Bunny Switchblade

Yeah.....this is he kid i was talking about in my post! :)

Rainbow Dash is my favorite!!!! Kind of related to this...... Rob Rutherford made a 1-off machine based on Pinkie Pie that is up for auction on his FB page until March 30th! It's a pretty awesome looking machine too.....It is being auctioned to help a little boy's family with medical expenses! Seems an 11 year old boy in Raleigh was bullied so much about liking MLP.....that he tried to commit suicide and ended up in the hospital with possible brain damage! Anyway.....I have an MLP tattoo....he he he! AND.....I thought I was the first troll here!!! :D

I think the people getting tattooed know she is 7 years old and looks to be doing a tattoo that most apprentices would be doing! So they know what tattoo they are getting....it's an apprentice tattoo....and without people willing to let apprentices tattoo them then none of the artist any of us go too would be where they are now! There are a lot of tattoo artists that started very young who came from tattooing families and as was said.....if no laws are being broken then there is no real harm! Filip Leu.....Frank Lee....and I am sure there are others who started younger in this same manner! It doesn't matter if her dad is a Leu or of some other famous tattooing name.....as long as he is teaching her proper technique and is bringing her along properly like any apprentice! My first tattoo was on "Tattoo" George Benjamin at Hobo's in NH.....I had never picked up a machine to tattoo before and at his insistence that we "trade" tattoos I tattooed him! I bet her tattoos are better than the little flower I did on George! LMFAO There is nothing wrong with this as long as it is within the law!

Debbie Lenz is in Youngstown........Clifton Boggs is in Canton.......whole bunch of great tattoo artists in Columbus....Jason Lambert in Pittsburgh.... What exactly was he looking to get to cover it? A lot of great suggestions of other tattoo artists have been made as well!

Word in one of the Rotary forums is that John is handling it...... ;)

Maybe this is why I love pussy so much??? OMG....tattoo pigments are why I am gay!!! Nothing in life is safe......and no one is going to tell you what is really in the pigments......I've been tattooed for a loooong time and other than it making me a lesbian and the total lack of filter on my mouth anymore....i think I am perfectly normal! ;) The unicorn tears are why the tattoos don't hurt so bad.....without them you could never tolerate getting tattooed.....

@SerenityViolet Absolute Art -- Richmond Studio Evolve -- Va Beach Loose Screw -- Richmond Ancient Art -- Va Beach/Norfolk I also just saw a very nice tattoo done on a friend by Charles Berger from Heroes and Ghosts Tattoo in Richmond...... Look at portfolios at these shops and talk to artists! These are the ones I know and would think about getting work from myself.... Hope it helps narrow it down for you - - - Updated - - - My first tattoo was a butterfly.......and it started an obsession that has lasted 30 years and counting! I was also very lucky because I started out with a very solid and talented tattoo artist to do my first tattoo and didn't even realize it! :)

Brian Bruno is in Richmond at Absolute Art.......and I heard someone mention Studio Evolve in Va Beach! Also Scott Sterling is at Ancient Art Tattoo in Va Beach! Honestly what I briefly read sounds like you want someone at Studio Evolve Gabriel Cece might be the right person to check into..... I know Tanane Whitfield does solid work as well although does have an animated overtone to most of the work you will see in his port....but that doesn't mean he can't do what you want! You might have seen Jesse Smith from Loose Screw Tattoo on one of those TV shows! While I HATE those shows....Jesse still does good solid work and he could pull off what you are looking for as well! Not sure what your budget is and I didn't really read the whole thread all the way through BUT you do want to save up what you can and get the best tattoo you can afford! If you have to save a little longer it might be worth taking the extra time....and if you have to wait for the artists I have mentioned or another great one then remember that it is worth the wait for that too doll! There are many good solid artists in the areas you mentioned and I am sure you will find the right one to do your tattoo! Also....I saw something about you getting this tattoo for a specific reason! Please don't take anyone here wrong......most people never really got "meaningful" tattoos.....ones with long drawn out stories behind them why they had to have specific things in them to represent meanings to them......until these TV shows sensationalized it all to give the impression that every tattoo has to have some sacred meaning to it's owner! The people here are more concerned with the actual tattoo.....the fact that you are 18 years old means that when you are 48 years old this will be a 30 year old tattoo! Have you seen a 30 year old tattoo? If so then you know that tattoos age with us and don't look the same as time goes on and while when we are young we say we won't care about it then......well the truth is we will! Great tattoos age well.....good ones not so well....and bad ones age really fast! You seem like a smart young lady...you came here so you did the right thing....just continue to be smart and you will have a tattoo you will love for a lifetime! :)

"It is not best that we should all think alike! It is a difference of opinion that makes horse races!" ~ Mark Twain

I do not know anyone (that I am aware of) that has work from her off the top of my head BUT I do know she is a pretty awesome lady! Please do not mistake the fact that your tattoo being simplistic as it being simple to tattoo.... A circle is not an easy thing to tattoo nor will the figure-8/orbit! To make it look it's best you will want a very solid tattoo artist! You did the right thing though in looking at portfolios and I have heard nothing but good things about Deirdre! :)

If you are truly interested in getting something from Tony Polito let me know and I can put you in touch with him! To get tattooed by Mike Perfetto you need to show up early and put your name on his list.....I think he starts tattooing around 2-3 in the afternoon but the list goes up earlier and you put your name on it! As long as you are there when your name is called then you don;t get bumped....LOL It's a cool experience to be tattooed by both of these gentlemen! :)

If you are interested in some tattoo history then hit Brooklyn and stop by and get tattooed by Mike Perfetto and even Tony Polito is tattooing again (for now) on Saturdays! Smith Street is a definite need to stop by as well! Many good shops and awesome tattoo artists.......you'll have a blast!

Tomek, at Read Street, does some very nice work as well! Seth Ciferri turned me onto Tomek a couple years ago......def one of those people you don;t hear about much but does great work! I think Nikki Balls is still at the Wheaton Tattoo Paradise location as well! Like I said.....you named a lot of great shops...... Hunter Spanks is working at Have Fun Be Lucky in Baltimore.....saw CultExciter mention the shop....again, another solid shop!

All of the shops you mentioned are good solid shops! You/we are in a great area for that..... Welcome to the forum! :)

I am apprenticing in more of a street shop than a custom studio (nice mix of appointments and people who just walk in)....but most of the time if it is something of the small to medium size it can be drawn up on the spot provided we have the time to do so (are not swamped with customers)....if not we take a deposit and set up an appointment and the drawing or concept drawing will be done before you come in to be tattooed! I think it is fair for a customer to ask for changes to be made as the design is something you will be living with the rest of your life BUT of course I agree with the "a, b, & c" that Puglist just posted.....if you totally changed your idea around a lot after it's been drawn I can see that frustrating a tattoo artist a little! I too am like Harry878 though.......I go to a tattoo artist because I like the type or style of tattooing they do....give them an idea if they ask.....or give them full creative freedom....and get the tattoo they come up with! I have some really crazy stuff on me and it always makes for nice conversations since everyone now feels that all tattoos should have a meaning....LOL Just be respectful in your requests....and all should be well!

The best advice I ever got was....."if you want to know anything about tattooing then you go get tattooed by good qualified tattoo artists AND if they are willing to share ANY bits of information about tattooing with you....then you should feel honored!" That information has helped me more than you can imagine....it told me right up front to respect the people who are tattooing me and the knowledge they possess! Now of course this was said to me long before television raped the craft and the internet was filled with "how to" videos and machines were sold on ebay......but the advice still holds very true! Now I have been a tattooed person for 30 years and I still feel weird giving advice to people who ask me.....even though I am a year into a tattoo apprenticeship and with the experiences I have had being tattooed and the knowledge that was shared with me..... I still feel the only person qualified to give good advice is someone who has actually been trained to tattoo properly and has put their time in! Do I give advice to friends from time to time when asked.....yes! Do I feel I can recognize a good tattoo from a bad one.....yes! If you truly want a good tattoo then you will do the research as many of us here did and you will get one! But it has been said here already.....most people just want a tattoo and are not too worried if their tattoo has a double line....a few hollow spots.....or was done by an "ink master" ;)

Honestly I am a bit lazy so......maybe this was answered already but...... Who do you feel should be the one to "educate" the general public? Also.....you can give the info to people....tell them who the best people are to go to....tell them why they shouldn't go to non-properly trained tattoo artist......AND 8 out of 10 times they will listen to what you say......AND still go to their cousin's, brother's, uncle and get tattooed in his kitchen or a shitty shop! I think anyone who has been around tattooing for more than a couple years has been frustrated by their friends who ask but don't listen...... But most of all I am interested in who you think should be the ones educating the public?

This post is awesome!!!!!! I feel like it's 1987 again.......when this was the general consensus of 85% of the population! Ahhhhh.....the good old days....how I miss them! It's good to know there are still people out there that haven't been swayed into thinking tattoos are acceptable by the media! Thank you for the post! ;)

I have to say......I was surprised to see his name mentioned on here! LOL

There are exceptions as in preserving the history of the craft.......

I am not sure where he will be tattooing me...we loosely discussed it but I am willing to go to whatever shop he would like me to...to get it done! Last I heard he was tattooing at Geo's shop up in Stockton, CA........in fact I think someone on the forum saw him tattooing there and posted up about it!

If all goes as planned......I will be flying out to Oakland toward the end of March for 3 days to be tattooed by Dave Gibson! It's a milestone tattoo for me and he is the man I have chosen to do it because of all the advice he has given me over the years I have been getting tattooed....as well as the advice he has been giving me now that I am tattooing and painting! I could care less what he tattoos on me....it's all about him being the tattooer....not the tattoo! That's what's up in my world.....

Just a heads up if you are going to be at the show on Saturday and want to take a ride a little south down I-95.....Dave Fox's band is playing in Claymont Delaware at Mojo 13 on Saturday night! He said they'd probably go on about 10pm? I doubt I'll be able to make it up for that.....I will probably just come up on Sunday morning!

I agree........ I know a lot of the "celebs" and I honestly think their notoriety is what has ruined it for me personally! I mean I like them as people and most of their work....but don't agree with the whole going on TV and such and then the instant success they seem to be granted because of it! I liked the old...smaller venue......and less quantity and more quality! - - - Updated - - - There are still awesome tattoo artists coming to the show so I understand for most people it is very worth going and getting tattooed! Just for me.....my next tattoo is a very big milestone for me and it needs to be done by someone I really have been waiting to get for a long time! I only have one or two "meaningful" tattoos.....but this next one is more of who is going to do it....not what it is!

I may come up on Sunday for a little while.......not too excited about it this year......