Not really. Got a cube on my left forearm, a nurse on left pectoral, a symbol I made up depicting immortal insanity on my right ankle, and demon in Latin on my left calf. See not all that exciting to actually witness.
Lots of ink, but it would require showing a level of skin that would be either douchey, or just inappropriate for the venue.
I am tattooed in famous artwork. I have The Laster Supper, The Creation of Adam, and am currently getting William Holum Hunt's The Triumph of Innocence.
I have a small dancing beer glass on my right shoulder... back in the day all us rugby guys had it done as a gesture of team solidarity after we wiped the floor with the competition in the British Colleges 7s tournament... 24 years later its more of a blob so its not worth showing off
Here's mine, the Gryphon from Alice's Adventures in Wonderland... please don't make any comments about my nipples. I know, I know... I'm blessed with magnificent perky nipples. It's my cross to bear.
I was actually thinking how perfectly co-ordinated your hair was with your avatar! In fact if you move the camera up, is your face a lion?
No tattoos yet, but I've got four planned! The first one I want to get is the Mahmoud Darwish quote "a moon will rise from my darkness" in it's original Arabic. I'm a bit nervous about having this tattooed as it's definitely going to be a bit of trouble finding a tattoo artist who knows Arabic haha The other tattoo ideas I have: a tiny crescent moon, a tattoo that will give me strength/remind me of how I am a survivor of illness as opposed to a victim, and an olive branch tattoo to remind me of my Palestinian roots
As for the Arabic tattoo, when tattoo artists in the US do their work, they rarely freehand. Instead, they make a photocopy of the design and transfer the photocopy ink onto your skin using deodorant to make the ink come off the paper. They then trace that temporary design onto your skin using the tattoo gun, so if you could find a good Arabic calligrapher (and I love Arabic calligraphy, can't read a word of it, but it's beautiful) to write your phrase, appropriately sized, a good tattoo artist should be able to copy it onto your skin.
If they have a surgical skin pen and know Arabic calligraphy, they could draw it on free hand, instead of using transfer paper.
If I was going to get Arabic calligraphy done, I'd want it initially done by someone who was very good at it. Not that it's impossible for a tattoo artist to be, but I'd go to someone whose primary "thing" was writing Arabic calligraphy.
I only have one, it's like this but my wings are red and the outline of the shoe is blue. It's on my left calf.
I've got three. My first is a little stick-and-poke heart on my left rib-cage. The second one I got was a little two-word phrase relevant to a band I was in during University, on the inside of the top of my upper arm, right by my armpit. Those two were done by a friend of mine on another friend's bedroom floor, the first stick-and-poke and the second with a gun, both using new ink and needles and proper sanitation and safety procedures. The third, a Ralph Steadman illustration of a skull from Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas by Hunter S. Thompson with the letters "DWYD" standing for a variety of possible things (such as "do what you do" or "die when you die" or "don't waste your days") underneath, above my right knee cap, was done be another friend of mine who was apprenticing at a tattoo shop at the time. All of them are simple black tattoos without shading or too much detail (I like the simplicity). I don't know if I'll get any more, but if I ever do, I'd like to cover my arms and legs in a variety of little things, like scorpions, knives, other simple black-outline sorts of tattoo, and wacky "traditional" tattoo illustrations of things that look cool. All of the ones I have right now mean a lot too me, but I appreciate the idea of having my corporeal being covered in art work done by friends, no matter what that art work might be.
I currently have just one tat, a small black-and-white quill pen writing out the word "freedom" on my left ankle. It has different meanings - part of it is about my love of reading/writing and stories, and how you can use those things to create any type of world or reality you want. Another meaning is like a "I'm the writer of my own life" type of sentiment. In a couple months, my cousin and I plan on getting tattoos together. For that, I plan on getting a rising phoenix on my right foot, where the phoenix has 3 eyes modeled after the Three Eyed Raven from Game of Thrones. I want that one to be swirly and elegant with sparingly-placed but bold color (reds/gold fire color as the main, with a dash or blue or purple). I'm also thinking of having a bit of color added to the freedom ankle tattoo as well.
Just be careful with the color. I got a few with color when I was younger and they don't look as good as the black and grey ones I have. Maybe I'm just bias. I love the look of black and grey.
What kind of colors do you think hold up best? I prefer warm colors, and for the rising pheonix I'd prefer for the main theme to be fiery orange/gold with bits of red. Any other colors (like blue/purple) would be just for accent, if at all. Also, can't color be touched up and enhanced? The freedom quill tattoo is 5 years old and slightly faded compared to when I got it, and I've been thinking of having it touched up when my money isn't as tight.
@FireWater well avoid white as it takes a few applications before it shows up. Also UV ink only lasts for 2-3 years, so don't spend the extra for it. Rich colors should stay for quite awhile, but is dependent on how deep it is applied. Most don't know that depth does make or break a tattoo in the skin.
I have some yellows, reds, oranges in one of mine, and the colors are still there, but not as vibrant. The black and grays that I have are mostly still as sharp. One of my black and gray ones is a couple years older (done by the same person) and looks better than the color. I'm by no means saying don't do it, but just know what you're getting into. Like I said, if I could go back, I would never get a color tattoo. And yes, you can get them touched up. I don't know about you, but spending money on touch ups isn't something I want to do. Especially since the majority of both of my legs are covered, that would turn into a hefty sum of money. I'd rather stick with black and gray.
@Spencer1990 I thought a touch-up was free when you pay for a new tatt? At least I know a guy that offers as much.
I mean, sure if it's within a certain amount of time and you live in the same place and that person still works for the same shop. I can't imagine anyone offers free touch-ups like half a decade later, assuming you still live in the same place and the artist works at the same shop. I got a bunch of mine when I lived in the Midwest. I certainly can't just go and get free touch-ups.
I don't have any tattoos, though I'd love to someday. I'd probably get some of things I create, or references to literature or bands I like. Probably some reference to Romeo & Juliet, because I for some reason have always had some strange affinity for that play, even though Shakespeare has better ones. Probably some references to Poe as well, perhaps a quote from "The Raven" with a stately raven perched near it. It'll be years off if it ever happens, though, so I've got time to think on it.