Ouch. And those look like they won't last long either.. You'll be doing it again in no time!

Nice rruppal, saw that on cohens Instagram

I went to go see him today to finish mine up, I opted to shade in the outline of the lion I think it looks much more finished this way and love the contrast now to the filigree

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y13...pskzz3bavf.jpg
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They will be about a dark grey and stay like that for a long time , if u heal them really well. Maybe in the next 5+ years ill hit them again
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Hopefully... Good luck!

Iv meet a few ppl who had them and after a touch up they were in there for good , just not "black" but in, they were about 7 -8 years old and looked good !.. (they will always look grey and faded) im only using my fingers and making sure i dont use my palms ! , the parts we didnt go over have been in ther since sept and they havent changes one bit , so im hopeful they will last a while. Ill post pics once there all healed !
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Adam Sky started a blog, and although it's mediocre overall, I really enjoyed his most recent post.

Tales from the Front Lines of the Tattoo Shop: April 2014

So I am going in to donate my skin to an apprentice on Sunday, he will be doing a calf tattoo. Just wondering what you guys think would be a reasonable tip since the tattoo will be free.
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Well first see if he didnt give u something that looks like rats nest !
He anygood ??
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I think he's pretty good, this was screenshotted from his instagram since it's private. http://i101.photobucket.com/albums/m...13-10-38-1.png
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This is just a data point, but my friend's rate as an apprentice is $80/hr.

No offense, but that koi looks like it came out of a coloring book. IMO shading and coloring need alot of work. But to each their own

Geez , and the japanese finger waves look bad also !.. He should tip u for letting him ink on u ! , i would hold out man
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What are some symbols that represent change/rebirth? I'm finally getting through a very dark period of my life, and I need something to remind myself never to get back to that place.
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Phoenix or dragon koi seem obvious to me ;)

The Phoenix !!
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I see that hes apprenticing under horiryu.. given time he will improve but i think it's a little early on right now.

the ouroboros is a good symbol
basically its a serpent eating it's own tail to sustain itself.

The Ouroboros often symbolize self-reflexivity or cyclicality, especially in the sense of something constantly re-creating itself, the eternal return.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ouroboros

i like the idea/concept but for me it would be bad feng shui since i am year of the rat.

I would get a Phoenix but I'm not really looking for a large piece.

Loving the ouroboros! Need to look more into the meaning of it though to figure out if it's relevant to what I want
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commonly a snake or serpant.. one could use a dragon too.
the concept of the ouroboros = you have to give to receive

what do you think is a good place to put the ouroboros? I was thinking right on the shoulder, but so far all of the ones that I have seen on the shoulder are done terribly lol. Does anyone know how much it would cost for me to just get the stencil of the tattoo placed on multiple places of my body to see which place would look the best?

if you were serious about getting it done with an artist i'm sure they would print out as many stencils as you'd like and find the best spot

once the drawing is done they can pump a stencil out in a few minutes

ive thought about placing it on the wrist and wrapped around the shin but that is because the back is such a large canvas that might be better for larger pieces

I have always liked the inner bicep area for a piece like that. Easily shown but also kind of hidden.

Anyone going to tattoo convention this weekend? Thinking about checking it out
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i am, have for the last couple of years now, but i honestly find its too much of a gimmick now, it not even half about tattoos anymore.

^ oh how come?? this is going to be my first year going