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Maybe she should just use a Sharpe. That will fade quickly and there is no long term commitment. My advice is to wait until you and your friend are ready to commit to a tattoo. Otherwise you're going to wind up with a squiggly line on your arm, in a very visible spot, wondering what the hell you were thinking. You know that you don't just go in and laser them off like on TV, right? It's painful, expensive, multiple sessions and will likely leave something you can still see on the skin.

November 28 -- 2nd sleeve begins. Once again, we returned to the studios of world traveling artist Scott Ellis. He's spent most of the last six months hopscotching Europe. I was happy to know ahead of time that he'd be back in Austin Texas for a few week -- plenty of time to start sleeve #2. Scott suggested we try a Phoenix for this sleeve. Seemed to fit well with the dragon. Here is his notebook prior to my arriving: As before, Scott creates the design in freehand. Took him about 3.25 hours. And as before, he was ever the perfectionist -- at one point an hour in wiping off my arm and starting again because he felt the bird's head was an inch off from where he wanted it. As we progress, Scott goes through about four layers, increasing the detail with ever more fine brushes along the way. Below are layer #3 and #4: Taken in mirror: And at least, we ink! 2.5 hours of linework. Unfortunately, Scott is back off to Europe... so no shading stage until April. That's okay, it is worth the wait to be worked on by a master.

That looks amazing! But you gotta go all the way down to the wrist!

Not in my opinion - and that's assuming that the space between will also end up with additional neo-traditional.

I will take note of that place as well @SStu

I keep a list of ideas and write stuff down that pops into my head. Once in a while I go over the list and see if anything really strikes me, or if the bloom is off the rose for an idea I cross it off.

No moisturizer since.

You're probably not going to get a specific appointment for something so small. Inking time will be less than 1 minute. Total time in front of the tattooist will probably be less than 10 minutes. Be prepared to pay a shop minimum (which will vary depending on which shop in Boston, but probably $75-100). I'm not familiar with the shops there, but the pitfall is that it takes almost nothing to screw up very simple design like this, so you don't want to end up in the hands of some newbie apprentice or an experienced person who isn't really invested or interested in helping you out. It's going to be a balancing act. 2nd on @Dan's comment regarding the white ink choice

surround it with awesome tattoos! Learn how to find an artist who already nails the specific style and feel for what you want to wear, and let them do their thing.

November 28 -- 2nd sleeve begins. Once again, we returned to the studios of world traveling artist Scott Ellis. He's spent most of the last six months hopscotching Europe. I was happy to know ahead of time that he'd be back in Austin Texas for a few week -- plenty of time to start sleeve #2. Scott suggested we try a Phoenix for this sleeve. Seemed to fit well with the dragon. Here is his notebook prior to my arriving: As before, Scott creates the design in freehand. Took him about 3.25 hours. And as before, he was ever the perfectionist -- at one point an hour in wiping off my arm and starting again because he felt the bird's head was an inch off from where he wanted it. As we progress, Scott goes through about four layers, increasing the detail with ever more fine brushes along the way. Below are layer #3 and #4: Taken in mirror: And at least, we ink! 2.5 hours of linework. Unfortunately, Scott is back off to Europe... so no shading stage until April. That's okay, it is worth the wait to be worked on by a master.

Posted in the new tattoo section, but will hang it here as well. She changed up the peony design for the better from the OG artwork.

Not the greatest pics but here's the ship on the back. Color fresh, outline and shading 2 weeks healed. Dagger is about 3 months healed.

Five minutes into my shin, I was questioning my life choices. The next four hours were brutal.