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Nothing wrong with small tattoos...backpiece goals

A man who is his own lawyer has a fool for a client. If you want a tattoo, go to a TATTOO artist to have an original piece created. I don't call a doctor when my toilet is backed up and I don't go to a plumber to have a will drawn up. You may be an artist, but you aren't a TATTOO artist.

My wife and I got "matching" heart tattoos from Aaron Is (during a guest spot at Precisely Veiled Tattoo in Killeen, TX).

I know exactly how to feel ! there is no confusion at all ! it's very clear to me ! it's a fucked up thing to do on ANY living animal, we can easily and humanely chip pets for ID purposes, any type of tattooing animals should be illegal. ART ? LOL far from it. FUCK the whole idea and FUCK the people that are doing that !

No doubt in my mind - it's wrong, IMHO. It's not art, it's insensitive brutalizing of an animal that has no choice and for no meaningful propose.

Art critique aside.. If getting your own art design tattooed 'as is' on your body is what you want, then finding an Artist who can and will actually reproduce your art stroke for pencil stroke will be the hard part. Remember you are going to be the most critical of the application because it is your art. then be prepared to live out your days having the art criticized for being badly done. A pencil drawing is just that and tattoo art designed for body application is something else. I have reproduced pencil art (from people who are now dead), onto their living friends as a memorial to their RIP friend and most people just see a bad tattoo, no matter how meaningful and sincere the original intent. Even a perfectly reproduced historically accurate cave drawing will just look like a bad tattoo to most people. I won't reproduce people's drawings anymore, for the very reasons just explained... If you are still a go, then finding the right applicator for your project is critical, you will have no problem finding 10 guys who will say they can do it... but really cannot do it properly, so ask to see if the have direct reproduction of pencil stroke tattoos, if you see pictures of their tattoos and it looks good enough for you then you found your guy/gal, if not then you are the test subject... and let me tell you it is time-consuming trying to accurately reproduce quickly drawn graphite lines or ink drawings on paper, I mean 2 to 3 times longer than reproducing a similar image actually designed to be a tattoo, tattooed onto somebody.. Hope this helps...

it's just the audio but its still a fun listen.... http://chicagoathleticevents.com/podcast/robert-ryan/

the one in the picture above may or may not be,but did you read the entire article ? and yes,the entire thing could be bullshit,but just the idea of it repulses me. either way,a microchip is a much better tool for ID than any piercing or tattoos on any animal. as far as the "ID" thing goes,my dog is "chipped",I saw the procedure and it was like getting a vaccination ,I certainly would never consider piercing or tattooing an innocent animal.

LOL I did !

To each his/her own. I am a big advocate of large pieces. It is what appeals to me. But who am I to judge others? Certainly some people get tattoos like this because they are so worried about what people will think that they get something microscopic that will never show. And as others have said, maybe these people shouldn't be getting tattoos. But some people may make an deliberate aesthetic decision to get something tiny. At the risk of being flamed here, sometimes a tiny tattoo placed dramatically can be appealing. Dramatic contrast between figure and ground. Certainly fading and the inevitable "fuzzing out" of the image will affect it in the long run, so it is a challenge to select an image or shape that is simple enough to read for a long time.

No competent artist is going to try and abandon their style just to try and reproduce your style instead. I made this very same mistake back in the '70s and '80s. Now they are all lasered.

Grime stated in an interview that you should pick the artist not the tattoo and it was great advice. So if you are already trying to find the right artist you are off to a good start. Once you find an artist you like, then the next step is to get something from them (obviously) . This is where common problem number 2 comes into play, micro-managing your tattoo project. you can actually mess-up your own tattoo if you insist on getting art the way you think it should be done, instead of letting someone (the artist) who is likely trained (by education or experience) in art composition and technique to create the perfect design, in their personal style, custom done for you. If you like the Artist's work then you really probably like what the artist likes. An artist's personal style is often an amalgamation of the Artist's personal taste filter, basically not picking up elements that are disliked and picking up elements the artist is interested in. The next thing is to get something current from the artist. Ask them what they are hot to do right now and you will get the best work possible. Asking them to do a theme they were hammering away on two years ago, is something they probably do not want to do. Visual artists are creating a record of their development (into their past), so what they were drawing when they were 5 years old (let alone 5 years ago) is not what they are doing today. That being said, ask if they have a fresh sketch they want to do, and if you like it... get it, otherwise give em a loose concept and let them develop it to the best of their abilities. you will be amazed when you give em room to do their current magic. I got an oldschool snake through a skull, done by DAX (when he was at TCB in Toronto) on my arm that was random enough, following the above sketch book view request and I love it,... just saying. I think this is an angle no-one else addressed and hope it helps avoid a newbie blooper / future cover-up.

Leave them alone and move on! The best wisdom I got from my artist is that if you look at ANY tattoo long enough you'll find something wrong with it. Enjoy the big picture.

I received this one today from the photographer my college hired to shoot pictures of the Sporting Clays Tournament - he asked me to pose for this one (shotgun was not loaded).

Ok so I caved and took a photo - crappy cell phone because I tried to get a close up and with an iPhone 6S Plus it's huge and hard to steady in my hand. But, you get the idea. Even though it's still healing I am so psyched at how it turned out.

I am an aspiring apprentice, still working on my portfolio and trying to build up the courage to go out and find someone willing to teach me. Someday..! ;) So here is some of my 'art'.

That'll be $1200 Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

there are good shops in northern jersey - I've been to Immortal in Clinton - got tattooed by Jamie Sawyer twice - shes great - and there are many great artists at the shops two locations in northern NJ but...if we are talking traditional tattoos - you still have many options - I obviously love Electric Tattoo and have been tattooed many times there by Rob Ryan and Sheila Marcello - they're both awesome - all the artists there crush traditional daily - the shop is in Asbury Park which is in Central Jersey - btw - it doesnt hurt to have the beergarten right next door i'd also throw neptune tattoo in the mix - which is just a coupe miles away in Neptune NJ - Chris Smith would be my choice there but again - amazing shop amazing artist - they crush traditional in you are in NJ dont forget that you have great artists in NY and Philly who do amazing traditional In Brooklyn Smith Street is as good as it gets in my opinion for traditional and in Philly Olde City is top notch

i think this one wins the prize for "someone who doesn't actually want tattoos" tattoo.

@Charles.M just playing man - but listen - you're new to the forum and jumping in and giving medical advice about laser treatment - cmon brotha - you're opening yourself up for a little jab - anyway - its a great site - check out the interviews - check out the latest lowdown thread - laser...meh - not so much a big topic here my man

Does a heavy metal detox include not listening to Slayer for 10 days? :)

he's not a doctor...but he did stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night

On the subject of what tattoos are supposed to be i think rob ryan said it as good as you can say it in 3 minutes enjoy

Finally ! I have a reason to post haha ! So stoked about this ! I mean........SO stoked ! Bandage and endorphins still on lol And the freakin' pics will likely be side ways ;) I finally got my crawling panther, like everybody should ;) By Franz Stefanik at Okey Doke in Toronto, ON. Awesome personable guy, awesome chat, awesome tunes. Just a cool chilled out hang and I got to go home with a wicked tattoo at the end haha. ..................................................................................................................... Wow ! Upside right ! Who knew haha !

Got this from Chad back in July at Inksmith. My only complaint about the tattoo is that he didn't start until about an hour and a half after my scheduled appointment, and he even made the comment about being known for starting tattoos late...he was basically just shooting the shit in the shop, so it wasn't like he was finishing up someone else's tattoo. Other than that, it was a great experience and he's a really cool guy to talk to. I'm planning on moving up to Chattanooga next year and was a little concerned about finding a tattoo shop in the area...when he informed me that he was opening one in Nashville next year, I was elated.

I'm saying that the best back pieces – in my opinion, not as a tattoo artist, but an enthusiast – are one bold, cohesive image, whereas your design has a little too much going on for my taste. A great artist can take your basic idea – say, a horned demon with a battleax on a pyramid of skulls – and make it fucking amazing. I think you have to let go of the idea of your art being on your body, and not because I think you're a bad artist, but because tattooing is such a complicated and specialized art form with its own set of rules and techniques that are different from every other art form that you need to find someone who has devoted their life to the craft. I know that involves a lot of trust, but that's my advice. Don't worry about having something "unique." It's a one-of-a-kind, handmade piece of art that exists only on your body so it's going to be unique and it's going to be yours because it's on you. In the meantime, keep working on your own art with pencils, charcoal, paint or whatever and leave the tattooing to the tattooers. P.S.: Just as a starting point: https://www.google.com/search?q=filip+leu+back+piece&num=20&biw=1275&bih=761&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwis15u6s7vPAhVIHGMKHe0UBOoQ_AUICCgB

You may be able to find someone to tattoo one of your smaller designs on you, but a full back piece? No way. And by that I mean they'll take your money, but they aren't going to be very passionate about it. The best tattoo artists in the world don't get their own designs tattooed on them. They seek out the artists who they admire and respect, and let them do their thing. You'd be wise to do the same. You'll get a better tattoo and have a better experience if you approach it this way.

No tattoo artist worth his salt is going to just tattoo this on you. You need to give him your ideas, and let him draw it. Please, please, please listen to us. I don't want you to end up with a big old mess on your back.

I somewhat disagree about the usefulness of Instagram for evaluating tattoos. It's a tool, and like all tools, you need to know how to use it. I had a tattooer tell me once when I was getting tattooed by him that it's not a tattoo until it's healed and settled in, and I agree with him. Pictures of fresh tattoos don't tell you that much. I'd go so far as to say that pictures are of pretty limited use in general: the mark of a good tattoo is how it actually looks in the skin and how it ages with you. It's not about that fresh photo, it's about how it looks five, ten, forty years down the line. I also understand that for someone just getting into tattoos that you maybe don't have the exposure to seeing nice, lived-in tattoos that comes from hanging around tattoo shops, conventions, with other tattooed people. Instagram is an easy access point, but it isn't everything. To the OP, I'd say that tattoos are a process of figuring out what you like and what you want out of tattoos. If there's a tattooer whose work you really like aesthetically, by all means get tattooed by her! Do your research, of course, but there gets to be a point where you just have to jump in and do it. Maybe your tastes will change, maybe what you thought was good work isn't--maybe not though!--but that's all a part of getting tattooed. Don't stress out about it, and have fun getting tattoos that make you excited.

1st thing = don't be in a hurry. take time to educate yourself. this forum is excellent for that. so is Instagram. 2nd = learn about the different styles of art that are available 3rd = follow some of the artists that you enjoy, and absorb how they do what they do - and how they relate to others in their field within a few weeks or months you should be getting a feel for what "quality" is, but ultimately what is pleasing to your educated eye is what will bring your lasting enjoyment.

instagram - to me - love it or hate it - is a game changer for evaluating what to expect from a tattooer its not everything - but its huge i like when artists post regular work not everyone does this but when i can go a year or 2 deep into someones IG and i see hundreds of tattoos they did well that says something if you see a consistent body of work that pleases you then you can feel confident that you will probably be pleased with the outcome of your tattoo like i said - its not everything but its a big thing in the current processes of choosing an artist i personally love IG i have mentioned to a few artists that i liken it to growing up and looking at the sports pages following your favorite athlete well - i dont follow sports these days like that but i like going onto IG with a cup of coffee and checking out the latest pieces of awesomeness that my favorite tattooers have posted anyway good luck in your search i also am a big fan of the LST interview section fun stuff and you'll get some good perspective on the world of tattooing

I have stretched lobes (gauge is a measurement) and about a dozen other piercings (mostly non-ear piercings). So obviously, I love both. I am done getting anymore piercings for now though and I'm concentrating on tattoos.