bongsau

Born Weird Lost Love Juxtapoz Tattoo I Juxtapoz Tattoo II Juxtapoz Illustration I Juxtapoz Illustration II Juxtapoz Psychadelic Sailor Jerry American Tattoo Master Vintage Tattoos: The Book of Old-School Skin Art New York City Tattoo: The Oral History of an Urban Art Smilin' Buddha - A 25 Year History A History of Japanese Body Suit Tattooing Tattooing From Japan To The West The Japanese Tattoo Design Handbook Vol.1 Misc Chinese illustration books (tigers, hawks, peonies) Misc Japanese Tattoo magazines ...and some other misc books I can't remember...just moved and still unpacking the boxes :)

just got my copy in the mail! had a brief flip through this morning this book is awesome, lots of cool historical flash and photos!

Love it! I've got peonies on one of my arms behind some spiritual cranes. Also a pair of peonies on each knee...get it? Pee-knees...yes hilarious What I love about peonies is that you can contrast the colours between the inside and outside of the leaves. And make that contrast as subtle or wild as you'd like. Purple/Blue, orange/bubblegum-pink, white/mint-green, orange, red, blue, neon-pink, make em nice and fluffy haha

I just met an older biker lady that has a Paul Jeffries piece she got 18 years ago. Koi fish and phoenix on the side of her leg - calf, knee and thigh. The finger waves and the blue ink was spectacular, bright and vibrant, no browning. Incredible. Tattoos definately do look the best after they've aged for several years...if you get em done right! Come to think of it...I think I have seen her tattoo before, maybe in this book? I'll have to check my bookshelf later Tattooing from Japan to the West: Takahiro Kitamura: 9780764321238: Amazon.com: Books I'm pretty spoiled though, my buddy has been getting tattooed exclusively by Paul Jeffries and we get to see his regular progress. Half sleeves, chest plates and full back. They are now finishing up by extending the arms down to the wrist with a Smiling Buddha tribute on his forearm. Awesome :cool:

Vybz Kartel dem say mi skin pretty pretty like a colouring book "FREE WORL' BOSS awar - - - Updated - - - "Colouring Book / Tattoo Time Come" [intro:] Omar, Phillip, Brando, Styles Di gal dem si mi tatto from miles [Verse 1:] Tattoo time come All a di space pon mi skin soon done If you nuh have none go get one, guh get one If you nuh have some go get some, guh get some When the tatto needle start fi bun Mi kill aff the pain wid street vybz rum If you nuh have none go get some, guh get some If you nuh have none go get one, guh get [Chorus:] When di ink load up and the needle a juck Tatto sell off everybody affi look Gal a sah mi pretty like a colouring book She sah mi skin pretty like a colouring book Gal a sah dem waan find wha mi live a Norbrook She ask if it hot like rice weh just cook Gal a sah mi pretty like a colouring book She sah mi skin pretty like a colouring book [Verse 2:] Look pon mi skin, tatto like dirt Mi nuh wear shirt, gaza ink inna concert Phillip haffi work, till mi mark up like a School book, a di new look Gal a sah di flava shook Police a sah mi fava crook Mi ink up like the gleaner and observer Brando di ink surgeon wid di serger Skin pait up like berger 404 Omar from Waterford a him a lock down Portmore Stylist push di needle through di epidermis Hotta dan a macka hype bun you like a furnace Pretty when it finish but hot when it a service You only hear the needle go soh, weeennn A mi get nervous From mi start mi can't stop Everyday mi say dis a last two Anyway mi soon whaa si di angel dem And di grass move Mi skin fava di wall dem when la lewis pass tru E-hah e-hah [Chorus:] When di ink load up and the needle a juck Tatto sell off everybody affi look Gal a sah mi pretty like a colouring book She sah mi skin pretty like a colouring book Gal a sah dem waan find wha mi live a Norbrook She ask if it hot like rice weh just cook Gal a sah mi pretty like a colouring book She sah mi skin pretty like a colouring book [Verse 3:] Gal a tek picture a mi body Mi can't tell di gal sa no Mi hand dem fava work weh done by Michelangelo Mi neck full up a stars A deh so di dock it wah fi go Tear drops inna mi face and everybody haffi know Craig, Dennis, Twitty Bird, Masicare and Cappo Di thug deh pon mi finga and the skull dem deh below Mi skin a run outta space But mi have plenty more fi go Shorty a beg mi please Addi nuh put on nuh more Stylist push di needle juck it mek it turn dis Hotta dan a macka, iee, burn you like a furnist Pretty when it finish but hot when it a service You only hear the needle go soh, weeennn A mi get nervous From mi start mi can't stop Everyday mi say dis a last two Anyway mi soon whaa si di angel dem And di grass move Mi skin fava di wall dem when la lewis pass tru E-hah e-hah [Chorus:] When di ink load up and the needle a juck Tatto sell off everybody affi look Gal a sah mi pretty like a colouring book She sah mi skin pretty like a colouring book Gal a sah dem waan find wha mi live a Norbrook She ask if it hot like rice weh just cook Gal a sah mi pretty like a colouring book She sah mi skin pretty like a colouring book

welcome @Messiah ! I am too from good ol' Alberta (the Texas of Canada), live in Edmonton. Definately check out OllieXXX, he's at Shades of Grey on Whyte Ave.

Some of the LST posters here are bang-on, it is so others can calculate the money you have spent. In my experience it's either because they are genuinely curious and want to see if heavy coverage is a goal attainable for themselves OR to validate their own holier-than-thou opinion that you are a fool for 'wasting' your money on something which they view as silly and frivolous. What you see, it took me 10 years of steady progress to get covered in tattoos like this. It shocks most - if you think about a 3hr tattoo vs 200hrs coverage - because I think the average person has a misconception about the time/pain we all here invest...time to manifest the ideas, time coordinating appointments, time to travel, time to research and plan, time to make money and time off work, time applying stencils and placement, time actually under the machine (which is what is only really counted), time to heal, time to develop our relationships with our tattooers, time for the tattoo to age and wear (which is frankly when it looks the best), time for the tattoo to take on a life of it's own as we wear it through our lives. And we can't forget the time to wash/rinse/repeat! When the goal becomes heavy coverage we aren't talking about hours invested anymore, we are talking about years committed. Then a tattoo isn't just a tattoo, tattoo becomes life :) Tattoo coverage doesn't happen over night. Which is why tattoo to me is a visual representation of commitment, loyalty and dedication, which are values that I think are very important. So I tells em, "So, like, how long did that take bro" "A long fucking time man"

Yes, in fact I am a giant nerd and I do haha! I've been keeping a spreadsheet for 11 years. So I have all my stats of my tattoo collection. Each tattoo is assigned a number to track the sequence my collection. I track each piece by hours, # of sessions, the hourly rate and cost along with start and end dates. For me this spreadsheet has been an interesting tool, I can compare the costs and time of my various tattoos. I can see who has given me the most add-value, bang for buck over the years although I am satisfied with the quality of all the work I wear, no regrets. Tracking also has helped me come to understand the process of tattooing better and gives me a clearer picture of hours/money to budget for upcoming projects, accurately. I've gone so far where from the stats I can determine the percentage of my collection that has been made by each tattooist and how much time and money I've spent at various shops. I am well-aware how much money I've spent overall for my decade worth of tattoos but that is never something I disclose. But most of all, it's just a fun data set I can play around with. I like knowing all the stats and facts on my collection, for myself. I also have collected the majority of my line drawings and/or stencils. I'll probably put together a book of my collection and stats for my family once I'm old and even more boring!

You need to be confident in the imagery you choose for something as powerful as a backpiece IMO. The tattoo will give strength because of that personal connection to the imagery or it may end up making you feel uncomfortable and awkward after the novelty wears off. I think it is great that you are having this dialogue - on this forum - but more importantly with yourself. You need to listen to yourself if you are feeling conflict about the idea, because that conflict could become greater when you are in the midst of the project. To relate to my own experience. I am about to start my backpiece journey. We are doing something chinese themed, I've been training kung fu for a decade and have many experiences to compliment the image we are choosing to work with. I feel it represents my passion, loyalty and devotion - to both my kung fu discipleship and my commitment to tattoo. On the contrary I have a new student at my school. Super nice guy with a fresh looking dragon sleeve, some very nice work. He told me he is starting his backpiece of Guan Yu (sic). We were suspicious of him understanding Guan Yu's history or the weight of having a tattoo of the chinese diety "God of War" on his back after training kung fu for only 1 month. After all he called him a warrior-guy-with-a-guan-do-blade. But in the end it it is his journey and his tattoo he has chosen to wear. And the sketch he showed me looks great, going to be an awesome tattoo. So you can either "own it" and live, breathe the tattoo, aspire to the imagery or you can just have cool wallpaper art on your back. I think both trains of thought are ok, but *you* need to be ok with it. And the tattooer needs to agree to put it on you in the first place. Sometimes a tattoo, is just a tattoo. But for something big and bold on your back, well I for one just don't want any old tattoo, I want something powerful with a personal connection. I stumbled on some excellent info re: japanese style tattooing on Clark North's website. There is some excellent insight here on wearing a big powerful tattoo image that I think can be extrapolated beyond the japanese style and about tattooing in general. THE JAPANESE STYLE TATTOO EXPLAINED - Clark North Tattoo & Art - Las Vegas

Bactine (and the like) only work after the skin is broken. It works well after you've been sitting for a few hours and hit your wall and need a little relief when you are on the homestretch of a long session. Calf is brutal, shin stings but is a walk in the park in comparison to most body parts. 8, 12 hour tattoo sessions? you guys are crazy. you don't need to be a hero eh For any tattoo...keep your feet and toes loose and relaxed and the rest of the body will follow. try it, it works ;)

Got this lil guy on my wrist a few weeks ago. This dragonfly was a memorial tattoo to remember my mother who passed away on July 3, 2014. Made by Shawn O'Connor (Timber Tattoo, Nelson BC) while he was back in Edmonton visiting at his old shop (Ink Machine). I really love getting tattoo from Shawn. http://shawnoconnorca.blogspot.ca/. Check him out if you want to take a trip into the BC Kootenays. He really takes the time to optimize placement, which is especially important for me now that I am really filling up. Some of the brightest colours in my tattoos are from him. Fits very nicely, the colours are healing very vibrant, especially the blues!

Been on a wait list coming up on 2 years for a tattooer in my city. Received an email invitation to come down to his studio and get traced out measured up for my backpiece! This tattooer is super low-key, off the radar, underground but is known as THE best, most precision tattooer in town. This man has kept the mystery in tattooing for me since the beginning. He did my first tattoo, my first big tattoo and did my sleeve in his private studio. So it will be a big milestone coming up for have him make a back tattoo. (Sorry folks, I'm withholding his name until the project is underway, don't want to jinx anything!). Really looking forward to the experience and excited as the backpiece will tie in all my existing tattoos as a full bodysuit over the course of the upcoming winter. Tattoo season is upon us!!!

The first time I travelled to Asia was in 2008. I was very privileged to have my Sifu (Master, RIP) take me along with his family to Foshan, China to learn about the roots of Wing Chun kung fu and experience Chinese culture. Then we would spend time in Hong Kong to train Ving Tsun with his Master (my Sigung, grandfather teacher). We had some free time and went to explore the street markets one evening. We had been in the area the day before and I noticed the big blue “TATTOO” sign on the busy street. My curiousity had me drawn to it and I wanted to see what it was all about. I would say I was still inexperienced at this time, 5 years after my first piece (maybe 50hrs in?) however tattoo culture was becoming something I had become very fascinated by. If you wanted to see pictures of tattoos you would muster some courage, suffer through the intimidation of ~actually going into~ a tattoo shop; you could see what your punker friends had scratched on each other; you would sneak a peak at the BME website (the internet! Oh my!). I went off on my own at night time to find this mysterious tattoo shop. I had split off on my own, away from my group. My time was limited to explore. I found the building underneath the big blue sign, went up several flights of a dark dingy stairwell. And there it was “JIMMY HO TATTOO”. Just an apartment door framed with classic tattoo flash pasted to the wall. So I rang the buzzer… I thought maybe it would be cool to get a tattoo in China…but I was also very hesitant. Did I have enough time? My group didn't know where I took off too and I had to meet back pretty soon. I was uncertain about the safety of the needles and ink. Healthwise it seemed risky. China isn't exactly the cleanest place in the world. How was I going to heal a new tattoo being in the hot sun all day and then training (contact) the evening? Afterall, my focus in Hong Kong was Ving Tsun. ...I remember being so nervous when I rang the buzzer. Shaky. There was no answer. So I waited for a bit, my curiousity had brought me this far. But what the hell was I doing here? Sketchy. And then a head suddenly appeared through a gap in the flash covered window. This older gentleman opened the door, poked his head into the stairwell to see who else was around and waved me in. I was pretty mesmerized. Here I am a younger, naïve kid, swept up in the energy of Hong Kong at night. Here I was in a sketchy, dimly lit building in an old man’s apartment studio. Old timey flash, certificates, photos, a lot of tattoo history covering every square inch of the 300 sqft apartment. What in the hell was I doing here? “Tattoo?” He said. That was about the only English he knew and would speak to me. He motioned at my long sleeve shirt, I didn’t have any of my tattoos showing. So I took off my shirt and showed him the work I had amassed at that point. Both my arms fully covered. Some leg tattoos. A big dragon on my ribs. He gave an approving half smile and motioned for me to sit down. I think this man knew that I wasn’t there to get a tattoo from him that night. However he made my curiosity feel welcomed in his studio. Looking around the studio it felt like a risky place to get tattooed and I felt I wasn't experienced enough to think otherwise. Not very sanitary by North American standards (but probably cleaner than some of those tattoo conventions haha). The bench pillow was covered in ink and blood stains. I couldn’t see an autoclave. The ink bottles in the corner looked a little crusty. The older tattooer gentleman didn’t have any visible tattoos and there was a serious language barrier. He gave me some his photo albums to flip through. It wasn’t a portfolio. It was more like family photo albums. Very old pictures of some American-classic tattoo designs he had made on people - eagles, panthers, daggers, hearts. There were pictures of him with groups of shirtless Chinese men, dragon and tiger backpieces and sleeves on display. Photos of this older Chinese gentleman with who I would assume to be elder American and European tattooers (I would be to naïve to have named at that time in my tattoo journey…I’m pretty sure there was a pic of him with Hardy, I think Pinky too? I really can’t remember). The whole experience was very surreal, I was nervous and awe-struck. I was going to have an amazing story about meeting Jimmy Ho, but would anybody really believe me? Or care? Afterwards, I did a bit of research (in which there was and still is limited info online). It turns out Jimmy Ho was the son of the late James Ho, who opened up Rose Tattoo, one of the first tattoo shop in Hong Kong back in the 1940s. My mind was blown that I had just had an exchange with a man from tattoo royalty. The next day I was exploring and ended up checking out another tattoo studio “Star Crossed Tattoo”. It was run by two friendly UK ex-pats Ross and Julia. I spent the afternoon talking with them about HK life, punk rock, tattoos, watched Julia tattoo and confirmed a few things. Yes, I had just met Jimmy Ho. He was tattoo royalty in Hong Kong. Hygiene standards were very questionable in Hong Kong/China at that time. Very risky, healthwise. The HK tattoo scene wasn’t regulated by the health board. Later on in the trip I would venture back to the area of Jimmy Ho’s tattoo shop. I didn’t take any pictures inside his shop, I was too distracted by the reality of the interaction - a human exchange about tattoos that happened in spite of a language and cultural barrier - and I didn’t want to be disrespectful towards a man that had let a stranger into his studio apartment. But I wanted to get a picture of the big blue TATTOO sign from the street during daylight. At that time I realized that I must have been a batshit crazy kid (even if I did know some kung fu!) to take a back alley into this area at night time, as there were a bunch of strip clubs, bath houses, massage parlours and gambling going on in the area with Triad looking Chinese (dragon/tiger halfsleeves) working the doors on the block. Not a place a young white tourist would want to find himself alone at night time. No guts, no glory I guess haha. I didn’t get a tattoo on the trip. And I have no regrets about that. But what Jimmy Ho did give me was an incredible memory and experience. Another story to go along with all the pictures I wear on my body. Thank you for reading :) PS If anybody has any further info about Jimmy Ho, James Ho, Hong Kong tattoo history please do share, love to learn more about it. - - - Updated - - - I did find this https://www.facebook.com/jimmy.ho.7127/media_set?set=a.292623604111543.71717.100000917175393&type=3

"Tattoos are an addiction eh?" Tattoos make me happy, so very happy! And yknow what? So does ice cream. And I bet basketball makes other people happy. Motorcycles make people happy. "LIKE OMG BASKETBALL IS AN ADDICTION EH?" "YOU MUST BE ADDICTED TO MOTORCYCLES." "MY NAME IS ERIC AND I HAVE AN ADDICTION TO ICE CREAM." You see? It's just a tattoo, not heroin for Christ sake!

thanks everyone. family friends and strangers showing a lot of love. - - - Updated - - - @Zillah wicked! rose morphs and tearouts are my fave style of tattoos haha

well. i did not get my touchups. but i did get a new tattoo which did involve a tear-out: My pug. Winston. Riding the red rocket. Which was really hilarious. Until I got a call 3/4 of the way through the tattoo that my mother passed away. Shout out to my pal Ollie for working like lightning to finish the tattoo before my ride showed up to go see my family. So some more to add to the arguement that a tattoo is more than just a silly picture on your skin. It's not just about "what" the tattoo is of or the "why"...but the "where" and "when" and "who" of the experience is of equal importance. A colourful timestamp for this lifetime. And now I'm left with a lot of sorrow to deal with, a good laugh and a great tattoo. Laughter is the best medicine. And my Mom really loved my idiot pug. But I think my next tattoo will be little more serious and carry a lot more weight. Peace.

Got an appointment tomorrow afternoon to get my hotstuff and leg tattoos touched up by OllieXXX...and likely a spontaneous draw-on banger (not sure what but I am in the mood for a tear-out!).

@jimmyirish that's a wonderful story about your grandpops. my eagle has brought me a lot of joy and it has only been 1 year. and now to fast forward 70 years. respect

my $0.02 don't rush. just bankroll your funds until you have the amount you need to commit to the piece. then pull the trigger, get outlined and get regular appointments to keep progress going. it was 3 years ago i decided what i wanted for my back. and then 2 years ago when i reconnected with the tattooer of choice to make the tattoo. life got in the way and couldn't start it last season (winter). looks like I will be getting my measurements next month to start soon. then 1-3 seshes a month. i would rather heal it up quickly and regularly like that and I'm sure from an artistic output point of view buddy tattooer may prefer to not drag it out. who knows where your life will be in a couple years or if your tattooer will even be in the same spot/city/country. at least that's the way i've always been tattooed. save your cash up in your underwear drawer and then commit and bang it out when the time is right. there are more than enough half-finished tattoos walking around, especially now in the summer time. don't be another statistic!

It took me 10 years to bite the bullet and breach the collar. I thought neck tattoos would be a big change in the way I am perceived...by my family, friends, clients, strangers...overall it has been very positive and has complimented my personality and confidence. I mean the majority of my body is tattooed and covered. Why? Because I love tattoos, the commitment, the experience getting them, the healing and the aging. So why should I be afraid to let that show and hide who I am - an illustrated person. We use our hands for so much in our daily lives. I think hand tattoos are a very expressive piece of real estate (as is the neck line) - as a lot of these hand tattoos in this thread demonstrate. I am not sure for myself at the moment however, I feel it would be distracting for me to wear...not ready for the big stuff yet haha and I think personally the wait to get hand-blasted will be all the more rewarding. I think the outside-in approach of the younger generation...well...I think it trivializes the overall experience of getting tattooed. But everybody has their own opinions and reasons for getting tattooed. My feelings toward tattooing my own hands will likely change in the years to come as my tattoos age, my coverage increases (real estate decreases!) and my life-situation develops. Patience and waiting is part of the tattoo experience for me, much in the same way that spontaneous tattoos have their place as well. And there will be something satisfying when my skull and hands (in that order lol) are made. I think I will likely drop my sleeve cuffs down onto my wrists first and then maybe consider a smaller standalone pieces on my hands (instead of a full mitt style). I work as an professional engineer. I work for a smaller consulting company and have a flexible job. I am happy I waited, I don't think breaching the shirt line earlier on in my career would have been a wise decision. I didn't have the life experience and leadership qualities to backup my eng work and overshadow a rogue appearance. Now I am older, more experienced and have the respect of my peers in the industry for the good work and professionalism I have demonstrated. It is only recently that my clients and work contacts have started noticing and I have not been shy in asking about my tattoos (but, god, why does everyone have to refer to them as 'taaaaattz'?!?, really dumbs it down yknow) There is a time and place however and that is where you say "yknow I'd love to discuss tattooing with you at a later time, but perhaps right now this project meeting is not the appropriate forum". You'd be surprised how much respect you get as a young tattooed person from normals when you take charge of poorly timed conversation like that. On the flip side, when I am on a construction site for an inspection, the trades people comment on the tattooed engineer and frankly make me feel more welcome than say the engineer dork in pleated dockers who is too proud to get his shirt dirty. Tattoos make you an interesting person "maaan I bet that cat has got some stories mhmmm" but generally that is because you were an interesting person already before the tattoos. /and now...back to the thread...post some more great pics of hand tattoos ! :cool: - - - Updated - - - Awesome! love the space and size around your tattoos. Nice placement, and the tattoos are grrreat

I would love to tattoo the crown of my skull with a happy dragon. But I am also very fearful of the pain...not from the tattoo but from the beating I would receive from my wife if I ever came home with a tattooed skully !

i just want to look like Walt Disney threw up all over me :cool:

Just returned from another trip to China. I was actually shocked at how much enthusiasm and positive response there was to our tattoos this time around. Everywhere, literally...like, here are all these cultural relics, history, ancient landmarks, wonders of the world that are hundreds of thousands of years old...but wait rook! It is a crazy foreigner with all these tattoos. "WOWEE So very beautiful" was the typical praise. Chinese all wanted to get photos with our tattooed kung fu team, kind of fun to be a spectacle in China for a few weeks. The young kids at the Shaolin Temple were super hyped because I have lots of different animals tattooed. I would use the tattoos (and kung fu poses) to help practice their English vocabulary. Dragon, monkey, crane, tiger, eagle, frog, turtle, snake...and my miniature preying mantis tattoo was the obvious favourite, it got tonnes of laughs and what I assume translated from Mandarin into "what the...crazy foreigner...mantis...look how so tiny...funny!" I told my Shaolin friends the tattoos were Canadian chi gung, funny to hear a shaolin monk grimace about "much pain" from tattoos when you just watched them bust metal and sticks across their body. This photo below makes me laugh. Buddy Beijing was so pumped on the tattoos on my forearms I had to hulk hogan my shirt for him. He then got so amped and insisted we take a photo with him and his baby. And then with grandma and gramps. And then the whole family. And then individually. It was a pretty magic moment and victory for international tattoo relations! There was some confusion and disappointment though that I had near everything on my body tattooed...except for my back! Well there's always next time...starting my backpiece journey next month :cool: ------ my Instagram is "dennis_kool" if anyone is interested in pics from Shaolin and China

Flowers...camouflage for the tattooed ninja!