Good advice foundation.

Seb, as a starting point you can go and look into the Happy Sailor on Hackney road, they have loads of the older and good Banksy's on the walls to start you off anyway... and from just searching for them a Spanish artist looks to be in residence who's work looks v. tasty indeed.

www.starstattoo.com/home.shtml (artist's site and works)

www.happysailor.co.uk

If Banksy has tattoos, I'd say this is most likely where he got them, as the signed Grin Reaper in there has the message "To the lads...Keep up the good work" They also did Elijah Wood's West Ham Tattoos for the film Green Street, and have pictures of several good Banksy ones they have done on different people as well.

But yeah, only once your 18 am afraid mate...and really is best to leave it a few years anyway till you are really sure of what it is you want, and have exhausted a lot of the ones that are more than likely just a passing fad.

When I got mine done, I didnt want a bog standard one from the shop catalogue as a lot of people do. You are best to have a good design in mind already, ideally something you can take with you. Then an artist willing to (more than likely) help you spend some time to take your design to a different level and add their own touch, and make it an individual piece.

[glow=red,2,300]And no comments about my yellow smokers teeth or my gorillaz hairy back! Or I'll knock you out!! hehe[/glow]

:oThis picture subject to swift removal!!

I lifted mine off a T-Shirt I bought in America, and had always wanted a dragon anyway (dont have it anymore or could show u before/after) just not the common or garden blocked out or overly colourful ones most others have. This cost me £60 at the time (6 years ago) in a place called Flaming 8 on Holloway Road (since closed down...and I paid £15 deposit for further work that I never got done!)

Recently I am thought of getting it "finished", but not with colour of any sort, more with a sort of "brassed rubbed" effect, similar to the detail of grin reaper, like a sketchy drawing almost is the best way I can put it into words (just hope it looks better than I make it sound!)

Hope this helps in some way!

Martin it's me you knobber! Am really hoping that at 17 you wouldnt think Seb had quite as much grey hair and bad teeth

And yes I am a hair monkey. Thanks..thats a new one to add to the list.

k now I'm offended lol, not really ;D i agree that doesn't look like u Sam this was in ur underground dog fighting days i guess i can just Imagen u on all 4s resoling a bear. Lol oh ye i took a pic of that shop on the true not sure if u can make out the banksy sign ?.

I may try them next time.

There was only ever 1 tattooist I was completely happy with and I seem to have lost track of him.

sorry i quoted a very old message...

having got a few tattoos i would indeed recommed the happy sailor on hackney road or Tom Hooper at Frith Street tattoos in...er Frith Street in Soho. Both places are excellent, which is pretty important when it will be on you for. the. rest. of. your. life.

puck looks scary. like one of those fairground mirrors that distort you a bit ;D

Advice from a mate of mine. Draw the intended tatoo onto a piece of paper. Keep the piece of paper in your wallet. After a year, look at the design, and if you still love it, get it done.

Cheers for that insightful post.

I think most of the ones in the pictures looked pretty shitty except the Grin Reaper which was really well done but fucking huge.

so the overwhelming majority prefer girl with balloon. Understated, subtle and inoffensive. In 20yrs time you'll be thinking "I'm glad I got this as opposed to Christ with Shopping"

The boys at Happy Sailor are great, I've had my piece done there and have a few friends with lovely intricate work done there...to each their own, but if I was going for a Banksy, it would be with the HS boys....I'd work on recommendation....I have a friend who sadly didn't do that and now has 'Wiht Love' tattoo'd under his lovely intricate design...

Any other tat fuck ups?