xmowglix

Here is a terrible photo of what I got from Tony Nilsson while at NY Adorned over the weekend. Great dude and a really humble young tattooer. I'm stoked I went and got something from him while he was here in the states. Being that I really don't post all that much I've gotten a little behind, but I have some new stuff from Grez, Steve Boltz, and Bob Roberts that I'll try and get some photos of as well. It's funny because I am not a fan of forums or posting pictures of tattoos online in the slightest, but there is something so enjoyable about this site that I find myself always coming back and wanting to share. The tattoos that have been getting posted all over this forum are really mind blowing. There's too many people to mention, but I've been real jealous lately browsing around. Hopefully, whatever I throw up someone enjoys 1/100th the amount of how I feel about the O'Donnell or Rubendall (just to name a few) pieces that I get to see on here.

Planned on heading up to the Bay Area Convention this weekend then early in the week realized I have an appointment with Tony Nilsson in NYC tomorrow. Taking the red eye out tonight, getting tattooed, then flying back to California right after my appointment. I am literally flying across the country just for a tattoo appointment and coming back. I'm also considering doing a day trip to the bay in the next few days to get something from Todd Noble while he's at Skull and Sword. I think I'd be super bummed if I passed on the opportunity to get tattooed while so many awesome artists are in town.

I think it's time I try my luck in one of these. Done by Chad Koeplinger.

Got tattooed by Chad Koeplinger today. There's a photo up on his Instagram. I'll try and get photo up on here when I take the bandage off tomorrow. Awesome dude to hang with and hands down the fastest tattooer I've been tattooed by. It's mind blowing how quick he is. Really stoked to have a piece from him now.

I see some Chris Conn.

I'll be in NYC that weekend getting tattooed by Grez.

You'll be surprised at what a good tattoo artist is able to do with a cover up. Although, I would think that most would advise you to do some lasering to lighten it. The good news is some of the best cover ups I've seen have been back pieces. @ian and @Scott R are proof of that. If you do your research, find an artist you love, and be patient, I believe you are in a good position to end up with a back piece you will be stoked on.

@Wraith congrats man! that arm looks great!

@YOMONEY Curious as to how things are coming along for you since your last session? This thread, among others have me shopping around Los Angeles to get some work lasered. I am having a hard time pulling the trigger on a place due to most my options in LA being a "med spa" or Dr. Tattoff which really isn't where I want to go. Not to hijack @YOMONEY 's thread, but @Mike Panic I wanted to know what your opinion on the R20 method is? Your insight holds a lot of value to me as you've done a great job guiding others in this forum through the laser process. There is one place in my area that uses R20 and I want to know if that is something I should even consider. (I tried to use the search tool, but R20 but it was too short of a term to use).

That eagle is perfect. Welcome to the neighborhood!

Steve Byrne really needs to start getting better at tattooing ;) Just in case the sarcasm didn't come through...This is awesome! Steve constantly proves to be one of the best.

I saw this while lurking the b9 before it hit the 'gram. That girl is not messing around with getting tattooed. I completely back it. Surprisingly, people on that board get some real nice work done.

@HaydenRose I'll be there July 18th. Planning on coming out a few days early to get tattooed by someone else while I'm in town. I just haven't decided who yet.

I got concerned for a quick minute that I was getting too many animal tattoos on one arm. I decided on getting a dagger where I wanted a wolf. I love the dagger, it is totally rad but at the end of the day I would have rather gotten a wolf. Stick with your gut and get what you want. If you start to question the things that you want you are more likely to end up with tattoos you are not completely stoked on.

Kings Ave posted on instagram some horses and rose that Grez did. Holy shit! Whoever has that is stoked. Can't wait for my appointment with him in July.

Considering going out to try and get tattooed by Todd Noble.

This thing rules man! So nice.

Got this from Eli Quinters at Smith Street at the beginning of the month.

It's not that I hate the tattoo or the specific experience as much as it's that I wish I went into it with a better understanding of what I was buying into/supporting. It's like if you were going to buy a car and one salesman is an honest hard working guy that has been selling cars for years. He is trying to sell you a car that is reliable and tells you the car is going to last forever. The other salesman is flashier has a car that looks better aesthetically but he doesn't say anything about it. You just know that it looks newer and shinier than the other car. You buy the flashy car and it breaks down after a couple years. It's not necessarily the salesman's fault for not saying anything to you about the car not being reliable. You just should have done more research and better understood what you were getting. But it's a bummer you gave your money to the wrong guy and supported the wrong business.

I'll be the first to admit that I fell victim to the internet/myspace era of tattoo portfolios. I saw a few "realistic color portraits" and thought they were the best tattoos I had ever laid eyes on. I went out and got myself a real expensive one from an artist held in high regard within that style of tattooing. To this day it was my least memorable tattoo experience. I didn't feel like I was in a tattoo shop, I had to deal with huge egos, there was little to no respect or care for other tattooers in the industry, and in retrospect I was paying a lot of money for a "temporary" tattoo. The internet falsely represented good and humble tattooing to me and I ate it up. It's much like what I believe the internet has done to music on both the artist and fan side of things. People no longer physically go out and buy records to find music. They download music (usually not even full albums), claim they found an awesome band that they believe to be talented via a computer screen, then when they go to see that band live it's a bunch of pre programmed auto tuned bullshit that lacks any skill in playing an instrument or understanding proper song writing. Hopefully they leave feeling disappointed, stop buying into it, and mark it as a lesson learned. Much like how I felt after I got my "realistic portrait". Bands no longer have to tour non stop in a van for months on end under shit conditions before they become successful. They are now fueled by internet hype and are playing sold out shows before ever even touring. I feel that this draws a perfect parallel to this new generation of tattoo artists that have no idea how to lay down a proper outline, shade with black, paint flash, etc yet they have kids flocking to them and are booked out months before ever paying their dues at a shop. The consumer is the only one that can stop all the garbage that happens because of the internet. If we put in a little effort into going to a tattoo shop and talking to someone about why a color portrait with no black won't make for a good tattoo as opposed to reading a blog about it we will make for a much more educated consumer and hopefully end up with quality tattoos. Fuck, I really wish I had done that and not depended on what I saw on a screen. It wasn't until I physically walked into shops like Spotlight, Classic, or Gold Rush that I truly understood what I wanted out of a tattoo. And that's the end of my rant...

Effective immediately, due to a major ink shortage caused by @else the price of ink will be increasing dramatically on the limited quantity that is left. The now rare tattoo ink will be more expensive per ounce than Rhodium.

Just got this little pony from Bailey Robinson.

That thing is perfect. So nice!

Tony Nilsson at Blue Arms Tattoo in Oslo, Norway is doing incredible girl heads in my opinion. I just recently started paying attention to his work and it is very solid. I would definitely love to get a tattoo from this guy.

Yes! I am envious. Stoked for you!