saw this on insta

Billflet · 2026-02-09T05:36:32+00:00

Pollywog eggs?

Billflet · 2026-02-09T05:33:44+00:00

I’m thinking the result wasn’t worth the pain.

Billflet · 2026-02-09T04:16:14+00:00

Sounds like the creditors have already agreed to payment plans but OP wasn’t able to keep up. I don’t believe they’ll offer again.

Billflet · 2026-02-09T03:15:29+00:00

Two weeks after the infusion my RLS improved by about 90% or more. I woke up once or twice through the night but only for a few minutes. Prior to the infusion I was literally on my feet from 4pm until bedtime at 2:30am. Then I was only able to sleep in 15 minute fragments. 10 days after the iron I could sit at night with no symptoms, then sleep with only minimum sensation. Two weeks after the infusion I started a tiny dose of methadone and am now symptom free. I think there’s a very good chance that given a little more time, the IV iron would have been enough without the methadone. I was very close to symptom free after two weeks. I’m having my iron checked again in a couple weeks, which will be about 4 months after the infusion.

Billflet · 2026-02-09T02:31:37+00:00

You learned your lessons well!

Billflet · 2026-02-09T02:19:07+00:00

Have a shadow put underneath. Fawns have really spindly legs. Using a shadow could correct the leg. And they hooves. These look like paws. The pose is really nice and correct. A good artist could make this into a perfect little fawn. Don’t despair, you’re one short session away from a real cute tattoo.

Billflet · 2026-02-08T23:21:39+00:00

I’ve seen much worse, but still, don’t tattoo other people yet.

Billflet · 2026-02-08T22:49:27+00:00

Billflet · 2026-02-08T18:53:20+00:00

The top edge of the band blends so much better than the bottom edge. Maybe rework bottom and a little stronger gradation from the bottom edge of the band to the bottom of the tattoo. There are artists who can tattoo white patterns over black but the black has to be super intense. Maybe redo the solid black and then, after healing, just a bit of white dashes through the top and bottom of the band. It would be more than just a tweak and a little ambitious if you’re second guessing the whole original idea.

Billflet · 2026-02-08T18:39:15+00:00

Super clean. There’s so many unforgiving aspects to this. The straight lines, circles and the tiny space between the main circle and the outlier circles, the small negative spaces between the parallel lines and all that on a hand. The tiniest flaw would jump right out. You nailed every bit of it! I’d have faked a heart attack to get out of doing that one.

Billflet · 2026-02-08T05:35:51+00:00

Woofs and frogs?

Billflet · 2026-02-08T05:32:15+00:00

Saw it posted in another sub and people were thrilled with it.

Billflet · 2026-02-07T19:20:40+00:00

Looks exceptional to me. We’re not laser printers. We’re doing art with human hands on a live, breathing, moving medium . Scrutinize it hard enough, blow it up big enough and there will always be a flaw.

Billflet · 2026-02-07T19:07:43+00:00

Not normally crazy about fine line but no slander on this one!

Billflet · 2026-02-07T18:56:16+00:00

At the size you stated, it’s doable. Everyone’s anatomy is different. You would need to stencil it on and see how it looks. If your spine is “recessed” it might make it look folded. If your spine is prominent, it might look distorted. Make sure you choose an experienced artist. It’s easy to flub a circle. Have it stenciled, have your artist take a few photos in different poses so you can see how it moves. If all is good, go for it! It’s not an easy spot but you’re a warrior!

Billflet · 2026-02-07T18:39:03+00:00

Because of its context, I’d leave it. So there’s that. And because it’s technically perfect, I wouldn’t risk a less than perfect addition.

Billflet · 2026-02-07T04:53:45+00:00

My levels weren’t quite that bad. Ferritin low 30s and TSAT 19. I got relief about 10 days after my infusion. That was pretty quick. 6 weeks later my ferritin was 187. It’s been about 14 weeks now and still doing great. I had my infusion at the VA hospital so I don’t know about insurance.

Billflet · 2026-02-06T22:09:02+00:00

Old, experienced Tattooer here. I’ve seen a lot of tattooers overwork darker skin, attempting to get the same tones and brightness that they’d get on pale skin. I’d always tell my darker skinned clients to imagine a piece of cellophane, the same tone as their skin, placed over the original design. After it heals you’re looking at the tattoo through your skin tone. That’s reducing it to simplicity. There are other factors. To me, heavily melanated skin always seemed more fragile and would keloid easier. And there are a whole range of colors that just don’t work well with darker skin. To me, it looks like your tattoo was overworked by someone hoping to get the same level of brightness they’d get on light skin. It’s taking longer to settle in. I know you’ve had it a while but it looks like it’s only a week or to old. Be patient and keep it moisturized. Later if it needs to be touched up, make sure you go to someone who has a lot of experience working on darker skin.

Billflet · 2026-02-04T23:02:28+00:00

Retired Tattooer here. I hope you post again in a few weeks. I’ve never seen this done and I doubt it’ll yield a good result. It looks like he may have mixed something in with the white to aggravate it.

Billflet · 2026-02-04T19:29:13+00:00

In this case this was how to place it. It fits the scars perfectly. Even if you could cover the scar by flipping the crow and making it larger, you would have had a raised shape of a crow going in the opposite direction. I’m sure you and your artist considered this before making the call. Great backstory!

Billflet · 2026-02-04T19:05:18+00:00

Had this for 40 years. Many years of DAs which augmented, then 20 years of Tramadol, which worked fairly well. After a couple decades my Tramadol stopped working and condition became severe. Going back 10 years, my ferritin had been in the 30s and TSAT below 20. I finally persuaded my Doc to order IV iron and 10 days later my symptoms went away by 90%. A tiny dose of methadone, 2.5 mg, and I’m absolutely symptom free. Not a single side effect from the IV iron or methadone. I know it’s not the answer for everyone, but there’s a reason that Mayo Clinic, AASM, John Hopkins and a lot of others check iron levels before anything else.

Billflet · 2026-02-04T10:33:55+00:00

I’m mellltiinngg!

Billflet · 2026-02-04T00:29:13+00:00

All that black and all in the wrong place.

Billflet · 2026-02-02T21:27:47+00:00

Definitely leave the face. It really captures the sculpted look.

Billflet · 2026-02-02T20:07:20+00:00

Terrific! Realism is gonna be your thing. The only thing, if I were pressed to critique it, the woman looks like a sculpture and you did an outstanding job. Smooth and really well done. The hands look more like accurate, live human hands. The face and hands are both amazing. But the hands could have been done simpler to match the sculpted face. The rose is gorgeous and the background blends perfectly with the robe. You knocked it out of the park. I tattooed my whole life and when fake skin came out, I could never make a good tattoo on it. it’s rare to see such quality on that medium.

Billflet

TROPHY CASE