Tattoos

I love the guy I get my tattoos from now and he's been the only one I've seen for a few years. He does have an annoying habit of taking frequent breaks for fags though which seems to mean the endorphins dissipate and when he restarts it's a fucking branding iron for a few minutes.

Of course this is all just silly whinging. If it was really bad I wouldn't have been getting tattooed over the last 17 years.

got to be better than when everyone smoked while they were tattooing you though!

It's funny how some places hurt and the other don't.
Tiny bit of my wrist (where you'd take a pulse from) stung as hell, while the area quarter of an inch away was virtually painless.
Same for the tiny area of my belly next to the edge of the hip bone. Never again.

Nerves are just odd sometimes. Weirdest I had was going over my collar bone and top of my chest which felt like it was a couple of inches higher and on my throat even though it wasn't. I envy people with a bit more padding as well because going over boney bits is never pleasant imo.

Yeah, I know what you mean, felt like my wrist was getting tattooed when I got the skull done, and the roses which Ive yet to take a picture of on my shoulder, felt like I was getting my armpit done...

One or both thighs?

Just the one, some good advice about going in not expecting it to hurt. The girl I go to is very gentle too. Everyone's right though, it's going to hurt regardless so just got to power on through!

My advice is to keep your blood sugar up by eating before hand and having something to drink on hand that has a bit of sugar in it to help with the minor shock that your body will go through. Don't do it after drinking or smoking the cheeba as I've done both and they really made it much less fun.

Good advice, but common sense really which some people don't seem to understand (I myself for example would often get pissed after having work done).

Having a tattoo = you are being physically injured, and unlike a fall from your bike giving you road rash, it's happening over a longer period of time.

Take care of yourself, before and after the work and it will be better for your recovery and the tattoo.

I really didn't think it hurt. More annoying than pain, like a cat sitting on you and kneading you with it's claws.
Afterwards, healing feels like sunburn.
I've had worse pain from going for a run.

i am yet to have a tattoo that hurts (being done, i agree with the sunburn comparison for healing)
Could be location of mine though as to why they havent hurt (back of upper l.arm, side of upper r.arm and left elbow)
I am getting a mexican skull on my inner l/forearm at christmas, maybe that one will hurt?

my wife had her foot done (1st tattoo, 4hrs by Dom @TFB) and said it was major pains for pretty much the whole time.

Certain outlines can hurt though, least for me, The roses on my shoulder (done the same day as the skull above, not yet taken a picture), some areas really did kill. Shading was more, erm relaxing.

I'm the opposite. I find shading a lot more painful than outlining always which is quite unusual as most my friends find shading easier.

I think for me the outlines do hurt more because you're tattooing on fresh new skin, whereas when you're shading that area already has gone to 'shock' if that makes any sense haha?

Although I can understand if shading hurts more if you're not shading a tattoo the same session as the outlining.

I'm the opposite. I find shading a lot more painful than outlining always which is quite unusual as most my friends find shading easier.

I'm the same! maybe the irritating little cunt that did mine just trying to hurt me! But he is/was a good artist to be fair.

Camwhoring myself

Another pic of my skull, day old :P

Boyf's hand skulls done by Harriet. He's also getting his solid sleeve done by her.

This was also done the same session as the skull. It needs to be shaded in, and the main rose will be purple.

Please ignore my chubbiness :] That's what's done so far, will still be adding a bunch of generic stuff. 4hrs next month. The negative space will be solid black.

Harriet's work continues to impress me, for someone whos only been tattooing a year.

Very nice. Non-chubbiness noted.

the phoenix was not myself, I've wanted a phoenix on my left arm for longtime but couldn't reach agreement with the artist as he wanted to go onto my forearm, which interest of future career progression I'd like to keep clear for now. Looks like a good solution having the feathers on back and chest, I would want the head in a different place though.

On the age subject I got my first tattoo when I was 15, I don't regret it at all it will always remind me of that period in my life. I did spend a fair while thinking it over though and it's on my back so i knew that if i ended up not liking it I would never have to look at it.

On the pain subject, I think shading is worse because it is more constant and drawn out, going over and over and over same spot. Worst with black shading not bad at all with colour.

Nice skull, call that chubby? pah!

I think that objectively, the linework hurts more and the shading hurts less, but because shading tends to be done on an area which has already been made sore by the linework, it feels like it hurts more. If that makes sense.

I've just arranged to do a calf piece made up of small nautical oldschool work. Can't wait.

Shit, who did that? David Blunkett?!

Pain is subjective, some feel it more than others, I never thought it hurt at all with single pieces. But after 3-4 hours of sitting it all starts getting pretty fucking old. Then there will be some pain, even if it's only just occasional.

Shit, who did that? David Blunkett?!

Ah fuck off, for a grown man you're quite a child

Err.............................

You're a proper arsehole Pistanator. Your comments are pure spite. The internet is taylor made for pathetic people like you.

Hahahahaha!

Did you not know, I invented the internet?

When I just had the linework done on this it made it look as if I'd been throttled the bruising was so bad. The shading is settling down much faster. This is by Stewart at Frith Street. Cannot recommend him highly enough.