Pounded Ink

It’s been quite a while since I updated the blog with pictures of my latest tattoo, an alien dissection scene on my ribs and abdomen that will be tied in with the existing quarter sleeve tattoo.  Since my first post about my new tattoo I have had four more tattoo sessions and to this point I think it’s about 50% complete.

I have been using Emla cream since my second session which has been working quite well.  The abdomen especially has been a dicey area to tattoo and although the Emla does not relieve all the pain, I’m glad that I have it.  My sessions last anywhere between three and four hours typically and Emla only works for about an hour.  I reapply it to different areas throughout the tattooing process which has been working quite well to relieve the majority of the pain for the extent of the tattoo session.

The third tattoo session was the first session we used color and consisted of mostly darker highlight colors.  It wasn’t until the fourth tattoo session that the figures really started to take shape as a ton of yellow highlights were pounded in to the majority of the figure.

My latest session is the one that has me the most excited as the forms are finally starting to get movement and texture.  I also am starting to visualize how it will be tying in with the quarter sleeve alien tattoo on my arm.  I think my favorite part is the purple as it really brings out the foreground.

I can’t wait to finish this piece.  I estimate that I will need roughly four more tattoo sessions to complete the tattoo as long as I don’t decide to extend it further across my body as I have been debating a chest plate for some time now.

When you think of a tattoo what comes to mind?  A sailor with an anchor on his arm, cartoon looking characters, Old English script?  If you said yes to any of these then it’s about time you expand your mind and open up to what a tattoo can really be. With a good tattoo artist anything is possible, limited only by your imagination.

Old School Tattoos

What is an old school Tattoo?  Old school means exactly what the name implies, old.  These are traditional designs very common on tattoo flash sheets.  If your grandpa got a tattoo while he was in the military it’s an old school tattoo.  Other common forms of old school tattoos are simple flowers, hearts with banners, various script writing, among other similar simple designs.

New School Tattoos

Just as old school mean old, new school tattoos are relatively new in design.  New school tattoos can be drastically out of proportion, using a lot of foreshadowing creating the feeling that the tattoo is coming out of the skin.  You will find that new school tattoos have movement in the subject matter.  Some common examples of new school tattoos would be claws coming out of the skin, comic book style characters and scenes, various three dimensional designs, etc.

Portrait - Reality Tattoos

A portrait tattoo is exactly what the name implies it is a rendering of an actual photograph.  It is common for people to get pictures of their kids or loved ones as well as scenes from their favorite movie.  I have also included reality tattoos which include realistic looking animals or objects.  The beauty about a portrait tattoo is that no one else will ever have that same tattoo even if they would get the same movie scene on their arm the artist rendering of it will be different for each tattooist.

There are some great portrait tattooist out there but there are even more poor ones.  Be sure to do your research on your tattooist previous work before embarking on a portrait tattoo.  There is nothing worse then a horrible looking portrait on your body.

A Tattoo Is A Form Of Self Expression

A tattoo should be as individual as the person who will be wearing it.  There is no excuse for having a tattoo that you aren’t happy with just because you got a deal on it.  The cost to have a custom tattoo drawn by a qualified tattoo artist is well worth the money you will spend for a lifetime of enjoyment knowing that no one else has your tattoo.

When thinking about your next tattoo, think outside the box and remember you are only limited by your imagination.

Everyone probably already knows that the “King Of All Media” Howard Stern is about to get married to the beautiful supermodel Beth Ostrosky.

On Tuesday, August 12th Howard inked his love for the lovely Beth O’ in flesh.  The tattoo is roughly a half an inch square Old English script letter “B” on Sterns left ring finger.  His fiance also got a tattoo of the letter “H” on the underside of her wrist.  Beth’s tattoo is slightly more discreet but larger than Howard’s tattoo.

The tattoo was applied by world renowned tattoo artist Shanghai Kate who flew in for the occasion and guested at a local New York tattoo shop.

On Wednesday Howard expressed his love for the new tattoo and even more love for his soon to be wife for imortalizing him with her first tattoo.  He commented, “I was like, ‘Wow, maybe she really does love me.’”

One would think that the negative stigmas associated with tattoos would have diminished by now, after all we do live in the twenty-first century.  Of course that is not the case and if you are thinking of getting a new tattoo you need to realize that tattoos are still considered taboo in many professional jobs.

Places You Should Avoid Tattooing

Although many tattoos are somewhat accepted by society such as tramp stamps on women and bicep tattoos on men.  There are areas of the body that you should avoid tattooing if you have any apsiration for a professional job of some sort in the future.

Whatever you do, don’t tattoo your face.  If there is one spot on your body that almost everyone looks down on it’s a facial tattoo.  A facial tattoo pretty much says “I give up on becoming successful in any way, now look at my face!”.

Other places you should avoid tattooing if you have any aspiration for professional success are ; the neck, top of your hands, your head (anywhere a professional haircut will expose your tattoo), and anything that can’t be covered up by a t-shirt should be pretty much avoided.

There are of course many seccessful professionals with full sleeve tattoos although most of them cover their tattoos every day with long sleeve shirts to hide their body art.

Tattoo Acceptance Around The World

Many countries around the world still view tattoos as associated with organized crime or thugs.  One example is the Japanese who still do not allow people with tattoos to enter bathhouses (a common place to socialize in Japanese society).  The ones that do allow tattoos are usually in seedy neighborhoods that you probably wouldn’t want to visit anyway.

The reason for the Japanese dislike for tattoos comes from the Yakuza  (similar to the American Mofia) who traditionally have huge highly detailed back piece tattoos that cover their entire back, upper arms, and butt.  The sight of a large tattoo in Japan can easily cause someone to move to the opposite side of the street and cause people to stare.

Along with bathouses many Japanese waterparks do not allow patrons to expose their tattoos which means tattooed visitors must spend their time in the park wearing a long sleeve shirt or long pants to conceal their body art.  Until recently the discovery of a tattoo at a Japanese waterpark would cause immediate dismissal from the park but with the influx of modern tattoos many parks have relaxed their rules and allow patrons to cover their tattoos without fear of dismissal.

Think Before You Ink

In closing I would just like to stress that tattoos are permenant and choosing the proper placement is essential, not only for the tattoos sake but for your potential carreer as well.  I suggest that you keep all your tattoos under your “T-shirt Line” so that you aren’t condemend to a life of long sleeves at work.

Let’s take a look into piercing migration and rejection.  These are both things that you need to be aware of since it can happen with any piercing.

First you’ll need to understand the difference between migration and rejection as they are not the same thing.

Piercing Migration - The permanent movement of a piercing from its original position.
Piercing Rejection - The body’s natural process of removing a foreign object causing tissue damage as the body slowly pushes the object toward the surface of the skin.

What Causes A Piercing To Migrate?

There are several different things that can cause a piercing to migrate.  A common form of migration is referred to as the “cheesecutter effect”.  You will see this in elderly women who have had pierced ears all their lives and now instead of a small hole, they have a long cut shaped piercing from years of pressure on the small opening caused by gravity.  To avoid the cheesecutter effect yourself you should wear modern piercing jewelry, which is much more balanced then traditional jewelry and even stretch your ears if you have to.  Larger gauge piercings tend not to migrate as much as those with smaller jewelry.

Pressure is also a very common cause of piercing migration especially common in tongue and navel piercings.  The constant pressure and position of the jewelry from the mouth or a tight shirt can cause a piercing to migrate.  Be sure to keep all your piercings from being exposed to constant pressure.  Your skin is quite flexible and jewelry can migrate before you know it.

Be sure to use the proper jewelry for the correct piercing.  Improper jewelry selection can cause a piercing to migrate and never return to its natural placement.  Be especially selective of eyebrow and navel rings as improperly used jewelry can cause them to grow out starting from the outside moving inward.

Can Piercing Migration Be Reversed?

If your piercing has migrated there is almost no chance of manipulating it back into its original position.  If the piercing has migrated to the point you are unhappy with its location or it starts causing discomfort you may have to remove the jewelry and re-pierce it.

Why Does Your Body Reject A Piercing?

Rejection is your body’s way of removing something it deems harmful from the system.  More often then not this is caused by the material being inserted into the body.  Some people have very sensitive systems that will not accept a certain type of metal.

Certain piercings have a much higher rate of rejection then others.  Among the most rejected piercing are surface piercings which can be very sensitive to pressure.

Impact can be a major factor in a healed piercing starting the rejection process without warning.  Sudden trauma to the pierced area can cause the body to view your healed piercing as a new wound and try to push out the jewelry just like it would a splinter.

Can Rejection Be Stopped?

Sometimes piercing rejection can be stopped with TLC and plenty of attention, other times you will need to remove the jewelry and let the area heal before attempting to pierce it again.

You’ve seen them on the street and they just look awesome.  So now you’re thinking that you want a sleeve tattoo.  In this article I will try to give some insight on different variations of sleeve tattoos as well as what to expect when starting a tattoo process as lengthy as a tattoo sleeve.

What Type Of Tattoo Sleeve Do You Want?

The first thing you need to do, even before choosing a design or theme for the tattoo, is to decide what type of tattoo sleeve you want to get.  Variations include full, three-quarter, half, and quarter sleeves.  As the names imply each variation defines where the tattoo stops on the arm as measured from the shoulder.

Keep in mind that there will be times when you will want to cover your tattoo such as job interviews, corporate meetings, court, etc.  Your choice on sleeve length should be based on your acceptance level of exposed tattoos.  Like it or not tattoos do carry a stigma and the longer your sleeve the more difficult it is to cover up.

How Long Does A Sleeve Tattoo Take?

Besides the length of the tattoo sleeve, the bigest factor in the amount of time a tattoo will take is the choice between full-color or black and grey.  Full-color tattoos take much longer to complete as every square inch of the skin must be penetrated with ink.

I have two full-color quarter sleeve tattoos.  They go from my shoulder to about six inches from my elbow.  They are just barely covered by a t-shirt, which allows me to work in a corporate environment without discrimination from tattoos.

Each of my quarter sleeves took roughly 20-22 hours of tattooing to complete.  Given my experience a full color sleeve can take as much as 40-50 hours of solid tattooing to complete.  My buddy has a full sleeve biomech tattoo in black and grey.  His tattoo took only 30-35 hours to complete as it was only black and grey.

As you can see any type of tattoo sleeve is going to take several extended tattooing sessions to complete.  Durring this time it is important to keep your tattoo out of the sun so your colors don’t fade between the initial start of the tattoo and the final session.  This is more important for color tattoos as opposed to black and grey, but still important.

There is yet another name to add to the prestigious pages of The Guiness Book Of World Records.  On Friday, June 13th, 2008 Oliver Peck broke the world record for most tattoos given in a twenty-four hour period with a total of 415 individual tattoos.

World renowned tattooist Peck, performed his maraton tattoo session at his co-owned shop in the Deep Ellum entertainment district in Dallas, Texas.  For several years Elm Street Tattoo has held a marathon tattoo session, tattooing only the number thirteen on countless arms, legs, thighs, and even a few butts.

The previous world record was held by Peck’s wife Katherine Von Drachenberg, also known as Kat Von D, star of the TLC reality show “L.A. Ink” with 400 Guiness approved “LA” tattoo designs in a 24 hour period.

Peck’s customers included almost every walk of life; police officers, firefighters, bartenders, vehicle inspector, nurse and even a surgeon. By the time the marathon began, a line of customers snaked out the door and onto Elm Street.

Quotes From The Record Breaking Day

“It’s an adrenaline rush,” explained Peck, the 36 year old tattoo king.

Sarah Hooper, 24, is so obsessed with the number 13 that she tries to stop the gas pump at $13.13, got her seventh number thirteen tattoo, this one placed on her upper left thigh.
“It’s something to do on the 13th,” she said.

Todd Smith, a newcommer to tattoos, got his ink without the approval of his wife.
“Since I’m 34, and I have three kids, it’s my mid-life crisis,” he said.

One of the hardest decisions to make when selecting a tattoo is weather to go color or black and grey. There are benefits and downfalls to each. So today we’ll examine both types of tattoos.

Black And Grey Tattoos

Black and grey is the oldest form of tattoos and performed by the proper artist can produce stunning results. The work is described as black and grey because the highlights of the tattoo are natural flesh that is not tattooed, or occasionally some white for more dramatic effect.

Black tattoo ink is made from a variety of sources including Magnetite Crystals, Powdered Jet, Wustite, Bone Black, and Logwood. The same ingredients can be found in common India art ink.

Black and grey tattoos are the most resilient to damage from the sun. If you do a lot of work outside and refuse to wear sunblock you should get a black and grey tattoo rather then color work.

Full-Color Tattoos

Full-Color tattoos are by far my favorite type of tattoo. Color tattoos open up an entirely new realm of possibility.

There is a higher rate of ink rejection with color tattoos vs. black and grey due to the various compounds used to create color tattoo inks. Tattoo ink companies don’t have to reveal the ingredients in pigment products. These are closely guarded recipes and finding out exactly what is in your tattoo ink may be nearly impossible.

Color tattoos are created using a slew of compounds including, but not limited to, Ochre, Cinnabar, Cadmium Red, Iron Oxide, Napthol-AS pigment, Disazopyrazolone, Cadmium Seleno-Sulfide, Clay, Cadmium Yellow, Curcuma Yellow, Chrome Yellow, Disazodiarylide, Chromium Oxide, Malachite, Ferrocyanides, Lead Chromate, Monoazo Pigment, Phthalocyanine, Manganese Violet, various aluminum salts, Quinacridone, Carbazole, Titanium Dioxide, Barium Sulfate, and Zinc Oxide.

Don’t let that list scare you, rejection to tattoo ink is not very common. In the event that you do have a reaction it will likely be to only one specific color.

In order for color tattoos to retain their color you must keep them out of the sun. The suns rays can break down inks in a matter of years. Even a single bad sunburn could cause your tattoo to loose its original luster.

Which Hurts More Color Or Black And Grey?

Black and grey tattoos don’t hurt nearly as much as color. The main reason for this is that with a color tattoo you must apply pigment to every square inch of the skin. With black and grey the shading is achieved using less pigment then a color tattoo would require, therefore it hurts less.

If you have ever thought about a surface piercing and are weary because of the high rejection rate (over 80%), then you might want to consider a microdermal implant also known as a surface anchor. Since microdermals have only a 2% rejection rate, maybe this is just the piercing for you.

How Surface Anchors Work

To understand how a surface anchor works you must first look at the shape. All surface anchors have the same basic elements.

The holes at the base of the jewelery provide space for tissue growth through the holes, better securing the surface anchor. Yes, your skin will grow through the holes, so surface anchors are permanent.

All microdermals will have a shaft that stick up above the skin. This shaft is where the bead or jewelry head is screwed on. The skin around this shaft usually heals just as though it were a normal piercing.

Microdermal Piercing And Insertion Process

Microdermals are much less involved then an implant procedure and require no special tools other then a dermal punch (needle) and a taper.

The skin is pinched and the dermal punch is inserted at an angle. The punch is removed and the foot of the jewelery is inserted in the hole. Then with some finesse the piercer will separate the skin as needed with the jewelery and pop the heel of the jewelery into place beneath the skin.

The result is a small post sticking out of the skin in which a bead or other accessories can be screwed in.

Performed by a trained professional this is actually a pretty quick and easy procedure.

The most important decision of any new tattoo is choosing the proper tattoo studio. There are probably several tattoo shops within driving distance of your home. So how do you decide which tattoo studio is the right tattoo studio?

Tattoo artists don’t go to school for training, they are apprenticed. Anyone can make a flashy certificate or buy a trophy for the front window. Unlike your family physician or your lawyer you can’t just look at a wall of certificates and determine a tattoo artist ability.

What To Look For In A Tattoo Artist

Artists are a dime a dozen, and tattoo artists are no different. The best way to find an artist is by asking people who have tattoos that you like. Most everyone with a good tattoo is more then happy to recommend their favorite artist.

When looking into a tattoo artist be sure to see his “books”. All decent tattoo artists will have one, if not several, books full of photos of his previous tattoo work. These books should be filled with photos of real tattoos, not pages of illustrations on paper. Be sure to see photos of both fresh and healed tattoos. Tattoos can change quite a bit during the healing process if done improperly.

What To Look For In A Tattoo Studio

Not only do you need to find a good tattoo artist, you must select a studio that meets basic tattooing standards. If any of the following are not present in the tattoo studio you have selected, immediately run out the door.

First and foremost the shop should be clean. All work surfaces should be free of dust. Counters and supplies should be neatly organized and uncluttered. Floors should appear to be cleaned daily. There should also be a working sink in both the bathroom and the tattooing workspace.

You must make sure the shop uses hospital grade sterilization procedures. Ask to see the autoclave, a sterilization device used to prepare needles for piercing or tattooing. All needles should be one use and be sure that you watch the tattooist remove the needles from sterilized bags in front of you. Cups for ink should also be new and one use only.

If the artist doesn’t wear gloves, and change them any time they touch an unsterilized surface you need to get out of the tattoo shop immediately. Any tattoo artist that doesn’t use or change his gloves obviously does not care about the health of his customers. You can risk contracting anything from AIDS to a flesh eating staph bacteria if improper sterilization procedures are used.

I Found A Tattoo Studio I Like, But It’s Expensive

When you select a tattoo studio you are not only paying for the talent of the tattoo artist but everything that goes into running a clean and reliable tattoo shop. There is building overhead, cleaning products, needle disposal, bookkeeping, and a ton of other expenses that must be covered in order to run the business properly.

Remember… good tattoos aren’t cheap, and cheap tattoos aren’t good.