David Flores

Hade a Pale Bock made with Beets last night by Elysian Brewing. Think it was the most disgusting beer I have had in a long time. Wife brought it home from her trip had to drink it.

It's not like Dan isn't coming back to SF next month, but from what I gather Dan will be doing walk ins from time to time up here on Sundays, so maybe it is easier to get tattooed by him than i thought.

He would probably be pissed about anything you chose to do at this point. I have talked about it earlier, but my first wife hated tattoos when we were dating, then as soon as we had a falling out, she went and got tattooed. As I started to get more tattoos, she would get more tattoos, even showing up in shops i frequented. I think she legitimately got the itch, but at that same time was passively aggressively stalking me, man that was a shit show of a relationship. But I guess that would be like the anthesis of what is happening to you. Fast forward a decade and so much has changed, new wife child, and a shit ton more tattoos. I forgot about jacked up tattoos. My wife has a tiny rose on her ankle that was done is someones garage when she was 15. The same dude did what was supposed to be sunflower on her chest, but he didn't know what a sunflower looked like, so she did a quick doodle. Well he used that as a stencil, it looked more like a table and chairs than a sunflower. I encouraged her to come in and get that tattoo fixed, one time when I was getting tattooed and now it looks like a legit sunflower. The rose isn't as bad, but if it were me I would just get a bigger rose over it, but it's her body. Oh I forgot she got some jacked up cherries right before we started dating, and she ended up getting those fixed when I was getting tattooed at Taylor Street in Chicago, turned them into Sailor Jerry Cherry Hearts. She should be thanking me, she has gotten way better tattoos since I have been around, in both quality and design.

Avery I am getting tattooed by Matt on Monday June 24th @6pm. I will probably get into town a few hours early and plan on getting a room and driving back to Portland the next day. I am thinking I will get something along the same vein of his spiders, but have a couple ideas to change it up a bit. Really I would be happy with anything from him. Hopefully I can get my shit together enough to get to Austin this fall and get tattooed by Steve Byrne as well, I know it's the only way it will happen is if I make myself do it.

I don't think we will ever know what is really going on, as whatever it is will mostly likely stay between the people involved, but I will say it sucks that so many people have left in the last few months or even year for that matter. I wish the best for everyone and also I hope Chicago Tattoo Company finds some good tattooers that will help keep that shop what it has been.

@Delicious I would add that just because people love you and our on your side, doesn't mean they know what is right for you. At some point I think we just have to gain the confidence enough to disagree with our family and understand that their preconceived notions of what society deems appropriate is not going to determine your happiness, only you can do that. And disgreeing with them doesn't mean you love them any less, just that you have become your own person. Their is that old saying, you live under my house, you follow my rules. Well I have my own house and I say fuck rules.

I've been out of the forum for a few weeks, so this is my version of a late welcome @hollyjoybee

Not neccesarily just the eyes, but when somoene is getting a backpiece, usually work on filling in the background before the main image, because most people would be willing to walk around with a finished dragon and unfinished background but not vise versa. I personally like what @reverend1 said better though.

All this is true. Like they said in that show "It's where young people go to retire". I don't think I will ever leave. Gilsdorf did move back, but I think he still spends time in Oakland, in fact he is down there right now till the 29th. I still think it is easier to fly down to Oakland to get tattooed by that guy at this point. AWR just hired another Tattooer Josiah Laughlin, he is a solid all around tattooer that does some nice Japanese work. He is doing the dragon on the back of my leg right now at his current shop.

Even when i plan a tattoo, it usually doesn't have that much thought involved, you know I just pick an image and then add the names of every person I know below it and then we are good to go. But seriously I have been planning a pretty tattoo for some time now and am for once proud for coming up with my own idea, I just haven't been able to get around to doing it, I have been starting at line drawing for months, just need to get started. But at this point I still have a dragon to finish on my thigh and an appoinment Matt Arriola in late June before I can even get started.

In general I would say do what you want, but what I have always been taught is if you run specials, the people that come in are usually just cheapskates, and you won't see them back until the next time you do a special, and if you don't do another special, they will go to a shop that does. They will haggle design, placement, size and everything under the sun, because they are going to try to find some way for you to do the tattoo they wanted in the first place, instead of the flash you agreed to do. Groupon seems like an act of desperation and I would never be involved with something like that. Besides that can you imagine how overwhelmed a shop would be trying to fill all those orders and at the end of the day you are tattooing for free or essentially free and your client won't get tattooed again until someone else runs a groupon. In regards to the artwork rebels deal, the flash is usually 300 and $600 so they are doing tattoos for $150-$300 which is a great deal for people who like good tattoos but a high enough price point to drive out the cheapskates. I can't speak directly for the shop, but I have hung around those guys enough to know they aren't giving anything away. @CABS they have the same deal when doing conventions, you could probably get one at State of Grace. If you are going to give people a special deal, I would say it should be to reward people that have been loyal customers and paying full price the whole time. Make it a shop party invite only, that way the only people that get these tattoos are people that deserve them. I have been to a few of these events and they are always fun.

Called it, thanks @jacobyoung you finally got me to book an appt with Matt.

I just want to point out it's only 3 days into this thing. It will take a lot to win this thing with what has been posted. We have to take some pride as a community in the level of tattoos our members end up with.

When the boss is in we listens to whatever he wants, which can be anything from Dead Kennedys to Dionne Warwick. I have seen a few people ask him to listen to something, his go to response to jokingly say "Music is for me, I am the one hard at work,' or if its a band he likes, he tells them if they come in and get another tattoo tomorrow they can listen to that band. I don't it matters what music is playing, it's going to hurt no matter what. You have to be nice to people for sure, but I think sometimes people are just looking for an out and you have to help them work past things to continue , without making a big deal about it. Obviously you have to be aware if someone is having legitimate health issue (fainting etc), but you also have to know when people are just looking for sympathy or an excuse to quit.

Welcome to the forum. Always cool when someone who has been tattooing for so long around other great tattooers join. Hope you like it here.

My wife use to use a similar product when she used to fake tan. She doesn't have that many tattoos so the stick works well to just protect tattoos. But thankfully she stopped fake tanning a couple years ago.

I have to take my young son to swimming lessons for the next two months so the tattoo I got last week will be it for awhile, all other works in progress will have to wait. But to celebrate when the lessons are over and I can get tattooed again, I booked an appointment with Matt Arriola in late June.

Sean Lanusse was telling me how good that convention is, I am sure you will get some good stuff.

Had a tattooer cancel on me because he was sick, ended up squeezing into a little walk in jammer from Sean Lanusse. Will post pics later, as I figured I would snag it from his Instagram later.

It's just more bullshit to make people paranoid to go into a tattoo shop. Before I worked at a tattoo shop, I had no clue what brand of pigment was being used on me and figured it was none of my business. I figured whatever they were using the tattoo seemed to heal well in their portfolio so they probably knew what they were doing. I guess part of me gets it, I want to know what is in the food I eat, for health reasons, but I started getting tattoos knowing that putting ink into your skin and bloodstream at the very least probably wasn't the smartest idea and I could see the potential for health issues. What it all comes down to is doing your homework, chosing the right tattooer, who not only can apply a tattoo, but who knows enough to get supplies from quality sources (usually other tattooers) and knows how to handle their equipment. They have a word for that I think it's professional. Go to a professional tattooer you should be fine.

Franks 'n Dawgs - home I wanted to try this place the last couple times I have been, If I recall it's near the Lincoln Park Area of town. They have a scallop dog, with shark bacon. But for the most part I usually just like to hit the whole in the wall joints all over town. I found a good Colombian Place and a great Lebanese Place last time I visited.

Yeah Manny's is great, love that place. The only thing is I got the Hot Doug's logo tattooed on me so I can get free hot dogs for life, so it's a shame not to cash that in the couple times a year I am in town.

@Dan S if I ever find myself on vacation in Chicago, at least I know when i get out, I'm not far from Hot Doug's.

@Chris3000 your tattoo looks well executed. Lines look good, points are sharp. This does not look an easy tattoo and not an easy spot to heal, but that black looks solid.

Last Sparrow Fight Club, oh shit I talked about it. I just wonder what we have to talk about that would be so secret. I Also, does it become a popularity contest to gain access, like if Rubendall and Grime (just examples) joined the forum, would we make them rack up some posts before allowing them access to good stuff. But I am really up for giving anything a try.