Hogrider

Jesse Tseronis at Sakura Tattoo in Winchester, VA.

I never do, or don't do, something based on a movie. Chances are in a few years no one will remember it anyway (unless it's star wars of course). So don't get a Wooki and you'll be OK.

Your fat. Don't wear makeup, don't dress nicely, don't have fun, don't leave the house ... period. Just stand in a corner and perform self flagellation. Or, you can just live your life.

Risk / Reward? How about a pinup of a smoking hot 15 year old :-)

Tattoos don't sit on top of the skin, so I'm not sure how a cream would work. Also, why would people endure the cost and pain of laser removal if they could just rub a little cream on their skin to remove a tattoo? There is no free lunch, if it sounds too good to be true it is, there is a sucker born every minute, etc., etc., etc.

Leviticus 19:28 You shall not make any gashes in your flesh for the dead or tattoo any marks upon you: I am the Lord. The pagans would mark themselves so that the newly dead would not recognize them. The Jews were not supposed to do this because it was a pagan practice. I guess if someone is following every other command in the bible, there is no reason not to follow this. Most Christians just follow the commands they want and then justify why they don't have to follow the others.

The Bible does say you should not mark your skin. Next time tell them it also says "Do not judge, and you will not be judged; do not condemn, and you will not be condemned," "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." and "Why do you see the speck in your neighbor's eye, but do not notice the log in your own eye?" These hypocrites only read the part of the bible that allows them to be judgmental blowhards. As to the stares, I'm 6'2" 195 with hair halfway down my back. I stare back :-)

Exactly. It's like these wannabe gang-bangers that run around with do rags, backwards hats, gold teeth, pants down below their asses with their underwear hanging out and then cry when someone crosses the street to avoid them. Duh! You want to look like a gansta wannabe, don't expect to get treated like Mr. Rogers.

I don't think there is anything wrong with using a publicist, but this approach is unprofessional and disrespectful to both you and their client. There is a lot of tradition behind the tattooing profession and even when you are trying new things, you have to respect that tradition. This is just amateur hour and the person doing it should be ashamed and embarrassed.

Sorry, not everybody is born knowing everything.

You don't think that Kat Von D got where she is just on the strength of her work, do you?

I decided to coordinate a chest piece Hannya mask to a japanese sleeve I'm working on. Jesse Tseronis at Sakura Tattoo in Winchester, va. After this he worked on shading on the sleeve for another hour or so. We start adding color next appointment.

Thanks for all the feedback.

I'm not a tattoo artist (and don't aspire to be one), but I've done enough reading to understand that there is an accepted way to become one and there is little love for those that don't follow the traditional path. I do not understand these types of threads started by scratchers who think they are going to get some sympathy or empathy on a forum like this. Sorry bud, but you know the right way to become a tattoo artist, don't expect people here to support short-cuts.

The fact that I'm obsessing over 1/2 inch or so should tell you I'm not completely in my right mind :-)

thanks for the responses. It's about 1/2 inch above my wrist bone. my obsessive compulsive nature has stuck again :-)

note to Miley - increase security - exponentially.

Is there a standard place where the sleeve ends? I wanted to be able to cover my sleeve with a dress shirt, and my artist stopped it exactly where I asked, but now that I've lived with it for a while I'm thinking it might look better a little longer. I'm probably over-thinking this (like I always do). So I'm asking the experts, where does the sleeve end? Thanks!

I don't feel like you were attacking me and if anyone brought negativity to the forum it was me. In re-reading my posts, I think I was too harsh, but unfortunately I can't delete the posts. I need to learn to think a little harder before I post something. Not that Ami cares what some guy on the internet says about him, but I feel bad that I came off like I did and can only offer an apology about that. I won't try to fix it as I'll likely just continue to make things worst. It's too bad they can't have a show about tattooing without all the made up drama. To someone who has been a part of the tattooing culture for a very long time, the daily mechanics of giving and getting a tattoo may seem old hat, but to someone relatively new to tattoos, it's very interesting.

That's too bad. Sometimes it takes longer than that for me to realize I've posted something stupid! :-)

A few clarifications - first, I thought the drama on the show was horrible, the tattooers, except for Ami, I really liked, regardless of their personalities. I didn't say Ami was bad, I said I don't think he's very good. I think there is a lot of ground between bad and average, but I guess not everyone makes a distinction and I could have been more precise. The tattoo you are showing is good and he did a couple of good tattoos on the show, but I also saw a couple that I didn't think were very good and some I thought were average. When I looked at the quality of the other tattooers, I don't think Ami was as good as them, again just my opinion. I used to watch Miami Ink and I didn't like a lot of the tattoos he did on that either. All just the opinion of some anonymous guy on the internet.

I wouldn't get work from an ass-hole, but I have to trust someone to let them work on me and I don't trust ass-holes, regardless of their reputation. I don't get the whole walk-in thing myself. I decided on who I wanted to do my work and went from there. I just wait for an appointment. But then I'm an anal-retentive, obsessive-compulsive, over-thinking ass-hole, so that may have something to do with it.

Yup, she was on New York (st)Ink. I don't know how Ami got two shows. I don't think he's very good and he's about as boring as they come. The made up drama made LA (st)Ink seem like a Shakespearian masterpiece.

Maybe it's too early or I need my glasses, but that thing is VERY hard for me to read. After looking at their site, who would WANT 5 hours of their ink. Pedestrian and unimaginative tattooing at best. Maybe their slogan should be, "You could get worse!"

Doesn't he know that a tramp stamp goes on the back?