My first tatto *Pics Inside*

[561design]

I just got my first tattoo over the weekend. I really didn't know what to expect but Jeff was really cool about it and explained everything. The tattoo was done in one sitting which took just over 5 hours not including breaks. Everyone in the shop was great. The pain wasn't too bad at first but near the end of the session when he started to shade in the background, I thought I was going to die.

The artist is Jeff Paetzold from All or Nothing Tattoo in Smyrna, Ga.

[ZuerstBMW]

NICE, very detailed work.

[stefman]

Wow, for a first tatto you sure went all out. Very nice. Any significance?

[darkcloud]

Since you got it on your forearm I guess you don't work in a "business professional" dress environment or you don't mind wearing dress shirts daily to hide your tattoo from co-workers or your Bosses. I have one tattoo so far and its on my back between my shoulder blades, just below a shirts neck line. I follow the rule that any tattoo I put on my body must be able to be hidden under a polo shit and standard knee length shorts. Don't get me wrong, it's not like I look down on people who don't go by that it's just the way I feel personally about my body.

BTW, cool tattoo bro. You had an extremely good artist which seem to be hard to come by today. Keep that area lubbed up pretty good for the next couple weeks so the colors don't get messed up. And if you notice areas don't come out as they should def. go back in and have your guy correct it or fill in some of the colors. If he didn't already tell you haha, he should also make any corrections for free, he should even make any corrections for fee as long as you can still find him giving tattoos, doesn't matter if it's 6 months old or 4 years old.

[561design]

Originally Posted by stefman

Wow, for a first tatto you sure went all out. Very nice. Any significance?

Yeah, I'm Chinese (Hakka) and Jamaican. I wanted something that represented the Jamaica without the common stereotypes. So I choose this bird which is known as a "doctor bird" in Jamaica but is commonly known as a Streamertail hummingbird. They can only be found in Jamaica. The fruit is also something unique to Jamaica/Carribean. It's an Ackee tree. It took me a few months to research what I should use and a couple sketches from the artist to get the composition of the piece down.

I plan to do my other arm with the same concept but for my chinese heritage.

[561design]

Originally Posted by darkcloud

Since you got it on your forearm I guess you don't work in a "business professional" dress environment or you don't mind wearing dress shirts daily to hide your tattoo from co-workers or your Bosses. I have one tattoo so far and its on my back between my shoulder blades, just below a shirts neck line. I follow the rule that any tattoo I put on my body must be able to be hidden under a polo shit and standard knee length shorts. Don't get me wrong, it's not like I look down on people who don't go by that it's just the way I feel personally about my body.

BTW, cool tattoo bro. You had an extremely good artist which seem to be hard to come by today. Keep that area lubbed up pretty good for the next couple weeks so the colors don't get messed up. And if you notice areas don't come out as they should def. go back in and have your guy correct it or fill in some of the colors. If he didn't already tell you haha, he should also make any corrections for free, he should even make any corrections for fee as long as you can still find him giving tattoos, doesn't matter if it's 6 months old or 4 years old.

Yeah I do work in a professional business enviroment. But I wear dressshirts everyday to work. He actually had the design larger going down past my elbow. I asked him to reduce the size so it falls just about my elbow. I occassionally roll up my sleeves and with the adjusted sizing it still remains hidden under my shirt.

Yeah I spent quite a few months looking for the right shop and artist. He was actually my second choice as my first choice ended up moving back to NJ. But it was good though cause he had done some collaborative work with the guy and their styles are very similar.

[monsta]

looks great...

[stefman]

Originally Posted by 561design

Yeah, I'm Chinese (Hakka) and Jamaican.

Cool stuff man, my wife is Hakka also. Look forward to seeing your other arm when it's done.

[Josh49]

Originally Posted by 561design

Yeah, I'm Chinese (Hakka) and Jamaican. I wanted something that represented the Jamaica without the common stereotypes. So I choose this bird which is known as a "doctor bird" in Jamaica but is commonly known as a Streamertail hummingbird. They can only be found in Jamaica. The fruit is also something unique to Jamaica/Carribean. It's an Ackee tree. It took me a few months to research what I should use and a couple sketches from the artist to get the composition of the piece down.

I plan to do my other arm with the same concept but for my chinese heritage.

Nice tattoo..

I was reading your story about Jamaica. I went there on vacation recently. The bus ride from the airport to the hotel was roughly 2 hours, and we got a good tour/explanation of a lot of things. I remember him pointing out Ackee and explaning it to us.. The usually eat it with fish or breakfast, I can't remember which one he said. And was that the one that it opens up on it's own, but if you try to open it ahead of time, it is poisoness?

Eh, I could be wrong, or the bus driver could have had one two many red stripes and was making stuff up..

[shragon]

Originally Posted by 561design

Yeah, I'm Chinese (Hakka) and Jamaican. I wanted something that represented the Jamaica without the common stereotypes. So I choose this bird which is known as a "doctor bird" in Jamaica but is commonly known as a Streamertail hummingbird. They can only be found in Jamaica. The fruit is also something unique to Jamaica/Carribean. It's an Ackee tree. It took me a few months to research what I should use and a couple sketches from the artist to get the composition of the piece down.

I plan to do my other arm with the same concept but for my chinese heritage.

that's pretty cool! i'm half chinese myself and my mom's side of the family is hakka as well.

[myk1013]

Nicely done tattoo. very detailed. I'm planning on getting my first one too. I'll be getting the "St.Michael fighting the devil" tattoo. I was named after him.

[561design]

Originally Posted by Josh49

Nice tattoo..

I was reading your story about Jamaica. I went there on vacation recently. The bus ride from the airport to the hotel was roughly 2 hours, and we got a good tour/explanation of a lot of things. I remember him pointing out Ackee and explaning it to us.. The usually eat it with fish or breakfast, I can't remember which one he said. And was that the one that it opens up on it's own, but if you try to open it ahead of time, it is poisoness?

Eh, I could be wrong, or the bus driver could have had one two many red stripes and was making stuff up..

Yeah, you hafta wait til it opens up or it is poisionous. A common breakfast dish is Ackee and saltfish. I remember as a little kid I had to climb up into the trees and pull them down.

It's pretty cool to see some other Hakka people around. I don't come across too many of them here in Ga.

[!Xoible]

dang! tattooed people can really outnumber people without tattoos!!
it looks nice. if im ever to get one i'll get a huge praying mantis eating a dragon all across my back, with yin/yang in the background

[00o00]

that is a beautiful tatoo

i want a tatoo sooo badly, ive designed one myself.... its going to be a full back tatoo starting at my neck. its going to be a cross which will span my sholder blades, the cross is going to be wrought iron interwinding to form the cross, and then from the bottom there will be barbed wire twisting and winding up the cross utill it turns into ivy towards the top, and also the botom will be "red hot" like it just came out of a kilm or whatever....


anyhow, how did you pick they artist? did you just go into shops and look at his work? was he recomended?

[561design]

Originally Posted by 00o00

anyhow, how did you pick they artist? did you just go into shops and look at his work? was he recomended?

I had been looking for artists/studios for about a year. About that time is when I found out about All or Nothing Tattoo studio here locally through some tattoo websites and reviews. I'd been lurking their site since then looking for the right artist. I eventually decided on a new guy they got in. His name was Tim Victim. But by the time my appointment came up he ended up moving back to NJ. However, I had known about Jeff's work and they were both very similar in style. So I decided to go for Jeff instead and I'm very happy I did so. Jeff and Tim had actually done a couple collaboration pieces together so that also helped.


Here's one of their collaboration pieces that really sold me. The color, detail and composition was exactly what I was looking for.

Everyone at that studio were all very nice and down to earth. I'd feel comfortable with any of the artists working outta that stuio. You should check out their site. They have some really amazing work.

http://www.allornothingtattoo.com/

[shragon]

is there a chinese population in jamaica?

i swear you can find chinese people in just about any country.

edit: i see there is by doing a simple google search. some pretty interesting stuff!

[561design]

Originally Posted by shragon

is there a chinese population in jamaica?

i swear you can find chinese people in just about any country.

Yeah there's a pretty large community of Hakka Chinese in Jamaica. There's also a decent sized community of Western Europeans that live there as well. I've come across a few French/Jamaican guys as well.

[Stephii_Rawr]

thats awesome!!! so detailed and really colorfulll!!! mines not even half the size of that.. LOL

[richeerich03]

The detail and color is dope.
I have been working on mine for over a year.. I got got a couple more hours to go.. its a 3/4 sleeve koi wit a samurai chest peice.. I got about 20-25 hours in it..

[nmulax]

Dude that looks great, talented artist, and I really dig the design.

[Couch]

Originally Posted by myk1013

Nicely done tattoo. very detailed. I'm planning on getting my first one too. I'll be getting the "St.Michael fighting the devil" tattoo. I was named after him.

Ha! That's where I got my middle name....too funny.

I thought about getting it too, then I saw someone on Miami Ink get the exact idea I had (off the prayer card) so that ruined that idea.

I want to get tatted, but now it's so common I just can't see myself doing it now. Otherwise I'd probably have quite a few already. I thought about seeing if I could put my hoops back in my ears, and just wear them at work until I got a warning. Just to do it for a rule I think is sexist and unjust. Especially when you don't deal with customers.

[OhhaiAlex]

nice, I want one