Hands On

congrats! welcome to the club and your new potential addiction. we're here to be your support group, in case you ever think about quitting. 😁

ok.. well it looks like you have no business asking us anything and should put your complete faith in Michael! 😅 from the look of his portfolio, you should have nothing to worry about. my updated advice - go get tattooed as soon as possible (3/4, full sleeve, palm sized, full body, whatever!) then come back and some post some pics! 😁

welcome to LST! i think it depends on what the subject matter is and how big the rest of the objects in the tattoo are going to be. If it's a buncha small things, then adding more small things to the last 1/4 is fine. If you're getting a huge dragon or tiger that takes up 3/4, adding something small in the last 1/4 might look like an afterthought. going for the full sleeve right off the bat allows the artist to plan and gain balance. then again, if you already know what you might get in that last 1/4, you might let the artist know your potential thoughts so that they can plan ahead in their minds to make it work well later. care to share what you're thinking about getting and what artist will be doing the work? this thread currently has too many words and not enough pictures for my simple IG fed mind. 😃

@SJ94 looking good so far. As i've seen in a few other threads, you're stoked and concerned. as the other folks have mentioned, give it some time to heal. it'll be great. in the meantime, welcome to large and visible tattoo club and also welcome to LST! stick around and take a look at some other threads. the's some amazing stuff on here!

@SJ94 just a heads up that they post you're asking about is from 3years ago now and the poster only has one total post, so there's not a high chance of a reply. 😬 not to say that it won't happen, but i wouldn't hold my breath.

Got this guy from Scott Harrison last Sunday. Aside from the dope tattoo, I also got some great stories. If you're anywhere near the PNW, you should make your way to Portland and get work from this legend before he re-retires!

good points @SStu i would also add that, aside from finding style and artistry that fits your vibe, making a connection can be difficult. conventions are a good start, if you can find time to chat with an artist who isn't busy... but oftentimes, good artists are already tattooing or their mind might be consumed with all that goes with that. still.. if you hang around their booth enough, you can catch their vibes or maybe find some time to chat and see if you connect. i will say, some of them get super into their work and might not be as approachable as they would be otherwise. visiting shops is also a good way to catch a vibe of the shop, in general. again, if the artist is busy, you might not get a great feel for who they are. if you're in there long enough, you might catch a bit of their conversations or personality or how they're interacting with the client they're working on at that moment, and that could provide some sense. honestly, sometimes, it's really just hit or miss and you don't know until you get in chair. the more you do that, the more you get an understanding of what you're looking for. so, just keep getting tattooed!!

I commissioned this from Yoni Zilber! Just saw it reposted on a new page called Tattoo Love Care, https://www.instagram.com/ttt_l_c/, created by @blackclaw @tttism @zacscheinbaum. Their description is "Aid-Promote-Educate. A place to help tattooers in need and discover new artists, causes and events." Check it out!

I've never joined photos to make one connected image, but I've taken rotating shots and put them together to show the various angles. Taking the Pics: this is obviously easiest if you have someone taking pics for you. have them stand at the same location as you rotate, to get the same lighting. pay attention to the distance from the camera to the tattoo - try to keep size and location consistent if you're taking shots solo set the camera on a level surface that frames your piece well set the timer and take as many shots as your camera will do on timer same as above - stand at the right distance from the camera and slowly rotate take more shots that you need. digital pics are free! check out the set and redo as needed. be patient. later, when you edit, you can choose the best ones that work well to show the piece as a whole I've never tried this, but you might also be able to just take a video, then take stills from the video. Editing the Pics Choose the best shots that show a good rotation Crop each shot at the same height locations of the tattoo - in this example, top of arm to bottom of half sleeve Resize each image to be the same height Adjust values of each image, to be as consistent as possible Save Open a blank file and insert each shot in the rotation Align to fit Crop if needed Adjust values as a whole rotated image, if needed This is pretty amateur, but it's good enough for my needs.I've got nothing on ATAK. If you haven't already, check out Bloodwork: Sleeves and Bodies. Hope this helps!

once it's healed, try coloring it in with a marker and see if you dig it. if you dig it enough to make it permanent, make an appointment and go for it.

i have a few large, multi-session tattoos and plenty of one shot tattoos, so i know and love the feelings of each. i've also thought about this in the past after starting and completing the multi-session pieces. one shot tattoos get you that instant gratification. they can be sign posts thru life or little things to remember. they work better for collectors who want to get tattooed by many different tattooers and have different experiences or vibes. they can fill the itch quickly, with little to no thought. large, multi-sessions tattoos are a whole other experience. It takes planning, commitment and dedication which increases the level of gratification. Each step along the way gets you closer to the finished product and furthers the anticipation. Schedule a consult. Consult. First session line work. Shading. Color. Details. The final wipe down. BEING DONE. There are times when you dread going in for that one part that's gonna hurt like a motherfucker. There's the joy when you see that part done and you know that a tattoo needle never has to touch that part again, for the rest of this lifetime. You build up a relationship and familiarity with your artist. You can still get some of those same feelings with smaller tattoos. You can get a body suit of one shot pieces by the same artist. You can plan how all those pieces are gonna fit together and get the gratification of getting each spot done. here are a couple examples by Paul Dobleman and you gotta love both! It's really just the aesthetic and experience that each individual is seeking, and that journey is as different as can be. (by the way, @Nadams1024, the mermaids are facing outwards and it's still right). i guess this is just a long-winded way of saying that it's all good, to each his own, just keep getting tattooed!!

cool tattoo. no need to cover it up... it'll fit right in with a traditional sleeve no matter which way it's facing. don't overthink it! i'd say the "rules" are that tattoos should face forward if they're on the side and face inward if they're on the front or back. i did a quick search of Bert Krak's IG for some examples. The peacocks on the back of the calves both face inwards. But on the client with the eagle backpiece, you can see a skull facing in and a hannya facing out... and no one will say that one's right or wrong. it's not even consistent and it doesn't matter! 😃 Just keep getting tattooed and it'll be all good!

Future Filip Leu over here! They should change the name of their shop to Lu Family Iron.

Don't get her wrong. Tattoo artists are welcome here and many have provided loads of insight in the past. However, the guidelines state: "Do not start threads asking about specific tattooing equipment or techniques, LST is not here to teach anyone how to tattoo. Ask your own tattooer, the next time you are getting tattooed. Maybe they'll answer you, maybe they won't." That said, if i saw that kind of practice, i'd never go back to that shop again and i'd advise everyone i know to do the same.

@Theralex no psychology background, but i do like to try to understand people's perspectives. glad to hear you're doing better! i was only kidding about hierarchies, but I would say that "he who must not be named" might have a differing opinion than yours. 😃

i agree that it's a nice tattoo. half jokingly - maybe the location has something to do with it? lettering on your arm is probably visible and neotrad on your calf is also visible to others. But YOU see this one on your thigh every time you're on the contemplative thinking seat of porcelain. more seriously - maybe the meaning of the tattoo touches a place in your heart and soul that you don't/didn't feel comfortable being touched. I dunno the meaning behind the tattoo, but if a castle is truly your home, perhaps there are other social and hierarchical issues in the realm, like who is going to sit on the Iron Throne. 😃 in all seriousness and assuming you don't live in a castle, perhaps the thought or idea of Home is something you're wrestling with and are being forced to confront. Nonetheless, sending good juju your way and welcome to LST!

welcome to LST! feel free to share pics or stories of your tattoos, either here or in the appropriate thread. we'd love to see 'em. cheers!

😂 awesome!

using LST right! best intro in a while. welcome! looking forward to see what you get. i'd say 40 isn't old in the tattoo world. still plenty of time for a body suit! most artists that are highly respected here on LST are probably in their 40s or above. you seem to have the right mindset to do things the right way and perhaps you have the financial stability to not go the cheap route. now to see if you get hooked like the rest of us.

agreed! luckily, i hesitated to pull the trigger on the solid ones and couldn't resist when i saw the only available hand painted one.

Just scored this hand painted gorilla head from Chad Koeplinger!

Welcome to LST! FYI, you likely won't get any good replies to this thread, per the guidelines: https://www.lastsparrowtattoo.com/guidelines/ Do not start threads asking about specific tattooing equipment or techniques, LST is not here to teach anyone how to tattoo. Ask your own tattooer, the next time you are getting tattooed. Maybe they'll answer you, maybe they won't.

I have some old tattoos that sometimes get a little angry, but i usually attribute it to my eczema, sun exposure, or some other factor. I'm sure pairing those things with ink and traumatized areas of skin don't help... but it sure looks cooler than eczema on blank skin! 😉

You should be able to post or reply to other threads/topics from the start. According to, https://www.lastsparrowtattoo.com/guidelines/, I think you need 10 posts to start new topics/threads outside of the Initiation Forum. Hope that helps!

at this point, this should be an auto reply to Initiation posts.