5 little ones, 1 every pay day?

I don't condone copying people's tattoos, but I am not really digging this thread. One it's not really any of my business to call out people for this kind of thing. Second, I would be hesistant to do so, because there is so much reference material outside of tattoo realm, that I couldn't be sure that two people weren't copying a piece of art from another genre as a tattoo. Third I have never gotten a tattoo that I expected to be or thought in any shape or form would be custom. I like running into people that have the same tattoos I do, I like the look of traditional tattoos and I am under no delusion that I am somehow "special" despite what my mother told me. I don't worry when someone tells me they are going to draw something for me, and they really just go trace it from the Ed hardy flash book and pass it off as their own, because I know most people aren't familiar with the design. Even is someone does copy the tattoo you have, it doesn't change the fact that you have a badass tattoo that most people would be jealous of and want to wear and you will get no sympathy from me, in fact i might make fun of you for complaining about it.

You added 2+2 and made 7. Ibuprofen is an anti-inflammatory but it won't make a difference to the texture of your skin under normal circumstances. It's good for: • Reducing swelling on areas prone to swelling during the healing process, particularly near joints. (note, hands and feet often swell more than other areas but consider the number of joints in those areas. Apply 'reefer' jokes to taste) • For particularly painful areas I use it before getting tattooed. I didn't notice any difference on my arms, thighs or stomach etc. But did notice it helped me avoid the panic, allowing me to relax more during getting the sides of my ribcage tattooed. Still, nothing helps pain management more than relaxation and breathing techniques. Seriously. Before getting tattooed, eat a light-ish meal (sandwich or something), the night before try to get a good amount of sleep, drink plenty of water, relax, sit still, shut up and get tattooed. It's pretty easy. Because I'm a pussy I have a glucose drink with me, taking sips every 30-60 minutes or so. Any stuff you've heard or read about people taking this-or-that concoction of pills, or drinks or whatever. They are usually heavily tattooed people who are totally bored of getting hurt and sitting through the boring bit of getting tattooed. So they'll try anything. Once you get over 100 hours of tattooing on your body, a little of the exotic shine and excitement kinda wears off the experience. They get tattooed for the end result, not the experience. If you still have 50-80% of your body free from tattoos, you can be considered fairly tattooed but there's a good chance you'll be stoked to be in the tattoo chair/bench/whatever. It's interesting to look around the shop and check stuff out, to watch a little of the process and to be privy to the whole atmosphere that makes a tattoo shop one of the coolest places in the world, to be part of it and contribute by getting a tattoo. So sit still, shut up and enjoy it.