Ink/Tattoos: share and discussion about

[Mister Bent]

I've got a bunch of tattoos, a couple of which would be decidedly different if I had known what I know now when I first started getting tattoos about 10 years ago.

Since then I've done copious research on styles and what makes a good artist. Now I've got my next 5+ tattoos already planned out, including finishing my right arm half sleeve. I won't go below my elbows (except for one on my left wrist, which can be covered by a watch) for professional reasons, while there is a lot more acceptance for tattoos and the tattooed, there is definitely still prejudice.

This is my most recent - I prefer traditional style tattoos - from October '08 (I can't believe I've gone over a year without getting a tattoo) by Daniel Trocchio at Saved Tattoo in Brooklyn, NY. (Amazing shop).

[Kenna]

Mine is a blue rose with a heart...and not well done I might add. I've wanted it gone for many years... but other than lasers, how can I get it completely gone? I was tempted to try a cover-up, but the ink is so dark and the lines so thick that I'm afraid it won't work. Plus, the first time was WAY too painful (I sat at the table hugging a pillow and shaking like mad!) ... I was "made" to get it by my Ex after my son passed away...(I guess you can call it my Ex's "mark"?)... it doesn't hold good memories... I wouldn't mind having another one, but don't want the old one to show through...

I would LOVE to have this one.... but need to find a really good artist who's skilled at cover-ups and making it look like it's air-brushed...

[femmy1]

I have heard of a remover called wrecking ball.. not sure much about it, but see if you can google it
f1~

Originally Posted by Sweet

Mine is a blue rose with a heart...and not well done I might add. I've wanted it gone for many years... but other than lasers, how can I get it completely gone? I was tempted to try a cover-up, but the ink is so dark and the lines so thick that I'm afraid it won't work. Plus, the first time was WAY too painful (I sat at the table hugging a pillow and shaking like mad!) ... I was "made" to get it by my Ex after my son passed away...(I guess you can call it my Ex's "mark"?)... it doesn't hold good memories... I wouldn't mind having another one, but don't want the old one to show through...

I would LOVE to have this one.... but need to find a really good artist who's skilled at cover-ups and making it look like it's air-brushed...

[Gemme]

Originally Posted by Sweet

Mine is a blue rose with a heart...and not well done I might add. I've wanted it gone for many years... but other than lasers, how can I get it completely gone? I was tempted to try a cover-up, but the ink is so dark and the lines so thick that I'm afraid it won't work. Plus, the first time was WAY too painful (I sat at the table hugging a pillow and shaking like mad!) ... I was "made" to get it by my Ex after my son passed away...(I guess you can call it my Ex's "mark"?)... it doesn't hold good memories... I wouldn't mind having another one, but don't want the old one to show through...

I would LOVE to have this one.... but need to find a really good artist who's skilled at cover-ups and making it look like it's air-brushed...

Even with laser removal, it's not "completely" gone. But it could lighten the image enough to cover it up with something else, depending on the colors used (green and black are harder to lighten) and a bunch of other things that I can't think of right now. I looked into it briefly, then decided the cost and pain (worse than the tattoo itself) were not worth it.

I love fairies and that would be a beautiful tat if done well!

[femmy1]

I am sleeved. I am a cancer survivor.. which really just changed everything in my life. I am painfully shy in person..and sort of reclusive. I knew after cancer I would not be interested in a corporate job any longer, so I wanted to sleeve. I got screwed bad on the first part of the sleeve by a butch tattooist in Erie, PA which I went to because she was a site member of the dash site. I got two bunches of plumeria flowers with some maori swirl work around it, it looked like someone drew on me with a crayon bad bad bad... I tried to rectify the bad work but just got blown off. I sought a local artist in Pittsburgh where I live and found a great cover up guy. He fixed what I had and made a great tropical sleeve with tribal maori work, flowers and a butterfly. It is dark, and awesome !! I even found a way to get my husband's initials in there. It all turned out soo well !! I have the Elvis stamp on my other arm which I plan to get covered soon with another sleeve which will consist of various religious symbols mixed with a gypsy like= mother mary image lots of roses and crows. It is going to be soooo cool !! Being sleeved threw me into a whole 'nother employable status...hahah so I started my own business and never looked back.
I would cover my whole body if I could.. as I get older I don't heal as well. Latina and keloid-y to start with so I have to be careful and do it in steps. Oh well, that's my handicap !!

How much do you all pay ?? I am curious about that... I have about 26 hours into my arm... at well over 100$ an hour ... whew.. whoever used to think tattoos make a woman look cheap is o wrong. I think they look like cha-ching !!

f1~

[Mister Bent]

Originally Posted by femmy1

I
How much do you all pay ?? I am curious about that... I have about 26 hours into my arm... at well over 100$ an hour ... whew.. whoever used to think tattoos make a woman look cheap is o wrong. I think they look like cha-ching !!

f1~

New York City, about $150/hr for the better shops, + tip. Daredevil tattoo on the LES has $50 Flash Fridays (or they used to). You could get something off their flash wall for $50 + tip. I never did it, but kind of wish I'd gotten a little Sailor Jerry flash piece.

[SassyLeo]

I have a Star of David on my lower back that I have had for a long time... I think about 10 years. It also has my initials and birth date. It is faded and needs some work...but I still love it. At some point, I will have some touch up work done.



In 2008, during the infamous Florida trip, the lovely and amazing...and our very own, QueenofQueens, did the lion piece on my left shoulder ::
(The pic isn't that great... sorry. It is much more vibrant in person )



And last summer, my friend and local artist/tattooist, Leslie, did this Hamsa on my right shoulder.





I have one more which I have had since I was 19 (I'm 36 now)...it is old and faded and stretched. Basically, not worthy of a pic. It is a flower from a painting I did and located near my hip/pelvic area. At some point I will get that one covered/fixed-up too.

I've also got a few more ideas in the works...

[Medusa]

Originally Posted by SassyLeo

I have a Star of David on my lower back that I have had for a long time... I think about 10 years. It also has my initials and birth date. It is faded and needs some work...but I still love it. At some point, I will have some touch up work done.



In 2008, during the infamous Florida trip, the lovely and amazing...and our very own, QueenofQueens, did the lion piece on my left shoulder ::
(The pic isn't that great... sorry. It is much more vibrant in person )



And last summer, my friend and local artist/tattooist, Leslie, did this Hamsa on my right shoulder.





I have one more which I have had since I was 19 (I'm 36 now)...it is old and faded and stretched. Basically, not worthy of a pic. It is a flower from a painting I did and located near my hip/pelvic area. At some point I will get that one covered/fixed-up too.

I've also got a few more ideas in the works...

Gorgeous tats! I love the Quock piece!

[femmy1]

Originally Posted by Jackhammer

My wife's back took about 10 hours (2 sessions) and it cost $1000.00

My arm Tattoo and band cost me about $700.00

So Im thinking about a $100.00 an hour

cool... not so bad !!



f1~

[Write14u]

My first tattoo, I was with a friend and her gf in Pensacola. My friend wanted a navel piercing, but at the last second was chickening out. I told her I would hold her hand and get a much-discussed tat afterward if she went through with it. She really wanted it. (and her useless, abusive gf was hungover and no help at all, hence ME holding her hand). My thinking? She'll be so happy with her piercing she'll forget about a tat for me. Yeah, no. When she was done, I was told to get get a tat. So I started looking through for something that could fit in my price range of oh, about $50. LOL I ended up getting Japanese script for "love" and "woman," so my tattoo basically said "To love women," and this was as I was coming out, so it seemed appropriate. It's on the outside of my right ankle. Funniest part about it was that two years later, my then-girlfriend and I were in Orlando and an Asian gentlemen spotted my tat and started saying (across a parking lot). "To love women, hah hah hah, to love women, hah hah hah." *shrug* At least I always knew it said what it was supposed to.

This tattoo is on my upper left shoulder. (OK, it doesn't like my flickr pic, so I'll try to post in the gallery)


I was in California visiting a friend, fresh off a bad breakup and talking about getting a Phoenix tattoo. This has long been my philosophy: Like the Phoenix rising from the ashes, nothing can keep me down. Well, my friend's gf is an artist and used to do tats so she volunteered to do my tat. Only issue was some of her ink was bad and old, so she tattooed over it three times to try and make it darker. It still has a faded look. I thought once about getting it darkened, but I like the effect, plus it had a lot of meaning for me, so no, I kept it.

I came thisclose to getting a tat last month while I was in Cali again (hmmm, trend...LOL) but time was an issue. So now, I have to find time to get it done. I want a tribal armband.

This is the vein of what I want:


and....

[Jaques]

This is the vein of what I want:


and....
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these are wonderful, though i wouldnt have anything so big for myself, i have a couple of celtic smaller tatoos (Im of Welsh origin)

you cant really see the one on my arm but it was painful - Im a big wuss - lol!

http://

[FeminineAllure]

I love tattoos.
I have two and I am getting a few more. I found a great site for tattoo art.

http://www.tattoojohnny.com/

[Kenna]

I'm thinking about this one as a cover-up... now if I can only figure out how to invert it (on the computer) and merge it to make a double winged version...

The one I'm covering up is too ugly to share here...

[Gemme]

Originally Posted by Sweet

I'm thinking about this one as a cover-up... now if I can only figure out how to invert it (on the computer) and merge it to make a double winged version...

The one I'm covering up is too ugly to share here...

Print it as it is. Any decent tattoo artist can draw you up a front-facing butterfly.

[Wryly]

I have 3 tatts:

• right bicep - a small kokopelli. It is only 1,5 to 2 inches tall - now I wish I had gotten it made bigger.
• right wrist - memorial tatt for my mom - a braid of sweetgrass, with a dreamcatcher on the inside of the wrist
• left wrist - memorial tatt for my dad - tattered U.S. flag, with my father's WW II unit on the inside of the wrist.

The first tatt was done at a place in the village in Toronto that has since gone out of business. Design from a pin I bought when I was in AZ.
The two wrist tatts were designed and inked by Jacqueline at Yonge Street Tattoos (Linus introduced me to her) - she is awesome.

I would like to get more tatts but have trouble deciding on what/where I want. At one time I was thinking of sleeves but have decided against that as I want everything to sort of go together.

[Kenna]

Originally Posted by Gemme

Print it as it is. Any decent tattoo artist can draw you up a front-facing butterfly.

Thanks Gemme. I'll do just that and take it to my new neighbors... they are both tattoo artists. I'm anxious to see if it will work and be just the right size to cover up the old one. I HATE the old one.