a_beukeveld

The good thing about flowers is they go with everything. I have 30+ flowers on me and theyre all associated with different images. So yeah. Get a fuckin' panther.

Recieved this from Dave Cummings at the Montreal convention. He did an amazing job.

Dont get anything on your neck head or hands. Just above the ankle, just above the elbow ditch, just above the elbow on the back, just above the knee and on the wrist are good places for smaller tattoos. Keep in mind places that will disrupt future bigger tattoos, even if you dont want anything big yet. I would not recommend the back for that reason.

You're better off just going directly to the tattooer and asking them. Theres no need to create a middleman between you and the tattooer. Even If there were tattooers on this forum (which there arent many) you still dont need anyone else's advice besides the person who is going to do the tattoo. Find one tattooer, commit to being tattooed by them, and discuss your idea with them. Dont shop hop and hope for design ideas/critiques from other artists because they probably wont give it to you. There's allot of ways the design could be improved. Much too many for anyone to write down in a post. Improvements on balacing, tangent points, major and minor hirarchy, trasition through the composition. Stuff that takes years to learn and understand. The tattooer has already figured this stuff out. You dont need to worry about it being self expression. It will still be your idea, but just inturpreted through the eyes of someone who knows how it will work. The concept and "meaning" should never take a backseat to the design, because in the end of the day thats what a tattoo is, a design. Its meant to look good on your body. As for saying you're "bad", take it as a gift. I wish more people told me my stuff was no good in the past. Through out the years of art making, I, and many other artists will tell you, that your art starts improving once you start hating it. The cycle to improving your artist ability is "Make something until you love it, and then stare at it until you hate it. And repeat". If you dislike a piece, it means you are concious that something is wrong, and that you need to improve. This cycle will go on until you die, and by the end if it you willmake amazing things. Youre at the beginning stages, and I assume you dont recieve much critisism of your art, just like I didnt when I was your age. If you desire to be better, fight for it. This is what I have learned.

You can use your own designs as a way explain what you want, but dont expect the artist to follow your designs too closely. Tattooers have been designing tattoos and drawing for years and years, everyday. They also know what makes a tattoo design work. Theres no sense in adding a middle man, as it just complicates something that doesnt need to be complicated. Im an artist as well, but id never want my own designs on my body. I have the assumption that I dont know what Im doing, and most of the time its true. I cant imagine having something on me that I drew when I was 19. For example, for my 4th tattoo I was going to get a piece of shark flash on my leg, but being the idiot I was I thought I could draw it better than the tattooer could, so I traced his design and changed it, and got him to tattoo it. It turned out decent, but it would have been much better should I just have let him do his original design. I regret it. Ive been painting tattoo designs for over 2 years now, and Im JUST starting to understand what makes a good design. Im going to be honest and say your design is attrocious, and that I would advise you to trust the tattooer to make a better design than you can, as I can predict youll regret having your own art on you, especially if you plan on improving your drawing skill. Find a skilled tattooer and theyll give you a great tattoo. Theyll know how to work with your ideas and give you something that works. One mantra I find myself repeating to "tattoo noobies" is "Trust your tattooer", and thats the best advice I can give you.

Going to be discussing my back/ribs with Dave on Sunday while he tattoos me. With just my own input as of now, Im thinking full "turtle" backpiece extending down the thighs, just before the knees, and wrapping around the torso with 2 opposite images on either rib, with the "river" down the front. I already have a traditional chest piece so we will have to work around it. Im stuck between the goddess Benzaiten with her bowa and a white dragon, the pearl diver and dragon, or just a dragon. As for the ribs Im thinking a Nue on one side and a Kirin on the other. I enjoy the contrast between the two. As for the back of the thighs Im not sure. It depends what goes on my back. Im thinking Tennyo would be nice. I look forward to his input.

I look forward to seeing what you come up with.

The koi and dragon is a great image. There is a Chinese legend of The Dragon Gate, where the koi that ascends the waterfall and reaches the peak is transformed into a dragon. In Japan, the koi repressents hard work, dedication, and confidence. The koi s a symbol used on Boys Day, in hopes that your sons would be like the koi. The koi swimming the waterfall and being transformed into a powerful beast repressents over coming obstacles in ones life and attaining greatness and success through hard work and dedication. The dragon ascending into the heavens repressents success in life. I think you should have the koi on your forarm and dragon on you upper arm. Its a beautiful image, and great story. The hannya repressents anger, jealousy and sarrow, and can be used as a symbol of change, (usually paired with maple leaves for this reason) a repressentation of the full swing of human emotion, (sarrow and mourning to bitter hatred and jealousy) or the dark side to something that was once beautiful. As far as motifs go it doesnt really fit. Id leave it out of your sleeve and get a seperate one-point style hannya elsewhere on your body. But this is just my western impression of the info I have. I encourage you to do your own research. I can see the tattoo now, with the koi on the forarm paired with rocks, water and sea grass, transitioning to the dragon on your upper arm paired with clouds and whirlwind. Really beautiful.

Not entirely true. From my understanding, dragons are neutral, but the majority of the time tend to be good omen. There are many instances in which dragon fight humans. Tamatori the pearl diver running from Ryujin is a good example of a ryu/human conflict. Or Susanoo who slayed the dragon Orochi to save Kushinadahime. Or the dragon that was eating children that the goddess Benzaiten soothed with her beauty, and latter (in some stories) married the dragon. There are other instances in which a witch transforms herself into a dragon as well, and stories of multi-headed evil dragon. Although rare, there are certain instances in which ryu fight swordsman. But as for your tattoo, less is more. If I were you Id just go with a dragon skeeve with nothing else, but thats just me.

I had that on one of the tattoos on the back of my calve. Just looked like strokes of red. They'll go away.

Trying to get a last minute tattoo from Dust Wu Horitsuki. Were going to chat on Saturday and see if he has time to squeeze me in.

If he is capable of doing detailed work he should be capable if doing detailed roses. If you are unsure just ask him. Most of these concerns can be discussed with your tattooer. You dont need a middle man. I would also advise you not to be concerned about it being exactly like the photo given. Every artist is different and does things differently. If he does good work he will do a good tattoo on you. Take it from someone with allot of tattoos. My first few tattoos I was so concerned about it being exactly like the photo I showed them, and they didnt turn out as well because of that. They would have looked better if I would have just let them do their thing. Now I just let the tattooer do whatever they want. Trust your tattooer. They've been doing this longer than youve wanted to be tattooed. You are over thinking it.

I envy people like you. I started with the mentality that I wanted to go small first, and larger latter. Now I know,and many people who are also heavily tattooed know, that big first, small latter is the best approach, atleast for the american style suit. Im not sure what gives people the impression that they must have a small piece first before big pieces. Henning posted this backpiece recently. This is this guy's only tattoo. Thats awesome.

"Just focking do it" - Me when my tattooer asks if Im okay. Its going to hurt. Its a tattoo. Just take it.

I can see it. Looks fine, and it looks like it just started flaking over, correct? It looks just like it should. Healing tattoos always look super fuckedup, because theres multiple layers of deadskin ontop of the actual tattoo, thats where you get that foggy black on the edges of the flakes. Keep it clean and dont pick at it. It will heal just fine.

Your image doesnt show up. Might just be me.

There's no hard set rule. Some shops say theyre a street shop, others a custom shop, but most will do either. Some shops (typically very renown shops) only do appointments, so they wouldnt really be a "street shop", but the titles dont hold much significance now a days. Back in the 60s and 70s during the tattoo "reconnaissance" fronted by Ed Hardy, a shop would advertise that they did custom work, which was in refference to shops that only had premade designs, so it was a big deal to get a custom made design. Now a days most shops do custom work as well as flash so the titles dont hold much meaning anymore.

"Bad" style.

Getting a bunch of prints made to trade/gift to people at the con. Already set up a trade with Horitsuki Dust Wu. Very pumped. Also made an appointment with Darryl Hart for a nurse on my calve right after I get off the plane on Saturday night. Then getting a huge piece by Dave the next morning, and after that I have about 4 hours to fuck around and look at booths. Might get a couple 1 hour bangers if I feel like it. Edit: so turns out he can get the nurse done in an hour and a half, because hes a madman, so we're going to put these eyeball hellspawn on my leg somewhere also. R8 stoked.

A wise man once asked, "Why didn't you get a dragon?"

Made an appointment with Darryl Hart at the Montreal convention for saturday. Going to put this nurse on the lower half of my calve. Every tattoo Darryl does looks amazing healed so Im really stoked. Hes so fast and light handed too.

Well there you go then!

Just find a tattooer who does good japanese work and get them to come up with the design for you. Adding a middle man just complicates things, and frankly, the design that artist did for you for free (which I dont understand why they would) is mediocre at best. As for my opinion on the concept its kind of just lame. It seems like a desperate attempt to be "original". There are so many great classic Japanese designs, I dont see why youd want to add a dull celtic theme to it. Personally Id suggest a hannya or namakubi. They fit well as upper arm pieces, and have great stories behind them. Thats just me tho. Ive never liked the celtic/viking/norse stuff. They seem trite. I also dont think a "1/4 sleeve" is a thing. Thats just a shoulder tattoo.

Not making a very strong case for yourself on here, friendo. As for the tattoo, personally, I think words are lame. Pictures are symbols and they speak to people. Adding a "meaningful" quote to it just sucks all the mystery and flavour out from it. Its like getting a tattoo of a sick dragon and stamping a big "LUCKY" ontop of it. Also, every person I know who has gotten "kid font" tattoos or "my child's hand writting" tattoos have regretted it, and it just looks awful. The tattoo design itself should never take back seat to the "meaning". Keep that in mind. And dont get it upside down.

Looks pretty nice. Not really my style, but the lines are clean and the colours are solid.