Here you go! Just a quick drawing mind you. Just to give you an idea of what it could look like. Hope it helped.

I’m an apprentice and I have no problem helping people out with designs. I wouldn’t expect another artist to use my design, but I can help visualize ideas people have to help make their decisions easier. I’ll give it a crack.

What kind of sword do you want? Broad sword, sabre, rapier? Also what style roses? American traditional, realistic, neo traditional? Give me some specifics and I can draw something up for you. I’m an apprentice and could use all the practice I can get. Most tattoo artists will draw something custom for you anyway. But I can give you a good visual…[Read more]

Why listen to Gojira? Cause they’re awesome! I suggested them because they are a bit different than Suicide Silence. I wouldn’t tell somebody to check out a clone of another band. I suggested bands in the same general genre that one might be interested in if they like blast beats and breakdowns.

I beg to differ about hardcore versus hardcore punk…[Read more]

Sorry if this comes off as me being an elitist or a douche in any way. Suicide Silence and Parkway Drive are not Hardcore. Hardcore is technically “hardcore punk” which includes bands like Black Flag, Bad Brains, Minor Threat, Agnostic Front, Sick Of It All, and others of the like. A few of the members of these bands actually have tribal tattoos…[Read more]

I see nothing wrong with tribal. Maori designs are so incredible and detailed and have so much meaning to the wearer. The same goes for Hawaiian. I would say to pick an actual “tribe” who’s designs you’d like to emulate. Thorns, thick black lines, and swirls aren’t necessarily tribal but have adopted the name because of the simplicity of the…[Read more]

I’m a reasonably big guy so nobody really gives me grief about tattoos except my grandparents. I’m also apprenticing as a tattoo artist so it’s almost like a uniform now. That being said there is still a bit of a stigma towards women who are heavily tattooed. I am all for tattoos on women so don’t take this the wrong way. You chose to place a…[Read more]

Boo-yah!

I realize the benefits of working with pig skin but I am hesitant to tattoo dead flesh in my work station. I have all the proper surface disinfectants but it still feels like I would be pushing it. I try to maintain a clean and sterile environment. I’ll double check with my mentor.

Started shading my sugar skull droid

I’m still waiting for the Health Department guy to get to the shop to take my test and get licensed. In the meantime here are some tattoos I’ve done on synthetic skin. I’ve been told it’s much easier to tattoo real skin so my lines shouldn’t look so sloppy and color filling, shading, and blending should be better as well. I know I have a long road…[Read more]

I would keep looking for a better artist. Your tattoo will be with you for the rest of your life. Better make it a good one. Where are you located? Someone familiar with your area should be able to refer you to a good, reputable, talented tattoo artist.

Droopy eyed armless child

As long as he’s a killer artist and not working out of his house it sounds pretty fair. Where I live tattoos are pretty cheap (between $100 and $160 an hour). I don’t know who’s doing your sleeve, but biomech is a tricky artform and usually only really decent artists excel at it. Did he say how many sittings? I would say a good sleeve should be…[Read more]

Who cares what you’ll look like when you’re 50. My mother is going to be 60 this year and her tattoos from almost 40 years ago look fine. Just take care of them and stay out of the sun. They look great by the way. Chest pieces on women are about my favorite placement.

C-3PO sugar skull. I’ll be selling prints of the finished painting at the Roc City Tattoo Expo this summer in Rochester, NY

Cockroach drawing with colored pencil (very quickly drawn).

Don’t worry about it at all. That’s just what new tender tattooed skin looks like. Keep it moisturized and it will be fine.

It really depends on the size of the piece. On a smallish rose you can easily do linework, shading, and color in one sitting. At the shop where I work we generally have 3 hour appointments because it can get tedious tattooing the same thing for more time than that. Also, sometimes you can see the client getting fidgety and you know it’s about time…[Read more]

I took no offense, nor do I think you an ass. I try to read anything on the Internet in every context so I can tell whether or not someone is a jerk, sarcastic, or sincere.

Looks good. I always loved spiderwebs. They could make Weird Al look bad ass.

I didn’t have trouble with my elbow. For some reason my wrist was the most painful part to be tattooed.