MayzaPrime's Transformer Tattoo Journey

[MayzaPrime]

I have my kids names tattooed on both my arms, unfortunately one of the kids names was not tattooed very well and I think the guy was either drunk or stoned. :confused:

So after a long time I decided that I would get a Transformer tattoo. At first I thought that I would just get an Autobot or Decepticon symbol on my arm but after my Wife made me watch some of the tattoo shows I saw the level of detail and skill that the tattooist have now and I decided to get either Optimus or Rodimus, for the last few months I looked for the perfect tattoo and I found a few pictures which I loved.

I was talking to a mate that I work with about getting the tattoo, he showed me a photo of a tattoo that his friend got of an Iron Maiden cover as a full arm sleeve and it was impressive to say the least. The tattoo was done a tattooist by the name of Chris Cashmore at Tattoo Power, so that day I sent them an email and the next day I was booked in to get my tattoo on the 17th of December.

I was talking to a few people at work who were curious about why I was getting a Transformer tattoo, and they asked me 'What if you don't like Transformers when you are older' and I thought about it and said 'I got my first Optimus Prime when I was 2 years old and I still have the same love for Transformers 30 years later and I know that I will still have the same love for Transformers in another 30 years'

I rock up to the tattooist on Wednesday the 17th ready to rock the pain, talking to Chris the tattooist he said the picture that I selected looks awesome and he has been looking forward to starting this tattoo for a few weeks. He traced the picture onto the transfer paper but does so in stages. He started with the head/torso/legs which took about 45mins the pain was not as bad as I had remembered.

The next section that was tattooed was the arm and the gun, which goes up to my chest, this section did cause me the most discomfort as it was up around my arm pit.

The last section that was tattooed was the legs which turned out really well.

It was really lucky that the cricket was on and I was able to watch it while being tattooed. :D

As you can see below, the tattoo isnt complete I do have another 2 sessions to but I am booked in for the 23rd of January for the shading. The 3rd session will be the background.

The tattoo

http://i1293.photobucket.com/albums/b599/Mayzaprime/20141219_193616_zpsarldxwra.jpg

The end result

http://i1293.photobucket.com/albums/b599/Mayzaprime/Optimus_zps73a29047.jpg

Thanks for reading :D

[Raider]

Wow just wow. That is going to look amazing. I'm not a tattoo fan at all but that is just so full of awesomeness that you couldn't not like it. Look forward to seeing the finished product.

[Trent]

Tat is coming along very nicely. Good choice of art. Shame about the ugly bloke rocking it...

[MayzaPrime]

Tat is coming along very nicely. Good choice of art. Shame about the ugly bloke rocking it...

Yeah they breed them ugly in Wollongong :p

[Trent]

Yeah they breed them ugly in Wollongong :p

It's true :D

[M-bot]

Very nice:D Will be keeping an eye out for updated pics

[jazzcomp]

Is the other arm for Megatron?

[Sky Shadow]

Seems like good motivation for some old-fashioned sibling agitation.

"Why does daddy have a tattoo of your name on one arm and Optimus Prime on the other?"

"If you look carefully, your name is under Optimus Prime. Daddy got that one time when he forgot that you're just some kid who turned up on our doorstep one day and never went home. Since you're not really a member of our family, he put Optimus Prime there instead."

;)

[MayzaPrime]

Is the other arm for Megatron?

Of course, you can't have Prime without Megatron :D

Hopefully by the end 2015 both arms will be completed.


Seems like good motivation for some old-fashioned sibling agitation.

"Why does daddy have a tattoo of your name on one arm and Optimus Prime on the other?"

"If you look carefully, your name is under Optimus Prime. Daddy got that one time when he forgot that you're just some kid who turned up on our doorstep one day and never went home. Since you're not really a member of our family, he put Optimus Prime there instead."

;)

Very true, but I will get the kids names somewhere else

[Bidoofdude]

Even though I'm not a fan of large tattoos, the art choice is perfect. Can't wait to see the coloured version.

[AJ_Prime]

Dude that's looking great! I like the image you've chosen. Interestingly I'd selected the same picture to get tattooed in pretty much the same place for my 40th next year. Great minds!

It's a very nice hero shot and pretty much embodies Prime's character.

Can't wait to see the completed tattoo!

[MayzaPrime]

Dude that's looking great! I like the image you've chosen. Interestingly I'd selected the same picture to get tattooed in pretty much the same place for my 40th next year. Great minds!

It's a very nice hero shot and pretty much embodies Prime's character.

Can't wait to see the completed tattoo!

Very true, great minds :D

It is a great image, and like I said I really thought about which image that I was going to get and this one was my favourite by far.

I will let you know how much the shading hurts :p

[janda the red]

That's looking great Mayza... can't wait to see it completed

I'm still planning my TF tattoo, just gotta stop getting money aside ready... then spending it on misb G1 stuff instead! Haha

:)

[loophole]

That is wicked!! Love the pose and the linework is very well done, that will look very impressed once it's finished.

[MayzaPrime]

After 5 3 hour session Optimus Prime has MOSTLY been finished

http://i1293.photobucket.com/albums/b599/Mayzaprime/20150522_185502_zpszjl1hqgb.jpg

Next session we will be starting on the background and filling in the rest of Optimus.

We also seriously under-estimated the level of detail and the time it took to do this tattoo...

[jazzcomp]

Looking great :)

[autobreadticon]

that looks totally amazing, not to mention you are all man!!

next that tramp stamp !!! ;)

[M-bot]

Awesome!!!:D

[janda the red]

That's looking great Mayza.... What do you have in mind for the background?

[MayzaPrime]

Thanks everyone, I can't wait to get it finished.


that looks totally amazing, not to mention you are all man!!

next that tramp stamp !!! ;)

Yes I am :D might have to give the tramp stamp a miss for the time being :p... I have to get my left arm done after I finish this one. :D



That's looking great Mayza.... What do you have in mind for the background?

The picture is of the original design is on the 1st page of the thread. :D

[AJ_Prime]

Wow, I was just thinking about this the other day and wondering how much your tattoo has progressed. It's looking damn fine!

[MayzaPrime]

Wow, I was just thinking about this the other day and wondering how much your tattoo has progressed. It's looking damn fine!

Thanks mate...

Are you still going a head with your tattoo for your 40th? :D

The shading didn't hurt as much as I thought it would have, but it after sitting in the chair for 3 hours each time it does start to get sore. ;)

[janda the red]

Oh.... You mean that picture on the first page :o lol

( I'm sleep deprived... I blame baby brain! :p haha )

Gonna look amazing bud! :D

[AJ_Prime]

Thanks mate...

Are you still going a head with your tattoo for your 40th? :D

The shading didn't hurt as much as I thought it would have, but it after sitting in the chair for 3 hours each time it does start to get sore. ;)

I got as far as getting a quote. Looks like I'm going to have to put it off for a while unfortunately, at least until the kids are old enough to not have to pay for after school care...

On the up side we'll be at Universal in the US later this year and my wife has given me a bunch of greenbacks to spend at the Transformers shop near the ride. So it's not all bad.

Still, I'm envious of your tattoo and fingers crossed I'll only be about 5 years behind you. Looking forward to seeing how it turns out. You've got to be super happy with it so far.

[MayzaPrime]

I got as far as getting a quote. Looks like I'm going to have to put it off for a while unfortunately, at least until the kids are old enough to not have to pay for after school care...

On the up side we'll be at Universal in the US later this year and my wife has given me a bunch of greenbacks to spend at the Transformers shop near the ride. So it's not all bad.

Still, I'm envious of your tattoo and fingers crossed I'll only be about 5 years behind you. Looking forward to seeing how it turns out. You've got to be super happy with it so far.

Well there is always a bright side, I would love a trip to Universal, I haven't been there in 22 years and I would love to see the transformers stuff.

Hahaha well I am glad that you like the tattoo, I look forward to someone else going through the pain as well

[AJ_Prime]

Hahaha well I am glad that you like the tattoo, I look forward to someone else going through the pain as well

Judging by the results so far, I would say the pain is worth it. :D:D

[MayzaPrime]

So just a quick update, I have been doing a few extra sessions and Optimus is mostly complete (Autobot insignia needs to be done) but tomorrow night I will be getting the background done. I will be posting a photo soon (depending on how it heals). :D

I have also decided on the picture of Megatron that I will be getting on my left arm. I will post that too, once I have started the tattoo :p

[MayzaPrime]

After a false start last week (my tattooist was sick) I got some more ink done last night.

The sky around Optimus is now completed, only the rocks and the ark left to do.

I will post some photos once it has healed.

[MayzaPrime]

So I had another session last night and got the rocks around Optimus Prime's legs done. This was the last full session that will be done on Optimus as I will be getting another Transformer tattooed on my left arm and Optimus will be done in parallel. I will post an image of the tattoo of the left arm once I have started, but until then I will post the progress of my current tattoo.

http://i1293.photobucket.com/albums/b599/Mayzaprime/20151103_184128_zpsmzgixc61.jpg

[UltraMarginal]

Looking good!

[Trent]

Nice.

[AJ_Prime]

Dude that is epic! I'm excited for what's to come!

[MayzaPrime]

Dude that is epic! I'm excited for what's to come!

Thanks AJ... Its slowly but surely getting there. Its been 35 hours of work so far and there is still more to do. My Tattooist is a perfectionist and really likes this tattoo, so he said that he wants to do it right.

I also just got an email back from the receptionist at Tattoo Power, they got my pictures for the next tattoo and they are booking me in soon. I might see if I can get a big session done.

[AJ_Prime]

The extra time will be worth it, you definitely want to have perfection with that piece. When it comes to Optimus Prime, one must do what it takes to honour the character.

[MayzaPrime]

So I have had 3 sessions over the last 2 months, below is Optimus and almost completed

http://i1293.photobucket.com/albums/b599/Mayzaprime/20160114_225350_zpsyku4c39y.jpg

And my new tattoo... Behold Megatron!

http://i1293.photobucket.com/albums/b599/Mayzaprime/20160114_225326_zpsmkxzz9kq.jpg

I had my 2nd session on Megatron tonight. The 1st session was the outline of Megatron and a little bit of Starsceam. Tonights session my tattooist Chris added alot more detail as well as some black. This will be a coloured piece but alot darker than Optimus.

Enjoy :D

[MayzaPrime]

I am going in for my 3rd session on Megatron on Wednesday... I have also booked my 4th session for the 8th of March.

The only bad thing about getting tattoos is not being able to go for a swim for a couple of weeks afterwards.

[AJ_Prime]

Wow dude, they look great! Did you have a different artist for Megs?

[MayzaPrime]

Wow dude, they look great! Did you have a different artist for Megs?

Thanks AJ, I am very happy with them :D

Nope same tattooist is doing both. :D

[MayzaPrime]

After 18 months I am almost finished... Had my last full session on Megatron tonight next month. The next session should hopefully finish off Optimus and some minor details on Megatron. Cant wait :D:D:D

[MayzaPrime]

So after a few false starts... I SHOULD (:p) be getting more ink done tonight. We didnt get as much done last session so hopefully tonight will finish off Optimus and it will only leave 1 more session to finish off some of the more detailed areas.

[janda the red]

bring it on! cant wait to see them finished bud... good luck :D

[MayzaPrime]

bring it on! cant wait to see them finished bud... good luck :D

Thanks mate... :D Will post some pics tonight

[MayzaPrime]

These were taken before tonights session

http://i1293.photobucket.com/albums/b599/Mayzaprime/20160830_181516_zpsrvmgy3st.jpg

http://i1293.photobucket.com/albums/b599/Mayzaprime/20160830_181558_zps9pujhqww.jpg

http://i1293.photobucket.com/albums/b599/Mayzaprime/20160830_181718_zpsjztyob73.jpg

[MayzaPrime]

So Optimus is finally complete :D:D:D:D:D:D YAY!!!! So happy, cant wait until it heals to post some pics.

I am going for my finally session on Megatron tomorrow, so after 20 months I will finally be finished on both arms :D:D:D

[UltraMarginal]

Looking great mate, you'll have to take some shots in natural light when your done.

[MayzaPrime]

Looking great mate, you'll have to take some shots in natural light when your done.

Thanks mate, will do... i took these just before I left for my session.

[pointblank]

These look cool as hell! Nice work.

[MayzaPrime]

So I did say that I wasnt going to get another tattoo... But my tattooist convinced me otherwise.

So I will be at the Sydney tattoo convention on Friday getting a new tattoo, I will be the canvas for an all day tattoo. I am not going to give away what it will be at the moment but I will take some pics and post them here.

[MayzaPrime]

My convention tattoo time line.

The stencil was applied
http://i1293.photobucket.com/albums/b599/Mayzaprime/20170310_110813_zpsnqhunpvz.jpg

Start of the tattoo
http://i1293.photobucket.com/albums/b599/Mayzaprime/20170310_121841_zpsdmusc7mb.jpg

Outline done
http://i1293.photobucket.com/albums/b599/Mayzaprime/20170310_123136_zpsivczdvki.jpg

Shading done
http://i1293.photobucket.com/albums/b599/Mayzaprime/20170310_130717_zps11utriqn.jpg

Colour added
http://i1293.photobucket.com/albums/b599/Mayzaprime/20170310_153534_zpszkbiqfar.jpg

White outline and highlights added. This one hurt the most, by this stage I had been tattooed for 4 1/2 hours and I was pretty sore. I was very glad at the finished result.
http://i1293.photobucket.com/albums/b599/Mayzaprime/20170310_210244_zpsta0wryd6.jpg

It was about 5 1/2 hours of tattooing, which is the longest stint that I have done. I am very happy with the result. Now for the Autobot symbol on the other arm :p:D