Tattoos

I've got a rose on my right hip. It's my first and only (so far) tattoo. When I was thinking of getting one, I actually went to a few shops with a good friend to check out the books and the artist In the end it came down to either a place with good reviews and a rather friendly artist or a place with hardly any reviews but an artist who really made me feel at ease with the whole process. I went with the latter, because he explained the whole process with me, and let me know what I should be looking out for in an artist

Agreed, I have 6 and am always thinking of different designs and lines of poetry/books I love to add.

I have five and they're all in places that are easily hidden and that I didn't mind showing off before. In the next couple of months, as soon as I can afford it anyway, I'm getting one on my ribcage. Since I've finally lost enough weight to feel ok with other people seeing that area (so close to my belly lol). I'm getting an F. Scott Fitzgerald quote - "I fell in love with her courage, her sincerity and her flaming self-respect, and it is these things that I would believe in, even if the whole world indulged in the wild idea that she wasn't all she should be." As a 30 year-old divorced single mom who uprooted her life, moved to rural Illinois and works at wal-mart, I like the reminder that I am not my situation.

As for what to look for in an artist. I find it's best to find someone who has a tattoo that you like (you can tell good work) and find out where they went. Also, drink orange juice before you go. It helps to keep from blacking out as your body releases adrenaline. I found this out the hard way 2 and a half hours into a back piece session.

Thanks for all these great ideas!

I would want my tattoo somewhere a bit hidden, like the inside of my wrist, but maybe thatd be painful..

i didnt even feel the one on the inside of my wrist

As y final reward ( possibly) I have been thinking of getting a set of rat paw prints somewhere on me ( possibly my shoulder as if there is a little rattie spirit sitting on my shoulder. I would use one footprint from each of my rats. Or a drawing /portrait of my first 2 rats, one of which has passed on and the other who is nearing the end of her journey. That would probably go on my thigh or arm : ) I would post the drawing I am thinking of but I don't have a watermarked version handy.

in the future I also want a wolf of some sort , a crow and the constellations Orion and Cassiopeia

While I am not inked, one thing I have heard a few times, and makes sense, is get an artist who does the style you want. Just like pencil/paper artists, not everyone can do every style.

Might as well add to the topic, getting my left arm sleeve with Japanese style and a few other small tattoos just as a reward for all the progress I've done, if I complete the Spartan trifecta I will get the Spartan logo with the 3 colours and the other is a secret lol

My next tattoo has been a great motivator for getting in better shape. I'm not getting it BECAUSE I'm getting in better shape. I have an appointment for June 5 to get an octopus tattooed my butt and thigh. I have no sweet clue what it's going to look like since I told my artist to do whatever he likes as long as it's an octopus.

I do know that the last time I talked to him he had a hankering to do some biomechanical/steam punk inspired artwork accompanied by some brushstrokes and splats.

before i put weight on i had a black hole tattooed on my hip and belly now i have lost 21lb i am having the rest of my side it is 3 things i love, Doctor Who (tardis), Star Wars (millennium falcon) and Star Trek (unsure of what Enterprise to have) all in progress to the death star that will be surrounded by Darleks, there will more than likely be a red shirt floating by.

And if I was to get one.. (thinking about it) what are the main things I need to watch out for when picking a tattoo artist?

First visit many shops before you jump in.

Go to a shop that has a good reputation. Also check their health department certification, if required in your area. Ask to see the artists portfolio and not just flash that is on the wall. Make sure the shop is CLEAN. It should be as clean as your doctors office. The tattoo needles cut your skin, so if you wouldn't want to have an open wound in the place, RUN! Make sure they have an autoclave for sterilizing non disposables and that EVERYTHING is wiped down with alcohol or another disinfectant including the table or chair you will be sitting on.

When the day comes and you have made your decision, watch your artist put on clean, new, sterile gloves and open new tubes and needles. Check the stencil he will put on you and make sure it is straight and exactly where you will want it to be for eternity, there is no moving it or adjusting it after the work has started.

Also take a picture or sketch of what you want or have an idea that you can relay to the artist. A good tattoo artist can make your vision a reality. Do not settle for generic flash just because the artist suggests it. That should tell you the artist does not have the real talent it takes to do a original work of art. He basically can trace and color.

I know that sounds like a lot of nit picking, but your health and possibly your life could depend on it.

I planned mine for years and the artist I went to was someone whose work I had seen, whose shop was scrupulously clean, and who has won awards for her work.

I told her what I wanted and she hand drew a pattern just for me. Then we made adjustments from there. We discussed tone, color, flow, design, future tattoos and what they may look like with the one I was getting--everything.

Sounds like a lot but it's something that covers the left side of my torso and curves from my chest, under my arm, down the left side and ends just above the hip. It does not show when I'm dressed for professional reasons and this was by design.

I've uploaded a close up pic of part of it on my profile. It's a cherry blossom design in a 1940's kind of coloring scheme.

Make sure the place is clean first the artist is well versed and they are on the same level as you ,not everyone jives together you may have one idea, they may be picturing something completely different ,sketches are appreciated to ,no ones putting anything on me without me seeing a prototype first.

I want a tree of life sort of but very fine lines swirly branches, black with red hearts hanging from the branches to represent my family and family is forever in italian or german, since I'm both, underneath in script ,Id prefer in on a shoulder blade and it needs to be small since Im petite myself,

I want it to be very detailed and beautiful there will never be a time I regret this my family will always be my family, ie my husband, and our 2 daughters.

I want this on my 30 th birthday which is Feb 9th 2014.

Hooray, tattoos!

I have a couple (and a lot more planned) but here's my most recent, I just got this done on my upper arm:

It's a storm petrel - kind of the opposite to swallows (which are considered good luck to sailors) - storm petrels are considered a bad omen, haha.

In regards to finding a good shop and artist, the best way would be to just do a whole heap of research. If you have friends with tattoos that you think look great, ask them for recommendations. Or if you're a brave sort, you could always ask people you see out and about who have great tattoos where they got them done. In all honesty, I regret my first couple of pieces because I didn't 'shop around', so to speak, and I also foolishly designed and drew them myself (I thought my art was great when I was 21, but at 27 I'm certainly a lot wiser!)

If you don't know anyone in real life with tats or you don't like the idea of approaching strangers, then just do research online - look up every tattoo shop in your city and go through all their artists. Many tattoo artists have instagrams now which they use to post their work which is better than looking at a portfolio in my opinion, as they tend to post a mix of in-progress, fresh, and healed work. Healed work is the stuff you really want to keep your eye out for though, as a fresh tattoo can look amazing but lose colour and definition over time if it hasn't been applied properly (for instance, if the artist doesn't press hard enough, or presses too hard, or just if the person with the tat hasn't looked after it!)

A good tattoo artist is worth their weight in gold though, as they can take something as simple as a few descriptive sentences ("I want a bird of this species, with some pretty flowers around it", etc) and work it up into a unique piece that nobody else out there will have. Don't go in with a piece of artwork or script from the internet and ask them to copy it directly, it's always best to let them turn it into something special for you!

A final note, as someone who works as a graphic designer - if you want script, don't find a fancy curly font you like and have that tattooed onto you. Ask your artist to stylise it at least a little! I see this so much in fonts that are really ugly or that I know people downloaded for free off of dafont.com and it's ilk, and it makes me cringe every time.

I got this done about a week ago (this is from right after it was complete), still have a ways to go for my goal weight, but at about 7 pounds away from half-way to my goal weight I wanted to get this done and I wasn't going to let my weight stop me from doing something.

When I get my body the way I want it to look I am getting a Spartan on either my back, leg or arm.

for me the spartan is strength and power and that's what I want to be, strong and powerful.

as for choosing an artist, find a nice tattoo parlor (clean, well lit, nice people, health certificates are displayed) and just talk to them, explain what you want and have them draw something, if you don't like it correct it until its perfect.