marley mission

i think it gets you in the ballpark - and more important is understanding what a lived in tattoo looks like - people think that a tattoo is going to sustain that day 1 look - and it doesnt i myself think lived in looks awesome - but like i said - some folks are expecting something else i think

@Tiresius welcome couple thoughts - @Graeme has good points healed and hairy is gonna always look different better actually but i do think you can get a good grasp of the tattooers work on IG as for asking about inks - yeah i wouldnt i dont think you need to do 'damage control' just move on basically - if you arent a tattooer - you dont need to worry about those type of things as least i dont - just find the right tattooer...and get tattooed repeat :)

first find a good artist - then discuss your idea, etc - a wolf is a good start to a good tattoo...in the hands of a good artist

@NotUrOrdinaryM sure thing - lots of very knowledgeable folks here so you may have some more recs coming - I'd also go on IG and start looking at work - granted seeing a fresh tattoo on IG doesnt replace seeing that healed piece on the skin - but you'll get a good idea of whats out there - good luck and keep us updated the latest lowdown thread is awesome and i absolutely think the interview section should be mandatory viewing welcome btw http://instagram.com/matt_made_this

awesome - I'm in jersey too - lots of great tattoo artist here you know - there is a guy in Asbury - Matt Dunn - Old Glory - he did some pieces on me that were based off the art of David O'Keefe it was as if the pieces jumped off the canvas and onto my skin He did such a great job and is one of the nicest tattooers I've met I think Matt would love to kill a piece like this for you that said - there are many great artists in NJ and surrounding area have you been looking at anyone's work on IG? that you like

welcome - that'll make for a weird tattoo - which i love! first question - where ya livin? that will help with the artist recomendations

you are definetly looking at it too closely which i know i do too sometimes with a new tattoo especially when its located so prominetly on the forearm my first impression was that i liked the tattoo i know you have identified some areas you are concerned with areas where you believe some ink might have dropped out or possibly not been tattooed completely first i would say dont look so close the tattoo has a nice impact bold readable impact second give it a little more healing time especially with a forearm piece for me they take awhile to completely heal third and most importantly remember - its a tattoo - on skin it will never be perfect but also - it doesnt need to be perfect to be awesome as for the additional work and wether or not to choose another artist thats up to you maybe discussin your concerns with the artist who did this piece would be a good course of action some folks might advocate inquiring about touching about those areas you are concerned about it i'm not a big fan of that idea typically but if more work is being done on this piece by the same artist they might also been considering this aspect moving forward anyway - keep us updated and welcome

@Morrigan its all good - only your mother has any control over her emotional state and perspectives - I'm 45 and my father doesnt like my tattoos - though he wont say as much to me - you gotta live your life and do what works for you - partly i think there is a generational issue at play - if it was me - i'd be straight forward - 'mom i love you and you dont have to love my tattoos but your frustrations with what i do with body wont have any influence on what i will continue to do with my body' - end of story

@Padji he is just finishing up his 50 state tour - he is in NYC today and I think NJ tomorrow - he post on his IG on the reg regarding his whereabouts - god bless dont know how he travels so much - here's hoping he settles down near jersey one day :)

@Dopesmoker welcome - your collection sounds pretty awesome - throw down some pics - lots of great tattooing on the east coast - check out the interview section if you havent already

@Ross wishing you luck man - my only thing I would add is that for some reason my forearm tattoos were among my longer tougher heals - keep us updated - welcome

@Ross well you're 3 months post tattoo so that seems quite a long time for the peeling to be still occuring - as for what i take away from the pic i would say it looks like a bit of scarring in that linework - thats just my opinion from looking at a picture on the internet - and like i said - not the end of the world - i have various areas of scarring in my tattoos as well - some other folks might be able to weigh in with their thoughts as well - you're still looking to get some shading and color in this piece correct?

@Ross how long ago was that pic and how long after the last session was that pic - just trying to understand the timeline - I'm thinking that its healed man - but that you've got some scarring - not the end of the world - some spots have been tough healing spots for me - in particular the forearm areas

when in doubt leave it alone i dry heal all my tattoos now they all heal eventually

you want free tattoos and dont care if they suck be careful what you wish for Ern

snakes!!

resisted the urge to get tattooed this weekend at the Walker Stalker Con that my daughter and I attended in central jersey - the tattooers that were there seemed quite busy most of the time - but we were pretty busy meeting the cast, attending panels, etc - was an awesome time for both of us - you can see the many pics on my IG

@polliwog sounds great! I'll hit you up with my cell# as we get closer - as of now I am probably doing the quick turn around back to jersey that evening - my appt is a 3-5 spot - but always got time for a beer - but I am toying with alternate plans that have me staying in Boston overnight - was actually thinking about going to Rhode Island and seeing about setting up something at Torchbearer for the following day - I don't think the funds will accomodate pursuing that though at this time

my daughter and I have 2 days of Walker Stalker Con here in Jersey - she (14) is beyond excited - and I am too - never been to any convention like this - should be madness :)

the itch is most likely from your hair growing back in doesnt last forever just part of the process

great feedback - i guess thinking about it i do have some specific feedback first i like @Graeme line of thinking with the poll i think once the month ends - you put up the poll and allowing a voting to occur - makes the whole process much more like a contest - i know myself there were probably plenty of months when I 'liked' all the tattoos posted - which kinda made it like i didnt vote at all i guess second - i wouldnt worry about themes and categories - when the contest was stopped one of the main issues was lack of posting particpation i do think it should be opened up to all tattoos though - clean slate - of course from that point a tattoo should only be allowed to be entered one time also i think that each member should be limited to one post / entry per month i do think its ok to post the tattooer - hey - we are gonna know who did it anyway as most people also post in the lowdown where it is customary to post the artist name now - are large pieces gonna have an advantage - maybe are pieces from favored tattooers gonna have an advantage - maybe but who cares - its all in good fun let the games begin :)

glad to hear this news I don't know what to suggest regarding rules - I kinda liked the way it had previously worked - I'm sure some others would have some feedback but I'm just glad to see the return of some fun competition!