piccalilli

Several hundred hours in to my thighs arse back chest and upper arms... I'd have no compunction to get everything finished with zero pain if there was a way to do it. I don't care about that being part of the experience, I am done with the stabbing and burning. Ugh. Good work! It is tough, yeah, - I still get the involuntary arse cheek spasms even with the whole area almost covered. Always good to hear as well a very positive experience with an artist, as well!

I personally only use Dove body wash, I don't know if the antibacterial helps or harms to be honest. Maybe the alcohol in it would dry out the skin? Or

I cannot do either. I routinely get lightheaded (or actually feint) when I have blood drawn, though.

Here's a rubbish photo I took session before last one when had begun adding the patterns on her kimono... Have been adding the red on her kimono on the back of my right thigh since. This Instagram post of Horifuji's I linked below shows the whole thing (but older photo than the one I posted above) https://www.instagram.com/p/B1efdE9h-0s/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

I know I have not posted in a while, apologies everyone. Well, we are moving along. It usually feels from uncomfortable to terrible to absolutely IAMGOINGTODIEHERE. I know it will be worth it. It could always have been worse, I know; at least the shading is tebori. Anyway, after finishing all of the background, we are now methodically creeping up towards the lower back from the back of the right thigh with the colour on the tennyo's kimono and it is ... unpleasant. Oh and (probably thankfully) I am absolutely not continuing to add to this to the munewari soshinbori coverage level I joked about earlier. There is no way in hell that I could deal with the pain around all the tender bits in front judging by what I have felt on my back. I need to post some progress photos...

It really feels like I should know this as most of my sessions so far (I would guess at least a dozen) are two back to back days but I never came up with a good solution. Sometimes I would just be wrapped up with clingwrap, sometimes with gauze dressings and tape. My biggest concerns were always: a) absorbing the shit that oozes out without dripping everywhere and staining your clothes. b) keeping it clear from contamination. Once or twice I did wash it in the evening as it was getting messy and it burned, then applied fresh gauze pads. Carrying with you some unscented Dove soap and extra bandages may not be a bad idea.

Ah, we'll miss crossing paths at SoG by mere days! 😸 👍

Allright, you weren't joking. Had my first two days this wekend; the back is horrific to work on. And outlining on the back of the thighs... the pain was near indescribable. Made the arse, spine and back part of the ribs pale by comparison. All of you are utter beasts for doing this purely by machine. I cannot even fathom. 😵 Have a few months before my next session, hopefully I'll completely forget about what this weekend was like by then.

That is true. Choose your poison, red hot electric vibrating butter knife or stabby-stabby-ow!

My modus operandi is "questionable planning". Like almost all of my prior appointments it will be two days ~4 hours each then drive straight from SoG to the airport. Freshly wrapped but hopefully not leaking ink around the TSA scanners!

The inevitable continuation of my self-flagellation tattoo coverage towards an accidental bodysuit is continuing. I have the appointment set for less than two months from now for Horifuji at State of Grace to put a tennyo on my back/arse/rear of my upper thighs. Bringing it up again as I am seeing more posts from people with their back work and it is suddenly becoming real to me that it is happening awfully soon. I am only somewhat terrified, at this point. Sitting in a plane with a freshly tattooed arse is not something I ever imagined I would have to be concerned with, frankly. Tebori needles near my tailbone. What could possibly go wrong 😧

Oh wow, @Oiochathat is you? I saw that on the shop's/Horitomo's IG . Very nice! His monmon neko are always so dynamic and graceful. And you have a fox there, on it as well! Is he doing the background by machine or tebori? I cannot remember. Edit: P.s. Reread what you posted. I am definitely concerned now; I am starting on my back in a few months and my first session is set at about 4 1/2 hours... Managed to survive sessions that length for my arms/shoulders/chest but this may be a whole new level of terror.

Nice, we're going in opposite directions! I am starting on my back in a few months. Not sure which one of the two of us will be having it worse. The feeling of the tebori needles in the front of my worn out and permanently-painful right shoulder where I have all the knots produced the most pain I could recall ever having 😵 Hope my back won't disprove my last statement.

I agree (belatedly)!

Spectacular!

Holy shit, @Oiocha, that is a serious Monmon cat piece! I would say it was worth the wait, it will look amazing!

Yeah... "accidentally munewari soshinbori" may end up being my future. If only I could do that without the pain.

Would it surprise you if I said I have pondered that, @scottyg?

Thank you!

So, I recall being asked if I was going to do the other side after I posted my left side's tattoo here some months ago... yes, yes yes, fine, you win; you were right. I couldn't leave it unbalanced. Discussed it with Horifuji after my last appointment for the left side and I asked him what he would suggest. He suggested Sojobo on the right shoulder to keep the theme consistent. The karasu tengu on the left shoulder would need to be supervised, anyway. Horifuji at State of Grace in San Jose USA. Outline and details machine, almost all colour tebori. Great shop, great people, great experience, great artist. Links to his Instagram posts as the photos are much clearer than what I can do. And both sides from the front...

I have found my body is not a fan of a certain bright yellow (by Solid Ink). Almost everything else on my half sleeve and hikae (afaik all with Solid Ink pigment) are quite healed and flush but the small areas done with this specific ink by machine are still a bit raised and bumpy. They also had more scabs and peeling. We will be using a different slightly richer shade of yellow for accents on my right side after discussing it as my body had no trouble with it. Must be a slight allergy. No trouble with red, the left shoulder healed perfectly well and I also had a significant amount of the same red on my right shoulder done a week ago, no trouble at all.

Oh yes, I forgot - I have this one too, it is excellent. Good call, @thewitchhunter !

* This one is pretty decent as an overview (and it is readily available i.e. affordable!) Japanese Tattoos: History * Culture * Design * This one is a bit older but good (written by Taki aka Horitaka aka Ryudaibori, owner of State of Grace in San Jose) Bushido Legacies of the Japanese Tattoo * Another one by Taki that is good (sounds close to what you're after) Tattoos of the Floating World: Ukiyo-e Motifs in the Japanese Tattoo * This one (by Horitomo of the Monmon Cats) is good if you're particularly interested in Fudo Myo-o (has some more general reference material on irezumi/monmon/wabori/etc). A lot of it is sketches that he had made from original art as well as historical detail on the iconography. Geared towards artists but I still found it interesting/educational. Immovable: Fudo Myo-O Tattoo Design by Horitomo In the end though, if you have a good artist who is knowledgeable, they can guide you in the right direction. I know that I could trust the person I worked with to get everything "right" and he also was able to explain to me what decisions he made that were "breaking" the rules (and why). P.s. two more online resources that I personally like: Irebokuro (hasn't been updated in donkey's years but what is there I found very educational) BUDDHISM & SHINTŌISM IN JAPAN A-TO-Z PHOTO DICTIONARY OF JAPANESE RELIGIOUS SCULPTURE & ART (self-explanatory - a beast of a reference resource) P.p.s. I am not an expert, I am just very interested in the subject...

@scottyg hit the proverbial nail - "wonderfully bizarre" is a great description. Quite a piece (in a good way). I cannot even fathom 130 hours ... although my only tattoo had taken about 35 - come to think of it, maybe it isn't that much so hang in there! You have a tremendous amount of work put in it and the results are spectacular. I would think that 130 hours in you are quite a bit closer to the finish line. If nothing else, you can look forward to showing it off to us here when done

@IX XV LXXXVIII that is lovely. I remember seeing it on (I think) the shop's Instagram. I love the tattoo on her back!