wildcat

My thighs will form welts as soon as a line is drawn...like you can watch it raise up and it's really creepy. No bleeding though. A little Bactine helps with the swelling. It can be a little painful for me, but no artist I've used has decided to stop early because of it. But again, no excessive bleeding, so YMMV. Wildcat

Oiocha, I will not be in the area until late October, but I will check it out...thanks! Wildcat

S Stu....thank you! I'm not usually drawn to neo-traditional as a lot of it is too cartoon-ish for me, but I absolutely love all the color and fantasy style many of their artists use. I have followed several of their Instagrams and will check them out. Wildcat

I can't figure out how to make the photos smaller....sorry!!!! Wildcat

I will be at Fort Lee, VA, for several weeks at the end of October for some training. I've made it a habit to get a little something when I go to new locations - souvenirs, if you will. Can anyone recommend some shops in the area (Richmond/Fort Lee)? I'm not looking for a particular style, but a good shop atmosphere is a plus. I can usually manage to check out a shop and then make an appointment for a few days later, so a walk-in option isn't strictly necessary. I've attached some photos of some souvenirs I have collected :) Thanks! Wilcat

@suburbanxcore Thanks! A perfect example of what I'm picturing in my head. Y'all are kinda scaring me about how bad that area is going to be, but I'm trying to convince myself that the numb areas I have as a result of two C-sections will help me....please let me have that one self-delusion :) Wildcat

I did go to Element and got a great piece from Justin a few days ago (posted in Latest Tattoo thread). I wholeheartedly agree and would not hesitate to go back next time I'm in the area! Wildcat

S Stu gave you good advise. I'll add to #5: I have a half-sleeve on one arm and a large piece on the other upper arm. Neither is actually very visible in regular short sleeved shirts. I have several large pieces on my thighs and lower legs and those definitely draw attention when I wear shorts, but jeans of course hide them all. I haven't yet progressed to forearms, as I'm not quite ready for something I can't cover easily (I live in the deep South and long sleeves are a rare thing for me out of uniform). You have to realize that you WILL get looks/stares, but that doesn't mean disapproval! You'll probably get asked about your visible tattoos fairly often; again that's not a bad thing! I think S Stu's advise is sound: get more tattoos in more easily hidden places, and move to more visible places as your confidence grows. Good luck! Wildcat

"Full front torso w/o boobs" sounds like exactly what I need to talk to an artist about.....thanks for the terminology assistance! Wildcat

I have lots of tigers so I really like yours! I guess I just don't see many pictures of women with large scale stomach tattoos. It's always those little underboob things or something across the bottom. It's a nice large open space....I need to start planning something apparently :) Wildcat

I know that I am reviving an OLD post, but I couldn't really find anything else on the subject. I am female, and although I don't care for the underboob thing (for me), I recently saw a picture that opened up a whole new world of possibilities in my mind(attached for illustrative purposes). The subject matter and/or quality of work isn't what struck me, but placement! I never even thought of doing of front piece that way - placed under the breast line, but continuing as one cohesive piece past the waistline, similar to a back piece. Don't ask me why this never occurred to me, but it hadn't. However, this is the ONLY photo of this sort of placement and size of work that I have found. Anyone else have any experience, sightings, etc.? What is your opinion? Wildcat

I have found that very soft sports bras, combined with Tegaderm, work well for me. The Tegaderm keeps the tattoo safe from abrasion and the sports bras doesn't have the hard ridges like underwire so it's much more comfortable for healing. Hope that helps! Wildcat

Thanks...I will check him out! Wildcat

Austin may be a little further than I will be able to go, but I will check it out...where there's a will, there's a way, right? Thanks! Wildcat

I will be TDY at Joint Base San Antonio for a few weeks in early August and am looking for recommendations for shops and/or artists to look at in the area. I have gotten in the habit of getting one-shot pieces when I travel, but have not had good luck asking people in the cities I travel to (and since you can't see tattoos in uniform, I don't have a good way to vet these peoples judgment of good work...lol). I'm not set on a particular style as I already have a bit of everything, the shop just need to be amenable to walk-ins (or at least short notice appointments). I'll be doing my own Instagram "research" but I figured y'all would have some suggestions on where to start. Thanks! Wildcat

Finished this one up Saturday! (I hope the Instagram linky thing works...first time I've tried it this way)

I agree, but it was weird, too. It's not that I found it hurt any more than "normal" places, but my pain tolerance was much shorter over time. I can sit for 3-4 hours usually before being too uncomfortable, but I could only sit 1 1/2- 2 hours for the butt cheeks before tapping out for the day. Totally worth it though every time I see it in the mirror! Wildcat

Thank you!! Wildcat

Got this awesome piece this week on the spur of the moment/walk-in from Tommy Stegall at Baldy's Tattoo in Radcliff, KY (near Fort Knox). It's my first American Traditional tattoo and I am in love :) Wildcat

Does anyone know of good shops and/or artists in the Fort Knox or Louisville, Kentucky area? I am here for two weeks for some Army training and would like to get a new tattoo as a "souvenir." It would be just a walk-in, pick some flash, kind of thing. This is a military area so there are lots of tattoo shops, but I would have no idea which ones are reputable, much less which ones actually put out good work. I'm hoping y'all can point me in the right direction! Thanks! Wildcat

My appointment for Koeplinger's 50 state tour finally came! I cannot say enough good things about Chad and my experience. He was open to my ideas and excited to make some changes to his original drawing to give me exactly what I wanted. We talked about all sorts of things (from our travels in the Middle East to vintage TV shows) and time just flew by. And he is ridiculously fast!! This 8x10" piece on my thigh took 1 1/2 hours from stencil to finish. I would definitely get another tattoo from him and will be watching his schedule to see when he is next near me. Wildcat

Finished this 3/4 sleeve a couple of weeks ago. Right before my artist moved out of state :( I give him a lot of credit for not killing me for being picky about the details. He'd never seen an M-16 or any kind of tank up close in person, but he was willing to tweak the drawings until I was happy. I won't even repeat the words he said when he realized how small the lettering on the dog tags would be! He was able to get back at me when we got to my elbow though...not so fun, but thankfully quick. The words behind the Soldier's Cross are the Army Values (that part is on the underside of my arm). The "tank" is an M113 that I drove in Iraq for a year...my baby :) I am extremely happy with how it came out! Wildcat

Female here who can absolutely NOT go without a bra :) I have tattoos on both shoulder blades, one of them I've had for almost 20 years. After healing, there is nothing that a bra strap (or any other clothing for that matter) will do to your tattoos. Welcome to the obsession! Wildcat