SStu

Honestly? Hard to believe any shop owner is letting that person tattoo anyone.

3rd on the bus voting for expansion. Just add a bunch more flowers around it and it'll blend in to the mix.

Resurrecting this great thread to try and help a great tattooer: https://www.gofundme.com/saverichardseyes

Richard Smith does some of the best roses https://www.instagram.com/richardsmithtattoo/?hl=en

I've waiting over 2 years for one particular artist. If it's what you want to look at forever, it's worth the wait.

whadja got against penises?

Oh, yes. We always try to avoid the sneakers and fannypack crowd.

@gingerninja St.Lucia is one of the most beautiful places I've been. Great food and friendly locals. It's also quite expensive. We didn't get up to the Northern end of the island at all. That's where all the cruise ships tie up.

yeah, that's 1 tattoo.

Recently returning from our son's destination wedding in St. Lucia. Pretty surreal place insomuch as you couldn't look in any direction without being astounded at how gorgeous it is. And almost every day we'd get these light drizzels for about 2-3 minutes, and they would create these incredible rainbows that were literally just a 100 yards away or less. Here's me viewing one on the porch of our room at the resort:

you'll be doing a whole lot of explaining, even if it's done right . . ..

so you're satisfied with the snake itself?

find a free clinic. find a smarter "friend". and it's not a "gun".

You should be healed enough after 4-6 weeks for touch-ups. I have never heard anyone put a ceiling on touch-up or re-work with respect to time frame. Obviously, your options on same will be somewhat limited based on the eventual and natural fading and/or spreading of the ink in your derm.

Not bad. I wouldn't go to him for neo-traditional (that mermaid is kinda wonky), but his black/grey realism is pretty good. I don't however, see any evidence of previous lady heads and/or portrait work.

Some will and some won't - it's all personality and the ability for #2 to see #1's vision and/or match styles. Obviously the back story will be integral to making a connection, too.

Yep. The trick is to know that where you are going has someone doing the style you want and is competent at it. Do your research beforehand unless you're just interesting in getting marked, outcome be damned. Never hurts to just visit 1st and get a feel for the shop and your prospective target.

Erica Flannes does guest spots in Nola and Slidell a couple of times/year, and does great lady heads and stylized portraits: https://www.instagram.com/ericaflannes/?hl=en

realism does not = florals. Realism is just a style where the end result should look more or less like a photograph of whatever the object being tattooed is. Portraits would be the center of the realism style.

Yeah, that could easily just be bruising.

I don't see any reason to limit your artist search to someone who specializes in floral realism. As long as the artist excels in realism then the floral aspect should come naturally. Still not sure where you are in our largest state (not including Alaska), but in Houston you've got Nate Beavers https://www.instagram.com/natebeavers/ and in Dallas you've got Liz Cook https://www.instagram.com/lizcooktattoo/?hl=en. Realism isn't my forte so I don't have any instant recollection for Austin, but Joey Ortega there did very flowers on my wife and daughter https://www.instagram.com/p/BKo9JIVBAcZ/?taken-by=oiseau_noir&hl=en.

Too early to say, probably. You're just going to have to let it heal. Hopefully the "white goo" wasn't stripper(?). Coconut oil? Not me.

Not illustrative at all, but I like Cory Ferguson in Oakville, too.

David and Evan are 2 of my favorites, and Tegan has some interesting stuff. You willing to drive to Montreal? Can we see your Stefanik piece?

It's looking fine. Don't worry about peeling or scabbing, but stop re-wrapping it. Let it breathe.