polliwog

I really like this comment, and if this hasn't happened for you yet, don't worry and keep looking, whether it's at tattoos, other types of art or whatever reference moves you. And then let your artist take it from there. There really is no rush. I think I might know how you're feeling in that some spots might bother you more than others (even if, like me, you are largely blank) - for instance, I feel a little weird with the back of only one calf done. Sometimes I feel a pressure to work on that area next. But I'm going to sit on it for a while and get other tattoos elsewhere.

Thank you! This looks really helpful.

I've been out of shape for my entire adult life and have just started running. Well, running with a lot of walking in between. It's been pretty difficult, though I can feel myself making a tiny bit of progress every time I go out and have managed to avoid hurting myself. If anyone here has been in the same boat, is it always this much of a slog? At least it's good for your mood, and it's a beautiful time of year in Massachusetts to start running. Also, I'm just going to leave this here: Police respond to report of gun, Northampton man tells officers only 'guns' present are his biceps | masslive.com

I say follow his advice. There are quite a few members on here who prefer dry-healing.

@peaceridge, here's a nice example by Forrest Cavacco of a Japanese-style tiger without a snarl: Tiger heart | TATTOO FORREST I really like this one.

I actually like some of these, but a lot of them seem like they would need to be your only tattoo, or you'd have to commit to doing your whole body in that one style for it to make visual sense. Way too much of a dilettante for that.

I think @gougetheeyes brought up interviewing a Native American tattooer and discussing his take on Indian-themed tattoos. (At least I think it was gouge who mentioned this; I don't feel like rereading that earlier thread). This is something I would be interested in reading, with the understanding, of course, that one person can't speak for an entire diverse group of people. I think the subtext of these discussions frankly has little to do with tattooing, a lot of the time. Also, we are a politically diverse bunch on here. But I do appreciate tattooers who are thoughtful about their use of symbols that are sacred or otherwise important to other cultures - for instance the evident care that Chad K. puts into his Hindu deities. It sounds like you're already on the right track in thinking about it before you put it on your body.

You're good at getting rad eagle chestpieces.

Just wanted to give a shout-out to @Deb Yarian for that tattoo. I've been home sick today and spent way too much time staring at it.

If I may throw in my 2 cents as a newbie: If thou art new to tattoos and tattooing, thou shalt read this forum prior to joining so that thou hast a basic understanding of what it stands for. Thou shalt back down and reconsider thy position when contradicted by a forum member with greater knowledge and experience. Thou shalt be willing to learn.

I really like this recent one by Kiku. It's not too sweet.

I really don't want to turn this into a pile-on, but had you browsed this forum a bit more deeply before joining (particularly the posts written by tattooers), you might understand why what you do isn't exactly being welcomed with open arms here.

To momentarily drag things off-topic, that's a beautiful Pharaoh's Horses that keeps showing up in the snapwidget thingy.

I'm glad to see you're sticking to this resolution.

Re: Mario Desa's birds, he mentioned that he'd be at Smith St in October the other day. tagging @BrianH though you probably already saw this. I was lucky enough to grab a spot. Thinking maybe I'll try for a walk-in at Smith St earlier that week.

Have you read through the "what makes a good tattoo" thread? Also, don't rule out driving out of state. Re: "bad artist doing an easy tattoo that [you] like very well" - I'm not sure what an "easy" tattoo is. If you're talking something simple, an oft-repeated bit of wisdom on this board is that simple is difficult to do well.

@clemsonscj Maybe you should spend a little more time on here looking at pictures of the work members are getting. You don't necessarily have to go to those tattooers, but it will help teach you how to figure out what's good and what you like. I know it helped me tremendously. You don't seem completely sold on going to the person who did the wolf paw, so if you have doubts it's good to figure out where they're coming from. It could be much more exciting to go to someone whose work makes you think "wow" rather than "that's quite good."

Pretty much. My own grandmother didn't hold back with her opinions. I find it somehow more endearing than purse-lipped, quiet disapproval (which knows no age).

I had a bit of peeling, too, and I was able to get a couple more days out of my -derm by just cutting off the peeling edges. Only because removing it was a pain in the ass.

I had one of my favorite feisty retirees yell at me about my lower leg tattoo today. "WHAT is THAT on your leg?! Why would you do that?! Your leg looked perfectly beautiful before! THAT LOOKS TERRIBLE!!" I just thanked her for her input and we got back to discussing books. I think we're still friends. This same person once body-checked a customer in line ahead of her. She's a bit of a firecracker.

I loved this design when I saw the illustration. (I don't have Instagram, but I hope it's not creepy that I sometimes look up people here who do art, etc.) I'm not an artist, but when I look at @cltattooing's work it feels fresh and cohesive in a way that isn't that common and must be really hard to work at and achieve.

Durr. I guess my humor detector is down tonight. I think my very first post on here was a question about healing linework. Predictably, it healed up fine. It's not the same thing as writing a bad Yelp review as I blamed myself, but in retrospect it could have caused problems. Live and learn.

I'm guessing that's not going to work. I don't think anything short of an in-person apology would be appropriate. (Probably followed by staying away from the shop, if he has a sense of shame.) Damage done in writing on the Internet is pretty permanent damage, as I've found out the hard way, though a sincere apology can go some way towards repairing it. Though the person you've wronged has a right to refuse that apology, too

Oh, that's terrible for both the tattooer and the woman who has to find a different artist to complete the tattoo. Ugh and ouch. Was this put up with the wife's consent or is the guy just that much of a jerk? The mind boggles... I've used Yelp in the past, never for anything nasty, but just went back and deleted everything except a couple reviews sticking up for businesses that I thought were unfairly maligned. This has been long overdue.

I've actually wondered about using something like Nair before a tattoo. I'm guessing it's not worth the risk of sensitized skin because of all the not-very-nice chemicals in it, but it's definitely less itchy than shaving. Has anyone tried this?