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@scottyg Thanks man! I've been really enjoying Horimomo's work recently! But you also reminded me that I still haven't posted a healed photo. This one was taken about a month after finishing it, and some of the blue still needs a bit of settling time to get uniform. Maybe not a readable as some other backpieces, but I love how dynamic the huge wave over my shoulder is and the lighting. It moves very well on my body. I'm very glad we decided to go to the knee with this one, Scott's reasoning being "you're so damn skinny it's like trying to paint a skateboard."

More progress on the fudo/dragon sleeve. One week old today. Outlined/shaded the inside of my arm and did the coverup on my bicep.

Well, Takashi beat the shit out of me for 3 hours yesterday; was able to do the mikiri/background shading on my left shoulder. But this was with tebori, for the first time on my backpiece, and although I have another tebori piece this was on a whole other level of pain. Especially behind the armpits... and the back ribs. Everyone says how your ribs kill, but no one talks about how your ribs extend to your back! But it's weird because I totally could have taken a nap were it not for the pain... by which I mean, there really is a rhythm to tebori that's different than machine, and while it's a different kind of pain altogether, that rhythm is relaxing. Anyway, Takashi rules, and persistence is the name of the game!

Around the 12-hour mark and I'm liking the way my Japanese-American-Japanese backpiece is coming together. I seem to have fallen into a steady-ish rhythm re: the sessions. Beforehand: A bowl of ramen and gyoza beneath Tokyo Station and then the ride to InkRat, Koenji. The studio's kickarse blues tunes to get through the session. (Work has been so hectic recently that I've actually grown to look forward to these sessions and the lack of need to do anything for a solid three hours.) A can of IPA on the train home, undress the wrap, a hot-then-cold shower and air-dry with a glass of Penderyn. Finally some after-care cream and to bed in a shirt stained multi-coloured from past tattoos. Will post an update as the colours come in... tj

Wrapped up this little guy today! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I'm Rae. I have long hair, a few piercings, a few tattoos and I work in animal medicine. I like tattoos. This is my lameass introductory post. Here's my bigger pieces done by Liz Gruesome in Fayetteville, NC at Smokin' Guns. Next appt is scheduled with Johnny Awesome on the 29th from the same shop for my thigh. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

@scottyg Thank you so much man! I'm really looking forward to seeing your progress. Now just to go tattoo the rest of me haha...

Hey there! I would find an artist that you trust and ask them. :) They should be able to make your tattoo dreams come true.

I've asked to have stencils moved before. I did not, with my second tattoo, and the placement of it is not exactly what I wanted. All of the tattoos that followed on my left leg are shifted off to the left a bit because of the placement of that one tattoo. Lesson learned! That's the only time you get to move it if you don't like it.

IMO, go simple and clean. The thigh isn't that big of an area!

@scottyg Damn powerful! I've been itching for a tebori piece recently, maybe not quite on the scale of yours but just to get a feel and understanding of it. Cheers!

@tertia Unless you have a very specific idea of where it should be I think you should always trust your artist. That is, as long as you have a rapport and trust him/her generally, then they should know best. For me, because I get traditional Japanese, I literally said, I'd like a Jikokuten backpiece, or, I'd like a minogame with momiji and waves. My artist had like three very general questions, and that was that. You give yourself over to the artist. So, considering your question, I'd say again, as long as you trust them, it's their call.

Next appointment with Scott Sylvia isn't until October sixth to continue my Fudo/Dragon sleeve. However, Scott does have a walk in day once a month and I'm pretty sure I'll be going in and getting a design of the wall the first weekend of August.

@kassandrac That is ADORABLE.

I’m in the early stages of brainstorming my next tattoo. I want to add a piece on my left calf that mirrors the jar of flowers I already have on my right (by Myra Oh): I’m not aiming for perfect symmetry, but something with a similar silhouette in an American traditional style. (The imagery doesn’t have to be traditional, though I’m open to that.) A traditional hot air balloon is a contender right now, something like the ones Ashley Love does: What other kinds of designs might fit well in this space and balance well with my current tattoo? Somewhat related: In general do you find artists are willing to work with loose design ideas (e.g. something traditional that will fit on my calf and have a similar shape to the tattoo on the other leg), or do they prefer a more concrete idea? (I’m sure the answer to this is “it depends on the artist”, but maybe you guys have some deeper insight.) Thanks all!

Thanks guys. I have since gotten my second tattoo and 1) it does not mirror the first one, and 2) it's on the same leg as my first. My latest plan is to work on filling up my right leg with oneshots, so maybe I'll get a little hot air balloon eventually.

Yep, looks fine.

Totally fine. Way over thinking.

My first freehand tattoo - a big ol freaky blackwork peony by Dani Liberal, guesting at speakeasy Chicago. I basically let him do whatever and I love it but am a little freaked by how big it is, haha.

Agree with @Synesthesia 100%. Talk to your artist about planning out your pieces. And Matthew Houston's work is so beautiful!

Progress report

Well, that was brutal. Takashi went back over lines to bolden them, and damn that hurt. But the outlines are all done! June for start of tebori!

2nd question = depends on the artist. Some hate it when the client doesn't know what they want. 1st question = shape can be adjusted by adding background/etc. Pick an object that speaks to you.

I put both my sleeves on my arms! My artist said that was the best place for them. :-)