“I hid six penises in this thing. That’s my new record!”

I’ve heard one of the guys at the shop say that to a difficult/annoying customer. He was joking, but it definitely shut the guy up.

Or for that kind of money he should at least buy every piece of equipment and supply you need for your entire apprenticeship.

I don’t know dude. Maybe it’s because I worked really hard on my portfolio and got tattooed alot at the shop where I got my apprenticeship. I got my apprenticeship for free. I also don’t have to do anything the other artists wouldn’t do as far as shop duties and there has been no hazing. There was/is no time limit or schedule. My progress is…[Read more]

Hah! I already sort of did that.

The girl with the bat tattoo came for her second sitting.

To answer your question- you have a long way to go. You are young though and have your whole life to refine your skills. There is lots of good advise in the previous comments so pay attention to it. I’m 32 and got my apprenticeship back in October. I had been working on my drawings and paintings and getting tattooed and getting advice from local…[Read more]

I’m a sucker for heavily tattooed gals. Sleeves and chest pieces look phenomenal on the right girls. Especially nerdy ones.

Thank you. I’m still not where I want to be artistically though. It’s a never ending process. Now that I’m tattooing I’m more focused on getting the basics down with that. Once I have good fundamentals and learn some new techniques in tattooing I’m going to go back to my paintings to grow more as an artist. Thankfully I work at a shop where the…[Read more]

If I’m referring to the same one as you I believe it’s a Hannya mask. Hannyas are part of Japanese folklore. They were once women but transformed into a hideous demon by jealousy and rage. Their colors range from yellow/gold (mostly harmless and benign) to bright red (watch out!!!!). I looked up the picture on google but couldn’t get a clear look.…[Read more]

The pain could be totally unrelated. The ink bleeding under the skin is a blown-out line. Your artist went a bit too deep. Very easy to do on thin skin such as an ankle. Don’t rely on the advise of a bunch of people on the internet. If you are having pain go see a doctor. If you have questions about your tattoo go see your tattoo artist.

If you want to see a real series about real tattoo artists without the drama check out Markus Kuhn’s series The Gypsy Gentleman. I think it might be available to watch online. I don’t have a link, sorry.

I absolutely despise NY Ink. They have world class tattoo artists and they focus on bickering and not tattooing. The show makes a mockery of…[Read more]

Most biomech and skin tear tattoos are drawn freehand on the skin and then tattooed. Look around for artists that specialize in biomech and bio organic. The owner at my shop (Hyperion Tattoo) is superb at that stuff. A sleeve is a huge commitment both monetarily and time-wise. Be prepared to shell out a few thousand dollars and it can take a year…[Read more]

The skin on your wrist is tricky. It is kind of similar to elbows and knees because of the degree of movement and stretchability it has. Some wrists take easier than others because of the condition of the skin. People that do alot of physical work or work outside are sometimes harder to tattoo because the skin on their joints and exposed areas is…[Read more]

Here are some more I’ve done. The bat with the rose is just the first sitting.

From the “Tattoo Generator”. Basically it’s a jar with a bunch of slips of paper in it. You pick three slips. This one was bat, monocle, and goat.

The snake can represent transformation as it sheds it’s skin. This can represent you shedding weight and renewing yourself. It is an image that I have tattooed on myself as a symbol of a fresh start as I have shed my old ways and my old life to start fresh.

Adler;87451 wrote:
Not bad, some better than others.

I totally agree. That “Death From Above” one is pretty rough. That was the first person I ever tattooed other than myself. I was a nervous wreck. It shows. I’m trying to get better color saturation too. I’m gaining confidence though. Each one gets easier.

I saw his album. I guess what I meant to say was I’d like to see some of his artwork on paper, sketches, paintings, stuff like that. If he can tattoo like that his drawings and paintings should be pretty awesome. I’d like to see them. I like seeing what tattoo artists do in other mediums.

Awesome stuff. I’m in the same boat as you. I’ve been an apprentice since October of last year. I’ve done six tattoos so far. The first was on my leg too. Lots of hard work but incredibly fun. Good luck with your apprenticeship. I’d like to see some of your artwork.