Police Line: Do not cross.

A lovely, noirish tat by the talented skin-n-ink artist David Allen (via Chuck Anderson)

• [Notary Sojac]

  These seem to be in the “showoff zone” according to the Tattoo Location Guide

• [creesto]

  The quality of that sketch is outstanding!

• [knellotron]

  #1: Yes, it’s lovely, and if it were my tattoo, I would enjoy looking at it for several minutes.

• [technogeek]

  #2: That’s sorta where I come down. Gorgeous work, but it’s not something I would particularly purchase for display on my walls, never mind wearing permanently.

  ‘Course, I’m not the one who asked for it. Maybe someone who made their bundle as a mystery/thriller writer would find it more appealing.

  (Classic party conversation starter: “If someone offered to pay you to get a tattoo — your choice, but not something completely trivial — how much would they have to offer, and what would you select?”)

  My level of interest would run more toward something temporary such as henna… though there have been problems with some henna mixtures being less temporary than intended; be careful who you patronize. Or if I could find a good way to sun-tan an image into my hide…

• [benher]

  @2 And hey look, it appears that it’s not your tattoo, and the owner will likely enjoy looking at it for years to come. So everybody wins, including you.

  Tattoos aren’t for everybody, they’re extremely personal things. I’m not remotely interested in anyone else’s opinions of my tattoo work.

  Obviously the spirit of this post is to draw attention to a ‘wonderful thing’ a well executed portrait by David Allen.

  But hey, maybe I’m just biased and ornery because it happens to be my craft.

• [Anonymous]

  There is already a boon in tattoo removal but not for the reasons most people think, the majority of removal is being done to make it easier for people to cover poor tattoos with better work. Tattoo removal is actually resulting in more tattoos by clearing the way for larger pieces (lose the tribal armband and end up with a fantastic sleeve). One of my best friends recently sold his tattoo shop to buy his laser and now has contracts with many area shops to come in once a week to consult along with the artists and clients to do removals / lightening for future work. It is the single largest segment of his (rapidly expanding) business

• [Pantograph]

  Any good investment opportunities in tattoo removal services? I predict a boom in that industry in the 2010s.

• [epo]

  @#5

  I have long believed there was a future in fixing things caused by the stupidities of youth. Tattoo removal, deafness aids (from personal stereos), baldness disguises to mask the effects of excessive hair treatments. The list goes on.

• [monstrinho_do_biscoito]

  is that the vulcan chick from the prequel star trek show?

  that might be a fun thing to say to this guy as he proadly shows his tat off to ladies >:D

• [benher]

  It’s odd to me that so many people still consider it appropriate to take a steaming crap on the medium of tattooing.

  I’m not talking about an intelligent critique of the actual artwork – of which there is very little here – but damning the entire medium of tattooing.

  It’s no different than oils, acrylic, graf, or papercraft – other than that it’s executed on someone’s skin with needles and ink. And until that person dies and their husk is cast off, so it remains. Then it disappears from this world like a finely crafted sand mandala.

  Ripping down all tattoos is like ripping down all watercolors. You can’t deny that there are some dreadfully unskillful water colors any more than you can deny that there are some wicked skilled watercolorists out there. Does the fact that the medium is skin really make so much difference? Especially when it isn’t your skin?

  Just for reference, I had an entire Japanese body suit done here in Osaka, it took about 4 years, but it was worth it and I loved the result. Along came a friend on a visit from Europe bringing along his 11 year old daughter. She is quite the artist and as a birthday present offered to tattoo the top of my foot. It was quite a flattering offer and so (with adult supervision) we got a station set up for her and she went to town drawing in that magic way only 11 year olds can draw. Some of the lines are sketchy, and the color a bit blotchy, but the work remains one of my favorites – a milestone in my life and in that of my friend and his daughter.

  One might think it was a ‘teenage mistake’ tattoo at a cursory glance, but to be honest, I’m not interested in what anyone else thinks about it in that regard.

  Have you ever really looked at an old faded military tattoo? A prison tattoo scratched in with an old guitar string? Japanese Irezumi meticulously hand poked over the course of a decade? Or perhaps a Samoan native who honors the traditions of his family? Or maybe the artist up the street from you whom you’ve never met, pushing the boundaries in a new direction?

  Of course there will always be the get-off-my-lawn type trolls who will look down their noses at body modification or art in general. And conversely it is undeniable that the ever-increasing social acceptance of tattoos has done as much harm as it has done good.

  But to those who appreciate art and beauty wherever it may be found these aren’t large concerns.

• [Anonymous]

  @6 Yeah, because only those crazy youngins do anything with their hair, get tattooed and listen to loud music. Getting old must be awfully depressing where you’re from.