SeeSea

Yeah, tribal is outdated and an awesome piece of art is always awesome. If you symbolize it, then it is just a symbol rather than the animal. Do you want it or a symbol of it? Only you can answer that. But if tribal is what you want, then do that but look at other stuff first and talk to an artist. Now what you put up there looks more like a peacock. For what you put, 3 inches will never work - blob. It would have to be more than 6 inches IMO if you do it tribal but I don't think you'll like it years from now. Print out that example in black and white, tape it to your hip, stand 6 or 8 feet back from a mirror and look at it. It's going to look blobby and unreadable. We're not trying to beat you up. Just want you to get a great tattoo. Here is the answer - print out some stuff and go to a good tattoo artist. Get a name here. Tell them what you are looking for and ask them to help you design something. Friends don't let friends get tribal, lol. I just googled phoenix tattoo. UGH. So many stylized black ugly things. Google sucks. Don't look at those black and white designs - look at tattoos that are actually ON people and get an idea what those tribal things really look like on your body. Ugh, horrible. I hesitate to tell you to look at Pinterest - but just don't look at the stuff that isn't actually on people. If you really don't want to go large enough to get a realistic Phoenix, then you could get something stylized but with enough detail that it represents it without looking dated. I think this is cool and is on her hip. And this is the only one I could find that IMO looks good at a smaller size and would look good on a hip. This next picture looks like what you are suggesting. Stand back several feet and try to figure out what it is. I think these small black things look sad. A Phoenix RISES! RISES! Needs ROOM to SPREAD WINGS and FLY!! :) :) :) If you really want that tribal look, it has to be bigger. I don't care for this, but you'd need to go larger to give it room to breathe and be readable. Good luck!

Thumbs up on the Phoenix! Awesome imagery for what you're trying to convey. Yeah, and bigger. You want to see the detail on those features and flames. If you don't mind me saying, it seems like you are mixing emotional elements here. You want the Phoenix to symbolize all you've been through - rising from the ashes/accident, but you've mentioned commemorating an anniversary. Granted, it sounds like your guy is pretty awesome to have been there with you, but in my very insignificant opinion, the Phoenix is for you. Period. Regardless who was there to help you, you did this huge thing. I would not wrap anyone else up in that concept - keep the Phoenix for you. Now, if you want to commemorate the relationship and show your husband how important he is to you, maybe create another tattoo that incorporates something positive about what the two of you share, that is not related to pain and the accident. Perhaps something forward-looking to represent the new relationship that you share. Maybe you both get the same tattoo, etc. Congratulations on all you have accomplished!

@pidjones - I think even if they weren't fans of tattoos, your subject matter gives you a lot more leeway than if you had gotten (sorry guys) a bad ass panther with a knife through its head.

Haha! Good one. Mine does end rather abruptly, doesn't it? ;) (BTW - the broken tilted mast in the middle is the mast of a Japanese cargo ship (Nippo Maru) from WWII that was used in the war as a water carrier. Before the war it had apparently been used to transport bananas! Plunder would have been much more fun if it had been sake.) Although there was pretty cool artillery, a tank on the top deck and torpedoes in the holds. Yeah, it will be cool just having done the contest regardless. We can have our own contest with the following categories: Philly Tattoo Convention, Contest: Back piece, Division: LST, Class: Male. And the Winner is - @Cork! Philly Tattoo Convention, Contest: Back piece, Division: LST, Class: Female. And the Winner is - @SeeSea! Of course, unless some of our cohorts around here decide to join us. Then we'll have to create sub-classes such as Japanese, B&G, etc. Because you know, now in America, everyone has to get a trophy. - - - Updated - - - Here is the mast reference for my back, and stuff on the deck. Pretty weird to swim over that and into the holds to see torpedoes jumbled about. They told us, don't bang your gear around - everything is still live.

@Scott Althen - Holy shit my jaw just dropped. Wow. Just wow.

Sunday it is, @Cork and @suburbanxcore. Anyone else? Man, I hope they have different categories for men and women or @Cork's gonna kick my ass.

Thanks for sharing this stuff - that gives me a better idea what I'm getting myself into. And pasties? Um, no. I think I can rig up a halter top and see what kind of teetering high heels I have shoved in the back of the closet. I have no expectations - just cracking myself up at the audacity of it all. Just to say I did it - what the hell. No, my husband won't be coming, but I might be able to rope in a friend.

Love the tail tail tail, @Zillah!

So since @Cork and I are going to battle it out in the back piece contest in Philly, and neither of us have a clue what to expect, how about some advice so we don't look/act like complete idiots and shame LST's good name? The rules online are pretty basic - cost and category. Some mention that the tattoo should be completely healed except for Tattoo of the Day; others don't mention healed state. A few sets of rules mention that the tattoo artist has to attend as well. Sure, follow the rules posted for a particular convention, but which are typical? How big does the field for back pieces range? How close are the judges to the contestants? How formal is all this? What to wear, what to wear ... surely chicks don't go topless for a back piece, right, lol? :rolleyes: Are guys and gals judged separately? I've heard that the winners tend to be tattooed in a style that the judges prefer, so the panel composition can be more important than the actual quality of the tattoo. (Not to imply that this is any different from any other subjective judging event - we'll just complain about judges in collusion like the figure skaters do.) Any sage advice? Mocking and sarcasm are always welcome, as usual. And how about you folks who have competed and those who have won - would you share your experiences and your winning tattoos? Pictures of awards being given get extra props.

Wow @ShawnPorter - great picture! Beautiful dress, too. You'd never know it was 2 degrees outside with those happy faces.

Funny - I had the same question. I have no idea how this works. I was looking for some sort of top I could wear that would show my entire back without showing everything else to the world, too. Hey - let's both give it a try and meet up, and if either of us wins, we'll just have to agree to 2-out-of-3 and head to Baltimore in April! :D

Accidentally tripped across this when looking at Maori face tattoos. I can't scratch the image from my brain.

Welcome! Any work to show?

Great video! I agree with @mmikaoj - no-nonsense and getting the real essence of the guy. And the music and cinematography were also very nice. Feel free to do more :)

Welcome - go ahead and share!

You have some great references. And now that song is stuck in my head ;)

Yeah, that was the longest. I did an 8-hour once, but my average was just over 5 hours as session. Around 5 or 6 is when I start to lose it. 6.5 is no joke - good job.

I don't see why not. Just make it big enough that it won't turn into a blob. That's the same advice you'd get for any other location on the body in terms of size. Welcome!

Heehee, lol! Yeah, I'm scraping up the deposit for Horitomo after I pay the Christmas bills this morning. Consult in April!

^^ Me too :)

Anyone thinking of the Philly Tattoo Convention February 13-15? I'm thinking about heading out there on Sunday. Philadelphia - Villain Arts

Yes it's definitely worth it, and that's what I had to keep telling myself when I wanted to tap out. Suck it up, girl. You stop now and *something* won't look as good. That really helped get me through. It was so strange - when I knew we were at the home stretch that evening, it stopped hurting. We'd grinded a place near my neck where the nerves are really messed up and we knew the second pass on that was coming. And I literally had to prepare by holding on to the table and putting one song on my iPod to play repeatedly and crying and muttering "don't move don't move don't move" for about 15 minutes as tears streamed down my face. Worst pain ever by far. There's something wrong with the nerves in my neck/shoulder right there. After that was over, I felt like I could sit there for hours. Soooo strange coming out the other side of that. The body is such a strange sack of oddness. But a really pretty one now :)

Hi @beez - yeah, finished it up with a marathon 8 1/2 hours on Friday night/Sat am. I am making fruity pebbles as we speak. I do feel a little funny. Don't get me wrong, I'm glad to be on the other side of all that pain, but every session was another dimension added, and now everything is there. I think I'll have different feelings when it heals and I can left my arms again :) (And wear a bra again ... and wear pants with an actual waistband again ... :) ) Thanks!

Amazing is the word.

I also vote to see the tattoo. Pretty rude to be laughed out of several places if it's a serious request.