bongsau

haha thank you @Gingerninja it's on my long-term project list...i was going to make a collection of all my stencils and line drawings as a colouring book, but i think i should go even further with pro photos of my tattoos and stories about all 50+ of em. like a personal lived-in-tattoo memoir. Not sure who would want to read it but thanks for the encouragement! Still got a few more tattoos to get though ;)

The tattoo will still be ultra fresh...so do not put any sun screen on it, it might irritate and infect. Just wrap a bandana over the tattoo to keep it protected from the sun if you're sun worshipping on holidays or in a tanning bed beforehand or whatever. Stay away from the chlorinated pools and hot tubs. Salt water ocean is actually great for healing but also depends on how clean the water/area you're staying in and how far along you are with the healing the tattoo.

One thing I do enjoy about LST is the reminders of old posts/comments to see where I was and where I am now with my tattoo journey. So here is this crazy cat idea from a few years ago and an updated photo of my chest/torso. guess ya don't always need to put a panther on it! cheers

how old is the tattoo ? i have lines that raise up like that all over, mine seem to be seasonal and a function of temperature/humidity as well as how heavy my tattooist was on me when we made the tattoo. I had a leg tattoo that itched for years and now it's fine. i'm not a medical professional, but appears to me that you're situation (from the photo) is not so dire that you need to cut out and ruin the tattoo to do some science lab tests. you could also try epsom salt bath for less invasive approach and see if that helps.

Got tattooed in Vancouver by a bunch of Edmonton homies: Sitting outside an Italian cafe on Commercial Drive and bump into Shawn "Deadly" Hedley who happened to also be in town and was hanging out next door at Unity Tattoo. So you wanna tattoo me right now? Sure let's do it bud. 30 minutes later... (goldfish is actually black & yellow). Shawn Hedley is great. Has a really cool aggressive style in the way he tattoos yet still his tattoos heal nice and smooth. Aftercare: walked all over Vancouver for 3 days straight with this thing rubbing on the inside hem of my jeans and drank a lot of beer. Head ringing, healing like a peach. Also got to see my other tatt-bros Teddy Kardos and King Len who were also in town and who have both tattooed me. Aside from hanging with my little bro in Vancouver, the main event of the my mini-trip was to reconnect with my old bud Shawn O'Connor. Shawn lives in Nelson, BC and was coming out to tattoo for a few days at Fraser Street Tattoo. Shawn's done half a dozen tatts on me but we haven't sat together in 4 years since he moved away from Edmonton. We did this crouching tiger blastover, 2 hours on the bread basket ... Fraser Street Tattoo had an awesome vibe and Shawn and I had a dope sesh. Saw my #1 tattbro Heidi who popped in to laugh at me. Got to meet Chad Woodley, have some show n tell in his shop and have some beers after. I'm already planning my next one to squinch in something from him next, he's a super nice guy and really skilled, I'd really like to experience his machine. Got some good mileage on my tattoos and my vans shoes. Vancouver, you are alright ;)

I'm not sure where you are located @NearFantastica but you consider logistics for a multiple sitting tattoo ie full leg -- a fully wrapped leg can be bigger than a backpiece. Nothing wrong with travelling for a tattoo to get that piece you want, lots of people do it and that's awesome. Little easier on the life style though to get tattooed in your own backyard, especially in this part of Canada where there are some real top dawgs around that are very experienced and accessible. Food for thought.

Immaculate Concept is Steve Peace's shop in Calgary, AB. Steve puts on the Calgary and Edmonton tattoo conventions. He's a really experienced tattooist and been around the block, well-rounded, very nice guy. I think Immaculate is one of the bigger shops in Calgary. The Munk artist you've linked though is definately not my style of tattoo, so I don't have comments. I don't know much about Calgary's tattoo scene...I'm from Edmonton, so anything Calgary related I am obligated to yell "Flames Suck" and take a cheap shot at their city lol (jokes, Calgary's a nice place). Lots of world-class tattoo makers in Alberta though, these would be my first choices if I were going for a full meal deal leg piece: Calgary - Scott Veldhoen, Rick Wilson Red Deer - Lucas Ford & Classic Tattoo Canmore - OllieXXX Edmonton - Champion (Shawn Hedley, Rich), Lucky Strike (Scott, Brent), Doing (Seve), Showdown. do your research, talk to local people with tattoos that pop about where they got em, go check out the shops in person. Everyone is pretty friendly in this area. Good luck. PM me if you need more specific recommendations for Edmonton

Getting tattooed from by a tattooer friend Shawn O'Connor originally from Edmonton, who now resides in Nelson during his guest spot at Fraser Street Tattoo in Vancouver. Some inter-provincial Canadian tattoo action on my 2nd layer, t-minus one week for me.

When you're wife tells you that even so much as thinking about a head tattoo idea is grounds for divorce.

The last tattoo i received, my tattooist and I were talking about Thom Devita and with every decision making for that particular tattoo we would laugh and ask out loud "what would Thom Devita do ?". He definately left a mark on the tattoo underground and subculture and will be remembered with greatness RIP

https://www.amazon.com/Vintage-Tattoos-Book-Old-School-Skin/dp/0789318245/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1522889999&sr=1-1&keywords=vintage+tattoos This book also has a lot of great references and a little easier on the wallet

Find some books on Sailor Jerry. https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_2?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=sailor+jerry&rh=n%3A283155%2Ck%3Asailor+jerry I'm sure he's rolling in his grave with how accessible the designs are.

@cfmartin67 man, those are such amazing skull tattoos! I like how the layer in behind. Remember seeing a glimpse of you getting them done on the IG feed and was like wow. I salute your skulls with my panther ! It's like the people who don't have the pits done try to scare you away from doing the pits...but the people who have experienced the arm pit tattooing tell you it's a breeze, at least that was my experience leading up to pit-day. Yeah, arm pits ain't so bad eh? One of the more enjoyable tattoo experiences I've had, highly recommended spot. Cheers

that is a great looking tattoo. just leave it and learn from it, he (the fish monster) may remind you (in time) that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. here's an idea...put something bigger, brighter and more 'feminine' on the outside of the forearm to juxtapose and contrast the scary merman-monster...perhaps a elegant mermaid with flowing hair and a shimmering tail, tonnes of aqua blues and greens, with finger waves splashes wrapping around to the inside of the arm fading in and around the monster head. That gives you bright/feminine on the outside of the arm, dark/bold on the inside. but hey, you gotta send us a pic and give me an internet high-five if you use that idea ;) you'll figure it out, don't rush, good ideas come with time...cheers

hello @Jbrnes i would suggest you just leave it. life is about learning. so what if the font/placement is slightly off ? the message likely is your truth (considering you're holding a baby in the picture!). so own it and don't live life with regret, it's too short and that is not what tattoo is about. if you dig the idea of a rose, put it on the other side. roses make great tattoos. but i think you can get more creative than that, especially in a visible place like the neck. get some other tattoos all over the body, each experience will guide and inform you. And yes, get a panther tattoo. Doesn't matter where. Just get one, you won't regret that !

Tattoos that last the longest are the ones that are made well and proper. What can you do? Check out the shops (in person, not on your iphone), ask/talk to people you see around who wear really nice tattoos. Inform yourself. Choose a simple timeless design with a crisp outline and a generous amount of black/contrast. Take your time, do your research, can't stress that enough. Seek out a proper tattooist who will make you the best god damn first tattoo you could ask for. You'll know when you've found the right tattooist to pop your tattoo cherry. Then find him (or her) 10 years later and say thank you. Life is temporary. Tattoos are forever.

When I got my first tattoo, I asked my tattooist "hey what's this going to look like over time, will it fade?" he told me straight up, "it will look better and better as it ages. you come find me in 10 years and tell me otherwise". So I did seek him out 10 years later and told him he was right and then we got started on my backpiece. That first tattoo is so solid and buttery you would not be able to tell it is 15 years old. I owe this man a lot for the tattoo truths he has given and made for me.

summer time ... when you find out if the neck tattoo folks you've been seeing all winter are truly Defenders of the Faith. nothing makes you look like a wiener more than wearing a tank top with full neck tatts and bare ass arms and chest :p get your body tattoo first, you will have more appreciation for the neck experience and respect for and from the tradition and subculture of tattoo. and I second @Hogrider '"if you have to ask, you are not ready" my $0.02, do what you want

I think it looks great !

eagle could be clutching the compass, but the eagle would likely not be symmetrical across the chest...an asymmetrical bird chest piece can look really cool and unique. depends what look you want. a good tattooer will be able to advise you on the design/placement and if they are interested in incorporating the existing tattoo into their design or just make it look good as a standalone chest tattooo.

I see it more as body modification and less to do with tattooing. It's the meat hook suspension crew of the tattoo world.

Needed some blood letting therapy this weekend ... caught my homie Richard Harding at Champion Tattoo (Edmonton, AB) just as he wrapped up another tattoo and he was quite agreeable to stay late on a Sunday to do this walk-in second layer tattoo for me: spider shape is based off some old Pat Martyniuk flash, webbing was part draw on, part straight on with machine. we made waxed some ideads for some upcoming tattoo carnage. Turned out to be a really memorable Sunday evening.

$20K...? $5K..? ...we are talking in Bitcoin, right ?

it looks like a photo-realistic, portrait style tattoo. not a Japanese tattoo. not a traditional tattoo. but either way, who cares, i think the tattoo turned out nice for you and connects into your arm fine. you got what you wanted, don't overthink it cause there is no turning back now :) ...and did I really read somewhere in this thread...$20K for a sleeve? WTF who is getting tattooed by JonBoy & BangBang in gold ink. yeeesh.

Encompassing a variety of tattooists and styles...the Juxtapoz series of hardcover books are also nice reference books Juxtapoz Tattoo Juxtapoz Tattoo 2