KYboy

My wife and I are headed to San Francisco in June! Super pumped. It won't be the first time i've been there but the first time I will get to stay a week, and the first time I'm getting tattooed. It can't come soon enough!

The only ditch I have is the top of sailor jerry flash that pokes up into the ditch with the rest being clouds. It hurt but not terrible (it's a bunch of dots) but it got so swollen it was crazy. It was bruised for a minute.

I hate e-mails (and probably typing in a forum haha) I always feel like an asshole or something, I'm pretty sarcastic in real life and typically cuss like a sailor (my moms fault) and when I type something I always feel like a tool.. idk why. but anyway I just got tattooed at CTC and the dude on the phone was super helpful and when I e-mailed Nick about the tattoo he was super cool and helpful. When I got tattooed there my wife, her sister, and my good friend were with me (sightseeing Chi town) they wanted to come in and see the place and were going to grab a beer while I was getting tattooed. Without even asking him Nick right away said "bring your wife back we can get her a chair" They had left for the bar already but I thought was cool and nobody seemed to give a shit about it, even on a super busy Saturday.

I'm a grown ass man and I'm still scared to show my mom!

That's funny shit! but if you don't mind me asking purely out of curiosity, is having an apprentice something you would do in the future? You obviously didn't have one and are a bad ass tattooer, but would you give someone a chance even though you weren't given one?

If your passionate enough about tattooing your going to find yourself around good tattooers. Being around good tattooers and learning everything you can from them,while say getting tattooed, or just hanging around the shop your going to find yourself in an opportunity where a good Tattooer likes you and is willing to help you. I'm not a Tattooer but everything I know about tattooing I know from getting tattoos. So if your an artist and you come across a genuine person who is trying to learn the right way, why not teach em a thing or two?

done by Nick Colella Chicago Tattooing Co. 3/2/2013

Ralph Johnstone is a new name to me (but I'm new to this stuff). I'll check it out. That's all I am looking for is old school shit. I love it, it's just classic. That brings me to a question I have for this forum, when is too many?? For example... I could get an eagle tattoo 800 times and be happy with it every time. When is too much? I have one arm full of ideas that I've had since I was a kid, but now that i've used them all I look at traditional flash, which share a lot of the same imagery, so at what point do you say "I can't get another eagle, or rose, or anchor or etc. etc. etc...???

I've talked to @Dan S and he is the man! Helped me out a lot. If you got any ideas on some killer flash I'll listen. Thats the one question I forgot to ask.

I have an appointment confirmed w/ Nick Colella March 2. (picking something off the wall, any suggestions ideas??) and we have plane tickets for San Francisco in June and I'm definitely getting tattooed out there as well. Pretty pumped about them both it will be my first time traveling for a tattoo. I think it will be a little weird as I have been super comfortable with my tattooer (Nathan Abney Nasty Nate Tattoo Artist). He's a real good friend and we bullshit the whole time, it keeps my mind off the pain. - - - Updated - - - I love what they do at that shop, I am getting tattooed there as soon as I can - - - Updated - - - just confirmed an appointment w/ Scott Sylvia as well Mon. July 1.

Portraits? Na these dudes do a lot of whispy line stuff w/no outlines and infinity symbols... lots of infinity symbols!

Luckily I'm pretty close to Cleveland, but I'm Going to Chicago in March and getting tattooed by Nick Colella, and San Francisco in June where I hope to get tattooed by Scott Sylvia (haven't made the appointment yet) so if I can I'm going to Get one by Greg Christian somewhere in between if I can catch him while he's home!

He's so sick. Awesome tattoo! I hope to get tattooed by him soon.

I made the decision to tattoo my lower arm after both upper arms were done, among other places. I knew one day I wanted sleeves, So I just did it. I knew I was going to do it anyway so why wait. I have put a lot of thought into what tattoos I wanted to be visible and which ones I'll keep to myself. I think some might just be more acceptable to be seen all the time and others not so much. After 8 years I have finally finished my left arm sleeve and I couldn't be happier with the way it turned out. My current situation at work does not require me to cover up, but if in the future my situation changes I will gladly cover up and continued to get tattooed.

Ever since I was a little kid I had told my parents I was getting tattooed. My parents used to buy me temporary tats all the time and I loved them. Still I waited until I was 19 to get my first. My parents are really cool but... what Momma don't know won't hurt her. I decided not to tell them. I didn't live with them or anything so it was easy to hide. I got a few more small tats, then a chest piece, then a piece on my ribs. One year my parents took us all to the beach, and there wasn't any way in hell I wasn't going. I knew I had to tell them and just wussed out. So that first day on the beach I threw my shirt off and just waited. My sister starts crying, my Mom starts cussing me asking if they're real, and my pops just called me a "dumbass" for wasting my money. It was awesome. They all got over it and while they still aren't the biggest fans of tats they respect mine and respect the fact that I have good tattoos. My mom did make me promise her that I wouldn't tat my hands or neck. I'm starting to regret that as my open spots are slowly getting filled but a promise is a promise.

I didn't know "Hillbilly Americana" was a ethnic variety! Thats awesome I'm going to open a restaurant and advertise it as such. I know exactly where the ferry is not to far from home. We go fishing down there a lot. Hofbräuhaus in Newport is awesome, food/ beer, and good times. Authentic German band and dancing on the tables and all. It's down on the river though definitely more of a yuppy part of town the real scene is at the bars buried in the city. I get tattooed at Designs by Dana, from Nathan Abney. Dana Brunson owns the shop. Anybody been there?

Ah hell everyone needs a little lube from time to time anyway! No shame in that game! haha... Either way I can't change it now. Maybe it will provide some comic relief from time to time

I'm headed to San Francisco in June and I am definitely going to visit some of the iconic shops out there (Tattoo City, Temple.. etc). I at least want to see them and get a freakin' t-shirt or something. I'm going to try and get some work done if I can manage. Money is sort of an issue after the cost of the plane tickets, but I'd like some suggestions on maybe some other artists/shops in the area that I could check out? I always try and pay my artists in cash, if on a trip like this where money might be a little tight is it cool to pay w credit? I feel like cash in hand is just the right way to do things and I wouldn't want to offend anyone. Any opinions on this?

I know Kentucky might get a bad rep. but there is a great music, arts, scene here (i'm right outside of Cincinnati). It's a great state and I'm proud of it. If anyone has been here you know the stereo types can be true, but there's a lot of cool shit going on here too. Come on out I'll show ya a good time! I also have 2 Kentucky tattoos! 1 is the state outline and banner that reads "Home Sweet Home" on my ribs and on the back of my arm I got a Horseshoe and Cardinal that reads "Kentucky Straight" I''ll post pics sometime. Us fellas here in Kentucky still learning how to use computers n' such - - - Updated - - - We can be best friends! Just don't touch my drums...

What's up everybody! I'm Cody and from Kentucky! Out my way we like fast horses, pretty women (or is it the other way around?), and good tattoos! I've been getting tattooed for 8 years and I'm just in the love with the art and tradition of tattooing. I'm new to this site and I am just pumped to have found a place that the integrity of tattooing will be honored. I myself am just a collector of tattoos whose always looking for a new idea. just wanted to drop a line Cody