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Wifey got hers from Joey Ortega finished up this week . . .

To balance out Matt Arriola Jesus, I'll throw in my Theo Mindell devil. Finished a few weeks ago at Spider Murphy's in San Rafael Ca. Photo stolen from his instagram

Pineapple Panther!:cool:

Seems like there is a new regard for that spiky black tribal trend of the 90s again - and rightly so. First it was a little bit ironic (black tribal creeping into traditional motifs) and now it feels like it is heading towards a wholesale reappreciation. People are like, wow, Leo Zulueta style tattooing can have massive visual impact and hold up well. I always thought it was odd some people who loved recent geometric and black work might have turned their nose up at 90s tribal. Paul O Rourke from All Star tattoos a lot of this type of thing and man, if this is what 90s fad tattooing looks like then they weren't as bad as I remember. I don't think this ever went out of style for tough guys. When it comes to later fads for feathers flocks of birds - where it's more about iconography than just style - I wonder can you think of them as just being new entries to the pantheon of popular flash. A feather is not to my taste, but it's no more arbitrary than a swallow in some ways. Now, Victorian dressed animals smoking pipes... I can't stretch to getting on board with those. [emoji16]

I haven't been around the forum for a long time. My computer went all haywire on me. Also, I had not got a tattoo in a really long time, until yesterday. And so naturally, I wanted to put it here to see what everyone thinks... :) I got this Ed inspired Tex Avery wolf/Panther/water mix up from Steve Byrne at Rock of Ages in Austin. Photo stolen from his Instagram.

Matt Arriola pantherized my last big spot yesterday at Spotlight. He couldn't quite get it to fit, so he decided to add flames. Always a good call. I have some inner thigh/tenderloin spots and a few tiny spaces on my legs, but if I said "I'm done" now, I don't think anyone would fault me. But we all know that I'm not done.

Done yesterday by Mr. Chad Kopelinger at Rock of Ages... In 1.5 hours... Someone needs to do a study on how he can tattoo so god damn fast. Really awesome experience all around. - - - Updated - - - Such a good tattoo. We both had a nice painful day yesterday.

Tattoo #5 is in the books. I'm 8 months into my apprenticeship and did my first tattoo about a month ago. This was, by far, my biggest piece. It took me about 3 and a half hours. My teacher wouldn't normally let me do something so ambitious this soon, but it was on a good friend that I did my second tattoo on (the smaller tree, outer calf). I'm pretty stoked on it. It was a good lesson in getting in over your head, breathing, staying focused and just getting the job done. Thanks for looking.

"Whoa that's a wonky line... you get that done in a kitchen?" "No way. Have I got a story for you."

things happen to tattoos as they age - hey - we age too lol - as does our skin you know though - i like that its why - imo - you need a bit of sense of humor if you start getting tattooed alot because things happen i see alot of anxiety on this board with regards to topics like this dont get me wrong - totally fine topic what i mean is that people have expectations about their tattoos that arent realistic its art on skin that really never stops changing from the moment its on you its like you gotta embrace the imperfection of it all if you're ever gonna really enjoy it - ya know? anyway - love that tatt - but leave it alone - and get more tatts!

Good Afternoon guy and gals, Where to begin...Lets see im 21 stationed in Cape Cod for the Coast Guard and started getting inked around six months ago and havent really stopped. I keep telling myself last one but no luck. I initially go a ship on my shoulder with my brothers name on the anchor who has DS to show that hes holding me down to Earth, keeping me level headed. Well I decided to get more done on my arm as you can see.. I need your help big time because I think I may be screwed. I had no intentions of having a sleeve but now seeing all of this skin on my left arm I want to get it covered. And here lies my problem...I am out of ideas. I was going to keep the nautical traditional theme going however I have no clue what else to get and I dont want to add filler just yet because then its game over. With that being said would it completely ruin everything to just say screw it and start putting different peices on my arm instead of sticking with the nautical theme? The first couple pictures and the tattoos i have right now and the other ones are what i would potentially like to have or what i am leaning towards as far as sleeve style. Im going to Bahrain later this year and would like to finish this arm up before i ship out. Also, I feel I messed up in the sense that the ship is black and grey, the compass and rose is in bold colors and the lighthouse is vibrant. Did I mess up or will it all come together fine???!! Any help/suggestions would be appreciated. Ive been going to Cobra Custom in Plymouth MA and getting tattooed my Matt Crocker who is killing it!! Thanks in advance, Nate. Pics will be up any sec now

I never judge based on 'trendiness'. if someone sat through a tattoo and are wearing it for life, that's badass no matter the design.

Sorry for the filters, the picture isn't from my instagram. These are my sleeves!

Lady head but with my face.

June 15th!!!!!!!!!!!

it looks unfinished thats not black and grey - thats an outline and neo traditional is more than outlines now if you like just getting outline work done then god bless but i think you need to take a minute to consider what you you really want if you really like negative space - then stop getting tattooed sorry - not trying to be an ass - just think you need some honest feedback

Sarah Hurst (recently voted Knoxville's BEST tattoo artist - congrats!) placed this awesome cameo of my beautiful wife (from a photo taken on our honeymoon 34 years ago) on my left shoulder yesterday evening. I am VERY happy!

What's happening guys?? Happy to be here. Got my first tattoo a couple months ago, after going with my sister to visit Mike Adams in Maryland at his shop. She's got a headstart on me with 7 tats, but I'm looking forward to adding more!

I could see myself becoming a victim to trends. On one hand, I love the birds with light lining - the ones that are sort of geometric and sort of watercolor. Don't know what they are called. If I started getting tattooed more regularly, I might get one of those. Knowing they may not last well. One the other hand, I have completely jumped on board the Monmon Cat trend. So, yeah, that is becoming a trend, especially since others are starting to mimic/copy Horitomo's work.

@Mitch Wood Oh shit! Saw that thing on the instagrams...you should win, it's awesome!

I have to be honest @TrixieFaux/ @DJDeepFried, I have not yet seen a bearded, man bunned, man head tattoo. Come to think of it, I'm quite surprised, given I live on the Eastside and the beard and the bun are a common enough sight. Do it! Then get a Friday 14th tattoo so you can be uber hip like that. It'll be cool then to see what you really get when the time arrives.

Not exactly @Lance... man head modeled after Doug but with a man bun. But seriously though, no I'm not 100%. I have two ideas and I'm leaning toward one. His assistant said he would love both. Man bun. Sorry, it has nothing to do with a man bun but I can't stop saying man bun and man bun lifestyle. We just went out to dinner. It's the chocolate flourless cake talking.

@Mitch Wood - saw that on Instagram, so awesome and so f'in glad it's on an LST'er!!

Oh you betcha we do! Bet you can hardly wait. I know we can't wait to see it when you do get it. Did you ever decide what?

i'm about halfway through my apprenticeship right now and have never tattooed a grapefruit or any fruit for that matter. i also haven't tattooed myself either. i've only done 18 tattoos so far but all on my friends. would not be opposed to tattooing myself or fruit, just how i'm being taught he kinda threw me right in to tattooing others first.

eh i dont know - to each their own - but i more and more like the process of letting the artist do their thing - i dont think i would say to an artist 'hey tattoo whatever you like' but i like being able to say - 'here's what i'm thinking do yo thang' - if you like the artists style and consider them sufficiently competent and consistent in their body of observble work then i find that freedom makes the whole thing much more fun and enjoyable for both parties - just my .02

Got a shoulder piece done on the 14th. At this time, I'm not getting color or shading. I like the negative space. And hope it conveys the softness and femininity I was going for and doesn't just look unfinished. Now I just need to figure out if I want to continue with black a gray pieces. I have an absolute love for neo-traditional tattoos. I'm just a little unsure how to mix my pieces.

Just finished healing from Hanna Sandström at Dark Age in Seattle. I forget what kind of machine she said it is.

Well maybe not the Taylor Swift tattoo, but your Miley Cyrus chest piece? Um, yeah.

So are you saying I should regret my Taylor Swift tattoo?

This. My brother got an owl tattoo towards the end of their trendiness, and just got a mandala. He isn't the kind of person to follow trends, I'm guessing he was just exposed to those images because they were trendy. Both are awesome tattoos and will age well. Trendy things don't always have to be bad.

Mandalas are the new hot shit coming into the shop I work at. I think they are super rad. I love a lot of that sacred geometry that was introduced by Tomas Tomas, Jondix, Hooper, et al. But watered down versions are becoming that new new.

Last night I was on the phone with my mother and I told her that I had started on my left arm sleeve. I only have one other tattoo and that's at least 10 years old. She sighed, then asked, "do you feel like you're getting older?". I laughed, thinking she meant mid-life crisis (I'm 48), but after reading this thread, maybe she also meant that she thought tattoos were for the young and trendy, something she thought I'd grown out of since I went so long before adding another.

Got some more done a couple of says ago. The chicken looking things are actually swans, Buddha was a swan in a past life and had a firm of 90 thousand swan followers. Represents compassion and good energy. I just said to Ajarn Thoy to do what he wanted and to put what he thought i would need. As to pain...it hurt real bad and i had an oxy as well and a bunch of valium and some tramadol haha i took it like a man ;) I didn't flinch or show any sign of pain over the 2 and half hours i think they see me as the guy who feels no pain but i was screaming inside in between mantras. ps. i hate opiates and benzos...dont recommend any one to take them for tattoo's, after the tattoo you just end up feeling shitty and sick (at least i do) BUT they really help when some ones stick a rod of metal in your back :)

I got my underside fully filled in February. Mine goes deep i.e. <1" radius around the asshole, no white skin with my legs together or apart. I think it looks better if you go as deep as you and the tattooer feel comfortable with. Because it enhances the natural shadow of the body (booty). It is very intense. The spot where the ass meets the thigh under the cheek is one of the most painful spots albeit one of the most thrilling sits you can have. Both in terms of physical pain and the mental block of spreading your ass for another person to perform the work in the area. You really need to embrace the vulnerability of the session to get through it. And once your ass and crack is tattooed you will have exponentially increased your no-shame quotient! I could care less now if my tattooed ass is hanging out of my shorts! Kiss my black ass! I was told the skin is very different to work on in this sensitive area. The shading appears to be cross-hatched and I do recall multiple passes, likely because of the type of skin, swelling/sensitivity, hair follicles, etc. I was face down with my ass in the air, like the sexy-wife-pose lol. Thigh hanging off the table at some points to give my guy some more room to work. I got electric shocked a few times too haha. I've got my session-report in the Full Back Piece Experience thread (Crazy Tattoo Stories). In summary, bring a towel or wooden spoon to bite down on.

So sorry @beez. This was incredibly insensitive and shallow, and it must have been heartbreaking coming from someone you “thought” you knew. He could have let you down easy without playing the tattoo card. He could have politely declined your offer for a date. Or, he could have respectfully said said, “I’d like to keep our relationship on the friendship level.” But instead he stuck in the knife, choosing a rationalization that basically slammed every door to the future. If he had thought about it for 15 seconds, he had to know he statement would hurt you deeply. Perhaps the sting of the tattoo thing that you are feeling could be because he didn’t just reject you, he also chose to attack something that is central to your being, part of your physical body and your persona, that you can’t - and wouldn’t - change. I tend to be super-analytical, so here goes… My theory is that although plainskin people know that tattoos are permanent, I don’t think they fully understand the psychological meaning of that. To many of us, our tattoos are not just pictures on the body; they are our body, no different than our hand, or ear, or breast. And in some ways tattooing may be even more meaningful than those “natural” body parts, because we chose to make them part of our body, forever. I think that untattooed people may have difficulty understanding what that means to us. Perhaps they think that since we chose to put them there, they are not really legitimately a part of us physically or psychologically, and thus fair game for for criticism. This is consistent with the classic insensitive comments many have heard, ad nauseam. Consider the statement that your “friend” made, but change one word (I hope I don't offend, but I’m trying to make a point). Most (but sadly not all) people would never say “I could never marry you because you breasts aging would be a problem for me.” But they will say (as your friend did), “ I could never marry you because your tattoos aging would be a problem for me.” But to we tattooed women, our tattoos are as much a part of us as our breasts.

@chrisnoluck thanks for brining the thread back with style.

@Rad Kelham For me, personally, it's about more than just the aesthetic of it. Yes, I agree that the full pre-planned bodysuit is the apex of tattoo art. And every time I see one it blows my mind. Not just the tattoo, but also the dedication, care, and thought that went into it. With that being said, there's a certain satisfaction that accompanies the one-shots as well. Yes, it can be impulsive and instantly gratifying. But that's just part of the experience. It allows us the opportunity to relive that magic with every piece. Maybe it's a new city, new artist, new shop, new idea - it all allows us to connect to new people and have new experiences. Where as, maybe, with a much larger project it starts to become a chore and we just want it to be over so we can see the finished product. I am wayyy too ADD to stick with a single style or theme anyways. I love so many different things that it would be against my nature to dedicate it all to one cohesive suit, as beautiful as it may be. I just like the way it all looks - piecemeal and full bodysuit.

Pics after first wash!

Horitoshi family has you pull your knees up to your chest to really get that stretch and get in there when the time comes. Cannonball style!

Both done by Taylor @ Till Death Tattoo in Tulsa. Neck is love and faithfullness.

I like both, but that sounds like an aesthetics thing, akin to asking someone why they like one color as opposed to another. It could also have to do with how you approach getting tattooed. I really like the aesthetics of artfully using negative space, as well as the versatility afforded by this method. I also currently have my entire right arm preserved for the possibility of a Japanese traditional sleeve. I think American traditional tends to lend itself to the aforementioned style, and that happens to be what I prefer. I'm also drunk and typing with my left hand because my right hand is greasy and garlicky from eating pizza. Good day to you sir.

i'm buckling my seatbelt for this thread... ok - i'm ready...

Hokay, cross-posting by request, cos SeeSea is such a flatterer. I was going to wait until Greg posted the pictures he took of the new stuff, but he may not. Sun came out today when I was about to head to the gym, so I tried to get some myself. I got a diving girl, and we started a cobra, though we didn't finish it. They're looking a little bit foggy/chalky because I peel fast; they'll probably start flaking by tomorrow. It makes it hard to see the blue details in the diving girl, sadly. Sorry for the terrible angles! These links are just an overview of the whole thing, before we added the cobra. https://instagram.com/p/1gugZ7TBPK/ https://instagram.com/p/1guZOxTBO-/

It says "Oh Bury Me Not" (on the lone prairie) on the other side. By Kemer in Leon GTO Mexico

Here goes. Head tattoo by Jesse Roberts. 3 sessions about 3-4 hours each, then one quick touchup session. Completed in about 2 months.

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

The entry here is the knee demon done by Franz Stefanik at The Okey Doke in Toronto. This is the best pic I have of it, so please filter out the surrounding work.

Hi ladies! Sorry to jump in mid-conversation like this, but I just read through the entire thread, and there were a couple of things I wanted to comment on. Here we go: I also find myself gravitating towards women's work far more often than men's. That's not to say I don't like the work of male tattooers (I've been tattooed by a few), but I find that I vastly prefer the work of women (however subconsciously). I think part of it is because tattooing has been a boys' club for such a long time (or at least perceived as such), that I feel much more at ease getting work from lady tattooers than guys. Even with topics like how to dress for a tattoo in a tricky spot, I think female tattooers are much more receptive and understanding of those concerns. Also, a lot of my tattoos are variations on the "gypsy girl". It's my favorite theme. I like images of strong, expressive women, so to me it makes sense to have a woman be the one to apply that to my body. In conclusion: girl power! I, like all women, have been catcalled for most of my life - and I hate it. (It's one of the many reasons I dread summer.) But I noticed that when I started to get more tattooed, the catcalls shifted from disgusting and lascivious to dudes shouting some variation of "I love your tats!". A guy approached me once to in a supermarket to tell me he had "mad respect" for me because of my tattoos. (Let's disregard the fact he only respects me because he thinks I can handle pain and I'm not some ~weak, fragile flower~, which is sexist as hell.) I still get my fair share of gross shit yelled at me. While it is still vastly unnecessary and uncomfortable to have my body commented on, at the very least some of those comments have shifted to something that doesn't make me fear for my safety, unlike before.