Graeme

Had a consult for my back, got it traced, and we're going with a tiger fighting a snake with wind, water, and maple leaves, starting July 24. It's going to be so rad, I'm really excited to get started.

I don't think the people who wrote that article know what words mean.

Honestly, if you're not willing to take good advice from your artist about design and placement there's really no need for this thread to continue past this point.

AoF:

Less than a month until I start mine, but I'm going to stop reading this thread because y'all are making it sound like tattoos hurt.

This weekend I had the pleasure of meeting with and hanging out with LST posters on two seperate occasions. On Friday me and @Pugilist had dinner with @eisen777 and his lovely wife, and on Saturday we had drinks with @Mark Bee and @El Dolmago. I've met a few people from here, and it's always a really good time. So far, the people here are a warm, smart, funny, easy to get along with bunch, and that I get to see some amazing tattoos in person doesn't hurt a bit.

@Branny212 If you're anywhere near Victoria, I would recommend going into Government Street Tattoo and talking with them, especially if you want to go traditional. GOVERNMENT STREET TATTOO - VICTORIA BC Tattoozoo in Victoria will also give you a great tattoo. Black and Blue Tattoo in Nanaimo is also a really great bet if you're more up island.

Any friend of @CultExciter is a friend of mine. Welcome!

Needles and Sins pointed out this gem, a CBC television interview with Doc Forbes from 1964. CBC Digital Archives - Pastimes General - Doc Forbes, tattoo artist The interviewer talks with Forbes and his clients, we get some nice looks at his tattoos and his flash, but the coolest thing about the interview for me is near the end when Forbes is tattooing an 82 year old client who has really extensive work from George Burchett including a battle royale backpiece from 1906. I've posted this picture before, but I'm a bit of a nerd about tattoo history and when I was visiting my family in Vancouver last Christmas I made an appointment with Chris Hold at Sacred Heart Tattoo so that me and @Pugilist could get matching tattoos from some Forbes flash. What could be better as a souvenir tattoo in Vancouver than a design from Doc Forbes? Chris was amazing and super accommodating about fitting us in on short notice, and the tattoos are great, so simple, folky, and charming. Chris had also fairly recently visited Lyle Tuttle, who has a pretty huge collection of Forbes' flash, and we got to see scans Chris had made of it and there's a lot of really great designs in there. Lucky's Tattoo Museum also has scans of a bunch of his flash that you can view here.

@DevilMan the progress on your back has been amazing to watch and it looks fantastic!

Yep. She's super nice, friendly, massively knowledgable, and she has so many incredible books that you won't find elsewhere.

Which almost certainly means that Crystal Morey is going to be there with her table of books. If you're looking for any reference on Japanese tattoos, she'll have something for you.

Welcome! @LadyGabe gave some solid advice there, but I'd also recommend looking at ways you can make the ideas you have a little more visually interesting. I'd suggest looking at traditional flash because a lot of those designs incorporate flags in interesting ways. There are hundreds of examples and variations on this, but here's one nice example that I found through Google. This is from Becca Genne-Bacon at Hand of Glory in Brooklyn: Or you could look at other ideas entirely of how to represent the idea...can I suggest kangaroo fighting a beaver fighting a bowl of spaghetti?

That backpiece is so spectacular. What is especially crazy about it is that they did the whole thing in two months. Dave said that she'd come in for long weekly sessions and not even flinch. He seemed pretty in awe of how tough she was.

The only album I've bought this year is the new SWANS. I picked it up when they played here last week and haven't listened to it yet. Mostly I just listen to the same things I've been listening to for years. I'm pretty okay with that.

@BrianH I've heard a lot of good things about that book, I'll have to add it to my lists of books I should read.

I hope by "won't post further here" you mean this forum in general, because when I look at your posting history, you haven't posted anything about tattoos since January, whereas all your recent posts have been on this topic, and not in response to anything in particular, I might add. If I'm being generous, you're a clown-ass fucking troll. If I'm not, I'd say that if you aren't a rapist, you're really good at playing one on the internet.

@ThatGuy if the Smith Street guys aren't available, check out Matt Arriola. I know a bunch of people here have tattoos by him, and I've been fortunate enough to see some of them and they are incredible. I really like Shaun Topper's tattoos as well. I'd love to get tattooed by him.

@idyllsend Obviously I'm going to Dave because he makes really great tattoos, but I have to admit that it's a really nice bonus that the shop is about twenty minutes away by public transportation. I really like travelling for tattoos, but when you figure in travel costs, hotels, restaurants, having to take time off work, etc., it's a really massive commitment beyond just getting the tattoo, which is a pretty serious commitment by itself for large work. @Euchild There are so many great ones!

@Mick Weder I can't speak about your mate, but I feel the people I've gotten the most incredulity about the money I spend on tattoos are exactly the same people who will drop thousands of dollars on a fucking 4K TV or whatever so they can watch Extreme Couponing or whatever heap of fucking shit in razor sharp definition on a screen the size of their wall, because new technology! I've never spent any money I don't have on tattoos, and I don't feel any guilt for the money I've spent on them.

@slayer9019 How was Deathfest? Highlights?

Text me if you want to get together when you're in Montreal.

Fantastic! Great intro and welcome!

@rozone I know I've commented many times before on your hands, but they are so unbelievably good. The way that the hands are two separate designs that carry over into a single coherent piece is kind of blowing my mind right now. I'm so glad it worked out for you, Thomas is a really special tattooer.

Tattoos hurt. I'll live.