I would pop up your expectations to 10×10…mostly because this is an awesome image and it could be an awesome piece if done correctly.

You seem mature for your age, despite your poor taste in music.:p

I’m a youngn’ myself; and I know that I consider myself wiser than I was at your age…
But I have tattoos.
And who’s to say that in a couple years I won’t consider my present self an idiot?

If your parents are ok with it, and willing to sign for you…
I’d say go for it.

A few…[Read more]

I have never personally cling-wrapped…
But agreed.
There are SOOOOO many varied healing regimens…
I’ve learned and practiced Seventh-Generation Unscented Dish Soap + Curel Unscented.
I like the texture of the soap…leaves no film…and doesn’t contain alcohol/dyes/scents.
I like the lotion…it absorbs quickly and leaves my skin soft but not…[Read more]

Your tattoo would look awesome done in color at a later date.
The shading allows for varied amounts of color…as opposed to just splashing fill into “paint-by-number” blocks that many originally-color tattoos tend to have.

It will provide a moist environment…
Which will definitely prevent flaky skin, but will also allow for bacteria to breed.
Any moist/hot (and skin kept in cling-wrap gets much hotter) environment allows bacteria to flourish.

Seeing a picture of a tattoo in this area helps you…how? It’s the same thing as a tattoo anywhere else on your body. Also, the idea is stupid. No one cares what gang you’re affeliated with…some day you’ll (hopefully) grow up and realize that having a simple number on your ankle that “reps your town/pride/color/whatever-the-fuck is an…[Read more]

I lol’d but ignored your first thread…but now that it’s become a reality…wow.
I’m sorry to be the asshole here, but this idea is SHiT.
You’re going to have a big black blob…?
Holy fuck I’m laughing at your ignorance.

Also.
You thought that was painful?
That session probably took…what…an hour?

You’re going to have a whole lot of fun…[Read more]

Rich Ives in Pueblo does amazing work…if you want to travel that far.
But…he’s also a huge prick…and I personally hate him :o.
http://www.steelcitytattoo.com/images/Rich_Ives_Gallery/

The white will need more frequent touch-ups and will probably end up fading to a piss-yellow.

Well, the upper back wasn’t especially sensitive for me…but I don’t have work in the shoulder area.
Either way; if you are (as you seem) confident that your pain tolerance is high enough to withstand a tattoo…I’m sure it very much is.
Tattoos are not ALL that bad pain-wise.
I find the first 5-10 minutes to be painful…and it tends to give me…[Read more]

Vitamin E can be very beneficial to the skin…and promotes healing, generally.
That being said, I haven’t personally tried it as an after-care method.

If she isn’t prone to break-outs and doesn’t have a negative reaction to it; I’d say go for it.

Every artist is different.
Every artist works at a different speed.
Some artists charge on a “per-piece” basis…some charge by the hour.

That being said, I would guess between $200-300 on this one.

That is normal, indeed.
It’s simply flecks of dead skin on the upper-most layer falling off.

I’m really not trying to be a jerk when I say this, but a Google image search is your best bet.
Find some material that you like…
And bring the pictures to your artist.
Tell them what you do/don’t like about each piece specifically…
And have him/her draw up a custom image for you.

I’ll restate what others have said to you…
We’re tattoo enthusiasts.
Many of us eat-sleep-breath tattoos.
We’re a harsh bunch of people!

That being said…
Many of us also have regrettable ink.
My first piece…wasn’t the best. I got it touched up by another artist.
The thing is…we learn that tattoos are just as much an art form as anything…[Read more]

Different people have different healing regimens.
Some wash the tattoo four times a day and lotion immediately afterwords.
Some simply “dry heal” and shower the usual amount.

What I personally do is shower twice a day…unless I’m excessively sweating at any point…I’ll knock it up to three. And lotion my tattoo with Curel Original Unscented…[Read more]

Wow.
That is pretty much awesome.
Props!

I can’t, however, believe that with such an awesome sleeve…you have “The Beckham” (as I’m deeming it).

First off…definitely isn’t big enough.
You’re going to have some bleeding…especially since it’s on your foot.

Secondly…I don’t care how many times you say otherwise…
Your artist did a horrendous job. The first shop was probably being realistic and the second one just wanted a quick buck.

Tribal is for noobs.
No matter how “creative” you think you’re being with your “totally not trendy” concept of tribal.

Personally…
I’d just fill the tribal in.
Might as well go for the fully generic version that (somehow/impossibly) looks better.
And for filling in the rest…I’m no artist…
But I would assume you’re going to need some…[Read more]