Tattoos; Good, Bad, Ugly, Pretty...?

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Like my butterfly would represent survival of a head injury.
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I have been thinking about where I want this tattoo, and I really like wearing skirts and shorts without having to have some tall socks on to cover my tattoo. So I have been redrawing it to be put on my side, probably right side, but either side works.

The pattern I have has the skulls looking like they are falling, and the farther down they fall the more they have fallen apart. The skulls near the top just have their jaw falling away, while the ones closer to the bottom are missing teeth and their jaws are even farther away. I want the skulls done with a simple black outline and colored shading, each one in a different color.

On my side it will start at my bra line and extend down to my hip. They are small enough that I should be able to get it all done in one sitting, maybe with a small break or two. Just about everyone has told me that tattoos over the ribs hurts like crazy, but even if I got it on my leg there isn't a whole lot of cushion to help with the pain. I think any tattoo I get is going to hurt quite a bit, unless I get one on my butt.
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Like I had mentioned previously, the skulls are a representation of Halloween and our eventual mortality, Adding the colors is my own silliness and a reminder that life should be lived and not taken so seriously every moment of the day. The design might look silly to some people, crazy to a few and others might think its downright awesome. I think it's cute in it's own way, and I like it.

I don't like being told not to get one because it's permanent. That is a lousy excuse to me, because it's a fear of committing to something.
If I won't commit to something permanent on my body what else will I be to unsure of or afraid of to commit to? You have chances to make a lot of commitments in life, some that are meant to be permanent, like starting your own business to pursue a dream, getting married, starting a family. You can get a tattoo removed, it just costs a lot of money and pain. You can also get rid of your dream business, get a divorce and break up your family, but that also costs money and pain.
You may not to see it that way, but that is how I see it, and how I feel about it.

I don't recommend jumping feet first into getting a tattoo, just like I don't think one should start a business, get married or start a family before thinking about it and making sure it's what you really want. Sometimes you don't get to think about it until it the ball has already started rolling. A bad tattoo can be covered up and hidden, even if it is in an obvious place. The same company that sells the makeup I plan to use to make sure of the tattoo placement, sells a concealer to cover up tattoos.
http://www.fxwarehouse.info/mm5/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Store_Code=FW&Category_Code=Tats
 
i have 6 tattoos. my dad hates them all. he didn't even know about them the first 2 years or so i had them. it wasn't fun. i have a star with 8 little stars on each of my shoulder blades so i always had to cover them when i was around him. lol. one time we were in tombstone on vacation and my lifted the back of my shirt cuz i was hot, and he saw my little butterfly. i told him it was henna HAHAHA. then i had to tell him cuz i was in my mom and dad's youngest offspring's wedding to satan (i don't like their offspring or his wife so i don't call them my family). my dress was a tubetop so there was no hiding it. then i came home with one on my wrist.. it wasn't too happy lol and then he thought i was a brohoe HAHAHAHA cuz i have a star with zebra print (i just love zebra print) and then my last one is a broken heart on my foot. i told him it was a sticker, he didn't believe that one
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hahahaha i'm not sure he knows about the small dolphin on my tummy.
 
I'm hoping to get my tattoo this summer. I've been wanting one for the longest time and I've had a design picked out ever since I decided I want one. Here is the inspiration image I'm going to give to my artist. I want a similiar design with the barring on the feather but maybe a bit simpler and in black and white. Of course I'm sure she will put in a few of her own touches, but she did my dad's coverup and was amazing. I want this on my right shoulder blade. It will probably be small, maybe about two or three inches. I doubt any one else will ever see it unless I'm in a bathing suit or tank top, but that's just the way I want it!

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The pictures feather is a great horned owl feather. It is my favorite bird and represents the qualities I strive to have, especially wisdom! I also love birds and I know I will always love them!

This is another design I really liked, but I don't know where I would get it. I would most likely have it doen in black.

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I love tattoos on men, but I'm not so attracted to guys COVERED in tattoos. Though I have nothing against those people that choose to do it. I love "secret" tattoos, because I've come to learn they have some of the best meanings.
 
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Here's a really old pic, but its one of the only ones I have that shows any tats. Mine are all above my elbows so hidden easily.

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Tats are about the person more than anything else. I know that there are an immense amount of people against them but at the same time they are becoming more mainstream. The two rules of thumb I have for my own are these #1: It has to have some meaning to me, not like a boyfriends or anything that could change over time 2: They have to be where they can be covered on the off chance I ever have to work for someone else again and need to cover them.
 
I think it was the OP who wanted to hear people's stories about getting their ink . . . here goes!

My first tattoo was the result of a bet, BUT I'd been longing for a tattoo for a while (a few years) and the bet was simple: I was having some serious low self-esteem issues and I was training for a stunt certification, well, the non-existent self-esteem was a HUGE barrier to having any chance of getting that certification, but I'd lived with my self-esteem in the negative #'s for so long, I didn't even know there was an issue. My instructor (who was also a friend), bet me that if I passed the certification test, I'd get the tattoo that I was going to visit about once a week (yep, I wanted it that badly, but didn't have the confidence to say 'You know what, I really like this and I don't care what anybody else thinks!) . . . I laughed, but he was dead serious. I said 'Ok, if I don't pass the test, you get to pay me $100'. He agreed.

Well. I got my certification, and my instructor insisted that I hold up my end of the bet. If it wasn't for him pushing me to take that leap, I would never have had such a good thing come into my life! I wanted it anyway, he just gave me an iron-clad reason to get it.

It's a red rose with black leaves. Very small, only about 2" but very pretty. The rose will soon be the center of the MAJOR piece of artwork that I want to get (basically, it'll take over my entire upper arm), I love it that much. I got it in 1998, and it still looks great. It didn't hurt all that much, really, and it only took about 45 minutes, it's on the center of my left bicep.

My second tattoo was on the occasion of my 25th birthday -- an age I never thought I would reach. I got it on the center of my right bicep and went with red roses again, though these are single petal types instead of the double petal one. They are on an ivy sprig, entwined about a broadsword. It's about 4" long and I was still in stunt work classes at the time and went to the class without covering up my new ink . . . my fault! I didn't know it then, but trauma to the new tattoo can 'knock' the color out, and now I have little sections of my ink where the color got knocked out because of the fighting I was doing . . . you can't see them unless you're REALLY close to it, but I know. Again, it didn't hurt much and only took an hour to do.

The third tattoo is a blackwork rose (are we sensing a theme?) with a dagger stuck through it. The dagger looks exactly like one of the daggers in my collection, I HAD to have that ink! It took about two hours and is on my right outside ankle, and it HURT SO BADLY the entire time. A friend was with me to get it done and he said I was making the childbirth face the entire time. Holy crap, I have broken my collarbone and passed kidney stones and had surgery to repair a totally snapped achilles tendon, and this tattoo was just as bad as any of the above. It KILLED me. The only reason I finished it was because I couldn't bear the embarrassment of going around with a half-finished tat on my ankle. It's about 4" square.

My fourth tattoo is in the small of my back and basically Celtic knotwork with Celtic roses in a protective design, I have degenerative disks and a whole bunch of other back issues, so . . . It took 2.5 hours and is the biggest tattoo I have, 5" square. And yes, that one hurt like an SOB the entire time. Eventually I had to ground and center myself and meditate myself into a trance to get some biofeedback going so that I could get through it. My body was spasming, and there was nothing I could do about it except force myself to get calm. That finally worked, but by then there was only about a half hour left, lol!

Getting a tattoo can be a transformative, life-changing event. It's not something to take lightly, even though many people do. There are many spiritual practitioners who know that piercing your skin (that's how they tattoo) can result in dramatic spiritual awakenings, or bring up long-suppressed emotions, or give you a massive endorphin high, or all of the above.

My advice? Be REALLY sure that you want what you're getting. Make sure it's positive and will bring good energy to you, wait forever if that's what it takes to get sure, and take a friend with you when you go. You will need to eat well both before and afterwards, and don't be surprised if you experience odd physical or emotional stuff.

Don't use any painkillers before you go, or drink alcohol. Reputable tattoo artists will not tattoo anybody who's been drinking (even if you're not drunk) or if you're on any substance -- even legal ones -- that could potentially interfere with the tat, or potentially cause harm to you. I know some meds can thin the blood . . . you will bleed . . . thinning your blood is not a good idea! And, of course, you need to be in full mental control of yourself, too.

Some tattoo artists do walk-ins, others insist on an appointment (so you may have to wait a while). Some charge for creating the drawing, some don't. Some have a minimum fee, some don't. All shops and artists should be licensed and have their paperwork out for you to see (usually it's hanging on a wall). If you don't see a license, or they can't produce one, RUN AWAY. Some artists will let you watch while they tattoo somebody else, some won't. Do your research -- a good artist won't get irritated by questions. If the shop isn't clean (and I mean, SPARKLING, preferably with the smell of a just-used autoclave or cleaning material in the air) RUN, don't walk away. Don't even look back.

Oh, and if you have allergies, be prepared that your skin might react badly to some colors. All tattoo ink is not the same. Again, do your homework. I'm lucky that my skin *loves* tattoo ink, even though I have allergies and can't wear clothes that have been washed in anything other than hypoallergenic detergent. Many people also have issues with red ink, just because.

And don't forget to tip your artist! Inking in a tattoo is a physically demanding job, not to mention the creative process. If your artist has done a good job for you, let him or her know that. Money talks.

Hope that helps!


Whitewater (hoping to save the $700 or so my next tat will cost within the next 2-3 years)
 
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So I'm pretty sure this tattoo design I have will be going on my side. It fits better there than on my leg, and if I get "addicted" to getting ink, I have a neat idea for a lower leg tattoo. Plus it seems like a good idea to have a first tattoo that you can cover up.
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Whitewater -
I have watched the artist I want to do my tattoo work. She has done all but one of the tattoos BF has and she does some really great work. She is also very courteous to those she is tattooing and will talk with them and ask if they need a break or if they need to stop on big pieces.

The shop she is in is very clean and she herself is a clean freak. Everything is sterilized as often as possible and if it can be used new, it is. The shop also has windows into the different artists rooms so that people coming in or waiting can watch an artist work. They do offer blinds in someone doesn't want others watching, or if the tattoo is in an indecent place. Depending on her schedule I would probably have to make an appointment. I would feel better with an appointment in general so it is less spontaneous. She is licensed and the shop is reputable, although there are shops and artists in that area that aren't.

I've drawn the piece myself (I'm not *too* shabby of an artist) and if need be all she'll need to do is clean up lines and maybe refine a few details.
I don't have any prescribed pain killers, and I only use Tylenol on rare occasion. I don't drink often and I wouldn't drink before getting a tattoo. I don't want to end up saying "Yeah I had a few drinks and then went and got some ink done, it looked better when I was still buzzed."
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I've seen a lot of drunk "It was a good idea at the time" tattoos and they don't strike my fancy. The artist I'm going to won't tattoo someone she knows has been drinking, more because they can be belligerent and a waste of time.

I can't say much about allergies, as the only things I have had a reaction to are bees, pollen and large amounts of shrimp. Allergies is another reason why I may have one skull done, allow that to heal, then get the others done.

She's a fair artist about prices and I'll ask her the next time BF get's work done how much she would charge for my piece so that I can save some money for it. I have no qualms about tipping a tattoo artist or anyone that does a good job, especially for artwork. It's a tough way to make a living, as it is usually by commission only, no regular paychecks.

And,
Thanks for sharing your story Whitewater!
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Anyone else want to step up to the podium and share their tales of tattooing adventure?
 
My son wanted a tattoo when he was living at home. I told him as long as he is living in my house, there would be no tattoos. He DID get one when he moved out. Note I said ONE. They do hurt. I had my eyebrows permanently done for cosmetic reasons, and it HURT !!
If you get a tattoo done just for getting one, you might be sorry when you get older. I think the only way to get rid of them is laser. I would say make pretty darn sure you want one before you spend the money. That's another thing. They are expensive. Don't you have anything else you'd rather spend your money on? Like more chickens?
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Jen
 
I have 5 tattoos. I have always wanted them, but knew that I needed to be away from my Mom before I got any. I thought about what I wanted long before I turned 18 and kept thinking about it until I finally got my first one at 26. I knew that they all HAD to mean something to me, so here goes...

First one I got was for my daughter. It says her name in Elvish (Arwen Renee-Aurora) and is the Evanstar from Lord of the Rings, which is where her name is from

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Second was for my son. It is his name in Elvish (Garrett John-Blake) and is the Elven Brooch from Lord of the Rings.

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Hubby and I decided on the Elvish for the names because he is a Corrections Officer at a Federal Prison and he didn't want the inmates to know the kids names. I don't have to worry about that, but figured if I was getting something from LOTR, the words might as well be in Elvish.

Third is Yoshi from Super Mario Brothers. I am not a big gamer, but love Yoshi and will buy just about anything with him on it.

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Fourth is Baby Ariel and Baby Flounder from The Little Mermaid. I has always been my favorite movie and Flounder is my favorite Disney Character. My left leg will eventually have all of the Princesses on it, in baby form.

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Fifth is a HUGE thigh tattoo custom done (well, all of mine are custom done for me, but this one is awesome) Penn State and SF 49ers football tat. I don't have any pics of it right now because it isn't done yet. It stretches from my hip to my knee and all over the front of my right thigh. So far I have 3 2.5 hour sitting in it and have at least one to go.

My tattoo artists are great friends of hubby and I and LOVE to work on us. My artist had my next 3 or 4 tattoo drawn up already for me.

If you are thinking you want one, you will know what you want as soon as you see it. If you waiver at all in the thinking, it is not the one for you. And, all of my tattoos are very easily covered, though my job doesn't care if I have them or not. I work in a locked building with no windows and I am the one that controls the door and says whether you can come in or not.

Oh, and my Mom still hates them and yells when I get a new one, but hey, I am 28 now, I let it go in one ear and out the other!
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