SeeSea

Welcome! Tata's et al: http://www.lastsparrowtattoo.com/forum/general-tattoo-discussion/5371-ladies-thread.html Somewhere in the aftercare section there is talk about self care - I become more flexible under much duress, and used a lotion handle when things were not as raw. Amazon.com : Kingsley Lotion Applicator On Wood Handle : Bath And Shower Products : Beauty Driving after - yeah, tough. I rolled a towel and put the towel against my back and the seat at a place that had NOT been tattooed that session. Driving got uncomfortable - 3-4 hours for me.

Oh gosh I still feel bummed for you thinking about this one! (((hugs)))

Yes, if you are doing a sleeve and a backpiece at the same time, it IS a lifestyle that you have to adjust to, if you are keeping regular appointments to finish in a reasonable period of time. I made many unexpected changes to my lifestyle, including dropping all running races (and most training) for a year. That hurt. You are a customer in the beginning, but once you start, you are in a relationship. My guy said to me during the first session, that we would be spending an awful lot of time together and we were really going to get to know one another. You are always the client, but you have to give up a lot of autonomy to the artist. He/she runs the show, makes decisions on what gets worked on, etc. You have to just show up and let that happen. My guy explains that for large pieces he turns people away if he doesn't feel he will "click" with them. I think that's a good thing if the artist knows it could affect his work dealing with (insert annoying stereotype here) for 30-100 hours. Sometimes that 15 minutes in person is mainly to sniff butts and decide if you can be friends for the duration. You already addressed this in one of your other posts, and I'm glad. This community provides a reality-check that some people don't want to hear, and it applies to a lot more than just the tattooing industry. Some people are receptive to it and others get their feathers all ruffled and panties in a twist and go stomping off in a huff of drama. (Although sometimes that's fun to watch...)

I'm going against the popular vote and, without knowing the size of the work you are doing or the length of the sessions, there is no way I would schedule back-to-back like that. But my back sessions averaged 6 hours and late at night and I feel trashed the next day, so my experience might not be relevant. Regarding the deposit, did you agree to a cancellation policy with your artist when you put down your first deposit? You should have, and if not, I feel he has no business asking for entire payment up front (!!!). Also, if you gave 1 week notice, I think a another deposit is also out of line. Now if you called to reschedule a second time, then I think he has a right to ask for something more. So, you had better get a cancellation policy set between you two (and the other one). It should include terms when you need to cancel/ reschedule AND terms for when he cancels. I have a 3-day cancellation or I have to pay a second deposit IF HE CAN'T FILL THE SPOT, and vice versa - if he cancels at the last minute I get that amount of credit. (Actually, it may be that I would have had to pay his minimum - 3 hours, but I never had to do that so I don't recall. - but that's still way less than a grand.)

@Scummy420: So you are 20 posts in and mostly space-filler - did I miss an Intro post?

Annnnd, @Graeme for the win! Yes, about 5 minutes into the first session of my back (my first tattoo larger than 1"x1"), I had a very big mental WTF?!? But the progression is mentally enlightening as well. I don't think I'm the same person. It's more than just getting a huge tattoo - it's finding out who you are. Someone on one of these threads had a nice post about the emotional and growth aspect of getting a backpiece. Part of it is also the respect you will get from others with a lot of work - they understand the commitment you made and completed. I won't be clique-y and say it's a club - just a shift in perspective. This won't make sense now, but if you go full coverage - ink over every inch of your back - you will. Welcome to LST. Here are some places the crazy people hang out: http://www.lastsparrowtattoo.com/forum/tattoo-designs-books-flash/492-full-back-piece-thread.html http://www.lastsparrowtattoo.com/forum/crazy-tattoo-stories/870-full-back-piece-experience-thread.html

@CShaw - (just deleted as I misread your post) Any color that doesn't cause the bats to lose their distinctness, so maybe a warmer color. It is looking so lovely and I'm enjoying seeing the progress!

Haha, a model I am not! I might do it again while the tattoo still has that super newness to it or my artist suggests it, but I certainly won't be a tattoo convention contest roadie. It was fun to try so I certainly don't regret it.

In the interests of completeness, @Cork and I survived the tattoo contest so I'll answer my original questions here for posterity and other potential contestants. A couple pictures are attached - the three from @Cork in the http://www.lastsparrowtattoo.com/forum/lst-get-togethers-tattoo-conventions/6245-philadelphia-tattoo-convention-2015-a.html thread. Aside from the awesome photo bomb from Brian O'Halloran from Clerks, you see @Cork waiting for his turn to show while a girl is illustrating one clothing option and showing how to "assume the position." I also included a picture of my contest slips and of what it looks like trying to see the stage from the crowd - I had my camera held up over my head. Well before the contests start, you head to a table by the stage and enter as many of the contests as you want. Sign up, pay your $10, and you get a slip of paper with the category and your number in the category. You hand/show it to the judge when you get up there - it's supposed to be anonymous. There were about 30 of us entered in the backpiece contest. It was on Sunday, which apparently has fewer attendees. For comparison, there were fewer in Extra Large Color (which I was gently ragged-on for also entering). There were about 5 for Overall and around 10ish in categories such as hand and neck. There were many more than 30 for small and medium color and black and grey. The announcer presented a girl with an underboob tattoo and announced it as "The New Tramp Stamp." <cringe> Sigh. There were mutterings that there should be gender classes for the "chest" category. Anyway... There were two judging tables - one on the stage (which was elevated about 2-3 feet - the same stage that was set on fire by this genius: Caught on Cam: Fire Breather Catches Fire During Tattoo Convention | NBC 10 Philadelphia) and one table on the floor just in front of the stage. They ran both at the same time with different categories at each (for example, at the start, they ran all black and grey from the left at the lower table, and color from the right at the upper table). We went right up to the table and turned. The three judges sat behind the table and didn't come around. For thigh pieces and the like, the entrants backed up a couple feet to allow good viewing. Not very, other than when they call your category, you had better get in line. And because they were running two tables, the categories got out of sync and didn't go in order - they called XL Black and Grey which is listed AFTER XL Color, and I thought I missed it! So a category is announced like this, "Backpiece, line up on the right of the stage starting with Number 1, Bob, Number 2, @SeeSea, Number 3, @Cork, through to 30, and you all have numbers so figure out the rest on your own." The line is not behind the stage or behind a curtain - see the pic of me standing in line for XL Color. The first person waits to be called and they go up the steps. You tell your number then turn around and stand there, looking at the crowd, which is somewhat paying attention but often just chatting among themselves. Then you look back a couple times because you have no clue if they are done, and eventually they will nod or say, "Thank you." Most people didn't turn to show the audience - I remembered to for XL Color but forgot to for backpiece. No one is announced - after the person in front of you finishes, wait a short moment then head up and lather/rinse/repeat. Some time later, when those scores are tallied, the announcer will just announce the results over the loudspeaker while judging of other categories continues. Somewhat controlled chaos. And boring. Because you can't really see anything, everyone is just standing around waiting, wondering if you can get through the line at the bathroom in time. I saw all kinds but no pasties. Many girls wore halter tops or bikinis of some sort, and untied them or pulled them aside. This is what I did. My halter covered a bit less than the pictures show - I used those heavy clamp paperclip things to pull back the sides on the bottom so the entire tattoo showed. There were a few girls who had hoodies or jackets turned around and unzipped them. In the picture where @Cork is walking up to the stage, you can see the girl in front of him doing just this. Then there was this girl who was right in front of me in line. She had on a string. Just a string. And she looked great in that string. She had a black and grey astronomy tattoo that went down one cheek so it was a good outfit to show the entire thing. Obviously for the dudes, shirtless was easy. @Cork dropped trou, weighted down by his belt they slammed down BAM right on the stage, drawing a quick look of surprise from a female judge. Good times. Then he crunched up his boxers to maximize visual impact for the judges and maintained a strong look of decorum, staring straight into the crowd. I don't recall fundoshis for Backpiece, but I saw some for Overall. Wearing a fundoshi and then waiting to drop pants/shorts on stage facing away from the judges would have been just fine for those concerned about public displays of cheekage. Nope, not for backpiece or any contest on Sunday. On Saturday, there are gender classes for many but they don't do backs on Saturday. Apparently this is the case from what I hear. Second place was a black and grey Ben Franklin theme. We were in Philly. Go figure. Although, the three trophies went to a back-to-thighs new school odd evil fish with teeth organic things with extra eyeballs that was pretty cool, black and grey Ben, and then back-to-thighs Japanese. So it clearly wasn't restricted to a particular style. Overall, it's an experience and you'll see a wide variety of styles and quality wandering around in the crowd that is waiting to be judged. There were some really great tattoos there, and some less fortunate ones.

This doesn't deserve its own thread, but is loosely related to relationships. I just love this.

Welcome! Yes, this is a great place for info for sure. Looking forward to more of your work.

@Mick Weder - that's like panther toad!

...and then there was this genius who set fire to himself and part of the stage. Almost looked like it was part of the act until random people started running in from the sidelines flipping a table and dumping their bottles of water on it. Lucky the fire didn't run all the way up the banners in the back or get out of control. Can you imagine an evacuation at a convention? Caught on Cam: Fire Breather Catches Fire During Tattoo Convention | NBC 10 Philadelphia

OMG @Dan, she is ridiculously cute! Those eyes! She looks perfect in her satin bed.

I shall treasure the picture! It was great to meet you @Cork and Mrs. Cork and Baby Cork! And @Bunny Switchblade and @daveborjes and @Mike Panic. It was as we said a couple weeks back - an experience to try, and I'm glad I did it. And it was a lot more boring than I thought it would be. The audience seemed to just be everyone standing around waiting for their classes to be called, and it was impossible to see much of the work as it was being judged.

@Graeme - the paws and claws are great - I love how the snake and tiger are twining around one another. Such an awesome design.

@Cork took 3rd and treated the audience to a quick burlesque after he dropped his drawers for the judge. I think that cost me the win. :). It was a field of almost 30 and some really nice work. Congrats to @Cork!

Hanging with @Cork and Mrs. Cork. Visiting all the LSTers we can.

My tattoo artist, Sean Zee, is tattooing with Myke Chambers in the Seven Swords Tattoo booth this weekend.

He is so cute!

Here s a thread with a medical case reference. The ink can mimic calcification during mammography. I'll have to remember to tell them this next time I head in for a mammogram. http://www.lastsparrowtattoo.com/forum/crazy-tattoo-stories/2945-blue-lymph-nodes-traced-tattoos.html#post45226 http://www.lastsparrowtattoo.com/forum/tattoo-after-care/3953-swollen-lymph-node.html#post63355

:( I hope she feels better soon. It is so hard to see animals in pain.

I had one on my shoulder blade that bled and leaked worse than yours for many hours after the tattoo, and I was not wrapping. As in, blood still oozed out and rolled down. It was much worse than any other part of my back. (I'm also not a spring chicken.) My tattoo artist suggested that skin that has more sun damage sometimes has a more difficult time healing. I also bruised spectacularly, as it was near my armpit. This pic was about 15 hours afterwards, after a couple washings, and it healed fine. The fish got another complete pass on it to add all the scales and details maybe 6 months later this. So don't worry.

Yup, I was solidly in the "unable" category! Fun stuff!

So who's up to meet on Sunday? Lunch? Dinner? I'll probably get there early afternoon if no one's up for anything earlier, and just wander around until after the contests finish up. Hope to see some of you there - too bad many of us don't know what anyone else looks like in real life. Hopefully Tapatalk will be behaving this weekend.