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More red! Green next time!

My questions are 1- Is my experience with my artist's lack of planning and discussion so far normal for a larger piece? If you want more input next time, be up front about it. My first tattoo was a sleeve too. I told the artist to do whatever they wanted in the Japanese style. My only input was when we discussed what to put on my elbow and I suggested a flower. 2- Should I be paying for touchups when I'm already paying so much per hour? As stated, in a multi-session tattoo, yes. 3- Is this the price you'd expect to pay for a custom design not just a cookie cutter one or would it cost more for a truly custom piece? Unless they pulled the design off the shelf or stole it from someone else, it's not cookie cutter. 4- Would it be an issue if I switched artists since I'm not completely happy at this point? Yes, I doubt another artist in the same shop would finish the sleeve and even outside the shop you might have trouble finding a quality artist to finish someone else's work. 5- I was told it would be best to finish one full sleeve before moving to the other arm because the ink would look different if there was too much time between doing the lower half and upper half. Yes, Yes, Yes, Yes, Yes, finish one before you start the other. 6- Is that true or would it all look the same after it's fully healed even if there was a large time gap before doing the top half? Ink fades over time, so you don't want to take years to finish a piece. Stop listening to "friends" who say $250 an hour is too much. I'm not sure what kind of asshole tells someone they paid too much for a tattoo, but that's not something a friend does. It doesn't matter how many tattoos they have. You knew the price going in, I'm not sure why it's an issue now. Next tattoo you need to set expectations with the artist. If you want to be really involved int he design let them know up front. Not every artist is interested in working with someone like that. One sleeve and my back I let the artist do whatever they wanted. The second sleeve, I showed a picture and said, "something like this." My first leg, I just said I wanted a tiger and we talked about the other elements. My other leg we just talked about the elements and kicked some ideas around, but I deferred to him. I've never seen a drawing or stencil until it went on me.

hahaha you're a riot But seriously some of this is definitely true. I get nervous before hand and all the way out to Brooklyn still, but as soon as I enter the shop I'm chill. While getting tattooed I tried to talk as much as humanly possible--that gets me through it. And then yes, totally, that last wipe down is such a relief! And then it's on to the next month....

Isn't Timothy Hoyer traveling around in an RV or something like that? But, i mean... he would basically get his pick of shops anywhere he parks it.

You won't forget. You'll never forget it. The thought of it will make you shudder for years to come. But you'll still go. You'll dread every moment up to the session and despise every moment the needle is on skin. But that dread and despise will be mixed with excitement and stoke. Then, when you're getting that last wipe down of the session and checking it out in the mirror, all the dread will be gone and the stoke will increase exponentially. Enjoy it! But then healing. 😐

20 month after my first appointment, after 40h in 12 sessions, my back was finally finished a week ago. I'm so happy that I'm done for now but there are already some plans if and what possibly could be my next step towards an even more colorfull body....😋 Not sure if I'll first go for my right butt cheek and upper thights or if I'll start with my arms... But well, that's the future. Won't probably get anything new until end 2019 or even 2020. At least not until I was able to put some money aside to get it done in a foreseeable period of time.

Allright, you weren't joking. Had my first two days this wekend; the back is horrific to work on. And outlining on the back of the thighs... the pain was near indescribable. Made the arse, spine and back part of the ribs pale by comparison. All of you are utter beasts for doing this purely by machine. I cannot even fathom. 😵 Have a few months before my next session, hopefully I'll completely forget about what this weekend was like by then.

He has the means to run around tattooing in an RV, but he doesn't have the means to get to a shop? Run Forrest, Run! Coming soon - is this a blowout, is this infected, can this be fixed?

Every picture tells a story. Lost the dog in a nasty divorce.

Same visit - 'water on the knee' - done by Erick Lynch, also at Redemption Tattoo in Boston last one by Mike is a crayfish

progress....

Just got this cobra/elephant by Squid Yu on the front of my left leg just under the knee. Pretty stoked. Sent from my MI 6 using Tapatalk

tatts on tatts

done - at least for a while -

I’m incredibly bruised and tight but here is the progress!

Well, I got a little excited at the end and didn't get a "done" photo of the tattoo but you get the idea. 🙂 The Garver pottery...OMG, I cannot believe that I own a couple of pieces. As far as I know, this was his first sale of his pottery. The shop, Ninth Wave, is owned by Dave Shoemaker and his wife. Very cool shop and super nice folks. It was an "Adorned" weekend. Side note: Bryan ended up with most of Adorned's flash and library. Pretty rad.

more tiger this week - nearly there!! Really scared as pretty much all ass left and based on how uncomfortable the top of my ass was I am not excited for my next session [emoji23][emoji51][emoji23] Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Day 2 down, both lower legs colored. Next trip we color the upper legs finishing up the full backpiece and then it's on to the front.

Also posted in the Pagoda City thread, but he's my one-shot Pharoah's Cats from Scott Sylvia.