Rob I

I always assumed it meant fuck the world. Crazy optimist that I am. I was very leery of seeing this tag on my 11 yr old nephew's Instagram page. I then was told it could also mean "for the win". I guess I'm not a huge sports guy cause I had no idea. Free taco Wednesday would be my preference though.

Thank you! @exume Your comments are much appreciated and your front piece is one of my all time favorite chad k tattoos!!!

Ha ha! Yes @BrianH ! I am hoping to start something either in Montreal or at some point next year. Artist and subject matter are still up for grabs yet.

I am typing this on my phone, so please excuse any mistakes or odd auto corrects. I apologize if I started a bit of a crap storm on this thread. I didn't mean to at all. It is of no relevance to anyone else's tattoo in regards to how long mine is taking and I never intended any. One of the first things that folks seems to ask about my back is how long it has taken so far. I am assuming that is because Chad Koeplinger is notoriously fast and everyone knows that. I put that info in my post because I assumed it would be asked. I wasn't trying to brag or insinuate ANYTHING other than my experience. My back cannot be compared to those with a full back piece or even those with background in a biker back piece. I have a big back tattoo that has so far taken less time than I would have thought. Whatever. Who cares? I guess I do because I am happy with the progress in the time we have spent. I salute all of you. The back is very painful and it takes real dedication and humility to commit to. Please understand that I didn't mean anything negative. I fled odd posting in this thread and even moreso now. All the best to you folks with in progress pieces. They are amazing to watch unfold.

To be fair, mine is not a full back piece. It's not nearly as complex or layered as some and I'm 5'6" and 150 pounds. Not to mention I'm being tattooed by a notoriously fast tattooer. - - - Updated - - - This

@clttattooing congratulations on starting your back piece! I would also like to see the progress if possible. My instagram is @robieva A few here know that I had my fifth session with Chad Koeplinger on my back last Saturday at Congress St tattoo in NH. This past session he shaded and colored all of my lower back. Whew! I am glad to get that part over with! There are blood drips in the tattoo, and one of them is mighty close to my butt crack. That spot felt like FIRE. I can't IMAGINE the horror of getting the full butt tattooed. I salute ALL of you with your full back tattoos!!!! @BrianH I read your comment about your tattoo being finished faster and cheaper if you were shorter. I am so happy I am short for this endeavor!!! I've never particularly been bummed about being short or anything, but in this case, it's a super advantage. I am super pumped with what Chad has given me and he thinks one more session, maybe 2 small ones. Total time so far, tallying up these sessions is about 10 hrs and that is rounding UP. It's probably closer to 8.5-9 hrs, but i'll call it an even 10. IN the end it will probably total 12 hrs. It has been an absolutely awesome journey. I love Chad like a brother and cherish the time spent with him. I am sad to think we are winding down, so I will probably have him tattoo something else on me soon enough (not my ribs. I told him never my ribs). Also the time spent hanging out with Jason Scott and Jebb Riley during these sessions have been awesome. I feel very at home at Jason's amazing shop. He employs only the best people. They are all great tattooers, but even more, amazing and awesome people. He's clearly got a good "douchbag radar" and hires accordingly. Next session is in August, and will possibly be my last, but I am certainly not putting pressure on it to be so.

that looks so great

That woman is an entitled brat and has no understanding of the tattoo world. I think it's great he stuck to his morals rather thank take the $$

Don't think i've ever posted in this thread, but.... Boy was my mom PISSED when she first found out. I had just had my wisdom teeth pulled at age 19 and we were in the drug store picking up some meds. I was completely loopy from the surgery and was a bit too open. I first suggested we go home and smoke some weed, and explained that she might have to pick some up because I was out..... She was a wonderful and tolerant lady so she just kinda let that one go. Then we walked by something, I don't know what, and I said "mom! that looks just like my tattoo!!". (This was back in 1992 and tattoos were only beginning to become mainstream at the time. Most guys I knew had their first ones put on their hip or some other very concealable area. I had a tattoo on each hip at that point.) She replied, "you don't have a tattoo, do you?" to which i said "I HAVE TWO!" and basically pulled my pants down in the drug store. She said "that's not real is it?!" and at about that point, I started to realize the size of the cat i had just let out of the bag, and back tracked and tried to say they were fake, but then ultimately admitting that they weren't. She was pissed. But she didn't yell at me, because i was all drugged up. So she went home and yelled at my brother for not telling her. She became progressively less pissed with each new tattoo, and ultimately not pissed at all... She was super smart though and realized the stupid tribal designs I was having applied back then was gonna go out of style, and fast. I think she would be a bit peeved at my coverage now, but appreciate the work and the subject matter. I would like to think so anyway. I miss her a ton.

dying laughing right now!!! Stupid fish are always getting off easy.

I LOVE this back piece. It is so insane!!! It's coming out so great and I look forward to following the progress on it.

@BrianH in my experiences thus far, the shading is a lot easier to deal with than the line work.

@BrianH. Superb man! Just incredible!! Nice to have that outline done!!!

@Flo Ania epic man! I love it. So fucking good!!!! He drew mine on as well and that was a lot more pleasant than the tattooing!

thanks @SeeSea , the swords were definitely a good idea! also I love @mmikaoj 's back piece!!

Thanks @Patrick Bateman!

thanks! @jen7 and @Flo Ania

Had my 4th session on my back with Chad K this past friday at Congress St Tattoo in Portsmouth, NH. I'm sure several have seen these pics already, but I love this thread and wanted to join the fun even if it's not a "full" back piece. Could not be more thrilled with it. I love Chad and I love this tattoo. He thinks only 2 more sessions till we're done! I think it helps that I'm a small guy. Less to color :) Lying down pic was taken by Chad night of, and the standing up pic was taken by my wife the next morning after that dreaded first shower. Lighting is terrible in the second pic, but you get the idea. It's so freaking bull shit that the pics always post sideways. trying to attach link to gallery photo which I think i was able to fix

I'm no tattooer, but I think that ying yang in the right eye would be hard to pull off without making the wolf look like he has a lazy eye. That wasn't the question though. While I really have no idea, if I were planning on getting that, I would be expecting it to take at least 2-3hrs on the chest. Maybe more? I would highly doubt less. But again, what takes someone 3 hrs, could take someone else one, and another five. I just had my 4th session on my back. A shit ton of progress was made and it took the tattooer 1 hr and 15 minutes. I would expect at least double from anyone else. Everyone is different. So, go ask the tattooer you want to do this and you'll get a better answer.

the very reason I signed up for this forum! It's a breath of fresh air compared to several others, and the folks here are super nice. DBAA. Don't be an asshole.

i think this tattoo looks awesome. @2bacanvas you need to STOP overanalyzing it immediately. You are going to drive yourself nuts. It's kinda like body dysmorphic syndrome going on right now. You are seeing problems that aren't there. It is an excellent tattoo. Stop getting hung up silly little trivial issues. Imagine what you'd be going through if you actually got a bad tattoo! This one is great! Stop worrying and don't even think about lasering some and having someone else finish it. I've made the mistake of having someone else touch up an another artists work. It ruined what was a very nicely done tattoo. I had to wear that crap for almost 20 years before I finally covered it (with a bad ass panther). Be happy with the great tattoo that you recieved.

the rule of thumb i use is 2 weeks, or when all of the initial peel is done. Sometimes that means a bit less than 2 weeks, and sometimes a bit more. I will work out during the second dry skin peel, but I do prefer to wait until the initial peel is done before I start working out again.