knucklehead211

I'm in the minority I guess, I don't go very crazy with it. I leave the wrap on overnight then usually wash at the beginning and end of the day with a light bar soap, and after it's dry apply A&D. Do that for the first two days, and then start with the lotion. In the past I've had no issues with gold bond with aloe, but I may shop around this time.

If you're trying to do traditional style flash, I think you need to start using way thicker lines. Also limiting your color range a bit. Pick something classic, like skulls, devils, roses, snakes, banners etc, and do about four to six variations on it, while keeping in the same artistic style (i.e. all traditional, all japanese). Sticking to a theme makes it easier to get your art across I think. Also, not an artist myself, just throwing out what I've seen on parlor walls.

You could have it be a black and white pair of koi. Or any other animal

You could have it be a black and white pair of koi. Or any other animal

My family crest, knight helmet with irish flag plume feathers with the name and motto in lettering

Went in yesterday, drove down to 39th St in KC. Hit Starbucks across the street since I'm about half an hour early. I'm sittin there, listening to some blues while I smoke and overcaffeinate, and Nathan walks up to the shop. "Boo!" he looks over, sees me and invites me in. After he gets a breakfast burrito and we both chew some gum, we get to work. Great dude, really - if any of you are ever in KC hit him up. We had to take a few breaks, including one where he accidentally knocked over his drink (another artist shouted "Your passion tea was too passionate!!"). We've probably got one more appointment left, and I can't wait!!

I can't speak on my experiences much, as I've been getting tattooed by the same artist for the past five years. I know my first tattoo I asked about how much he thought it would be; I was met with the now familiar response of "hmmm, really just depends" and thought, well, I can do this! Five years later and I feel like he almost always cuts me a good deal. He's just a straight up good guy who want gouge you over the price. This last session I was in shop for about four hours, but he only charged me for about three since we took smoke and coffee drink breaks. Naturally left a good tip, and am hoping some of that goodwill comes back on my next session, as I am struggling to get my funds back in shape. The shop I go to is predominantly cash, but my artist has square so I've been using debit lately - much more convenient and I don't have to try and hunt down an atm!

I forget what happened to inspire the remark, but at some point I cracked a joke about my arms being ripped off, and my friend said 'hopefully not the expensive one.' It was the first time I realized that one of my arms is actually worth more than the other one. What a strange thought.

Everybody's doing awesome stuff! Congrats to all you guys.
I was just trucking along until a week ago. My job is basically a floater style position, but I heard a spot may open up at one of my favorite sites to work and that they had plans to put me in. It also pays way better than what I make currently, so that's a plus! My girlfriend also found a little guy in need of a new home, so last weekend we went out to meet him - a ten month old english bulldog/pitbull. As soon as he saw us he came wiggling up to give us some of those bulldog specialty kisses, and we knew he was coming home. Was rough with the established home dog until we started picking up toys and treats to avoid fights, but so far things have been better each day! On top of that, another appointment of calf sleeve work on Saturday with Nathan at Exile 2! Hopefully we will finish it out, but no guarantees. We still have about a quarter to shade and then all of the color to do. Fingers crossed!

MAY as well *wink wink* submit my progress.
Color starting to be added to Odysseus and the Whirlpool calf sleeve. Third session. Done by Nathan Blankenship of Exile 2, KCMO.

Everybody's doing awesome stuff! Congrats to all you guys.
I was just trucking along until a week ago. My job is basically a floater style position, but I heard a spot may open up at one of my favorite sites to work and that they had plans to put me in. It also pays way better than what I make currently, so that's a plus! My girlfriend also found a little guy in need of a new home, so last weekend we went out to meet him - a ten month old english bulldog/pitbull. As soon as he saw us he came wiggling up to give us some of those bulldog specialty kisses, and we knew he was coming home. Was rough with the established home dog until we started picking up toys and treats to avoid fights, but so far things have been better each day! On top of that, another appointment of calf sleeve work on Saturday with Nathan at Exile 2! Hopefully we will finish it out, but no guarantees. We still have about a quarter to shade and then all of the color to do. Fingers crossed!

The Division pushed back to 2016...
*Darth Vader voice* NOOoooOOOooo!!

All of my tattoos have been stuff that my artist and I visualized differently. The awesome thing is, I have loved every single one of them. When I went in for my first tattoo, I wanted to get a skull (minus the jawbone) laying on top of a pile of bullets, photo realistic. I wasn't very good at conveying that though, so my artist drew up a skull that was a bit more cartoony with smoke coming out of spent shell casings and the skulls open jaws. It was the coolest thing I'd ever seen, and to this day I still love that it was my first ink. I've learned from experience that I get more fun out of giving him a general idea without any real structure, and letting him run with it. They always turn out awesome to me, anyways!

But he is banned...
Btw, I know this forum is pretty liberal and you've been here way longer than me, but the language is a bit much...especially the "g" word. Not anything I personally take offense to, it just looks like a middle schooler who hasn't learned how to curse properly, and you might offend others on this forum...

But he is banned...
Btw, I know this forum is pretty liberal and you've been here way longer than me, but the language is a bit much...especially the "g" word. Not anything I personally take offense to, it just looks like a middle schooler who hasn't learned how to curse properly, and you might offend others on this forum...

Went in yesterday, drove down to 39th St in KC. Hit Starbucks across the street since I'm about half an hour early. I'm sittin there, listening to some blues while I smoke and overcaffeinate, and Nathan walks up to the shop. "Boo!" he looks over, sees me and invites me in. After he gets a breakfast burrito and we both chew some gum, we get to work. Great dude, really - if any of you are ever in KC hit him up. We had to take a few breaks, including one where he accidentally knocked over his drink (another artist shouted "Your passion tea was too passionate!!"). We've probably got one more appointment left, and I can't wait!!

MAY as well *wink wink* submit my progress.
Color starting to be added to Odysseus and the Whirlpool calf sleeve. Third session. Done by Nathan Blankenship of Exile 2, KCMO.

ya,you're right,I must have had a few too many that day.

Here is my submission.
2nd session:

Sooooo I can't feel the gluten toxins leaving my hipster body. Well now I'm just embarrassed.
I have some outlines that are blue and I can tell you that while they have held up it isn't near the way my blacks have held up. I wish all my outlines were done in black

Went in yesterday, drove down to 39th St in KC. Hit Starbucks across the street since I'm about half an hour early. I'm sittin there, listening to some blues while I smoke and overcaffeinate, and Nathan walks up to the shop. "Boo!" he looks over, sees me and invites me in. After he gets a breakfast burrito and we both chew some gum, we get to work. Great dude, really - if any of you are ever in KC hit him up. We had to take a few breaks, including one where he accidentally knocked over his drink (another artist shouted "Your passion tea was too passionate!!"). We've probably got one more appointment left, and I can't wait!!

This reminds me of a Dr. Drew show I heard on the radio when I was young...what is a toxin? Can you describe to me it's individual compound elements, the viruses and other contributing factors that make up it's body? People use "toxin" as a general term to describe their fantasies about what makes them fatigued, irritable, sick etc. Unless we're talking about some poisonous chemical compound from an animal, there is no such thing as a toxin. Not calling you out, just pointing out that this vague blanket term has absolutely no scientific basis - at least, none that I've heard described.
As far as harmful elements in ink, there really isn't anything to worry about in color vs black - generally. Some people are allergic to some colors. And short of devising a scientific test for it, you won't know until the ink is in. Other purported downsides, like MRIs making your skin burst into flames if they hit the tattoo, again have no solid body of research.
The best info I can give is that I have been getting inked for about five years now, and at present time I have quite a bit of the rainbow on me. That doesn't speak for every ink color from every manufacturer, but as @Synesthesia said this art form has been going on for years steadily - the odds of a bad reaction are fairly low. If you want color, get it. Just maybe think of outlining it in black so it holds well. :cool:

No, don't apologize. I assumed you were a native english speaker, or an American. Over here, there are a lot of people in the workout-super vegan-macrobiotic-hipster culture who will use the word when they're describing a load of baloney, i.e. "so glad I stopped eating gluten, I can feel the toxins leaving my body"etc.
As far as purple, I just had some put in me, so hopefully there's no carcinogenic effects! In all reality, just go to a shop you like and see if there are other tattooed people around - ask them. They won't be as shut up about any adverse effects they've had, though I highly doubt you will have any issue with color. Artists thrive on giving people pieces that last a lifetime - not art that lasts a few days before melting them like the Ark of the Covenant.
You mentioned solely color lines - my future brother in law's wife has a few of those, text done in pink, blue...they don't look good. Some of it may be the artist, some of it may be the placement (get a tattoo on your wrist and don't put sunscreen on it, it's gonna fade), but I really think you will have a much better tattoo if you surround it on both sides with black.

Went in yesterday, drove down to 39th St in KC. Hit Starbucks across the street since I'm about half an hour early. I'm sittin there, listening to some blues while I smoke and overcaffeinate, and Nathan walks up to the shop. "Boo!" he looks over, sees me and invites me in. After he gets a breakfast burrito and we both chew some gum, we get to work. Great dude, really - if any of you are ever in KC hit him up. We had to take a few breaks, including one where he accidentally knocked over his drink (another artist shouted "Your passion tea was too passionate!!"). We've probably got one more appointment left, and I can't wait!!

But he is banned...
Btw, I know this forum is pretty liberal and you've been here way longer than me, but the language is a bit much...especially the "g" word. Not anything I personally take offense to, it just looks like a middle schooler who hasn't learned how to curse properly, and you might offend others on this forum...