Colored Guy

There were a couple of guys who would neatly braze things to the welding tables. But at the end of each class, everything had to be accounted for and if you got kicked out.. it wasn't a good thing. Rob

You'd hope that they would review the artwork before the stencil is cut, just to screen out the gross errors... like that spelling glitch one artist had. Rob

On slow days, we would heat things in the oven until they glowed. Then put them on benches and see who walked by and tried to pick them up. Rob

I doubt they were drawn on paper first... sad, like 4-year olds who find scissors laying around give themselves or each other haircuts. Except those grow out or can be buzzed off. Rob

If you are the least bit handy in 3D CAD, you can generate the geometry to make your own simple parts. If the program lets you export it in the STL format, you're in. I can do pretty complex part modeling, so its easy for me, but I have access to expensive CAD "seats" that many do not. Lots of equipment in school was used and abused, from making hash pipes in 8th grade and so on as our skills improved. Rob

We have a local shop called "Tattoo Frenzy", probably an okay shop, but I'd never set foot in the place due to the name. I've always thought a name like "While-U-Wait Tattooing" would be perfect. Rob

Most of them do plastic parts and have been around for 20 years, used to be known as Rapid Prototyping. The newer ones do much finer detailed work and they're fast. We have one at work that gets a lot of use. There are also ones that make parts out of metals, known as Selective Laser Sintering. They make parts from steel, titanium as well as alloy blends, as well as green sand used for making molds. But, you need to have the part geometry in a certain format that the machine will accept. Any glitch in the 3D CAD file and it crashes in the middle of the part. So these will be pretty much limited to industry for quite a while. I'm sure when they are available to the public, they'll come with simple canned geometry to make simple parts to amuse yourself. Rob

There is a period of adjustment that many of us inked people go through. My first ones, the feelings were strongest, now I take them all in stride. Rob

I'll get that too... see a picture someone took of me without a shirt, or catch a reflection in a mirror it takes me a sec to realize its ME. Rob

I'd be more into watching a show with a better selection of artists. Why not drum up the best of the best... or maybe they wouldn't be seen on the show? But to stack the deck with only a few aces and the rest being jokers doesn't do anything positive for the industry. Early on you pretty much know who the final few will be. Rob

I still have plenty of real estate open on me and I'm 57.. so I'm in it to the end. Don't plan on doing my hands or face, maybe the neck. Rob

I get it only slightly... nice when I have an outline done one week and I know in 2 weeks I go back for the coloring, so I know when my next fix is coming. Even better when I'm having 2 tattoos done and I skip back and forth having them completed. Rob

I was figuring on some massive solar flare or North Korea blasting off a nuke that tips the earth's axis and we go screaming into the sun... no luck. Rob

I'd move it to the outside and go as big as fuck with it... but then again, that's just me... Rob

You really should have something in your hand that you can look at and decide if you want it on your body or not. I've had details drawn freehand on me... while there are artists who do a complete bang up freehand tattoo, they are in the minority. Anyone that has never been inked before, I advise them to go with a stencil and approve it before the ink flows. This is also the reason why I like flash on the wall... what you see is what you get. Rob

I'm carrying too much fat, but my lifts are getting better the last 2 months. Gonna head for a cut after the holidays. Rob

On me, red heals funny most of the time, in a few weeks yours should look fine. Rob

All 3 tattoos... meh... nothing even close to great. Oh that poor lady's back... she should have him shot just on general principles. 24 hours worth of ink should have looked better than any of those by a mile. Rob - - - Updated - - - I liked Tatu Baby... she did some solid work there. Sebastian, I had him out of there 2 weeks ago, he just managed to crank out middle of the road work and stayed under the radar. Rob

Pretty fucking weird at least.... Rob

I've had those too.... can't find the shop or when you get there they never heard of your artist... or the artist starts putting some weird ink on you and you can't say a word.... Rob

Pretty sad actually.... I gots no words to describe the kid. Rob

That's what I saw too. I'd keep shopping for another artist. - - - Updated - - - The work in his portfolio and others look pretty good. Rob

Most of mine have done the 2nd peel thing as well. 30-45 days is pretty normal for having it totally healed up. Rob

I think if I do go to the holiday party this year, I'll get shtifaced with the people that bring us our mail. Rob

That sums up what I do for a living. Most of it is flat-out boring as hell with office politics mixed in. Did I mention working for someone that makes a lot of wrong decisions? I make damn sure I don't associate with anyone I work with and I skip 99% of the off-hours functions. Rob