Yesterday I went and got more ink done on my sleeve. I thought we’d be done yesterday but it turned out to be more than the time allotted, so I am back twice in February to finish this sucker off. Anyway, if you’ve ever gotten ink done you know most tattoo studios are pretty decent places for laughs. The staff are usually pretty laid back, and like to play jokes on others.

So while I am getting inked yesterday, one of the guys there cranks this song via youtube. My tattoo artist starts laughing to the point he lifted his hand away from me for fear he’d fuck up my arm. I was laughing pretty hard too, because the entire shop was singing along with this, all doing their William Hung imitations.

Had someone walked in off the street, I am pretty sure they’d have walked out just as fast. The song ended and my artist got back to doing what he was doing… so now my shoulder is a little sore, but nothing too bad. I have around 2-4 hours left on my current piece, that includes drawing out the underside of my sleeve, the area that is currently bare. Then I’ll dive in on that when I have time, that will take another 12 hours or so area.

He was working on the top area, and he was using a 39 needle tool (it’s not a guy, it doesn’t shoot bullets, apparently one of the top pet peeves by ink artists are people that call their tools “guns”) for the larger areas and then he’d flip to a single or dual needle top for the filling in on the edges. The larger needles don’t hurt really, sort of uncomfortable, but meh, nothing major. The smaller the amount of needles, the more acute the feeling for sure. So what you’re seeing above, the darker ink area… of course isn’t done. It’s partially filled in, then he’ll fine tune the edges so it is done. Like I said, it’s a work in progress, but it’s getting there, slowly. Now I get to go through the next 7-10 days of scabbing. All part of it though right? =)

Ladies and Gentlemen, I present you, William Hung rendition of I believe I can fly. If this doesn’t make you smile, nothing will.

So I got an area of my neck/shoulder inked yesterday and day one/two is always fun because your tattoo will weep and basically make things messy. So I just went to apply lotion to my neck and my shirt was actually stuck to my neck. In taking the shirt off, slowly even, it pulled off some of the scabbing which of course, is probably ink meaning I’ll need to get touched up in that area. It was only about 1/2 inch wide but still, always fun to have clothing stuck to you and then when removing, you pull away skin. Part of it though I guess.

I better look like a fucking tiger. (j/k)

So today I got in to be inked as I was talking about last post. He went a lot quicker than normal, which was a nice surprise. We got area A completed, B completed and C almost completed. The next time I go in, we’re going to complete everything that isn’t done.

sweeeeeeeeeet

Then we start outlining the underside of my arm so that’ll be fun. Today, easily, the toughest part was on my neck. I’ve had it over wrist bone, elbow, inside crease of elbow, nothing was like the neck. Damn. Makes you very aware of what is going on. heh

So slowly getting closer…

Yes, I haz freckles. Go on, kick a ginger. I dare ya.

Feels good to be one step closer… before the end of this month, I will be done with the inking and then next month, outlining and start on that.

Seems like just yesterday I started my sleeve. It was September though, and at the time I was told it would take around 8 hours of work or so. Having never been inked before, I had no idea what I could handle, or not handle pain wise, or for that matter… if there would ever be pain.

Several months later, we’re still not anywhere near done. The first side of my arm, the top side I guess if my arm is laying flat on my desk is done from my wrist to elbow, and then about half way up my right arm on the way to my shoulder. I still need the shoulder, shoulder blade, collar bone, neck and back shoulder blade on my right arm completed.

Then, after that has healed, I flip my arm over and oh look, the underside is blank… time for that to be drawn I so it matches the flow of the rest of my arm. The guy that is doing this piece is slow and that’s being polite. Not slow mentally, heh, slow as in, he loves to talk about conspiracy shit and comic books more than he likes to ink. He owns the studio as well, so that’s frustrating… you’d think dude would be more professional and do what he’s paid to do.

My last appointment, fucker didn’t even show up for. I was there, ready to get inked, his shop was closed, he never showed up. I was choked, he never called and returned my call to reschedule, I had to chase him down. Every time I’d call… “he’s busy inking right now” is what I’d hear.

Sigh.

So today, I go to get more done on my arm, I don’t know how much because sitting for this guy is like rolling the dice. What will I get this time? The guy that wants to blast through my arm and do the work (unlikely) or the guy that would rather take his time and blah blah blah blah blah. I suppose I should be happy he’s not going fast and  screwing up, he is meticulous about the details in regards to COLORING INSIDE THE LINES.

Seriously, how hard is your job?

I’m not a tattoo artist but it would seem once the lines are there (and my arm is already drawn out, ready to be filled in), it can’t be *that* hard… can it?

Ah well, bitch bitch moan moan. heh

I am planning on having him fill in one area that crosses the crease of my elbow, a very, very sensitive spot. We shall call it area a for explanation purposes..

Then after area a, I am hoping he’ll tackle area b, the backside of one of the parts of the design…

this is an older pic before I had the majority of the arm filled in… so ignore the areas that are faded.. area b is highlighted above, as is a if you weren’t sure where it is. (or if you cared/were curious)

If there is a god, I can get him to start area c…  the area that comes up on my neck.

It doesn’t come out of my shirt very much though as you can see, so hopefully this is do-able for the guy, if he hasn’t wasted the sitting time telling me about Thor or how the government is out to get us.

(yes, those are flowers in corner, they grow out of my back. Weird. I know. )

So we will see what today holds for me.

I am shooting Ava tomorrow after I see the dentist so yes, I should be good and sore on my arm, in my mouth… yup, will be fun.

See you all at Ava’s cam chat and then Bryci’s cam chat tomorrow @ 4pm PST and 5pm PST respectively.

I’ve had a few people comment on my sleeve I am having done. While I completely understand it’s not everyone’s liking, it’s mine, and I appreciate the kind words. Here’s the latest update, taken from a screen grab of a behind the scenes video that will go live on bryci.com on Wednesday.

Ok, step by step.. from the left side to right… see the swooping part (second black area from left) that has a dull end rather than a point? That will have a point to it, it crosses down over the crease of my elbow (inside arm) so he was waiting until I had free time without shooting for it to heal. The third and fourth area are the areas I had finished most recently. Where you see it really black, that’s the fresh ink and scabbing area. Some has healed already, some has not.

Still a *lot* to go… the remaining areas on the second line in, both sides of that need to be pointed off. Then we get to move to my right shoulder (deltoid), over the collar bone, top right of my right pectoral and top left of back shoulder blade and up the right side of my neck. I so can’t freaking wait.

Then I get to start the underside of my arm, that right now is totally bare. My right bicep, inside arm (tricep), down past my forearm to the underside of right arm (where your veins are)… your wrist area basically. Yup, that will be fun. Like Apple Jacks when you were a kid. Wait, Apple Jacks are still fun now, probably even more fun because I can eat them anytime without my Mom telling me it wasn’t breakfast time anymore. heh

I’m having fun, and holy shit this is addictive. What will be more fun is stage two, see the white skin in between the tribal? That will get something as well, I have a few ideas but I’m not doing anything for at least 1-2 years in there. I want to be 10000% sure. I want some color in there, maybe a comic strip?

Hell if I know. all I know is when getting ink work done, it’s something you need to really think about. People will judge you, look at you different, make assumptions about you without knowing you. I myself like that, I can pick the uptight assholes out of a group in record speed now just by the way their noses go up. Snobs are fun, what can I say?

I am looking forward to Xmas break! Time to get more stuff done. Once the next site is underway, I can chill for a bit. Until then, full steam ahead!

Shooting all day Wednesday with Ava and also Bryci.