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So I wasn't expecting another large scale piece. But Steve Byrne loved my basic idea, and I DID specifically tell him, apparently, quote "go nuts". I am a wreck this morning kids. Link to video:

@Gareth98 With regards to the design, I'm kind of meh. It's not bad, but not very exciting either. Seen much better. With regards to the concept of mixing styles, why not? A similar post was made in the past and I noted I'd seen images on IG in the past that have mixed Japanese backgrounds with another culture's myths. Someone else posted a sleeve a bit back that had traditional motifs with a Japanese cloud background. It was cool to me. So saying that I don't see a big issue with the idea that an artist can make it work proper. Will it be traditional? Maybe not. Do you want it to be? Maybe. Maybe not. The key thing is finding an artist that can make it work though. Valerie Vargas seemed to make it work on I think it was an Athena sleeve and same goes with Chris Brand's Suikoden pieces. That's essentially Japanese (and Chinese) meets East LA culture and he's rocking it. Those people had skill to make it work. Many do not so hopefully you have found someone who can. The artist seemed to go a different route than you originally wanted though. If you're not a fan, skip the idea and the middle man. I agree with others that you should work with a tattoo artist. And perhaps run with your original thoughts if that was what you wanted.

Update: Aug 31. Scott Ellis is finally back in the US, so we put in five more hours dropping color into the dragon. I am so relieved to have the ditch of my arm done! That was probably the worst part.

If you really want that quote I'd suggest embedding it in a stylized banner of some kind so it's not just standing words. Or, you could just get a dragon.

@ligatortat oh ok - i mention this because people do get tattooed this way "its for me" but you shouldnt

@ligatortat trying to accentuate a small sized tattoo with an afterthought never ends up with a great result. it will overshadow and take the eye away from your new atom tattoo. For your consideration...what about your opposite wrist? Something simple and classy like a small illustration of a ringed planet and a couple of stars/dots. A picture is worth a thousand words! You know all about "star stuff" when you look at the tattoo, sometimes less is more. Good luck and en joy your new tattoo.

I'm definitely coming now! A friend and I are coming up on Friday evening. Count us in for brunch meetup, please! Looking forward to the trip, even if I'm not likely to get a tattoo this time.

I wouldn't say anyone has been nasty -- at least not without provocation. What I will say is that people are very opinionated about what makes a good tattoo and have limited patience for those who refuse to take good advice. Sometimes the best kind of tough love comes from strangers. Because we kind of but don't really give a shit what you do. Make sense? Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

@ligatortat don't fan the flames man if you dont like it here - take your advice and go otherwise - chill and move on there is plenty of good stuff to check out imo the interview section alone is worth the visit

my wife is not a member here yet,so I am posting this for her,she's my low tech babe,I will see if she wants to join here,she loves tattooes but she doesn't really do online forums at all, she has an appointment with Alycia Harr at Classic Tattoo in Grass Valley for a hummingbird & flower piece on her right lower leg,on October 10th.

Based on guidance from the wise folks here, I deleted the text from my next piece. I'm thankful for the wisdom.

A wise man once asked, "Why didn't you get a dragon?"

I'm in ! :)

Haven't posted in quite a while so i'll update you all on a couple of new(ish) additions. First up is from the Bristol tattoo convention in June, done by Stewart Robson: And this one i got a couple of days ago from Marcos Attwood at Broad Street Studio, in Bath Not particularly great photos of either one but i'm sure you get the idea

Above the crack :D

@ligatortat Why don't you get a tattoo of a star exploding???? That would pretty well cover everything you want with it... You could get it elsewhere on your body - other arm, further up your arm, on your leg, etc.

Oh, Man! very nice! Love seeing your progress!

Getting a bunch of prints made to trade/gift to people at the con. Already set up a trade with Horitsuki Dust Wu. Very pumped. Also made an appointment with Darryl Hart for a nurse on my calve right after I get off the plane on Saturday night. Then getting a huge piece by Dave the next morning, and after that I have about 4 hours to fuck around and look at booths. Might get a couple 1 hour bangers if I feel like it. Edit: so turns out he can get the nurse done in an hour and a half, because hes a madman, so we're going to put these eyeball hellspawn on my leg somewhere also. R8 stoked.

I got a piece from Matthias Boettcher when I was there. Was in Lowbrow Tattoo which I'd recommend Sent from my D5803 using Tapatalk

@otisc Awesome! How is the heal process on this phase?

I think so but ask your artist. Bigger the better. My concern would be that lines tend to get fatter and blurrier over time so if you want longevity there needs to be space between them. A good artist will know this and will be thinking about five ten years down the road. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Your own statement identifies the source of the conflict. You state "I'm not a big tattoo person." This is a tattoo forum - would you not expect to find people with passion and strong opinions? I only have one tattoo yet I have found this group to be nothing but helpful and informative. It's not about what you have or want, it's about how you interact with the group. In the end, your decision about your tattoo is just that...yours. Get what you want/like, not what someone else does. People here have given you their advice and suggestions. Go with what makes you happy.

its not that words dont have their place in tattooing - they do...:)

Just go full sleeve from the start. As for the elbow, my artist looked at me and said, "I'm not going to lie to you brother, this is going to hurt." And he wasn't lying. The hurt is for a few minutes (or hours), the joy lasts a lifetime.

Made an appointment with Darryl Hart at the Montreal convention for saturday. Going to put this nurse on the lower half of my calve. Every tattoo Darryl does looks amazing healed so Im really stoked. Hes so fast and light handed too.

Its looking good for us - heading down the 401 to Montreal.

Planets and stars would look good. Not a big fan of free floating text unless it's in a fancy script font Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

What do you do, oboogie, sit in front of your computer all day and bitch about other peoples posts - go read a book or play on the swings

Session two with Horitomo! Almost done with the lining and am looking forward to the shading.

IMO it really does not matter,a full sleeve is an ongoing long term project,don't make a choice now,the thing you should consider is if you do will this work with what you want to continue on with later ? do you have a common theme you want to do ? plan ahead !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! if I could do one thing over again,I would have thought farther into the future.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Welcome, great story. Especially the Pinky Yun one. A 20yo tribal tattoo is just as interesting to me as a flashy fresh piece, if not more. Got some history behind it! My first tattoos just slightly poked out of t-shirt sleeves. And I thought it was a huge deal. Then I got my forearms and I told my tattooer I was finally ready to jump into the "big stuff" and my guy laughed at me because he put a big dragon on my ribs a few years before. Then after 10 years of tattoos I busted my neck cherry and got the first tattoo that could not be hidden (w/out looking like a jerk in a turtleneck). I got a piece that creeps on my hand a couple months ago and I was hyper conscious, especially in work meetings. Now it's no big deal. I'm getting the other side done at the end of the week. So I'm sure I've got a few weeks of the ugh post-tattoo anxiety comin' haha. You become VERY aware of your new tattoos when they are visible at first. Then the idea (and ink) settles into the skin, the people around you get used to it and it's just business as usual. No big deal. It's just a tattoo, simple as that. Perfectly normal and the fun part of the tattoo lifestyle. Cheers