Tattoo -- and, no, we ain't talkin' 'bout "Fantasy Island"

[LizzyD]

I have one.....it's the Yes logo floating on top of a sunset, with the words "Nous Sommes Du Soleil" around the top. On my right shoulder.

 

Yeah, I'm a Yes fan-geek! Just passed the 20th anniversary of my first Yes show - 1984 at the Rosemont Horizon, after which I was hooked for life.

[rub_a_dub_stylie]

Well, let's see. I have 5:

 

1. My first, was when I was 15 and, and after a long night of drinking. It is a drunk smiley face with a squiggley mouth, cross eyes and bubbles over his head. This is in the inside of my right ankle. It was done by a friend of mine with a homemade gun.

 

2. This was done by another friend of mine but with a professional gun. I wish I could say his work was professional as well. It is a big tribal piece that takes up the whole outside of my left calf. It was then that I decided no more free tattoos.

 

3. This one was done by a local artist, my design, his work. It is another tribal, black and red piece. This one is on the outside of my right calf, not as big as the other one but the work is a hell of a lot better. It also wraps around the top of my calf just under the knee.

 

4. My favorite. This was done by another local artist who does the best work I have ever seen. It's an Informal Upright style Bonsai, another one of my hobbies, with a sunset in the background.

 

5. My take on yin and yang. Two coy, one black one white swimming over each other. This one has the most wonderful shading and was completely done, except for the outline, freehand.

 

I'll try to post some pics.

[Alan Dalton]

I've a silhouette of a cross on my left arm and a celtic shamrock on my right arm. I've a notion to get a big ol' cross on my back soon...

[_Sweet Willie_]

So far about 1/3 of us have tattoos (54 responses: 65% have 0 tattoos, 35% have 1 or more).

[RHINO_ROB]

i am the black sheep of my family when it comes to tattoos.

 

step dad: 2

mom: 4

sis:1 or 2 (don't know, don't wanna look)

older bro:full sleeves

me: 0

younger bro:at least 20

 

remember: the only difference between people who like tatoos and people who don't like tattoos, is that tattooed people don't mind if you are not tattooed.

[_Sweet Willie_]

Bump for ink.

 

Still curious.

 

Peace.

--Dub $$

[Whacked]

Originally posted by henryrobinett:

Seeing all those old, old tattoos that are worn, withered and grey on old time prisoners and the like, where you can barely make out what they were suppose to be is enough to keep me away from the needle. Let alone other things.

 

Prison tattoo artists use cassette players (there are almost no recorders in California prisons. It's against the law) and stripped down ball point pens to do tatoos. I forget what they use for the needle. This too is against the law, although it's rarely enforced. Believe it or not prison tattooing considered defacing of state property. The property being those gentlemen who are wards of the state. Can you believe that? Human beings as property. State property no less. Almost modern slavery.

 

Tatooing is prohibited in California prisons for health reasons. hepititus, HIV, list goes on.

 

back on the subject. I have one tatoo on my upper arm. Got it when I was in the Navy. even after all these years it still looks like I got it last week.

 

I believe the longevity of colors in tatoos is based on how it is done. Prison style tats are done horribly usually using chess peices (yes, the plastic from the chess board pieces) for the ink. thus they tend to look shabby and fade over the years.

tats done in a modern parlor tend to hold color and last forever. superior equipment and inks that are used.

as a sort of "inbetween" the parlors and prisons, a ex-navy friend of mine had his tats done in Japan and the artist used bamboo for needles (yep, no gun at all, just a sharp stick of bamboo). on one arm is a Tucan, and the other is a Parrot. and man are those colors VIBRANT! Bright, sharp and just plain beautiful. I have never seen the like. In fact, he went back to Japan to have a parlor tat inked over because it just looked horrible compared to the birds on his arms.

[bassaddik]

my daughter just left for college-

i got a new tatto on the inside of my right wrist, it's a bass clef in a segment of a music staff, with her birthday 12/14 in the form of a time signature- she has the same on her back with my birthday...

[LIMiT]

Right Shoulder....ring of fire with mountain scene behind it. Full colour

 

Left shoulder.... # 13 surrounded by cadillac leaves. Black ink

 

Right shoulder blade... spider symbol (hard to explain) black ink

 

Left wrist....Brohymn in writing with barbed wire joining around wrist. Black ink

 

Left ankle/leg... wooden sword. Full colour

 

Not done yet

[Iceman Irwin]

Do arm scars from the days I-was-too-stoned-to-slash-my-arm count?

 

.....Nooo.....

 

Well, personally, I prefer body piercings over tattoos. Never had a tattoo but my past was quite morbid in terms of having our arms slashed for fun (duh!!). Yeah, I was so stoned back then.

[davebassman]

I can tell you how to make your very own tattoo gun with a Bic "Stic" pen, a sewing needle, solder, a paper clip, a fingernail file, 2 "D" cells, electrical tape and the motor from a Sony Walkman. And no, I've never been in prison.

Hey Social Critic, how many episodes of MacGyver have you watched?

 

No ink for me. The only thing I could think of getting is the name of my children, when they are born.

[73 P Bass]

I got a Claddaugh on my right bicep a couple of weeks ago. The weekend before I held a tag-sale to raise cash for it!

Why on my right arm? So it is more visible when I'm RAWKING OUT of course.

[Rik]

I have decided to express my individuality by remaining unpierced and un-tattooed.

[_Sweet Willie_]

Originally posted by Rik:

I have decided to express my individuality by remaining unpierced and un-tattooed.

[73 P Bass]

Originally posted by Rik:

I have decided to express my individuality by remaining unpierced and un-tattooed.

You definitely would have been an individual at the festival I played last weekend; all white people with tattoos! Lots of piercings too.

It was sort of Bizzarro New Haven!

[wraub]

I will also add at this late date, that I also have no tattoos. I never saw the need.

And what's up with all the SUSOB (Semi Ubiquitous Small Of the Back) tattoos on women?

 

Peace,

 

wraub

[Mr. Phil]

I wish I could change my vote now.

 

I just acquired 2 brand new tattoos making my total number of tattoos

 

(Drum roll please)

.

.

.

.

two.

 

I'll post pics maybe when I'm not lazy.

[moot]

Okay willie - oddly enough I just got my second one at the ripe old age of forty something.

It is the Kanji equivilent of the mathmatical symbol for Pi. I am heavy into math (15 years as a toolmaker) but it is also my wifes nickname.

[_Sweet Willie_]

Phil: What did you get? How big?

 

Mattulator: I almost got my second tattoo at the ripe old age of 34 while on vacation earlier this summer -- but I ended up not having time to get to the shop. I got my first one back when I was 19. There's a second one in my future -- how soon? I don't know.

 

Peace.

--SW

 

After 75 votes, 52 respondents (69%) are living life without ink in their skin.

[Tenstrum]

No tattoos, but plenty of scars!

Over 20% of my body has burn scars from hot water being accidentlally spilled on me when I was 14 months old. Most are on my left shoulder and back, with some small ones on my forearms, ankles and calves. I've always thought about trying to get some tattoos over the scars to cover them up, but I've never really ran into any tats that I'd want to keep forever. Plus I don't know how difficult or even if it is possible to tat over a scar.

[73 P Bass]

Originally posted by Tenstrum:

No tattoos, but plenty of scars!

Over 20% of my body has burn scars from hot water being accidentlally spilled on me when I was 14 months old. Plus I don't know how difficult or even if it is possible to tat over a scar.

FWIW

I read an article in Dirt Rag (MTB -zine) about a tattoo artist who was burned over more than half of his body, and although he was told you can't tattoo scar tissue, he found a way to. Does nice work too (S.F., CA. area).

[mcbn]

Bump....

 

I've got one on my leg, an all black dragon around 4" wide x 9" tall.

 

One on my right shoulder. My fraternity letters that are just about due for a cover up.

 

One large black tribal piece that covers the left side of my chest, entire left shoulder, upper left arm, and upper left quadrant of my back. Over 30 hours total time.

 

Oh yeah... and this.

 

http://usera.imagecave.com/NUTT/lip.jpg

[owens hound]

I'm also a black sheep of the family with 4 tattoos. All are coverable for my office job.

[Someone]

Nothing.

 

But in the future I'd like to have a tiger somewhere.

[Cozmicslop]

I'm not doing anything to help the cops ID me.

[ChrisOfDoom]

None yet, thinking about getting "With a golden heart comes a rebel fist" across the back. Maybe a bass clef sometime too.

[ATM]

Originally posted by wraub:

And what's up with all the SUSOB (Semi Ubiquitous Small Of the Back) tattoos on women?

 

Peace,

 

wraub

I believe they are being called, "butt caps."

 

No tatoos here, I think I would prefer a brand. One hit, then you're done.

 

ATM

[wraub]

Originally posted by ATM:

Originally posted by wraub:

And what's up with all the SUSOB (Semi Ubiquitous Small Of the Back) tattoos on women?

 

Peace,

 

wraub

I believe they are being called, "butt caps."

That's cool too, but I prefer SUSOB. I find it more descriptive, and it suits my absurd love of nomenclature/acronyms.

 

Besides, "butt caps" sounds like something else entirely ...

 

Peace,

 

wraub

[ATM]

Yeah, talk to me about acronyms.

 

ATM

[DigiVoices]

Damn it's been a long time since I have posted, almost forgot my password.

Anyway I recently got a new tattoo. It's a tribal moon that surrounds a celtic knot on my upper right arm.

I like it ... all black