Fala

I loooove tebori, glad you dug it too @taaarro!

Mineral spirits or distilled turpentine would be a good choice for thinning out, for sure. - - - Updated - - - I spent the better part of two years working on just the right gesso recipe for silverpoint drawing - many many tossed boards, lots of dust and bad gesso batches later, I finally have the recipe that works just right for me and my needs. It's going to take time, experimentation and research, that's for sure!

From what I can gather, using Titanium Dioxide with the linseed oil results in a less stable paint layer. Using Zinc Oxide/Zinc Sulfide with Titanium Dioxide with the linseed oil should result in less yellowing. Apparently the Titanium Dioxide is so inert that it allows the oil to rise to the surface, thus yellowing faster than other pigments. It could also be because of the canvas/ground being unable to absorb the extra oil. You can bleach it out by letting it dry away from direct sunlight, then expose to direct sunlight for short periods of time.

Ugh, I really hate it when people call tattoos "tats" or refer to people who have/are tattooed as being "tatted up". Really bugs me. Terrible, terrible article and... who cares anyway? Why can't we all just do what we want to do with our bodies? We aren't hurting anyone else in doing so...

@SeeSea - I stayed at both the St. Claire in San Jose, and the Quality Inn (near the airport.) The St. Claire was great - totally worth the extra cash for one of their renovated rooms.

I really like Koji Ichimaru's work too! - - - Updated - - - @Hands On - I love your bonsai photos. My husband is just getting into it. We had an adventure finding a tree for him to bring back from the woods a few days ago. It was fun, and he's thrilled. We have some baby red maples growing in pots too. Many, many years away from being able to do much of anything, from what I understand.

Looks like I'm going to see Dillinger Escape Plan tonight in Brooklyn - woot!!! @Mick Weder - sounds like a great weekend trip!

Molly told me that Horitomo would do tebori if the client asked for it, but otherwise he would do machine. She also said that if you've already had a tebori tattoo to let Horitomo do it however he wanted. Tebori isn't a big deal pain-wise - I think it hurts less and makes the tattoo experience more enjoyable. I can see how white via tebori is more desirable than machine for density's sake. I am still annoyed that I had to miss my appointment in May.

I spent the past weekend in waaay upstate NY harvesting herbs, hiking, and roasting a pig on a spit in a cement cistern, with friends/family. Pretty awesome.

Good goin' @MikeL!!!!!!

I thought this post was a joke - I won't even take a bath until I'm 4 weeks out and I LOVE baths... That's not to say I don't bathe, I just don't soak in the tub ;) Saniderm?

I'm pretty sure I saw dude on the left (Instagram) on the subway the other day.

All I could think of was: I wonder what my lymph system looks like now that I've been tattooed? And also, what's going to happen to my lymph system as I continue to get more tattoos? Very cute video!

I feel like telling anyone "why" you got a tattoo (when it has deep personal symbolism/meaning attached) lessens the meaning and relevance of said symbolism, makes it sound trite. Get a tattoo because you want one, get whatever one you want, and that's it - the act and experience of getting it carries more weight than what it is in a lot of ways. I'm now approaching the point where I'm getting tattoos because I like them and they don't need to have any meaning whatsoever, there's great freedom in that. I'm probably missing @Mick Weder's point, but that's where I'm at after this hellishly long workweek.

Yeah, I think two spots on one tattoo are 1/2" square, and the other tattoo has more square inch-age but are flower highlights and the breast of a bird. I was going to get a tattoo a few months ago, but had to cancel, and that was going to be heavy on the white.

There are other plant-based options that can help during the tattoo process vis a vis easier time staying relaxed, and putting aside the pain in addition to cannabis/cbd, that won't make you high or become addicted.

Glow ink = cancer! (I don't know, I'm repeating something that I heard along the way...) I have white ink that's more than 2 years old, and it hasn't faded or discolored. The color started off a little weird, then turned to as bright a white as you can get showing through skin. I also have white ink that was mixed with another color so it is more of a creamy color - it's 7 months old and looks awesome. Even so, they are more highlight "extras" than the bulk of the tattoo. Not a super long time, but long enough to bunk the within a year myth.

Telling us a little bit about what you already have, already like, and so on would have been far more useful. @Graeme - eagles across the chest are cool.

Agreed @BrianH. I will never understand why celebrities have such horrible tattoos - there's really no excuse considering they have unlimited resources.... I know "why" they have bad tattoos, but I don't get it.

OOoh, or you could take advantage of it and go braless for a couple of weeks - freedom!!!!

Recipe tattoos: I Tradizionali's genius temporary forearm cooking instructions. "Cinciripini and Richiuso's invention won’t be available for purchase anytime soon. But if you want to dream, you can still watch their Italian-language promotional video to get a preview of the tattoos in action." Why???

@hogg - I think that pretty much represents my parents' views of tattoos actually, except they don't think it is goofy... @jimmyirish - I appreciate your grandfather's sentiments with his tattoos. I only want three more tattoos, then I'll be done.

Buy a strapless bra

Yay @taaarro!!!!

I had my first "stare" and comment the other day (because my tattoos are normally concealed under clothes.) The woman said, "good god, your tattoo puts mine to shame." Then she pointed to her ankle (a little vine/flower/heart.) It was a BIG deal for her to have that tattoo, and I felt weird that the importance of it seemed belittled by the size of my tattoo (based on her repeated comments about the comparison between the two.) It isn't a contest, after all. That said, the ankle tattoo was done by a scratcher, so there ya go... I LOVE looking at other people's tattoos, and totally regret not asking this dude who did his sleeve at the farmer's market the other weekend. It was amazing. @TrixieFaux - you have an especially lovely monmon cat tattoo!!!!