Jaycel Adkins

http://www.lastsparrowtattoo.com/forum/forum-suggestions-feedback/1093-suggestions-aiding-newcomers.html

Hello, I just read an almost too thorough article on the raid that resulted in the death of Osama Bin Laden by 'Seal Team Six.' Just on a first read, it seems to be the definitive account. Below is a link to anyone who is interested in reading it: Planning & Executing the Mission to Get Bin Laden : The New Yorker Best

Thank you for posting these photos, Iwar. Gives solace that there is an antidote to the 'meanness in this world.'* *Line is from the song 'Nebraska' by Bruce Springsteen, I did not feel comfortable embedding the song here, given that it is from the point of view of the killer, until the end, where the above line comes from, but believes the line is true.

"Business" can be fun, particularly if you wind up succeeding, but there is a way to make it something more. Don't go to culinary school.

MENTAL HEALTH BREAK* *stolen from the daily dish blog. looks at the above.....honestly, the whole thread is boarding on the surreal, so I'm retiring from it, if someone bothers to do an interesting smash of the original post, I might make a comment, but yeah....

Hello, Hmm...Apologies to those whose hearts were hurt, professions affronted, and time seemingly wasted by this thread. It's just a thread, it's just conversation....in a forum. If it's contents pose a danger to tattooing, either your own, your colleagues/peers, and all future tattooers, who are unlucky to read this, there are some real easy solutions: 1. We can ask an admin or moderator to either close the thread or delete it. 2. Or people who have strong opinions can make an attempt to smash the ideas in my first post. I would go with #2 myself. Trying to argue about whether people can or can't go on a tangent or off-topic in a public forum just doesn't go anywhere interesting or seem being worth the trip. I respect everyone here, as a starting point, and don't try and sketch out ill intent in what they say or how they say it, it's an open forum, the point is to be yourself and say what you like, but it's also give people the chance to offer up their own thoughts. Don't agree with me, that's great, I'll be honest, talking to the mirror isn't interesting. But I would ask that you address what I say, rather than droning on about how I have no right to say it. I came on here and signed my name by my opinions, how ever ill or probably uninformed, most people think they are. I did so out of respect for everyone here. As I am sure the many people who did the same, did as well. I prefer to talk to people, argue with, debate, laugh, with people who at the end of the day, actually created something of value, and sometimes of beauty, something tangible. I do that. Many of the other people on here do that too. Stewart, you rightfully talked about how in tattooing it's different in degree from other things, because of the responsibility of putting something permanent on another person. It can be a very intimate experience, even without a 'story.' But there is also the responsibility towards yourself, how you construct your life and time, in order to be good or even great. It's very deliberate. That's what I have an interest in, pretty much regardless of the actual work being done. To me it's half the equation to what makes up a good life. I approached it and related back into a thought experiment on what would someone do to be self taught, in a manner and tone I already apologized for. Why? Because I thought it would be an interesting conversation in a forum about tattooing.

MsRad: Is nibbling on chips of Valrhona Jivara right now! Milky chocolate caramel note goodness..... I'm so trying not to completely geek out and hassle you with questions, but alas no. edit: I agree with you, certainly!! I would say that when someone says 'true' it has a number of meanings, factually true, a priori, by definition, etc. But then spirit of the word, like true also means authenticity, genuine, virtuous, etc. etc. But yes I agree 1000%, I am very happy to say I was a chocolatier, but not a chocolate-maker. If that makes sense? I hope! It's a beautiful thing. Did you ever get to go to France while doing chocolates? Patrick Roger? Genin? In any event, a humble gift given in generous spirit of those of us, once and forever, in the chocolate trade: Try This!

MsRad: My goodness, something that I am not ignorant about, my lucky day :p MsRad, you are certainly correct, there are two groups of chocolatiers, roasters and melters. Roasters, Steve de Vries being the most talented, in my humble opinion, are what you are talking about. Interestingly enough he once owned a glass blowing business and used his knowledge of that field to help inform his techniques in his new passion, making pure chocolate bars. Then there are melters, which is what I was. It is here that we find ourselves in disagreement. I was a bonbon specialist, meaning I took chocolate, from 'chocolate-makers,' which I melted to approximately 98 degrees F, then cooled down to approximately 89 degrees F, then raised again about 1 or 2 degrees F, all while agitating the chocolate, in order to temper it, forming the most favorable crystals, that create a stable product for shelf life, a smooth mouthfeel for customers, and a delightful snap, as the chocolate is bitten into, in addition to a beautiful sheen/gloss. So that is step one. Step two: I boil cream and then let cool to match temperature of the chocolate I am going to use from step one, in addition, I bring to room temperature any flavoring I am going to use to make the bonbon unique and distinctive, perhaps a puree of blood oranges, a shot of cognac, scrapped vanilla beans, etc. etc. Step three: I blended all of the above together, at the right ratios, of course, until I get a glossy pudding like consistency, while never taking the chocolate out of it's temperature range from step one, which would melt away the crucial crystals. Step four: I pour this, what is called, ganache, onto baking paper that is held down with 1/4 inch bars atop a marble tabletop, which I then even out to a consistent height via the bars, being quick as you only get one or two passes to make everything smooth, before your passes start to break the ganache, making it a grainy mess. Step five: I cover and leave over night to fully cool. Step six: Cut into large panels that will fit into a cutting guitar, then spreading a thin coating of chocolate on top, which will be the bonbons finished bottoms. Step seven: I cut, using a machine we call a guitar to make exact sized squares of ganache, separating and allowing to air dry during the day. Step eight: While ganache is 'drying' I turn on my tempering machine, which I use to coat the chocolates. If you have seen videos of chocolates going down a steel wire conveyor belt, into a dual curtain of flowing chocolate, it's that machine. Step nine: I place rows of finished ganache into back of machine and allow them to be carried through two curtains of chocolate, coating them entirely, after they come through the machine, while still drying, I place various decors to mark their flavors: nuts, using a fork to make designs, colored cocoa butter transfer sheets, etc. etc. Step ten: I place them into a specially controls frig for a few minutes in order to completely set, ensuring an even cooling, which plays a role in what I talked about in step one. Now, you are certainly technically correct about your idea of the roasters making chocolate, but I have to disagree with the spirit of the idea. It's not either/or, it's a continuum, I think. It's iike saying that the farmer is the person really responsible for your great meal at a great restaurant. They are certainly necessary, but they are certainly not sufficient for the wonderful experience you had. So I agree with you, I just agree with you plus...lol. Loves chocolate and misses it...:(

MsRad: That is exactly the position I am in, part of working to own my own business is to do what I want, but just as I say that, nothing above the collar or beyond the cuff, wants to travel the world and not get hassled by customs and security, if one is to believe Ami James. Watched/embedded a Jeff Gogue youtube video yesterday that had a client of Shige, who was dressed regular with a coat, couldn't tell he was tattooed, then took it off and full suit...my eyes popped out of my head, was so happy.

Hi Lochlan, I just wanted to express my own thanks to your team for putting up this forum community on this subject. I joined just a week ago and learned alot, burned my hand once, but survived it, no worries. I would like to speak as someone who has a fair amount of experience posting on other forums, on other topics, genre stuff mostly, that your team put together a nicely done forum. It's a hard thing to pull off, I'm sure some hair as been pulled, some screaming of WTF! The video interviews, the galleries, the threads, the topics, the posting etiquette...for the most part :P, is all pretty nice. Great job and looking forward to what could be next. Best

swastika stick n poke: Thanx for sharing that, many of us here who are interested in getting tattoos from specific tattooers have a definite interest in hearing about other people's experiences. I really appreciate it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qadUoaWkRW8 Likes when the familiar is taken and twisted in a beautiful and surprising way... makes me smile...

That's pretty awesome. Welcome to the forums.

Ursula: I agree with you 100% with one caveat. Sometimes it's just not meant to be, the would-be apprentice could be good and a stand up person and it still not work out. A personal example: Owned a high end chocolate shop where I am from, but luxury chocolate in the south during the Great Recession, not a recipe for millions, I assure you. But while winding down Plan A..b...c...d...e...f...and finally making it work in a grand fashion with Plan G, I had alot of people want to come and study with me, given what I know and who I had studied with myself. I turned everyone down, not because they were creepy, but simply didn't have the place for them, my life was on another track. So I just want to note that there are ALOT of things that could go into taking someone on or not, while being fully aware of the existence of difference between what I do and what people here do. But I agree with you and Stewart, the number one thing I would have looked for is dedication and integrity, as long as they possess the qualities that I CAN'T teach, I'll take care of the techniques that I CAN teach....I hope I make sense there and it has some applicability. Great posts, after a rather tumultuous beginning, I very much appreciate everyone's views and opinions, interesting conversations, and a burnt hand lesson.

Hello, Saw this and sighed in dismay.... Million-Dollar Fender Bender - Yahoo! Autos Best

Hello, I'll try and just answer some questions/comments that I know/believe were directed at myself: Petri Aspvik: That is why I came onto the forum overall, not why I started this particular thread. I started the thread to start a conversation about what would be the right way to learn to tattoo without access to either an apprenticeship or a school. In reply to the good points in the rest of your post: I'm very interested and invested in the idea of craft and always seeking out conversations about it, regardless of whether I practice them as a livelihood or, dare I say it, a hobby. Mel Noir: It was a thought experiment, so by necessity, took the apprenticeship route off the table. Just seemed like an interesting problem that I might have an idea or two about, or not. Also, in regards to a previous post, the list wasn't meant to be from most to least important, it was just a way to separate the different ideas, that's all. If I had put that much thinking into it, I think I would have written it better and saved myself quite a bit of embarrassment. :p Stewart Robson: That's the conversation that I love to have, but not meant to be. I apply the idea of Craft more broadly then common usage, i.e. to really any sort of vocation, but most importantly to the idea of what it means to be a human being, 'the grand goal of living.' Ursula Thomson: Certainly a true point, but bit of a conversation stopper. If by 'you've' you mean 'me,' then it's a non-starter because I don't have a desire to be a tattoo artist, my history and path took me someplace else. Apologies for the length.

Hello MsRad, I do not. I came on the forums to gain some insight about getting tattooed in the future. Which I am sure begs the question, who am I to offer up an opinion on the subject? The honest answer is I made two assumptions: tattooing is a craft and I know a far amount about craft [cooking, writing, Plan B's/design thinking, theories on mastery (deliberate practice, ten thousand hours, virtue ethics, etc.)] therefore I could offer up an opinion with merit. The spirit of the thread was what if you could not get an apprenticeship, but still wanted to learn how to tattoo...what then. So taking techniques of craft in cooking and writing and applying it the craft of tattooing, hoping/expecting overlap. I meant it as a thought experiment, but my tone made it sound like a lecture, and an ill-informed one at that. I meant the post as 'What about this?' but writing, cutting and pasting it turned it into 'DO IT LIKE THIS!' Annoying to others and embarrassing for myself. I know I went beyond the scope of your question, but wanted to provide some context.

Kat Von D Gets Jesse James' Face Tattooed - The Famous - omg! on Yahoo cliched sentimental melodrama = reality tv on tlc edit: thank you for the reply Ursula! Is of a similar opinion, now.

Seconds that, it was awesome to see the things he collected and then seeing them in old photos, gives you goosebumps. A great way to showcase tattoo history without being boring or lecturing, an appreciation of where it comes from.

Cu_Bu: completely agree, it's very beautiful. gougetheeyes: I hear you, but works for myself, has been listening to Kore's interview the past week or so, pretty much on a loop, while packing lumpias, washing dishes, making bread. Youtube and podcasts keep me from going nuts at times. I hope you enjoy them, to show how ignorant I was, and still am, as I ruefully learned on my other thread of the day, I completely thought at first that Jeff Gogue was just a client and was amazed....'Wow...what great hospitality, he's picking up his client from the train, sharing dinner, etc. etc......'.....sad I know.

Hello, My attempt (a poor one that is now evident) to start a conversation has resulted in consternation, much of which is well deserved, for which I offer my apologies. I know now that it is possible to have one's face redden across the internet at displaying a 'shocking lack of knowledge.' I took the wrong tone, made some wrong assumptions, and mistook failed wit for wisdom that was not solicited. Again, my apologies, no disrespect meant. Jaycel Adkins

Hello, I posted a reply to Joe Capobianco's thread about schools being Bullshit that I thought some people might be interested in discussing, refuting, adding to, etc. Mike H. mentioned a few artists who were self-taught, rather than having gone through a traditional apprenticeship, let alone a school. My question: if you were going to go the route of teaching yourself, what would be your rules of the road? This is what I came up with in my reply post: 1. Educate yourself about the history of tattoos, world-wide, spending hours a day just reading and studying the work of various tattoo lineages and cultures from true tribal up to present day. 2. Buy two tattoo machines: one to take apart and learn how it is put together, the principles behind it's construction, the craftsmanship involved, etc. The other to use on yourself and for #4. 3. Learn how to make your own needles, and any other pieces of equipment that is necessary. 4. Call up a butcher and see if s/he will let you buy a 40 pound case of frozen pork skins, use that to teach yourself to lay down a straight line, etc. Spend hundreds of hours to teach yourself to put down CLEAN lines. I have no idea if pork skin will work, but it's better than nothing for a newbie. And better than learning on someone elses skin, given what I have seen on this school website is profoundly unethical. Turn your work into chicharons, when you are done....if you're brave. 4. Educate yourself about all the health concerns involved in tattooing. Find classes at local colleges, university, online, whatever. Be able to pass any of the tests with 100%, no wrong answers. 5. Umm....learn how to draw! Take classes, buy books, dvds, youtube videos, whatever to make yourself a good illustrator, to be able to put what is in your head down on some paper exactly as you meant it look. 6. Learn human anatomy, not just for drawing, but since the skin is your ultimate canvas, be aware of what is beneath it and how that can effect for good and bad your tattoos. Study the bodies of old people, see how age and gravity affect the flesh, plan the tattoos of your clients, accordingly. 7. Buy the book, Talent is Overrated and The Outliers, learn what the 10,000 hour rule for Mastery is, plot your self-education and career based on that. 8. GET TATTOOED BY GREAT ARTISTS!!! That has been the biggest takeaway for me from reading/watching interviews of great tattooers, whether it's Shige of Yellow Blaze or Tim Hendricks, you want to learn how to tattoo....then get tattooed! edit: 9. Find a good tattooer who is willing to look at your drawings, etc. and give constructive criticism, i.e. please leave your ego at the door, appreciate that someone, who is probably busy and dubious, is taking the time to give you some bits of education/advice. And when you do start tattooing other people, and you do get some recognition, make sure to have a category on your blog titled "People I Want To Thank," and (with their permission) list them and the contribution they made to your craft, while taking responsibilities for all 'fuck-ups' as your own: Give Thanks, Take Responsibility. If tattooing is your passion, your craft, your livelihood and how you are going to spend nearly half of your actual total hours on this earth doing, then don't listen to anyone, twiddle your thumbs hoping/wishing/praying/begging for an apprenticeship, just put a plan together, put your head down, and GET TO WORK!!

Hello, After taking a step back and thinking some on this question of apprenticeship vs. schools, given all the pitfalls and backlash against each, I think this: Disclaimer: I am educating myself about tattoos without any designs whatsoever on wanting to be an tattooer, but if I did have that as my goal I would do the following: Do all the following while holding down a full time job, if you can't, pack up your kit and buy a tie, stay a 9 to 5er. 1. Educate yourself about the history of tattoos, world-wide, spending hours a day just reading and studying the work of various tattoo lineages and cultures from true tribal up to present day. 2. Buy two tattoo machines: one to take apart and learn how it is put together, the principles behind it's construction, the craftsmanship involved, etc. The other to use on yourself and for #4. 3. Learn how to make your own needles, and any other pieces of equipment that is necessary. 4. Call up a butcher and see if s/he will let you buy a 40 pound case of frozen pork skins, use that to teach yourself to lay down a straight line, etc. Spend hundreds of hours to teach yourself to put down CLEAN lines. I have no idea if pork skin will work, but it's better than nothing for a newbie. And better than learning on someone elses skin, given what I have seen on this school website is profoundly unethical. Turn your work into chicharons, when you are done....if you're brave. 4. Educate yourself about all the health concerns involved in tattooing. Find classes at local colleges, university, online, whatever. Be able to pass any of the tests with 100%, no wrong answers. 5. Umm....learn how to draw! Take classes, buy books, dvds, youtube videos, whatever to make yourself a good illustrator, to be able to put what is in your head down on some paper exactly as you meant it look. 6. Learn human anatomy, not just for drawing, but since the skin is your ultimate canvas, be aware of what is beneath it and how that can effect for good and bad your tattoos. Study the bodies of old people, see how age and gravity affect the flesh, plan the tattoos of your clients, accordingly. 7. Buy the book, Talent is Overrated and The Outliers, learn what the 10,000 hour rule for Mastery is, plot your self-education and career based on that. 8. GET TATTOOED BY GREAT ARTISTS!!! That has been the biggest takeaway for me from reading/watching interviews of great tattooers, whether it's Shige of Yellow Blaze or Tim Hendricks, you want to learn how to tattoo....then get tattooed! edit: 9. Find a good tattooer who is willing to look at your drawings, etc. and give constructive criticism, i.e. please leave your ego at the door, appreciate that someone, who is probably busy and dubious, is taking the time to give you some bits of education/advice. And when you do start tattooing other people, and you do get some recognition, make sure to have a category on your blog titled "People I Want To Thank," and (with their permission) list them and the contribution they made to your craft, while taking responsibilities for all 'fuck-ups' as your own: Give Thanks, Take Responsibility. If tattooing is your passion, your craft, your livelihood and how you are going to spend nearly half of your actual total hours on this earth doing, then don't listen to anyone, twiddle your thumbs hoping/wishing/praying/begging for an apprenticeship, just put a plan together, put your head down, and GET TO WORK!! I'm not a tattooer, but I believe tattooing is a craft, and craft is something that I know a little about. Some supporters talk about paying your dues, via an apprenticeship by being demeaned, harassed, bullied, hazed, etc. I'm sorry, but that's a bit of a joke. edit: The sense I get for the 'paying your dues' portion of an apprenticeship, oddly the only part most people seem to want to talk about and empathize, is that it is basically a long fraternity hazing, designed to weed out those who are not serious, that are not dedicated, disciplined, respectful of the craft they are about to be initiated into. Whether someone is willing to be constantly 'punked' for months on end, proves that? Really? Does that actually accomplish it's intended purpose? Or are people just doing what was always done, without thinking about it, or because it's funny? There are great tattooers, who never went through an apprenticeship, but stayed up late working on tattooing problems, being forced to reinvent the wheel, coming up with a new styles by virtue of that, alone, not having anyone to tell them they were doing good or bad, wondering if all these hours were a waste, a waste that no one but them knows about or cares about, living with that gnawing fear in their gut that they are going to fail themselves. Which do you think commands more respect, the above, or the guy/gal that got to be a punchline for a crew and had to clean some toilets.... Edit: if you were able to get both things from one teacher/shop, that's Awesome, and I hope that you share your story, but thinks that type of relationship is pretty rare. Which one really paid their dues? No offense meant to people who have done their apprenticeships, but feels there is a third way, a just as valid one. Looks forward to hearing other people's thoughts/opinions, what you would add, have you tried to use pork skins? etc.

the nerdist podcast....for y'know....if you are a nerd and into geeky fanboy/girl stuff like comedy, Doctor Who, genre tv/movies.