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Here's mine from Friday at the London convention, done by Tony Hundahl. So unbelievably happy with this one! Nicked the picture from Tony's instagram as my camera is broken

Got this Shishi Lion from Alix Ge at the London convention yesterday (pic nicked from her instagram): When I arrived, Alix was still drawing. She told me we couldn't put the tattoo on the side of my thigh like I had asked for because for that I would have to lie down and she only had a chair. Well, alright then. When I came back from a short tour around the convention she had obviously done another drawing which was much bigger than the first. She thought the animal had to be rather large to be nice, good with me. But she didn't think we could fit peonies as well, would I be happy with cherry blossoms instead...? Bummer...what? Noooo...! Oh well, so we agreed to put on the lion stencil and see then. Stencil went on, peonies were added freehand. No problem, all fitted on there nicely....but...that was gonna be a looong session. If I was a strong woman, she asked. Ermmmmm, well, I bl**dy hoped so...what else could I say? She looked at me particularly sceptical after she found out it was only my second tattoo.... Obviously, we made it, yippie!!! Six hours on a folding chair with two breaks. Even though I got some odd looks and remarks for running around with a pillow under my arm, I was well glad I had brought it because it made the chair way more comfortable! Apart from that, getting tattooed at the convention was actually surprisingly good as there was so much to watch and get distracted by. I could openly stare at all the tattoos walking by and quite a few people gave me encouraging smiles and words. That was really cool. Alix is super lovely and I kinda felt a little bad for her having to sit on her small suitcase for hours. Towards the end she told me that she wouldn't be able to do what I did and that she'd never get a tattoo that takes more than one hour herself. I doubt that's actually true, but it was a sweet thing to say anyway. Suffice to say I'm super chuffed but also glad it's over! And this morning my 3 1/2 year old greeted me excitedly with "Mummy, I have a tattoo, too!". Turns out the entire family has tattoos now, some of them of the temporary type, some rather not ;-)

Awesome weekend at the London Convention. There were some awesome tattoos walking around and being created, not least on some LSTers. Congratulations to everyone that got some work. Everything I have seen so far looks great. I didn't get anything big or dramatic this weekend. Just this little guy by Len Leye at Clan of Tusk in Belgium. Really nice guy and fun time getting tattooed. It you don't know his work then check out his instagram.

here are some of my tattoos rufio - - - Updated - - - The ones visible here are done by Bunshin Horimatsu, Jondix, Jonas Pedersen, Iain Mullen, Cheyenne Sawyer, Matti Sedholm, Alex Reinke Horikitsune

reactivating this thread with my Thomas Hooper piece:

Finally got some half-way decent healed photos of my Hooper musician leg. On the other hand, trying to paste together such a single photo is near impossible, at least for an old geezer like me. I'll reactivate the squidpants thread by putting this there, too . . .

My mom still gives me a stink face when she sees a new one, so I don't tell her about them. I don't hide them, but I don't constantly update her. When she found out I went to Austin (I'm in NYC) for the sole purpose of getting tattooed, she was pretty pissed, though, and served me her A+ guilt-trip game. Her and her siblings (my uncle and aunt) all seriously dislike tattoos. Yet all their kids have them. It's a bit of sore point for them, but what are you gonna do.

We took our 7 year old daughter to a jr. roller derby practice on Weds to see if she might like it. She is so crazy about it she can't wait a whole week to go back. Will take her again tomorrow morning, before ballet class. So psyched the Derby Dolls moved into our neighborhood! Between this and her Friday after school program "Rock Star" where she's learning to play electric guitar, bass, keyboard, and drums, she's doing much cooler stuff than I did at her age.

well, got some bug tattoos and made the paper: photo by Shaughn Butts, Edmonton Journal

"Tattoos are luxury products. It's not something that anyone really needs." I remember reading it just like that somewhere for the first time and I have heard people expressed the idea since. I've thought about it a lot since and tried to formulate my thoughts on it. I'm not sure yet that I have a definitive comeback that I'd let people quote me on but let's explore the theme for a while. If you talk about different sorts of needs, in most cases I'd say tattoos are not fundamental to life in the way food, clothes and shelter are. Getting tattooed probably ranks pretty close to the top of Marslows pyramid of needs for most people. Of course there is circumstances where having certain tattoos could save your life (or make you lose it), just think of prison culture in many parts of the world. Many of us have seen the sensational documentary about tattoos of the criminal Russian subculture. You could also argue that sometimes tattoos can help in sexual interaction and from some evolutionary perspective help the poor genes in your body keep life going past your death. Then there is all the sociological aspects of in-groups and out-groups and how most people try to fit in someplace, if not in the mainstream then somewhere else. Some biologists talk about how having a sharp intellect is an aid in evolution, that it's an important factor in the sexual selection. The intellect in turn would be expressed in external symbols, status symbols, titles, behaviors, the clever words we use to impress each other and tell the world who we are. I've read people arguing that often art: both appreciating (the right) art in front of others (or symbols there of) and the performance/creation of art (or the symbols there of) is also a evolutionary strategy in order to find a mate and make children. Of course us humans enjoy thinking of ourselves, and humanity, as something more complex than that. At the same time sex and violence/love and death is at the core of both art and the human experience. Right now I am reading a book about evolutionary theory and one of the main points the author makes is that we have to bridge the gap between biology and the humanitarian sciences. Religion and art for example, has it's roots in evolutionary processes but has in part branched out and become so complex over time that often we forget it was created by the human brain, which was in turn formed through evolution. Maybe that was sort of a side track, decide yourself. Truth is you can not eat your tattoos, they won't shelter you from the elements and keep you warm. (But many people have in different ways made money from making tattoos or having tattoos, to put food on the table in their cave or hut) If I was really running low on cash, say I lost my job, getting tattooed would pretty quick be had to put on hold. So I could eat and pay rent. However, I suspect most people who do get tattoo regularly, especially those LST-forum members, can probably afford to live a pretty comfy lifestyle by a global standard (or even just comparing with people in their own country) and on top of that spend money on this kind of luxury. Sometimes I can feel guilty about it, like this money could pay for "real things" that could prove helpful. I know my parents think I should be saving money for an apartment to own, and such things, as if I wanted their way of life. Or just put money in the bank for "the future". Once my aunts man asked me how much I paid for a tattoo on my arm and when I told me he exclaimed "But that money could get you a moped!". But I don't want a moped... I said. I think many are provoked by heavily tattooed people for this reason, to different extent. A funny scene to illustrate this happened last week. By chance I ran into my friend Olle (some people might know him as @tattoo_pilgrim on instagram) outside of Systembolaget (state owned chained of stores in Sweden, the only one who legally can sell alcohol stronger than %3,5) We ended up standing right in front of the store, talking for 10 minutes. All the time people are going into the store to spend money on alcohol. Both me and Olle have tattoos showing, and right next to me sits a Roma woman, begging the shoppers for money. On my foot next to her I have a tattoo of a sleeping bum with a cloudy speech bubble containing the acronym C.R.E.A.M. I don't know exactly how it ties to what I am writing, maybe not at all in the sense of language, but I thought it was an absurd scene to be part of. I think most middle class people, and even working class people in some countries, can afford to spend huge sums of money on objects, interests and pursuits that are not crucial to their day to day existence. One example I often find myself using is that it is not considered weird to want to spend 20.000 euro on a car, or to lust after a watch for 500 euro. In fact it's culturally sanctioned and encouraged by advertising and other instances of our society. For me tattooing is great joy on so many levels. I would not be the person I am today without the tattoos, impressions, thoughts and experiences I've collected since 2009 when I got my first piece. I could never have imagined then what it would spiral into. I remember the first time I formulated for my father that tattoos could be a hobby even if you are not making tattoos, or to my new friend in Italy that tattooing was art. It was strange to put those words in my mouth then, I was not sure if I really had thought it through enough. But now, years later, I know that this what I think and feel is good for me. So spending that money and effort is all worth it. In the same way people enjoy fancy cars, travel the globe to see their favorite band perform, slave away at the gym, put hundreds of euros a month on clubbing, alcohol and drugs, and all other things that may or may not be luxurious to indulge in. And maybe in a way we are doing it because we believe that in this culture it will set us apart in a way that allow our genes to live on. So even if the acts are "un-natural" or superficial, the motivation is very human and basic. It's up for debate Hmm.. maybe this blog post-length rant is not going anywhere really. As I wrote, this is like a loosely weaved net of ideas that is still shifting in shape and content. Feel free to discuss whatever I wrote or introduce your own ideas tied to the theme. PS. I studied sociology for a while, but probably not enough to make any sense, perhaps you can tell D.S.

I like alliteration, assonance and words that rhyme but don't normally go together. Awful waffle. Enemy anemone. Sourpuss octopus.

Thanks guys! Here's a picture of my torso so far: - - - Updated - - - And here is the last tattoo I got, because I'm a maniac lol Done by Zack Spurlock at Anonymous Tattoo here in Savannah, GA. 5 hours in one sitting.

Mine is @ItsNewport My instagram is kinda fucked for now as my camera is unable to focus, but you can check out the Viking skull i got from Tony Hundahl on his instagram - it's the one with the red lightning running through it

My Mom's gone, and I only get to see my Dad about once a year. He knows I have a couple of tattoos, but I don't think he has any idea of the actual extent. I just don't see the point in upsetting him during the little bit of time we get to spend together (and he's 83). If we lived in the same city then I'd hope he'd get used to it . . .

I have a really frequent client, female, who comes in and goes, "So. I want a cutie mark." I looked at her and all that could go through my mind was, "You can`t say that in a tattoo shop..." It hurt my mind. Sent from my SCH-S968C using Tapatalk

Finally got to visit State of Grace and get my Molly Monmon Cat from Horitomo! He did an amazing job. Just spectacular. I sent several pictures of her and some descriptions of her favorite things, her personality and her character. She *loved* shrimp sushi and got an entire order for her 16th birthday, right before we lost her to cancer. Horitomo created a picture of her in heaven with a halo and surrounded by her favorite things - including that she is surrounded by catnip! The face is perfect. I gave him a decent size square footage and told him he could expand beyond the cat and add other elements. Her face is perfect. When he showed me the sketch, my eyes just teared up. It was neat to be tattooed on the platform in the shop. It is a little sanctuary with neat drawings, books and items on shelves. He is a quiet gentle soul. I tried tebori for the whites and I probably would not do it again. For many areas, I didn't even feel the first 4-5 pokes. It just felt like a shoving pressure but there was *no* pain. Then the last several shoves were painful. But around my hip was bad all around. I'm glad I did it, though. Crashing out now holed up in the hotel with mom. <3 <3 <3

so it does turn out great when you tell the artist to do what they want,this is what Alycia Harr at Classic Tattoo in Grass Valley California did on my upper arm/shoulder.I just got it finished on Monday ,I am very happy with it.. . .

Many years ago I think I may have been particular, but in the end...man, it was just all about the coverage. Power lines, bold, slam the fucker in. A crocodile over the ribs you say? Sounds good to me. A pipe smokin' wizard smacked on the side of the neck? Fuck yeah. But in saying that, after years of being tattooed by the one person, he just knew what suited me as much as I did.

Hi everyone, I'm Shane. I'm not a tattooer but I am a tattoo collector and enthusiast. I only have about 20 tattoos but I have a lot of coverage. I'm working on a full front torso panel right now by Dave Resp. I really love learning about tattoo history and hearing stories. I look forward to learning so much more on here!!! - - - Updated - - - I forgot to mention that I love painting for fun. I only paint tattoo related designs right now but it's a ton of fun and very cathartic. I'm always looking for advice on painting! Whether it be about techniques or composition, I can use your help!

Hello everyone! My name's Kirk, I own a private studio in NJ and do geometric / dot work stuff. Simple introduction.:)

As usual, I really liked Kruseman's (fangirl, I guess). He did exactly what he should have and his was the only really readable design and would age the nicest. I was pretty bummed that the jury criticized it for being "just a rose," I'd much rather have a nice clean rose than 50 different components crammed into one muddy tattoo. People have no respect for the classics. Tyler's was shockingly bad, like scratcher level bad. And I'm so sick of his "I don't normally tattoo this subject, this skin, etc" shit...what DO you do? Things I would love to see the show do away with: the jury, and the entire existing format pretty much. The jury adds nothing to the show and it's always pretty shocking to see them vote someone the worst of the day when the judges thought they were one of the best. Just goes to show how little the average person knows about tattoos, I guess. I really feel like it contributes nothing and is pretty mean spirited. I would hate to have my brand new tattoo dissected by a bunch of people on TV and I always feel bad whenever someone is brought to tears during it. There's just no need to make someone feel so bad about something that wasn't even their fault...most of the time they didn't pick the artist and didn't impose the time limits. As for the format...I've always hated the skull pick thing. This isn't how tattooing is done, unless you're a world famous artist who has the luxury of declining inquiring people, you pretty much have to try to do whatever comes in the door or send it to someone else in the shop at least. I would like the show a lot better if people chose their artist. It's always kind of mind boggling when the show actually does that (like the last episode with the football players) and all the artists act like it's the worst thing ever...uh, isn't this how your shop is run back home? And if they actually got a decent amount of time to consult with them, if they broke the sittings up over more days, etc...anything to make sure the tattoos were the best they could be. Someone who isn't on the level of the other artists is still going to suck, whether they have 1 hour or 30 hours to do a tattoo. At least then it would give people more of a chance to get decent tattoos and do the craft more justice. And of course, they could get rid of as much drama as possible and I wouldn't bat an eye.

@ItsNewport I saw that getting drawn on you. It's turned out very nicely indeed. I spent most of Friday Avo getting my stomach/ribs shaded by Henning J. Which hurt. A lot.

Inner arm near armpit really is crummy.

Dude I know what you mean. Spare time is few and far between. Looks like my first tattoos were total crap. Luckily most of them were on myself. The good that came of that was having a slight understanding of what those needles were doing, so watching my mentor afterward was more beneficial. I've done a few more now and am really trying to buckle down and get this technical stuff down. 7 days a week working, drawing, reading, tattooing, and asking questions.

Here's an up to date shot of my torso tattoo. About half done, can't wait to finish it. Two and a half years in.

I have a tiger on my hip/thigh by Dave Resp. Hurt way bad but looks amazing. To answer the original question, unless it's like a Coleman or Grimm style head I prefer the whole tiger. It's so powerful a design when you see the whole thing. Unlike the panther which looks awesome as just a head.

Thank you, yes, we have to get that book! I wish I'd done it, too. When I saw her going out onto the floor, I wanted to jump in. They moved earlier this year. It's a great space. This kid is ready to rumble:

Day three.Healing nicely.Just Aquaphor.

Got a few more hours in on my custom dragon chest piece! So close to being finished but so stoked on how it's come together. London Reese is a pleasure to get tattooed by. Very easy going and cool to talk to. The shop is great, everyone there is a really friendly, cool, and talented as hell. After this last session, I now understand why some people say the chest sucks. 15hrs down so far, only a little bit more to go.

I was going to wait until retirement to go past the elbow, but I am starting to think it's close enough!

From an artists perspective, i'd say go in at least with an idea of the tattoos the artist youve chosen has done that you like and explain why you like them (colours, layout,subject etc) and at best say youd like something along those lines. dont go in saying 'do what you want', no one ever really means that and if they explain something they'd be stoked to do and you say, yeah but not that. well, then you will have a deflated and slightly annoyed artist in your hands, vague guidance is great. the artist puts out there work theyve enjoyed or that shows their ability, all within the realm of what that customer asked for, however, so just cos you like what you see them posting doesnt mean it's what they want to do, it might be something entirely different that they simply havent gotten a chance to tattoo ever before.

^ true, there's a reason I'm getting (the majority of) my tattoos in my forties. I couldn't afford this stuff when I was younger. I did have a desire for them, but I'm glad I waited as opposed to going cheap. It's for sure a want, not a need... like so many other things we buy in life. Clothing may be a need, but do I need 20 pairs of jeans? I seemed to think so at the times of purchase. If art is a luxury product so be it. Nothing to defend. We like art. We like a certain type of art, many types of art. Art rules!

I think it's more like a medical procedure -- particularly cosmetic surgery, which is why I quoted both of you. Cosmetic surgery isn't often viewed as 'necessary' (though in some heinous cases of disfigurement, that point is certainly arguable), but it has the potential to add immeasurable quality of life to someone's existence. Sure, there are cosmetic procedures that the majority of the population would consider 'frivolous,' but at the end of the day, the only person who can put a value on it is the person wearing the results. People spend GOBS of money of veneers, facelifts, breast implants, etc., but those also have no exchange rate (and few people these days consider that outré, barring extreme examples). Both cosmetic procedures and tattoos are tied to our self-ideation heavily. Tattoos differ -- quite possibly from any other comparable material purchase -- because there's a whole amazing culture, with a history that feels rich, full of fascinating characters, and the time we spend actually being tattooed is as much a part of the process as anything. I know fuck-all about the history of plastic surgery, but I'm pretty sure I wouldn't consider any pre-op time with the doc to be an integral and cherished part of the experience, lol. In that sense, there's probably just no comparison!

Very good idea for a thread, @mmikaoj and there's so much great discussion here. My wife is as into tattoos as I am so what I spend on tattoos isn't a contentious point in our relationship. For all the things my parents have said about my tattoos, they've never really brought up money. I recall my mom once made a comment once about how they must be expensive, but when I confirmed that without offering any specifics she didn't make any judgmental comments or say that I could be spending my money on better things or anything like that. They have all kinds of feelings about my tattoos and particularly the extent to which I'm getting covered, and surprisingly not all of them are negative anymore, but they've never tried to make me feel guilty about spending money on them. My inlaws would be super judgmental, but that's why they don't know either of us have tattoos. So basically I don't feel any guilt or have any bad feelings about spending my disposable income on tattoos, and when I think of things that I spent money on before I started getting tattooed (booze and records!), tattoos are a much better use of my time and money. Tattoos given me experiences, growth, stories, and friendships that I wouldn't have had otherwise and they've enriched my life in countless ways. I agree that tattoos are a luxury in that they don't shelter or feed you--tattooers will rightly disagree with me here--but I like what @cltattooing is getting at above about them meeting a psychological and spiritual need. I don't think they're entirely frivolous in the way that I think that, say, buying the latest electronic gadget is. It's fascinating how tattooing is something that has been around probably as long as humans have been around and yet still persists. We all have our reasons for getting tattooed but I think there must be some deeper, primal drive down there at the root of it and that getting tattooed and being tattooed is a fundamental part of what it means to be human. I am not so sure about tattoos being a "product" though. Yes, there's an exchange of money for a service rendered, but it's not the same as going to a car dealer and driving off the lot with a new car, or buying a TV. Obviously the process is entirely different but there's something more happening there and tattoos have a different economic character than most goods. Economics isn't my strongest subject, so somebody here who does understand economics is probably going to bust my balls here and say that I am totally wrong because I am applying economic analysis of commodities to something that isn't a commodity because I'm a fool, but it seems to me that tattoos don't have exchange value and that sets them apart from most goods we spend money on. I can't trade in my old dated tattoos for the latest most fashionable ones. It's not like art collecting in that there's no speculating on the future value of my tattoos. If we want to compare tattoos to other things we spend money on, I think tattooing shares more characteristics with spending money on education than it does with spending money on things. Or maybe it's more like spending money on a vacation or something like that? I don't know. I'm thinking out loud here and poorly articulating half-baked ideas.

Man, this is a good discussion! So from the standpoint of a tattooer, tattoos are far more necessity than luxury, if not even investment. Because not only do I need to be heavily tattooed to be taken seriously by both clients and colleagues, but also so that I can relate to people as I am working on them and assure them that I know what they're going through. And even additionally, you learn so much on a technical level from getting tattooed. So the way I see it, I need to keep getting tattooed so that I can be a better tattooer and continue the success of my livelihood. Even at this point, I have so much open space yet I'm in the process of getting one of the largest tattoos a person can get, but even then the need will remain afterward! I think the term luxury is very relative to the individual circumstances. Also, in general, people do not consider the psychological and spiritual merit of goods and services. Does anyone publicly discuss necessity and luxury in terms of what the soul needs? Because we all know how transformative getting tattooed is, and I think many of us on this journey can say that, without a doubt, getting tattooed has improved the overall quality of our lives. Did we not need that, did it not help us learn how to be who we need to be? Perhaps it did, and perhaps it didn't, but the answer to that question will tell you whether your tattoos are a necessity or not.

Luxury in that I don't need them to live. I can not get tattooed and live a functional life. I won't be nearly so cool looking or feel so pretty w/my many colors..but they're not like water. But they're a need for me in that it's a way of self expression. I have huge issues w/my appearance and feel...not good about myself. But I love my tattoos and like how they make me feel about myself. Money wise...I am on a jewelry forum and some of the people there have crazy insane budgets, and others, like me, need to decide what's important and spend some time socking money away in order to get an heirloom worthy piece. Just like w/tattoos, you get what you pay for, and you need to research where you go. I did my research and got myself an heirloom worthy piece. Sadly I can't pass my tattoos on to my kids haha. I do feel guilty about the money we've put into our tattoos. (and my jewelry) W/that I can tell JD if he divides the cost by the number of years we've been married, he's got me at a bargain. W/tattoos, I figure-what else can you spend that money on and have forever?

Tattoos are definitely a luxury good, by definition. If any of us were to win $100,000 tomorrow, we would surely want another tattoo, probably one larger or better than we have had before (as long as enough bare skin remained). And yet as each year passes they become less and less luxurious. Cell phones were once exorbitantly expensive and truly "luxury", now they are all but necessity in our culture and owned by many people who we would otherwise say were extremely poor around the world (most people I met in Haiti had a cell phone, though they often didn't have electricity of their own to charge them). I'm not certain, but 'poor/lower class' people in the West are probably more likely to have a tattoo than a "wealthy" person. There are also many tribes/cultures around the world where by our standards they live in abject poverty and yet they have tattoos - they spent time and resources on them even though they aren't needed. Unless, maybe, they are on some level? Tattoos are also unusual because they are flexible/ scaleable in a way that many goods are not. A quarter-sized bird silhouette is "a tattoo", and so is a Battle Royale full backpiece. But a Hot Wheels is not "a car" the same as a Cadillac. So classifying all tattoos in the same way (luxury/normal) isn't fully accurate.

Tattoos are a luxury good, but they are also in a way the anti-luxury good. I hate having a lot of possessions, and I hate how society encourages us to buy new, not reduce the amount of things being put into production. Tattoos are anti-production because they are a luxury we can have, that go with us to die, and leave no additional lasting fingerprint afterwards (anyone who's had to deal with what to do with a loved one's possessions after they have passed will understand the struggle!). I like the idea of them being a statement against physical goods and against wastefulness.

Thank you @mmikaoj I hear ya, perhaps my own thoughts would not have been articulated so well ! I get the stigma too...people look at me covered in tattoos and they think I'm a high roller with a lot of disposable income. So what if it is a luxury we spend our time and money on? That's our business! What people don't get to see is that I've got an education and a respectable profession that I've earned through focus and hard work. That's part of what my tattoos represent to me (I'll explain the root of that feeling below, about my parents ultimatum) Yes, a nice house and nice things. I've been driving my one and only vehicle for the last ten years. I know exactly how much I've spent to cover myself in my tattoos and honestly if you spread that over a decade of getting tattooed it really isn't that insane. And I wouldn't change any of it. We all probably know people that spend an equal amount of time and money on their own passions...like comic books, fast motorcycles,vintage guitars, designer clothes, $50 barber haircuts every other week, cocaine habits... Tattoos are very interesting from a social perspective...you see lots of struggling folks (who we would stereotype as having a rough time putting food on their table and roof over their head) have many tattoos. Maybe not the highest quality, but nevertheless, a tattoo is a tattoo. Rich folk have many tattoos, good and baaaad quality, some that equate it as a fashion accessory like wearing a sleeve to carrying a Luis Vutton handbag. Through history, where royalty would have exotic tattoos made after trade trips to the Orient. Nomadic people have had tattoos made for centuries. Tattooing really transcends social class and I think the whole tattooing process - from the inception of the idea of "I'm gonna put this picture on my body" to the painful experience of making the tattoo and healing it - appeals to a lot of us and gets us in touch with the human experience. It makes us feel alive. I'm just as interested (if not more) in the scratchy old tattoo the friendly homeless guy on the block made on himself 30 years ago than the rig-worker who got a neo-Japanese sleeve mish-mashed with a samurai, hanya, snake and dragons that yeah sure looks dope but doesn't really mean anything. The jail house tattoos are as equally important as my extensive parlour made ones. Everyone has got a story, I want to hear and see your story! I laugh to myself...when I think back about the infamous parent-tattoo-ultimatum. They said if I could spend my money on the tattoo then I could surely afford paying my own way, living at home or on my own, cover room/board on top of saving for my tuition while I was a student. Perhaps if I would have got one little tattoo and got the taste of rebellion that would have been it for Bongsau's tattoos. So I waited. And waited. And saved. And waited. And got my first tattoo days after my last engineering exam. I worked hard, got a good job and secure profession and started making bank roll and suddenly my vision of being covered in tattooing wasn't out of reach. Thanks mom n dad ! haha (my dad also said when i was out living on my own, i could sit around and smoke as much dope as i wanted, but not under his roof lol, whoops!) One thing that has always remained very important to me about tattoos...is that NOBODY can take them away from you..(with the exception of maybe a mad man with a belt sander /jk). Once that tattoo is in your skin, it's all yours. Your parents can't undo it. The bank and the tax man can't take it away from you. The government can't take them away from you. Rich or poor that tattoo is in there! Your life can go to shit in an instant but your tattoos and the stories they tell remain.

I recently completed my right sleeve (an 18 month project), and with two exceptions it was done by multiple (5) artists from the same shop. For the most part, it chronicles my time I spent caring for my wife as she battled and lost her life to brain tumors. The folks at Envy Skin Gallery "get it" and made me a part of their family. I cannot thank Billy Hill and Company enough. Fuck Cancer.

So I finally got my chest piece. So happy with how it came out. By Valerie Vargas of course.

A couple that are relevant here is that 1) lines will thicken over time so if you have a lot of dense linework like in the reference images above chances are that they're going to bleed together over the course of your life; 2) the nature of skin is that it is going to age, your muscles will slacken, your skin will sag, etc., etc., and this is all going to impact how your tattoo will look. A well-designed tattoo is going to be drawn and placed in a way that will, to an extent, take this into account. I am not convinced that a design based only on very precise linework is going to age well. well and add any element to the sea like a whale or a ship, as mentioned above, be sure to somehow figure will be boring. Just for example of styling:

Got this from Britney Goodman at Downtown Tattoo in Las Vegas.

Close up of mine, by Chad Koeplinger. (Healed)

My grandmother and I were chatting yesterday. She's 90 years old and is one of the most important people in the world to me. Well, we were talking about life, work, and how my apprenticeship is going. She looks at me and asks "Would you tattoo me? Right here, a big butterfly, and you can use this mole as the head of the butterfly." I'm still grinning over that.

Henry Lewis: