Hands On

Lyle Tuttle and Crazy Eddie are gonna be a small convention in Vancouver, WA this weekend called "Ink Travelers." Anyone know anything about this thing?

Ancient aliens is pretty baffling! "I don't sleep because sleep is the cousin of death!" - Nas Draw, paint, or surf the interwebs for tattoo related goodness.

This is getting out of hand. But while we're at it... these paintings would, of course, be originals. They'd also be like the Willy Wonka golden tickets that would grant you X amount of hours of tattooing with the given artist... something reasonable like a full backpiece. How do we get ahold of the producers?

I don't have any kids yet, but hope to someday. I think Bunny nailed it. We're all different and mature at different rates. I've come across plenty of adults who want a tattoo but don't know what they want and may not be ready for or deserve a tattoo. They're not for everyone, so it's very circumstantial. Since this thread asks if I would let my kid get tattooed, I guess it can't truly be answered until I see what kind of person they are at the point when they want one. I imagine, like the tattooers who have already replied, that my child(ren) will be around it enough to be informed and make a good decision when the time is right. I wonder when Filip Leu and Doug Hardy were first tattooed. That being said, I'm sure my wife will have the final word.. so it just depends on how well they can smooth talk her.

I just re-watched the Rubendall episode the other night... they're all definitely worth a few (more) replays!

Reminds me of Costco in the movie, Idiocracy... which reminds me of this scene... As for the prices, my boss always tells price shoppers to come back and show him the tattoo they get for the cheaper price elsewhere. They never come back.

First off, welcome to LST. Kinda stirrin' up the pot right from the get go, huh? Alright... it's probably true that a bunch of tattooers started tattooing in their houses and had no idea what they were doing. But there is so much information out there now and you've happened to come across one of the best places for it, here at LST. This feedback you're getting is coming from people who care enough about tattooing to want to be protective of it... not the 100% positive feedback from your friends and family who are getting free tattoos. Of course they're going to support you... they're your friends and family and they want you to succeed. You're just bold(*) enough to post your portfolio where some of the best tattooers in the world can see it. Critiques make you better. (*) could be substituted for plenty of different words. ;) Although they might feel harsh, you have to learn from them and check your ego at the door. Don't take it personal... take it into your memory banks and make the next drawing or tattoo better. Since you haven't had an apprenticeship, you haven't had a mentor to rip apart your drawings and tattoos and tell you where you fucked up. A big part of the apprenticeship is being humbled, which is a necessary trait in tattooing. Even the greatest tattooers know exactly where their fuckups are in each piece. I highly suggest digging into this site. Watch the videos and read the forums. It will definitely help you gain some more perspective. You sound like a pretty positive dude... stay positive and persistent! Four months in is just a tiny step in a long journey. As for the kitchen thing, I'm sure everyone means that you're tattooing from home (room included), and not in a shop. You have to spend time in a shop to learn how things are done properly. Go get some tattoos from good tattooers!.. you might even be able to build a relationship and land an apprenticeship.

I was lucky enough to convince Jill Bonny to do an Americana gypsy head a few years ago and she nailed it. I love the fact the she did some research and put some personalized touches in it. I couldn't imagine there being a bunch of Jill's girl heads walking around, so I thought you all might appreciate this one. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v7G5MIpFui4

Steve Boltz.

nah.. i think 150's a good age. that'll give me a chance to meet my great great great grand kids.

Thanks! I guess I didn't mean late in life... but relatively late compared to a lot people I've heard getting tattooed in their teens. With the advances in medical care, I plan to live to 150!

These lists are awesome. Here's mine... Jill Bonny Horitomo Horitaka Mike Wilson Cris Cleen Chad Koeplinger Gary Koblis Danny Smith Trevor Taylor Shawn Barber Steve Boltz My Brother Myself

Hello, my name is Chris and I'm addicted to tattoos. "Hi, Chris." I started getting tattoos relatively late in my life (25), but got the bug immediately. I was spoiled, since my first tattoo was from Jill Bonny at State of Grace and my first tattoo related book was Tattooing from Japan to the West by Horitaka. Not only was I dumbfounded by all the pictures, but I was mesmerized by all of the interviews and I got hooked. I started to read and watch everything I could to learn and soak it all up, but I found the best shit to be the interviews of the artists speaking their minds and telling their stories... dropping all kinds of knowledge that can't be found anywhere else aside from speaking with the tattooers in person. I found books like Underway is the Only Way, We Are Tattoo, Tattoo Artist, TAM mags, and videos from Needled.com, TAM videos, Tattoo the World, Horismoku, Tattoo Age, Stoney Knows How, Gypsy Gentleman, and of course here at LST. I just recently started to dig thru the forums here and there's so much knowledge being shared! THANKS!! This bug has brought me to get an apprenticeship a little over a year ago and I come into this trade/business/industry/craft with the utmost respect for all those who have come before me. My goal is continue this passion without offending any of those people along the way. Like Kore Flatmo said in his interview, I know I'm one of those dwarfs standing on the shoulders of giants. I try to get tattooed as often as possible, not only to keep collecting and feed my addiction, but to keep learning and building the relationships that make this community what it is. If you're interested, I'll post a list in the "Who HAS tattooed you?" blog comments. Thanks again for creating this great site! Peace!!

I got a symbol on my wrist from Jondix's book, 108 Marks, that includes two opposing swastikas. I get a few looks from people who notice it, but it's mostly confusion since I'm Filipino. No one ever asks about it. Does anyone watch the show Ancient Aliens? It's interesting to think about how such a symbol could have been so widespread in ancient times. To me, the swastika looks like the shape of space... universes and galaxies.

Currently healing a sun and moon pair of knees from Trevor Taylor at Liberty Tattoo in Seattle... based on some Bert Grimm flash (his idea).

She did a nice tattoo, for sure. I find it hard to believe that the other two were actually worried about getting sent home. I guess you gotta be worried with that kind of money on the line.

Analog Cris Cleen

i think the judges have made the correct cuts each time. there should be a reward of some sort for doing the best tattoo each elimination round... not just the "quick fires." as bad as this show may be, it's better than the overly dramatic shows where you only get to see 3-5 tattoos and have to listen to 40min of drama. and oliver peck cracks me up!