bongsau

History of Japanese Body Suit Tattooing is fantastic

??? Don't be hard on yourself, 4.5 hrs is NOTHING to be ashamed of, especially on the back. You go girl ! And to the rest of yous posting in this thread...you are all a bunch of motherfuckin' tattooed warriors !!! You're all looking great, keep up the good work and keep the momentum :)

over that nice big blue peony? if you put red over blue i would expect you'd get a purple type of tone. orange over blue, you're getting a shitty brown. neither is going to offset the contrast on the redish koi fish (i think that's what it might be?) you got and lose the subject, in my opinion. I'm not a tattooer however. i'd accept the colour scheme and finish it anyway. or re-hit with a darker blue? i've had some tattoos where the colour had a different look/tone to it because of bordering contrast when everything was finished and healed. the colours will settle and get the aged look over time.

Also seems to be a large contingent of well-known and well-respected tattooers in the sponsor circle...

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I think it's sketchy and a bit disrespectful to the dead. Never in my 15 years of receiving tattoos have I ever brought anything to my appointments for a tattooer to insert into the tattoo application - especially the ink - other than my own personal bottle of bactine. The act of tattoo in itself is a symbolic gesture. Adding a placebo product into the equation is a gimmick IMO.

I mean, everyone gets tattooed at the pace that works for themselves (money, time off work) and their tattooists schedule...from my experience - my arm took 1 month (i went every week) and the other arm took a couple of months. My back took 6 months. Guess my point is keep the appointments regular and consistent, stay focused...you'd be surprised how fast you can finish them projects! plan the work, work the plan. good luck ! edit // not hating, just giving perspective. my tattooists are all local. i had all the cash saved and ready before booking the appointments. That's just my routine so I can bang out the projects. In the past I would get take on one big tattoo project each year. It kept me focused.

To quote KD Lang's 101 year old spunky Grandma (true story) "you better finish what you started". My advice is focus on completing what you have in progress. Awful lot of unfinished tattoos walking around, don't be a statistic! This has always been my approach. Eye on the prize.

you figured it out, good stuff ! i like positive outcomes, especially when it's tattoo related.

It could have been an honest math mistake at the end of a long day. If you like his work, then by all means continue. All the matters is if you're happy. Tattoos do cost whatever you're willing to pay for them. But it sounds like he's slow, painful and wasn't really respectful of your time/money - this of course is just from reading your responses on the internetz and we don't know the whole context...but the tattoo won't lie. Did it turn out awesome? Healing well? Red flag if you're second guessing whether or not you got the hustle. If you left with a sour taste why go back? maybe i'm just confused. or tattoo-naive because my experiences have been all good. Tattoos fade, the experience is permanent. Good luck

post up a picture of the overpriced tattoo for reference. Time to prep the stencil and area, setup machines, pour ink, etc, i don't count setup as tattoo time. Take all afternoon to get the stencil placement perfect if that's what it takes. I start my clock when the first line is pulled and stop the clock when you call the sesh and the machine gets put down. I don't think I've ever been hosed on price. In fact most tattooists did me a solid and round down. I have however witnessed peopled getting the ol' round up, and usually it doesn't surprise me in the context of those situations. All that said, you were likely overcharged and then you left a tip. Suck it up as a couple hundo lesson-learned and move on.

I like the Daruma below the kneecap. Eyes[edit] A daruma doll with one eye filled in for wishing "The eyes of Daruma are often blank when sold. Monte A. Greer, author of Daruma Eyes, described the "oversized symmetrical round blank white eyes" as a means to keep track of goals or big tasks and motivate them to work to the finish. The recipient of the doll fills in one eye upon setting the goal, then the other upon fulfilling it. In this way, every time they see the one-eyed Daruma, they recall the goal. One explanation how this custom started says that in order to motivate Daruma-san to grant your wish, you promise to give him full sight once the goal is accomplished. This practice might also have something to do with the "enlightenment", the ideal attainment of Buddhism. This custom has led to a phrase in Japanese translated as "Both Eyes Open". Referring to "opening" the second eye, it expresses the realization of a goal. Traditionally, the Daruma was purchased as a household, and that only the head of the household would paint in the eyes." - Wikipedia

no such thing as a perfect tattoo...and tattoos that people think are 'perfect' generally suck! your tattoo could be better...and it will be better in 10 years after it's been lived in for several years ;) you did good. don't overthink it. get more tattoos.

Couple more thoughts on #1 1. If you don't ask you, you won't get the opportunity. Send the email and articulate what you want. You will either be ignored or will get a brief reply with instructions on the next steps. Don't email back repeatedly and be annoying, pushy and demanding. Those emails go to the trash can. I think an email a month or two later to followup if you haven't heard anything is ok. Be mindful that tattooists get very busy - tattooing all day and sketching at night - and are focused on the tattoo and client in front of them. The best bet is to go to the shop IN PERSON and make a human connection, along with your awesome idea. Those folks get usually get bumped up a cue.

1. "Books closed" always makes me laugh. The best tattooists I have encountered don't advertise their books are closed, they will tattoo anything anytime (if they choose to). If the schedule is full, they will just tell you to wait or ignore you. My $0.02 "books closed" is my red flag. 2. No problemo. Some people like the consistency and stick to 1 trusted artist. But I think it's great to get tattooed by lots of different people, they all tattoo a little different and you get a variety of different experiences. I have 20 tattooists who have worked on me to date. 3. Not seeing the sketch until the day of is part the game. It gives the work that proper tattoo magic. Very rarely have I seen my tattoo sketches in advance. It's normal to be freaked out about this but after a few tattoos you come to love the anticipation and excitement. It's like Christmas morning. Most tattooists sketch out your tattoo the night before or the morning of. Keeps the tattoo idea fresh and focused. 4. Question marks mean you haven't thought enough. WHAT DO YOU WANT. You should be able to answer that question in as few words as possible. Keep it simple. And be open to the tattooist expanding on your idea. 5. If your nervous about 'outing' your tattoos a) don't get a tattoo, they are not for everyone b) pick a spot easier to hide. I had this same feeling and I got a bunch of body work before I dropped my tattoos down to the wrist. And before I had my sleeves, I made myself wear long sleeves to work for 3 solid years (winter and summer) to prove to myself that I could do it. You will eventually get to a point where you don't care, the tattoo is for you. I am at the point where if people have a problem with my tattoos - who I am - then I have no time or room from them in my life. The commitment, permanence and standing by your principles is something I have learned from getting tattoos over the years and really helped me find who I truly am and be comfortable in my own skin. Good luck with your next one, sounds like a good choice for keeping some symmetry. Enjoy the ride ! Also, you are in Alberta - we have lots of excellent tattooists that are accessible (without closed books) scattered throughout Edmonton, Calgary, Red Deer and some of the small towns in between. There is a lot of tattoo history in Western Canada.

Healing update - it hasn't been a picnic for the 4 days post-tattoo. Skin is so raw and tender. Almost easier taking the tattoo than healing it so far ! I dry heal so that is probably adding to the level of discomfort. Can't raise your arms above your shoulder without that tight burning feeling. But I suppose that every place you get a tattoo is gonna have its unique sensation of discomfort when you heal. As my buddy said, just gotta suck it up for a week and deal with the uncomfortable healing and then hey you're the guy with sick armpit tatts. Armpits is such a great spot for a tattoo and honestly it isn't as painful to take as you would expect. The worst spots were on the upper arm part of the pit (where the rip-outs are on mine), not on the body side, go figure. Right in the centre of pit where you would think it would be brutal was the easiest to manage. If you have a rib tattoo or an upper inner arm tattoo you are golden for pits. So I say go for it if you've been thinking about it. Hesitate a bit, that's normal, then just go for it and don't look back! I did and have no regrats and a pretty incredible pair of tattoos that fit like they were always meant to be there.

already posted this in the Latest thread, but dumping the photo here for context

action shot

geez posting up for LST viewing pleasure and I haven't even removed the bandages yet this morning !

Finished the pit rippers ! The first session lined both, this second session we finished em up. Challenging second sit but a strong finish, where's my bactine sponsorship ?! Made with expertise by Handsome Dick tatts at Champion Tattoo in the Champion City, Alberta, Canada, Earth.

Meh you'll be fine dry healing, especially if you're used to the short-term discomfort of it. I've never had the desire to use the 'derm' products healing tattoos, maybe I'm just old and lazy haha. For an area as large as the back I'm not even sure how you would apply it on your own. Take an muscle relaxant (like Aleve) right before a session. It will help you stay relaxed and prevent you from getting worn out too quickly. Hot drink like tea or hot water helps too. Tattooing the back is hard on the body since it is such a large area. So maintain your health, keep in good physical shape leading up to the sessions and during, it will go a long way in helping you take the tattoo and heal afterwards. Wear an old shirt to bed. I slept on my back the whole time. I would just wear my shirt right in the shower and soak myself to unstick the shirt off the back tattoo. You'll be fine, good luck !

Tattoo #49 in the Colouring Book by one of my fave dudes Shawn Hedley at Champion Tattoo Edmonton, AB. This is now officially THE smallest tattoo in my bodysuit (it's about the size of a $0.25).

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I'd say this is a good example of perfect placement

I originally started this armpit thread 2.5 years ago...so I planned the work and started working the plan! And in the spirit of LST I put a god damn panther on (in?) it. Lines were made last week by my new homie Dick HaRD tATtz ...the sit was waaaay easier than you would expect, mind you it was just the lines. Held a conversation, lots of laughs from the tickle in the 'pits and the hilarious shop talk with the homies at Champion Tattoo in good ol' Edmonton, AB. I'll tell ya, not wearing deodorant all week has been quite liberating. Going back next Friday to shade in, will see how far I get. Just means more time to hang out in the shop.