Hi Toph

Why not take the piece to the orig artist and explain you want it extending in a similar style.

It is a very unusual piece and actually I find it difficult to suggest something that would fit exactly because it is so abstract. I like it but as it is a very different style if you just added something more mainstream you would take away…[Read more]

Hi

A picture would really help as it depends on size and placement and room to bolden the tattoo lines.

In theory it should be possible but would mean adding to the bottom part of the x and lengthening the top to make a V.

If you add some extra trellis or scroll work to the letters it will be less noticiable.

You really need a pro but also you…[Read more]

Hi and welcome to the forum

Take Care
Matthew

Hi

Personally I wouldn’t go for brand name alone as many big brands are crap.

You need to be checking the following;

Is it protective against UVA and UBA rays (both knacker ink up)
Is it a min of factor 45?
How much alcohol/perfume does it contain (the less the better for new ink)
Is it water resistant – sweat wears away the cream in no…[Read more]

Hi

I think it was the anthropologist and author Ling Roth.

However this is a great source for tattoo books and they have some that cover polynesian tattoos which are quite good.

http://www.tattoo-source.com/booklistings/tattoo-books-listing.html

Take Care
Matthew

Hi

Looks like a tidy piece you have had done – any chance you could post up a clearer picture?

Take Care
Matthew

Hi

It really depends on what style of tattooing you are after.
I have read several which had great designs and examples but some were specific to style eg tribal or Japanese.

My first bit of advice is hit your local library as it is free and then if you spot something take a look in the bibliography and follow it up from there.

Otherwise I am…[Read more]

Hi

Yep the use of deep reds, purples, blacks etc will cover the leprachaun (sp?) the ribal maybe a little harder but I have seen worse covered.

That said why not rework the leprachaun with some more detail and colour and expand the theme with that?

Otherwise a koi and blood/fire lotus would work well.

Or you could go bio-mech with steel cables…[Read more]

Hi Ian

I have spent hundreds of hours on the net studying tattoos for my PhD and the sad thing is there are very public domain tattoos available that are;

Modern
Good Quality
Identifiable as public domain without copyright concern.

I am not saying there are not any but many have been snapped up by copyright of the web owners, reproduced by the…[Read more]

Hi

Could do with a better picture to be honest.

That said you will have to go very bold colouring and/or deep black to cover the tattoos. It should be possible but you would need to plan carefully each section.

What sort of sleeve are you looking for?

Take Care
Matthew

Hi

First of all it does not look stupid if you have separate areas of your body dedicated to a singular theme or if you get a good artist who can combine the elements of two separate themes.

The most common is tiger and dragon.

That said the white tiger is very hard to actually do as white – the white pigment fades rapidly so would likley have…[Read more]

Hi and welcome

Looking forward to seeing your ink.

Take Care
Matthew

Hi

Looks very nice most were just depicted with the simple top and bottom slashes above the single line.
I especially like the extra line work and will make a very nice tattoo.

Take Care
Matthew

Hi and welcome.

Looking forward to seeing your ink.

Take Care
Matthew

Hi and welcome to the forum

Matthew

Hi Vizzie

You can get away with tattooing on a small amount of redness but this is not advisable as it is really painful and the skin already inflamed making it harder to work on.

I would recommend applying some ice to the area and seeing if the swelling has gone down (the red raised area).

If not personally I would wait and rebook.

Take Care
Matthew

Hi Barnballs

Copying any image without permission is illegal unless the image is in the public domain or expressly given usage consent by the owner.

That said….

If you get a series of images off the net and take it to an artist to draw up your custom piece then I cannot see the tattoo police chasing you about it. 😉

Have a look at google…[Read more]

Hi

I have seen many phoenix tattoos on men and they look very masculine.
The masculinity is in the artwork – they tend to be bold and sometimes aggressive poses.

I say go for it they look great as a tattoo.

Take Care
Matthew

PS

Said it before shamwow but your ink deserves another thumbs up – it is great ink.

Hi Barnballs

To sum it up I would like to see some quality pictures of tattoos. (The more professional the better).
Many sites boast they have hundreds of pictures but many are just fuzzy phone pics.

I would also like a site that has clear categories of tattoos so I can easily hunt for what I am after without having to pur through page after…[Read more]

The only real way to lighten the ink of a tattoo is by use of laser – preferably a ruby q-switch if it is a black ink.

That said by a strong and good use of white pigment this will create better highlights on the shadowed area – simply because it is working over some of the black pigment – which in this case has not taken too deeply as has the…[Read more]