Tattoos

Some of the pictures on there you have to really look at before you can work out what part of the body the mess of skin and metal on the screen has come from.

I've seen some stuff on that site that has given me nightmares.
Testes swelled to the size of footballs and amputations and stuff, real crazy shit.

Yep, you've been there. About eight years ago I naively clicked all around there and saw some things that I wish I hadn't. When I've visited since then I just stuck to their old school tattoo gallery.

A great magazine, although I don't know if it's available here, is ITA: International Tattoo Art. Of all the magazines it was the one that focused on really great artwork and not just flash, biker crap and ads. Although, again, It's been years since I've seen a copy.

Some of the pictures on there you have to really look at before you can work out what part of the body the mess of skin and metal on the screen has come from.

stomach turning, bile in the back of my throat... better stop reading this thread before something gets posted...

I just tried to click on their old school gallery and I don't have permission to see anything, so scratch that recommendation. It's changed a lot since I last took a peek.

Yeah they have passwords and stuff now, long overdue I think.

I just google imaged bmezine extreme and it brought up some of my old favourites

I like this, and the piece on his arm.

In fact, I love the piece on his arm! Wicked.

This is neat.

I like this, and the piece on his arm.

Done by Little Swastika

I like this, and the piece on his arm.

beautiful, I wonder about all the folks who have OM MANI PADME HUNG permanent on them, its fashionable Buddhism, but I wonder about it.

I like this, and the piece on his arm.

Done by Little Swastika

He's got the backpiece done as well if you go to tattoos > new

SHIVA POWER! that is something else
some lucky people on that site

His waiting list can take foreeeeevvvvvvvvver. But sometimes he guest spots in the UK, just gotta be quick to grab a session!

Nikole Lowe, 2005

that goose is awesome, thought it is a repost from one of the tattoo threads

So you all seem well informed on uk/london tattooists and I'd like to pick brains if I may... I have an unfinished sleeve, well I have a lot of areas tattooed but the left lower arm is my 'project'. It was started by the wonderful, the incredible Noska back in Austin TX ...except I don't live there anymore and I don't see TX in my tea leaves anytime soon so I'd like to try and get the rest done over here.
Problem is, as I see it... it's wacked out and the tattooists I've shown it to so far, fine though they may be, they've commented on it being 'sick' etc but don't want to work on it as it is not their style.
And I really can't go back to TX.
So, it's a world map and water and seaweed, two skulls, some words. I'd like the whole arm minus the area that is the land-mass of the world inked, so the land is still bare skin, like in the fifth pic with the Sharpie scribbles, but obviously I don't want just lines like that... I'm willing to let the artist jam on this, Noska tattooed freehand for the most part, I let him have a very free rein, I kind of gave him that arm.
Anyone know of anyone that does colorful weird shit and doesn't mind only doing 50% of a whole piece and has a cool attitude?
Cost and wait stuff don't freak me out.

Wow. The halftone skull is epic.

I've thought about getting some like that, except in the same colour as my freckles.

I've moved around loads in the States and ended up here and have had a sleeve finished by another artist. My advice is it's better not to. It might not be in the cards to visit that artist in the next year, two or five, but the tattoo is for life. If you have a complete vision of the sleeve I'd stick to the artist that shares yours.

That probably doesn't help and I don't know any London artists. I get tattooed when I go home to visit.

Anyway, it's my 2 cents based on my own experience.

To be slightly more helpful, I'll point out a couple of issues I ran into. Aside from the obvious of artists having different styles, which is obvious but trust me, you will see the difference. Instead of a sleeve, it will look patchy for lack of a better word. Not good or bad, but if you want a sleeve you probably are going for consistency.

Not all shops and artists use the same ink. There is a massive variety of inks out there and it will show. That lovely blue shade might not be able to be replicated by someone without the same ink; it's like Pantone to RGB. I wouldn't recommend switching artists without at least finding out about the ink. Again, my 2¢ based on personal experience.

ello. what do you mean by this? (i'm a noob to tattoos)

Your body sheds skin at different rates. Tattoos are essentially placed about halfway through your dermis, I believer there are something around 17 layers and a good tattoo hits halfway. Further down and it would be difficult to see (and probably open up pain/health complications), higher up it would slough off.

Places where your body replaces skin at higher rates such as the soles of your feet, palms of your hand, elbows etc will mean that the tattoo will have less to 'adhere' to and ink goes a-wandering. This isn't exactly medically or scientifically accurate but in two paragraphs that is why tattooing these areas won't really give you one for the ages. Even knuckle tattoos tend to fade and look shitty after a while.

what he said, its cos its a ''high traffic area'' as it where, skin wheres away quicker making the tatoo blotchy or missing etc etc

To be slightly more helpful, I'll point out a couple of issues I ran into. Aside from the obvious of artists having different styles, which is obvious but trust me, you will see the difference. Instead of a sleeve, it will look patchy for lack of a better word. Not good or bad, but if you want a sleeve you probably are going for consistency.

Not all shops and artists use the same ink. There is a massive variety of inks out there and it will show. That lovely blue shade might not be able to be replicated by someone without the same ink; it's like Pantone to RGB. I wouldn't recommend switching artists without at least finding out about the ink. Again, my 2¢ based on personal experience.

Thanks for the good advice, I've thought about those aspects and am fine with the negatives, I've been tattooed by a few people already so any consistent theme element has gone, my other arm for example is quite odd, in a way that I like. I hear you on the inks but I think that will be fine too, I wear my ink out in the sun and it's way the hell aged from those pix, it'll be around forever(ish) but different inks will be ok, it's all for aging and will be worn and torn.
To be honest, I love the idea of having such a personal tattoo interpreted by two separate artists, if I can find the second one that is. I'm not at all bothered if he/she chose to tattoo over some of what is already there, like if they did Japanese cloud background in pink and orange (pulled that out my ass) and it went over the words, well it would just confirm the message of the words...
I'm pretty easygoing.

Wow. The halftone skull is epic.

Ain't it. Want.

Done by Little Swastika

He is incredible. Right up my fucking street.

Actually in awe. Great work.

i want these, on my leg, intertwined with olive leaves, and the word فلسطين‎ in there.
or a keffiyeh.

Void - as mentioned earlier in the thread, what about Nikole Lowe? Watched the first series of london ink and although she specializes in japanese work she came accross as very open minded. great artist too.

My sleeve was done by 2 different artists, after I saw a couple of examples of the first waves/shading and didn't like. they didn't know each other at the time but know work in the same studio, and the first has come a long way with his shading since.

As long as you have an artist that takes pride in their work reckon you'll be fine.

oh yeah - and the work on your arm does look sick, really like the colours.