Tattoos - Suck or Rock?

tattoos are alright for you. i have no interest in them, perhaps because i know too many old people with tattoos that are just embarrassing now. (though, i must admit, my grandmother's companion has "love" and "hate" tattooed on his knuckles -- just like robert mitchum! -- and that's pretty cool.)

Everyone I know with body piercings is really annoying, so it put me off it if the pain threshold issue wasn't there in the first place. My ears were pierced, but I haven't worn earrings in about a year, so I don't even know if that counts anymore.

I have changed my mind about one tattoo, but you can get them covered up with a new one.

But no tats and no holes for yours truly. No plans to, either.

In moderation, both can be aesthetically pleasing accessories to enhance one's personal appearance. However, once you go & start poking everything & drawing on any spot of free real estate impervious to repeated needling , you're asking for trouble. Imagine, say, what Tommy Lee will look like when he hits 65? (Assuming he makes it, that is?) Hung like a horse, sure, but flaps upon flaps of distended skin full of hellfire & skulls & stuff. Rock & roll, maybe, but a bit much, I think.

And now, I'll go suck on a Werthers butterscotch candy & listen to some Lawrence Welk. Honey, where's my Shirley Temple?

Like I said, I'm certain some people did it. I know a lot of piercers who did that, but piercing is different because it (supposedly) hurts way less - again, neither hurt me a whit - and once you're sick of it, you just take it out and it closes up.

I personally got into doing both because I wanted to feel the pain. But I've never done it because it was something that was trendy - which is a stupid reason and AGAIN I don't believe most people who get tattoos do it for that reason - or to fit in or anything of the like. I've wanted the same rose tattoo since I was 12, and I was so psyched I finally got it - I can't imagine getting sick of it after nearly ten years of dying for it. The one on my ankle is the same way, I always wanted it.

Now, the only problem I'm having with my tattoos is the one on my stomach, chosen because it was the simplest design and I wanted to appease a boyfriend who was very much against tattoos (even after it was dead and done, he had nothing nice to say about it, even after I tried to explain WHY I chose the one I did, it was very depressing). I have an idea of what I wanted there and I will get it done over it, as the guy told me he could cover it very easily.

I'm getting a 4th one done on my lower back. *shrugs* I'm not big into piercing though, ears and navel are enough for me. I've toyed with the idea of getting my tongue done but every time I think about it, I think about having to lisp for a week and it puts me off.

The stupidest thing I ever saw was a male so-called friend of mine went with me to get one once and agreed to get an arm band that it was obvious he wasn't really into just because I called my cohorts wusses because all of them claimed they wanted to get one done (admittedly after I insisted we go down because I knew what I wanted) then once I was under the needle decided to just take pictures of me and say that's as good as getting their own. So after I said, well, I think certain tattoos are very sexy, he gets this arm band, I'm not an arm band person mind you, and it's just not cool at all, it's way too thin and girly and just argh.

Then he totally fucked up later that night with me and I haven't spoken to him since. So now he's stuck with this stupid thing forever that he just got cos he thought it'd impress me. It makes me laugh every time I think of it - divine justice for trying to take advantage of two girls, I reckon.

Now THAT'S the stupidest reason to get a tattoo.

I'm somewhat obsessed with the idea of getting a Mad Max-style tattoo across my face, though. The one good thing I could see about a thermonuclear war is that I would be able to do all of these bizarre things that have occurred to me over the years and be the height of fashion in the post-apocalyptic society that would stir from the rubble.

Never regretted it. Never. Not even when my mom found out. (I got it when I was 18) But then again, I did have the design pinned up over my bed for nearly a year before I finally got it inked, because I knew too many people who got "flaming skulls puking snakes" type tattoos and completely regretted it.

I used to have a nose-ring, but the hole closed over while I was in jail. (They made me take it out so it wouldn't get ripped out in a catfight.) I'm kinda grossed out by piercings, so I never got any more.

Geez Kate, remind me that I'm boring, why don't you? And people wonder why I sometimes spout vaguely psychotic things out of the blue... ;)

I think everyone needs tattoos. My mission at the October meet is to convince everyone to get one.

Didn't it hurt?

Now piercing my own nipple - that kinda hurt.

BTW why is it called a Prince Albert

As for me, I've had both nostrils pierced. It's left these strange lumps of flesh inside so I'm not having them done again. And I always had bogeys getting stuck in the metal. I was going through a bit of a crusty phase at the time, I'm afraid.

I'm thinking of finally getting one. how much do they generally run, and did you find you had to get touchups done on yours? the aftercare seems pretty simple but I'm such a klutz y'know.

what are you going to get

was thinking of the design from Slayer's Divine Intervention cover in smaller size on my arm, but I dunno. it'll have skulls probably though and/or prerequisite pentagrams

black and grey tho no color

definitely get a novelty tattoo that looksl ike it's interacting with your mouth when you're chewing food

I want something that will demand immediate obedience from mankind

My opinion on tattoos is not important. I just want to record my deep, everlasting gratitude that "Suck or Rock?" was never picked up as an alternative to "Classic or Dud?"

it reminds me too much of what Rock 100 WDIZ used to do on weeknights in the 90s - play a new tune during a segment called "Does It Rock or Does It Suck" and have the listeners vote, after which it either got added to the rotation or dropped (a load of BS, cuz 'sucks' got added anyway)

thinking about getting a spider (slint ref). god i am lame

You should get a crinkled old map, like of am ancient land, and in one section of the map it reads "here there be spiders."

I think as long as it interacts with your mouth when you're chewing food you're good

mine were a couple hundo each. no touchups needed as yet but it's only been 5 & 7 years

http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u120/kingkonggodzilla/Mobile%20Uploads/20140608_131533_zpsfhwqudrw.jpg

This is my tattoo. I got it about 8 years ago. Cost about $150 (plus a 20% tip). Mostly happy with it although one of the lines on the lower blade is a little shaky. I thought about going back and getting it touched up, but moved out of town soon thereafter. The lines have only started getting a little fuzzy recently. The Slayer design has an lot more line work, so would probably take longer/cost more.

Oooh I like it!

$180+ p/hr for a really respected tattoo artist ime. how many hours it will take depends on the size/detail/color/how fast your artist works (my first big one took about 9 hours and had a lot of detail; my second one was slightly bigger but less detail and took about 15 hours)

i have four (3 big ones, one small one) now and getting a fifth next week. this is what has worked for me, after trying a couple different things from different artists:
- keep the covering on for a few hours afterwards.
- remove then CAREFULLY rinse with lukewarm water and a little UNSCENTED anti-bac soap
- let it dry out overnight
- following morning, rinse and lightly wash with the lukewarm water and anti bac soap and apply a v v v thin layer of aquaphor, same again that night; repeat for 2 more days
- keep up the cleaning routine for a total of 7 days, but replace aquaphor with a small amount of lubriderm moisturizer
- keep moisturizing twice daily till fully healed
- DO NOT DO NOT DO NOT DO NOT pick at it, not even if it looks like that little bit of skin is ready to peel off. IT'S NOT READY and you will put a hole in your tattoo.

don't use neosporin or anything like that, unless it actually gets infected. just keep it clean and dry. don't wear any tight clothing over it while it's healing and don't bandage it. don't swim, don't soak it in water (eg baths), keep it out of the sun completely.

welp I did it. altho I opted for a diff design (the regular Slayer logo w/ pentagram in color on my right shoulder). It cost about #350 but the dude did a great job - saw a few others on the net that others have done and his was better.

bandaged atm, will start the cleanin process once I remove it.

Awesome!

apologies for barechestedness, snapped this right after I cleaned off the blood and plasma:

http://i61.tinypic.com/ff7j12.jpg

that fucking rules

thx! I was nervous going in because I saw some pics on the net where the logo was done almost criminally bad. this guy was really precise on the placement and shadowing tho. almost went black and grey and so glad I opted for color now

So far the upkeep has gone fine. question tho - should one be careful not to overwash or should i clean everytime i see ooze? I have been but wasnt sure if thats overkill.

Been letting it air out...feels good, not stiff.

Just clean it twice a day - it needs to dry out.

Cool thx!

upkeep has been pretty smooth. no infections, no scabbing, just the expected flaking, peeling, and massive itching. parts of it are feeling like real skin again!

part of me is already thinking about getting a Lord Baphomet on the other shoulder but the other half is saying 'are you nuts let one heal first'.

that looks so badass i can understand the temptation to get another right away.

i have the ever-increasing desire to get a tattoo of some variation on http://hyperallergic.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/Cage_433_3-1200.jpg, but i haven't quite convinced myself that it wouldn't be comically pretentious (though i don't know why i'd care about that) or just look really dumb.

i've seen someone with just the "tacet I tacet II" etc on their arm

I've got a lot and am slowly getting the bits on my arms and left leg incorporated into sleeves of varying degrees. I've also got my eventual hilarious joke of a chest piece planned but that probably won't happen until I'm 50.

I also had a ridiculous tribal tramp stamp since 1996 that I've been getting covered up and made into a pretty huge Moby Dick / Pequod / Ahab-in-a-boat piece over most of my lower back. I go in every couple of months I ask my dude (who is young and always just laughs at me for having a gotten a big 90s tribal back tattoo) for about $200 worth and he'll work for like two hours or so.

i just got this done yesterday:

https://scontent-b-pao.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xpf1/t1.0-9/10444558_10152130568527050_6953733447337607897_n.jpg

i think most ppl get family portraits done when they have old photos of their really beautiful/handsome grandparents or whatever - but my nana is from stout farmer stock. she's 91 and i can't wait for her to see this in august when i go back to visit.

this was only supposed to be the size of my hand, but when i got there the artist had made it pretty huge and it doesn't take much to convince me to go bigger, so now it takes up my entire thigh.

the nose looks a bit weird bc it was still bleeding.

Nice.

fucking awesome, love the color

great shading on that one too. how long did it take?

2 hours

surface is healed and it still looks vibrant and dope as hell. actually has been for almost two weeks now (much easier than I expected). the feeling of new hair growing in is....weird.

so I hear that like the 'overall' healing still takes a few months (ie, there's a layer of skin still forming)? do I still need to avoid the pool or am I good?

when the scab part is done u are good to go in my exp

got a new one at idle hand in sf last month, recommend the hell out of that place, great work from chill people

that's who did my nana tattoo!

ha oh I see that! Holly! me too, she is great

I got a little geometric elephant today on the inside of my right leg. I am totally in love with it. Going to start planning with the same woman who did it for a similarly styled edelweiss/mountain scene on my shoulder.

http://i59.tinypic.com/nfo3ut.jpg

that is awesome!

Yeah that's pretty cool!

Thanks guys! I gave her some pictures of similar ones and she did the drawing herself and I love the way it came out. I can't stop staring at it. :)

Ooooh, I love that. Did the idea just come straight from yr brain or is there a reference there?

I guess it was my idea but i got inspiration online and let the artist run with it. I really love geometric designs and I wanted an elephant because 1) they're amazing 2) they're good luck and 3) my mom used to collect them so it's sort of a tribute to her. I found a couple geometric designs online and sent them to the artist who used them for inspiration to draw this one. I also really really love watercolor tattoos but they have to be done right or the colors will bleed and eventually get muddled so I showed her some in the style I like and she did the shading and splatters in a way that won't do that but still looked very close.

Cool!

am i insane? i think i am

http://i.imgur.com/LVvAdCT.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/tMnCIGR.jpg

right now the dharmacakra's looking less impressive in comparison but the color/shade will change that

what is the thing that's not a dharmacakra? it has a kind of jim woodring vibe

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

nice work, clouds, your tattoo artist did a fantastic job. and it DOES look very woodring-ian!

thanks! and yes my dude is amazing. after finishing the vajra he said "that looks like the beginning of a sleeve" which is totally true. i can see this becoming an addiction :o

Getting a lord baphomet right now.

http://oi59.tinypic.com/e028oh.jpg

That's a well done Satan!

now to conceal it from my mother for the remainder of my life!

Most people spend their whole lives hiding things from their mother, right? All you need is sleeves!

yarp. hence the location :)

my left arm at this point is a de-facto whole sleeve in progress. I have an idea that's cute whereas the rest of the arm is more wicked-lookin' and I'm not sure whether to just have a part that's more cute than wicked or find another spot for the cute thing

Rock.

I've wanted to get started on my right arm (other than the Black Label skateboard logo I've had for 13 years) for ages and had no real plans to do so until I visited my Seattle and a friend of my brother-in-law was in town tattooing and one thing led to another and I ended up spending five hours getting this:

http://i.imgur.com/MQU0MO9.jpg

Nice! Is the design something you brought in?

sick

i'm getting the jones for a third

It's hanuman, from a massive painting of the ramakien in the thai grand palace. I brought in a photo I took and the guy tweaked it and added the clouds and mountains, and left it open for future sleeving purposes. I feel vaguely like a lout being a non-buddhist and non-hindu.

so dope that is awesome

Woah

Slayer theme continues on right arm. bad camera angle but man this guy did some dope shading..

http://i58.tinypic.com/34i480j.jpg

got reminded today that i have a self made tatt: wood carbon crayon i jammed in the palm of my left hand some 30 years ago, forgot the deets. the black dot is still there.

Damn, HSB, they did a nice job there. Next you need the Slayer logo as a bagel crossed with shmear knives and spread with sour cream, SLAYER written in lox.

yeah I'm gonna seek this guy from now on. he's so precise.

hmm, giving me ideas. that might finally be the ass tattoo I've been long desiring.

might have to start a separate ass-tattoo thread which i will NOT bookmark no offense

As if your body wasn’t already unique
You went and put an image of an espresso on your arm

really takes the right person to wear a tattoo

So many people get them to look cool and just end up looking like try hard knobs

Or to look tough. What makes a person tough has nothing f to do with what branding they put on themselves

I am exceedingly glad that "Suck or Rock" never supplanted "Classic or Dud".

Is that a 1950’s style rocket ship on your arm?

just happy to see you :)

I am so not "getting" this tattoo thing / do you guys want to look at each others ink?

Before the NBA draft, Charles Jenkins was asked why he didn't have any tattoos. "You ever see a bumper sticker on a Maybach?" he said.