misterJ

welcome friendo. Any photos of the progress?

Nice man, it is so worth the effort. The only pain in the ass is gawking over your shoulder in a mirror. what's the subject matter for the piece?

I was expecting some garbage horror show. That's not so bad I think @graybones has a damn good option based on that and what I see in the photo. That graveyard piece is a nice contrast to almost anything solid. just my opinion though its gotta be your choice.

Got ya. I misread. I always look forward to new pics it eases my frustration as I wait for my next sessions.

Just a thought. Think long about a Half sleeve. In hindsight I might have gone 3/4 at least. Just a thought now that I'm older. EDIT: I noticed you mentioned posting healed pics. If you went ahead already ignore me

May I offer a simple suggestion. If you aren't too familiar with japanese styles but have a basic concept of what you want be open minded to the artist'a suggestions it will turn out much greater IMO

Jesus... Why not add morse code to the mix and make it a completely unreadable tattoo

I think based on the pictures uploaded it is a look at me look at me situation. Let him get the superman, and realize what he is/ was when he turns 25 Check out my biceps, do you think a sleeve will look good on these... lol

I would def take the advice of @Fala I wanted to weigh in a bit. I know that to obtain certain pigments some inks can contain heavy earth metals. I have greens and blues in my arm that fall in this category and I was told by my artist beforehand as an allergy check against nickel. The only down side is the "sunburn" from this is no joke, and I take proper precautions when I'm out in the summer. Mercury is another deal entirely. While you may be having a reaction to the pigment I wouldn't worry about mercury. (this excerpt was taken from wikipedia) Mercury poisoning (also known as hydrargyria or mercurialism) is a disease caused by exposure to mercury or its compounds. Mercury (chemical symbol Hg) is a heavy metal occurring in several forms, all of which can produce toxic effects in high enough doses. Its zero oxidation state Hg0 exists as vapor or as liquid metal, its mercurous state Hg22+ exists as inorganic salts, and its mercuric state Hg2+ may form either inorganic salts or organomercury compounds; the three groups vary in effects. Toxic effects include damage to the brain, kidney, and lungs.[1] Mercury poisoning can result in several diseases, including acrodynia (pink disease),[2] Hunter-Russell syndrome, and Minamata disease.[3] Symptoms typically include sensory impairment (vision, hearing, speech), disturbed sensation and a lack of coordination. The type and degree of symptoms exhibited depend upon the individual toxin, the dose, and the method and duration of exposure. In the documentary marked death of the yakuza (on youtube, cool viewing) they spoke about how the red inks used to be "poisonous" and the tattooed would often get severe flu like symptoms from these red sessions. It became a mark of how tough you were to handle such a brutal thing. I also feel like that was a long while ago, and today it would be different or everyone with a big red oni or hannya mask on them would drop like a sack of potatoes if it had mercury. (please correct me if I am wrong).

It's gonna be awesome, and have fun getting it

I find it really funny, that the butt crack has to be covered, and the bound woman with breasts and vagina on display is ok. That back is wild, I do not have what it takes to wear something like that.

I was unfamiliar with Amanda wachob, so I googled hard. I can't imagine looking at a piece like that 5+ years down the line and being like I'm so glad I got that swoosh of blues and yellow with a splotch of red. Is there a healthy medium that would still keep the aesthetic of the watercolor (I think it's the translucency and movement that appeals to people) while still falling in the benchmark of a solid tattoo that will last? I'm curious.

that idea is stupid! I hope 2 of the contestants date each other. How awesome would that be?! Honestly I was massively underwhelmed with the final tattoos, and I loved the round of Boo's when Scott was announced winner.

@itezumi Not a bad concept. Far better than the long string of nonsense that people pretend to be able to read

https://www.tashimannox.com/images/uploads/Hum-Tiger-300.png I have a tiger back piece, Because I went Japanese I really wanted color. I think the black and grey has potential to be really serious. I would sway you towards B&G

I work with a lady that has a watercolor hummingbird on her forearm. When you are not looking at it at the right angle and light it looks to me like the papertowel I use while painting to dry my brush or wipe paint. That's not exactly a compliment, and I am fairly certain its a newish tattoo.

Can you upload a picture of your arm? I think a disconnected black patch running from almost elbow to shoulder would look strange. Black work is very severe, I would certainly let that marinate before making any permanent decisions. consult a tattoo artist you trust, and see if they can give you any options

Wow to ink shrinks.... I'm not against meaning in tattoos, but I will still roll my eyes at them. To me they are always so on the nose. Like the painting in the movie dodgeball of Ben stiller wrestling a bull "it's me taking the bull by the horns!"

I feel the way our current generation (although I argue the same can be said about many generations)/ society has adopted tattoos into its music, movies, sports, food, cars, tv, magazines, video games, and anyone that wants to commemorate that oh so significant life event (she dumped me when i was 16, here is my tattoo) that shift is IMO at least 10+ years away. The reality may be with cyclical fads that by the time tattoos start to wane, it will pick up again in only a short amount later with another youth culture. I've been getting tattooed for 13+ years. I am still also to new to the game, but maybe my observations hold weight if my credibility doesn't UPDATE/ EDIT: @Bunny Switchblade, it breaks my heart that these people have to be labeled alternative anything because I view alternative as a polite way to say "lesser". I have dated and known many heavily tattooed women that were some of the sexiest out there. maybe it is just my preference, but my wife has some tattoos and I encourage her to get more.

I was gonna say mine was like 6ish and we barely completed outline. So I'm gonna assume I'm a lot taller than you :) Missing things happen on the first pass. My second session was a lot of marker work and mumbling hmmmm let's add this. Then the needle :)

@EmmaB, first sitting? Wow that looks like a lot of work for one session That looks really nice so far

I feel the heart of the matter is that he/she? Is unhappy with their tattoos and this is a reasonable excuse to remove them. If I am not mistaken it's some number like 23% of Americans have tattoos and the number keeps growing. Be an ethical friendly consummate professional and you will find yourself successful In all fields

My optometrist wears a lab coat/ drs coat. Most others wear a shirt and tie and slacks of some sort. Considering this how much are your face hands and neck tattooed?

I think the advice gouge gave is spot on. I think hitting the arm with only the elbow star is your best bet. Japanese and traditional floral stuff is the best. Whatever you get will be cool as long as it's done well. If you're nervous about that the people around here can always recommend solid artists.

I'm gonna kindle that and give it a read. Thanks for the info. Someone I used to know used to point out situations as Wild West. Meaning back in the day the crap we see would never fly. I have to shake my head and just say I don't understand when I look around sometimes