Lessons Learned

Finger Tattoos are a challenge.  I did the farthest right finger with a bugpin needle 1001.  I did the farthest left finger with a 10-03 for thicker lines.  Both have faded a lot. These are less than four months old. 

Possible solutions:  even thicker lines.  Less detailed designs.  Accepting they are going to fade at the joints badly.  Avoid joints completely.  Or my possible favorite idea: just tattoo blue fingers LOL.

I really want a simple laurel like design down all my fingers in blue (to match the designs I love on my gold rings laurel leaves/forget me nots/greek key). But this is also a learning experiment to gain experience in tattooing.  The human body is an amazing thing and skin really does what ever it wants!!

 

Started linework and light coloring of second Foo Dog WIP

The right leg foo dog is smaller due to the leg brace I wear.  Left Leg Foo Dog still needs her tail lined in.

 

Sound wave

Calf tattoo of a sound wave

 

Vacation Hustle

Stefan had two weeks of bouwvaak vacation because he is a factory welder.  He needed to get the majority of his irezumi sleeve done with 6 days of healing time so he would be good by the time he went back to work.  Being a welder, he would very likely get infected under a sweaty, dirty protective jacket.

The design is of a Japanese phoenix on top, framing a wolf tattoo he already had. Below that is his favorite creature: spiders.  He LOVES spiders.  His spider was combined with symbols of earth and fire to reflect his love of welding and building his life over again.  We added coins for wealth and success (also a metal) and on the back of his arm, I added a Chinese wealth toad.  His arm includes elements of orange maple leaves.  The line work is healing well and over his next vacation at Christmas we will start packing in color and working on traditional Japanese background elements. 

 

tattooing upside down

 

Started on Foo Dog number two: The most important part is getting the face and eyes correct, but hard to do upside down!! When you tattoo your own legs, it's a challenge!