From: jackiemania	Date: September 24th, 2007 01:59 pm (UTC)		(Link)

I understand 15-20 percent, sorta like a restaurant. When I got my 2nd tattoo, I really connected with the artist, and bought her a present of a book about something we did alot of talking about, as well as tipped her :)

Jackie.

	From: boutell	Date: September 24th, 2007 02:05 pm (UTC)		(Link)

Eek, I think I owe her an envelope with a tip upgrade then. I'll take care of that. Thanks.

From: jackiemania	Date: September 24th, 2007 02:06 pm (UTC)		(Link)

Or buy her a book - or a salsa lesson :) I forgot to say, great tattoo - very unique :)

Jackie.

	From: boutell	Date: September 24th, 2007 02:17 pm (UTC)		(Link)

tnx

Apparently she's quite interested in tango because the music was part of her upbringing. I did point out that tango lessons were available two blocks away

	From: petiteflower	Date: September 24th, 2007 03:54 pm (UTC)		(Link)

I usually tip $10-20 per session, since my sessions are usually short (45 mins to 1.5 hours).

	From: superplin	Date: September 24th, 2007 02:02 pm (UTC)		(Link)

Very nice! Although, hard to photocopy for teaching newbies...

Kate is my favorite instructor at SHDA (although I haven't been in a while, alas).

	From: boutell	Date: September 24th, 2007 02:05 pm (UTC)		(Link)

Easy to consult while dancing with me though

	From: thealiwoman	Date: September 24th, 2007 02:15 pm (UTC)		(Link)

That is a beautiful piece of art, definately unique, and not something that you'll regret at 75:)...

	From: boutell	Date: September 24th, 2007 02:44 pm (UTC)		(Link)

Thank you!

	From: ohhjuliet	Date: September 24th, 2007 02:35 pm (UTC)		(Link)

Oooh fun tattoo! :)

	From: kemidra	Date: September 24th, 2007 02:40 pm (UTC)		(Link)

I like! And it'll still be classy in fifty years. ;)

	From: boutell	Date: September 24th, 2007 02:43 pm (UTC)		(Link)

Yep. The only danger is that I may move to a city where they dance on two...

	From: yagathai	Date: September 24th, 2007 03:01 pm (UTC)		(Link)

Where's... where's 4?

	From: boutell	Date: September 24th, 2007 03:14 pm (UTC)		(Link)

... And on the fourth step, the salsero rests. On the eighth step, too.

Some teachers count it "one two three, four five six" with a pause after the three and the six, but this well-meaning "simplification" for beginners just leads to needless confusion later. That pause is a beat like all the rest (badoom-chick). People can count beats just fine. And in more advanced moves (especially solo shine footwork), there sometimes are steps on four and eight.

To save on clutter, I also left out her two and my five, because they are simply "rocks" (shifts of weight) back onto the other foot. They are real steps and if I was trying to teach someone I'd put them back in. But the feet don't actually travel or turn on those.

	From: freetobeflea	Date: September 24th, 2007 03:15 pm (UTC)		(Link)
	great concept

and execution as well. It is incredibly original and so appropriate for you. I'm impressed!

	From: boutell	Date: September 24th, 2007 03:23 pm (UTC)		(Link)
	Re: great concept

Thanks!

	From: mrlich	Date: September 24th, 2007 03:18 pm (UTC)		(Link)

Looks awesome bud. That's one to be proud of!

While I'm certainly not the first to point this out, I think that it bears repeating: I love that it's such a unique tattoo. I've been around a lot of flash and 'in the flesh' over the years, and I can honestly say that I don't think that I've ever seen a dance step diagram done.

And I love that it creates conversation beyond "where'd you get it done?"

Nice indeed.

	From: boutell	Date: September 24th, 2007 03:23 pm (UTC)		(Link)

Thanks, man. Your work is wonderful.

The main thing Cindy had to adjust was the size of the numbers— the design couldn't be done any smaller than this and be legible or any bigger and still fit my arm, but the numbers were much too small when directly scaled. So she did her own numbers, which I'm happy with.

She took a picture of it for her own purposes. I don't think she sees a whole lot of dance footwork either, because she was halfway through it before she said "OH! Those red footprints are different because they're hers!" (;

	From: nesheekah	Date: September 24th, 2007 03:34 pm (UTC)		(Link)

OMG teh sexay.

OK, now that that's out of my system, I've got to agree with everyone else that having a unique, personal tattoo (if tattoo you must, that is) is so important. Like you, I took days (weeks?) to create and finalize a design and find the right tattoo artist to convey it. I still get compliments, too, even though I forget it's there from time to time. No color for me, but I am thinking of getting the Hebrew verse that inspired the design added on. Now I want to even more. Hmm...

	From: boutell	Date: September 24th, 2007 03:54 pm (UTC)		(Link)

Thanks!

I strongly recommend thinking before inking.

	From: kar0na	Date: September 24th, 2007 03:49 pm (UTC)		(Link)

That is the weirdest tattoo I've seen in a long time.
So totally you. Congrats!

	From: kar0na	Date: September 24th, 2007 03:51 pm (UTC)		(Link)

Now you gotta do what my brother did and cut the sleeves off of all your t-shirts.

	From: boutell	Date: September 24th, 2007 03:53 pm (UTC)		(Link)

Yeah, and tattoo a heart on the other arm...

	From: kar0na	Date: September 24th, 2007 04:02 pm (UTC)		(Link)

Don't forget Taz holding a Bud.

(My advance apologies to anyone with a tattoo of Taz holding a Bud.)

	From: bluharlequin	Date: September 25th, 2007 01:23 am (UTC)		(Link)

For the record nobody should ever have to apologize for making fun of anyone with a Taz tattoo.
Sorry.
:)

	From: vrax	Date: September 24th, 2007 03:58 pm (UTC)		(Link)

That is an awesome tattoo. I love seeing original designs. I love it, love it, love it. I would love it a fourth time, but that's the pause-beat.

	From: boutell	Date: September 24th, 2007 03:59 pm (UTC)		(Link)

Ha! Thanks.

	From: southstman	Date: September 24th, 2007 04:02 pm (UTC)		(Link)

first - a truly unique idea! GREAT GREAT GREAT!!

i waited until i hit 40 before I got my first ink ... i wanted to be at peace with the process and with my visions, since it was to be with me forever.

as for tips, 20% is where I fall - although I wound up taking them out for a night on the town a few weeks later, since we became good friends over the 12 hours of needle to arm that the first one took (the one in the pic)

:)

	From: boutell	Date: September 24th, 2007 04:04 pm (UTC)		(Link)

Twelve hours... damn!

Of course, while it is painful, it is not exactly unpleasant

	From: swingchickie	Date: September 24th, 2007 04:07 pm (UTC)		(Link)

damn! when you get a first tattoo, YOU GET A FIRST TATTOO! great idea, matt did a wonderful job drawing it... make sure you post the photo to the "i heart tattoos" LJ community, they'll love it.

	From: qwrrty	Date: September 24th, 2007 04:58 pm (UTC)		(Link)

Wow!!

And, wowowow!!!

	From: boutell	Date: September 24th, 2007 04:59 pm (UTC)		(Link)

Thanks!

	From: rhiann31	Date: September 24th, 2007 05:25 pm (UTC)		(Link)

Sweet piece!

And if you are speaking of Mark E., I think he has an el jay now...

	From: mrlich	Date: September 25th, 2007 04:57 am (UTC)		(Link)

He does, though he's yet to post to it. The whole "re-arranging every aspect of your life to live on the far side of the planet" - while lj-inspiring - is not so good for getting time to write. He promises he will get to it eventually though.

It's lotusanddragon if anyone's interested. :)

	From: boutell	Date: September 25th, 2007 10:56 am (UTC)		(Link)

*nod* added

	From: pinkhairedcyn	Date: September 24th, 2007 06:51 pm (UTC)		(Link)

Awesome ink!

	From: boutell	Date: September 25th, 2007 10:57 am (UTC)		(Link)

Thanks! Mine's not recursive though

	From: xtingu	Date: September 25th, 2007 01:20 am (UTC)		(Link)

Yay boutell! How long did it take? What are your thoughts on the inking pain/process?

Yay mrlich for the design! So talented, that boy...

(Oh, and Mark's LJ is lotusanddragon if memory serves. It is currently empty, however.)

	From: boutell	Date: September 25th, 2007 10:58 am (UTC)		(Link)

Two hours. That's longish. It's a big-ass tat. Though nothing like Robert's 12-hour sleeve.

As for the pain... like being stung by a hornet (that you're not allergic to), except that, like wasabi, the pain goes away right away each time the needle is lifted away.

	From: vis_major	Date: September 25th, 2007 01:37 am (UTC)		(Link)

Holy cats! That's some serious first ink. Looks fantastic!

	From: lxbean	Date: September 25th, 2007 01:50 am (UTC)		(Link)

that is an AWESOME tattoo.

	From: solestria	Date: September 25th, 2007 02:20 am (UTC)		(Link)

You is a hottie! And that's so you.

	From: boutell	Date: September 25th, 2007 10:59 am (UTC)		(Link)

Makes it easier to check for robot Tom replacements

	From: bluharlequin	Date: September 25th, 2007 03:44 am (UTC)		(Link)

Nice.
And nicely original.

	From: boutell	Date: September 25th, 2007 10:59 am (UTC)		(Link)

Thanks!