SeeSea

<partial thread derail> In all seriousness, as much as everyone says "Go talk to your artist," if you don't already work with someone, there can be a real mental roadblock because once you take that step to book time to talk with an artist, there may some expectation (real or imagined) from either or both of you that you need to follow through with whatever is suggested. This phenomenon isn't just tattooing but a number of non-trivial transactions that require face-to-face interactions. The notion that talking to the vendor means "ready to purchase." That's why we research cars online now rather than descending uninformed into the new car dealership with a big "sucker for the extended warranty" light bulb over our heads. (When I purchased my last car, the sales guy informed me quite matter-of-factly that my husband would want me to get the extended warranty for my protection since I drive a lot. That sent my husband through the roof when I informed him of this fact. After all, did he not want me to be safe? ;)) I get it that there is a gap between waiting a tattoo and not being sure about the content and timing and looking for some brainstorming ideas, and on the other hand, being ready to commit and schedule with the artist. I think some people end up at LST looking that chasm in the face and are unsure how to deal with it. And we send them back to an artist. I sat staring across that chasm for a decade, and maybe this is why it resonates with me. Maybe there is a thread for this, or there should be. It could include some activities such as: 1) Directive to research your possible reference material more, and provide ways/places to do that, 2) Provide links to stuff on LST and elsewhere along the lines of the thread: http://www.lastsparrowtattoo.com/forum/general-tattoo-discussion/2396-what-makes-good-tattoo.html 3) Recognize that you need to talk to people in person. Go to a convention and talk to everyone. I am sure there are more. YMMV. The last one worked spectacularly for me because I couldn't get the warm fuzzies from portfolios or people saying that they could do what I thought I wanted. It was less a hurdle for me to wander around a convention and talk to artists because the commitment factor was much much lower. Sorry I derailed this thread a bit because I think @Diana90, you said you plan to stay with your current artist, but I think you are facing the same thing.

HI Molly - Welcome! I'm confused about what the 3D is. Is this just technology to take a 3d capture of someone so you can use controls to move them around in space to be able to see any side of the body you want? Or is this some type of enhancement? I admit, it would be cool to see around the "edges" of a large tattoo without seeing it in piece pasted together in panels or a sequence of pictures.

Welcome!

Thanks! I found a bra thing at a gymnastics/ice skating website that has clear straps - the kind that the girls wear so their outfits look completely open-backed. I figure I could wear that with bikini bottoms. There will be folks there with cameras - there will bound to be a decent shot. I am shooting video now and not using my good photography camera. Some video would be cool too! ...now you guys are making me really think about planning this out! Good thought - I dive with a long hose as my primary so I will have one with me. (I find it more streamlined and less an entanglement hazard than a 3' when I stick my head in holes and whatnot to take pictures. I also had to use it in an out-of-air with someone and nice to let them float 6 feet from me rather than all jammed up in my space.) We are going on the Carpe Vita in the Maldives. I was just telling some dive buddies about your experience with the DMs doing all the Nitrox testing for you. Looking forward to that nice touch of customer service! :-)

Crazy what you did there! But you did mention an important part - your tattoo did not require a second pass. You probably would have done more than go into mild shock if it had! But yeah, two days is doable, if not somewhat partially insane :) Almost done - thanks for asking! I posted pics the other day over in the Back Piece thread: http://www.lastsparrowtattoo.com/forum/tattoo-designs-books-flash/492-full-back-piece-thread-page183.html#post107526

@marley mission - good way to put it - "the hurt is a valued part of the process." I don't really place any importance to it, just that it has to accompany the getting of the work. Yes, the tattoo wouldn't be the same without it - they go hand in hand, but yeah, other types of pain slam tattoo pain hands down end of story. A marathon is a decent comparison. I've drawn heavily on the mental fortitude I've built as a runner to get me through tough tattoo sessions. I wouldn't consider myself a pain lover as a result, although some folks are drawn to that aspect of getting tattoos. For me, the pain just is.

I think I know where @Graeme may be coming from. Tattoo's aren't real pain, but that doesn't mean that they aren't painful. Or, I could just be putting words in his mouth, but that's how it seems to me.

..especially when they have bats in them!

Welcome!

Yeah, that's a good thought. And "closure" might not actually be finishing the piece as intended, but maybe just bringing it to some intermediate stopping point that gives nod to the fact that it's not finished, but that now it is. If that makes sense.

Hi @sophistre - yeah, I know exactly what you mean! I didn't even realize he took this picture until I saw it on Instagram during a break a couple hours later!!! I really like the picture for the same reason - it isn't posed. It just is. Thank you for your kind words!

Thread: http://www.lastsparrowtattoo.com/forum/tattoo-designs-books-flash/1308-trash-polka.html Yeah, I can see the trash polka element, but yours (at least to me) seem to have more personal content and are more cohesive. Some of the trash polka is more abstract than that, and I think I've posted elsewhere that sometimes it looks like it dominates the body rather than being part of the body. The tattoo owns the person rather than the other way around. I think it is a neat art form, but not always as successful as a tattoo than it is on a flat canvas.

Thank you - that's the trouble with back pieces - hard to share in person! I end up pulling out my phone when people ask how it's progressing ;) It was really good to meet you and @Pugilist at the last meetup. We'll see each other again sometime I hope. (And anniversary congrats to you both!) Yes, I see it and can't help but smile giddily. :cool: Yeah, he mentions "saturation" over and over. But awesomeness prevails over pain. My jaw and my stomach dropped when I realized most everything was going to take more than one pass. Like the square footage of one back isn't good enough. O.O Yup, although finding out the "last session" gets put out again ... I'm like, wft? Really?!? ::laughs:: We'll be wetting the fins in January. @OutOfIdeas had a great suggestion to get a pic of me underwater and I want to try that, although that means free diving or having a buddy hanging out of frame to share air. Sadly, my great photographer buddy will not be joining us. I'll try to rope someone into the attempt. It would be a cool photo credit. You know, I should offer to pay someone on the dive boat if there is a good photographer willing. I will have to learn to do that effortless breath-holding mermaid pose you see in pictures! Thank you! It has been a journey. Even though I still have 2 sessions left, I can feel us pulling into the station. I am looking forward to how it settles. Some parts of it are already a year old like that little clownfish on the bottom (Session #1) and it's holding tight. The scratching has been strange - some sessions I am absolutely beside myself and rubbing against the back of a pole like a bear. Other sessions like the last two below my waist, almost no itching at all. Odd. If I could figure out how to put up that thumbs-up icon, I would here! I love that my back piece is actually a collaboration between me and my tattoo artist - my photography and his design from the references. Double awesome, indeed! Thanks, all. It's been a real journey, and I have few friends with tattoos and really no one to talk to about this journey who can relate. So having my LST family has been tremendous support. You all rock.

I posted this over in "http://www.lastsparrowtattoo.com/forum/general-tattoo-discussion/5952-thread-posting-while-getting-tattooed-page9.html#post107507" mid grind last night, but here's an update. Right ribs to arm pit and detailing out the right side. I'm still limited to what he puts on Instagram, so it's not close up and the lighting isn't great. But man this is getting me crazy happy! Although, of course, next session was supposed to be my last one ... but now it's not again... ;) But he can detail it out all he wants - I'm just in love. Ahhh, he just put up a detail shot. The right is finished - second pass on the blue and rays are next, and finishing the left ribs, then a final pass for whites and blacks. Stolen from Sean Zee's Instagram

Every session and artist is different. Mine average about 5 hours. Sometimes shorter or longer based on what both of us can stand or we reach a good stopping point. If someone is traveling from afar then sessions can get long and/or multiple days in close succession. I used to think going long was a goal, but quality is more important, and if that means some shorter sessions even if you can stand to sit longer, then so be it.

Mid grind. Lovin' the ribs and armpit. Not.

Really nice pieces, I like both of them! There's a lot going on there and you just keep looking and find more stuff.

I'm on my mobile right now and can't pull up the threads very easily, but search for hand tattoos in the search bar, there are some good threads on the topic.

Very nice- I love how flowy it is at the bottom. this was designed so nicely for a woman's body.

@istunn - that is amazing too! Really good stuff today. He really made your old tattoo work so well in the new piece.

That is simply amazing. Your arm blows me away. Congrats on that piece!

Ugh on the brownies department. I've been branching into different baked goods to eat during each session and for my tattoo artist, and I got a jump on this evening's sessions dessert food last weekend. Christmas sugar cookies! So I prepared a plate for my tattoo artist as always, then made some for everyone for the holidays. But since I did it all last weekend...I forgot to bag up some for MYSELF for tonight!!! Now I have to go BUY some tattoo food for myself. LOL ::shaking my head::

Well, you are almost to your official 10 posts. You can post in other threads as well. I don't know the answer to your question, but it sounds like a good conversation so yeah, make a new thread about "African Tattoos" or something like that, and it might end up being a thread that lives for a while and collect information on the topic over time. If you create a thread with a more generic or personal title like "help me with my tattoo idea", it likely won't live beyond your specific question, and that would be too bad for future people looking for the same information on those types of tattoo. Get to sleep!!! I just woke up too early and have a session that doesn't even start for another 15 hours and will go likely 6 hours, so I'm gonna be in your boat about 24 hours from now on the exhaustion side. I hope you were able to sleep.

One thing I like about lining is that you know where it's going. It doesn't go backwards. You can flow with it. Shading on the other hand, is grinding in the same area over and over with no sense of how long it will go on and on and on the same spot.

You can always ask questions here, too. It's your intro thread and you can take it where ever you want! I have paw prints too. Animals are special creatures. Kitty, dog ......... panther ;)