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Since we're sharing progress, here's what we did on mine last week. We have to put the greys in some of the water and then do the details in the faces and the tiger's paws and things like that but we're getting super close to wrapping this up.

Forgot to post this up last month! Instagram Dennis_Kool Hit the 'substantially complete' milestone on my Steve Batt backpiece tattoo!! A bittersweet moment. One or two maintenance/touchup sitting in the fall after I enjoy the sunburn season and let the pigments settle under the skin. I believe the plan is to re-saturate the blacks and likely hit the cherry red one more time. Also some more finer details to add the treads of the shoes to blend in the blastover. The last session (#9, for a couple of hours) began with some pen markups as Steve drew on the intricate flame pattern and planned out the blue and green gradients. It went pretty quickly however the tattooing was pretty tight so healing it was a bitch and the bruising was pretty intense. Steve also did the skin tones which is looking deadly now that everything is starting to smooth out. The only negative space in the tattoo is in the wind and water. The monk is all peachy skin tones and white ink in the pants and sleeve cuffs. A few of you have seen the full-monty r-rated version of the ebb n flow of the water below the butt crack wave. Back, butt and 1 thigh took a swift 32 hours and 9 sessions. This experience has taught me a lot, not just about tattoo, but overall life. Really pushed me to my limits. The importance of simplicity, consistency and routine, of good health, how to relax, patience, perseverence, confidence vulnerability and focus. Sounds a lot like kung fu which only makes sense with the subject matter I chose to carry. It has been a very intense journey. Shout out to Steve Batt, my guru and one of thee baaaaaaddest tattooers in the West. Made in Edmonton, AB. So yeah, I am now 210hrs, 83% of my body tattooed, the illustrated man, the colouring book, in a full tattoo suit (minus some choicey open spots for future tattoos). Coming to a beach near you to frighten your conservative parents and intrigue your impressionable teenagers! I'd say vote for me in the July 2015 Tattoo of the Month contest...buuuuuuut don't because a) I don't actually need to wear a shirt (or pants) anymore b) @CultExciter's robot tattoo is clearly going to be the underdog winner and c) maan how good are those Grez and Marius Meyer tattoos !!! Set your goals, plan the work, work the plan, "cut the shit...and now let's all get ssssserious!

Got some work in Saturday, but life has been crazy. Wanted to post this up. Detailed in the hair, and sank some color into the top oni. The pic makes him look very bright but the colors have cooled off nicely and now have a deep tone to them. We spoke about detailing him up more next session with either a patterned robe or doing more in the body. Either way I'm on board. EDIT: just to put it in perspective, the horns are colored white that's how red I got I always love the way the tray looks at the end when all the colors are laid out and all is said and done. I thought this concept would make a really neat print. If there is some rule about not showing these details let me know and I will remove it, but I thought it would be a fun share. Hope you guys like it, and I have 2 sessions coming up so maybe we can close in on this project.

Here's what I've gotten over about a year, from first to last. All were done by the same artist except the last one (the dagger) which was done by Austin Maples.

Heaviest spaces that I've gotten tattooed in: - Bob and Charlie Roberts' Spotlight Tattoo in Los Angeles - Horitoshi Studio/Tattoo Dojo in Ikebukuro - Ricky Tattoo in Hong Kong (I think it might be gone now) Heavy spaces that I've been in but haven't gotten tattooed in yet: - Temple Tattoo in Oakland Heavy spaces I'd like to travel back in time to get tattooed in: - Realistic Tattoo - Spotlite Tattoo - Thom Devita's studio in the LES - 222

He said a couple of sessions ago that he didn't think it needed to be reoutlined, so here's hoping.

Going to Michigan next month for a family reunion type deal and managed to squeeze in an appointment with Michael Aul. Funny thing, he'll be in Denver within the next couple weeks so of course when I said I was calling from Colorado he thought I wanted to set something up at Lifetime.

It's like the more tattoos you get, the open space you find to fill :cool: - - - Updated - - - Also, just noticed you can peep the "monkey stealing the peach" secret kung fu technique that I had hidden on the back of my L arm from back when I was a younger chimp hehe

They were done by Steve Goodspeed. I got them done while he was working at Fine Tattoo Work in Orange, California. He recently moved shops and is currently at Goldrush Tattoo in Costa Mesa, California. Here is his Instagram: Steve Goodspeed

@Graeme don't forget the final step.... re-outlining

Healed photo of my back that was finished last year in September, and a fresh one to the left. Both by Marius Meyer

How's it going guys?! Just recently found this place while searching through examples of back and chest pieces, browsed through the forums roughly, and saw it looked like an awesome community. So here's my introduction: Figuring most users on here will be of all ages, I think it's safe to say at the age of 21 I'll be amongst the younger crowd. Anyways, my name is Wyatt, I live close to the Los Angeles area, and I just started getting tattooed close to a year ago. I was never against tattoos but never intrigued to them. I have always enjoyed drawing and art since I was a kid but never connected Tattooing as an art or thought of it that way until over a year ago when I really started looking into it getting one for myself. I just had that stereotypical view that tattoos are just what criminals and bikers have and they're generally done in some scumbag's garage (no offense to any artist). But like I said I was never against them I just thought that's all that tattoos were. Fast forward a year later after getting my first one and many more- and I'm completely fascinated with the tradition and history of it all. I find myself using Instagram to continuously come across new artists (young and old) and probably spend more time looking at tattoos than I do at looking at what my friends are up to. It definitely makes me want to learn more about the roots and the true pioneers of tattooing but I think I'd learn more from those with the stories and backgrounds than I would on a summarized paragraph from some snobbish prick's blog. Anyways, excited to be apart of the forum, and hope to see you guys around! Sincerely yours, Wyatt

Are you using the rule of nines to calculate how tattooed you are?

Congrats @bongsau on finishing a killer backpiece. Must be surreal to finally finish it all up!

Blackheart _/ temple ROA _/ frith st modern classic spotlight

Spotlight. ROA. 222. Atlas. Invisible. Frith Street. Immaculate. EDIT: So Great Lakes is pretty new, but I still would like to get tattooed there.

I love the stares, not for attention but for the reason I've had an amazing experience getting all my tattoos, and if anyone stares or takes the time to look at them or even make a comment, makes me even happier with what I have.

@Graeme I really appreciate that because your back is killer. @ironchef I def will, I know you told me to do so before and I honestly forgot.

Laurent Trelaun at Spider Murphy's has been tattooing a little less than a year, but you'd never know it to see what he's putting out. Check this out: https://instagram.com/laurent_trelaun/

Sooooo, just look at it in the mirror. ;)

haha guys I felt like he was in a group of many good tattooers on west coast until I saw @hogg getting a tattoo from him and it was pure badass. He made my relatively short list(6) when time came to book a chest eagle. I will definitely try to book with him at some point. edit watched video and yeah cool stuff good vibe

Sat for about 5.5-6 hours of linework yesterday. Fuck me. I do feel like I got out easy, all things considered, but it was a challenge. None of it was particularly easy. Got from the upper-middle back to the top of the butt and around the back of the sides. Newfound respect for everyone who has done this before, newfound compassion toward clients I have previously brutalized, and solidified faith in the fact that you have to be heavily tattooed to be a good tattooer. Dunno if there is anyone else here who is extremely ticklish, but there was nothing I could do to keep myself from flinching every time the needle got to the sides of my waist, I felt like such a jerk. Wasn't even the pain that was a bother, just the heightened sensation of the spot. Um but yeah, if you want to see it, quote here with your instagram.

Appt set with steve Bryne at ROA . Pretty excited

Just started reading Infinite Jest. Whoaaaaa this will be a trip.

The LLLBooks are all very nice and full of amazing tattooers. And don't even hesitate on the Tattootime Series.

Already some tough stuff this month, but I'll give it a shot. Here's my arm from Grez at Kings Avenue. All healed up.

Been reading this over the past couple of weeks: Unruly Places: Lost Spaces, Secret Cities, and Other Inscrutable Geographies, Alastair Bonnett It consists of a lot short chapters about different strange places around the world, grouped in themes. There is one on Pripyat (Chernobyl), one on the Somalian pirate nest of Hobyo town, one of the "independent nation" of Sealand just of the Brittish coast, one of the enclaves within enclaves in India and Bangladesh. Besides info about the actually places the author goes through a lot of world history, sociology, economics, social- and cultural history and colorful anecdotes. I very much recommend this book too anyone, it's truly fascinating and each chapter is more interesting than the one before. Love it

This thread never fails to amaze me. I cannot imagine what it must feel like to have the backside of your body be that intricately covered from neck to thighs. All that color. I think it'll always seem crazy and unreal to me.

Staring kids = smile at them, maybe wave! Staring adults = men or women... blow them a kiss! Usually gets them to stop except the time this body builder type threw his ice cream cone at me.....