Ink off the paper and onto the skin! I've had tattoos on my brain again for about a month now, ever since I scheduled the appointment for my next one and already I'm thinking about what I want after that. I only have 3 and they're small but I do love large pieces on others and watch all those tattoo competition shows. I figured with all the other artistic and creative people on this forum, there's bound to be other tattoo fans. I'm very particular about what I get and 2 of my 3 I designed myself...no drunken or random decisions for me...just personal meaning and symbolism. The first I got right after I turned 18 and, while some people regret the ones from their early years, I still like my tramp stamp. I drew it up over the course of a year and it's very simple but colorful: two swimming dolphins and my cliché zodiac symbol. It was my first exertion of adult independence and it still makes me smirk thinking of how pissed my mom was when she found out. My second I didn't get until after my daughter was born. It's a tribal-esque mother/daughter symbol with her birth flowers underneath. That is on my lower stomach/inner left hip was the most painful to date. It blew up huge when preggo with my son and I thought for sure it would be lopsided and weird after but luckily it shrunk back to size without any stretch marks or damage. The third I got for my husband on a wedding anniversary, but as I am weary of the 'significant other name jinx' (I know ) I went for symbolism instead and drew three intersecting infinity hearts for past, present, and future, each in the color of the Jamaican flag, where we got married. That's on my side/upper ribs at the bra line. My next, scheduled for Mother's Day, will be for my son. It'll be a dragonfly, which reminds me of his first time swimming as a baby. He fells asleep floating in my arms and a baby dragonfly landed on his big toe and stayed there for like ten minutes. Now every time I see them, especially in summer, I can't help but think of my son. That will be on my foot and my first "visible" tattoo which is a big step for me since my others are concealable. And of course too many ideas swirling about for future ink but I usually wait about a year after I finally decide, just to make sure it's what I really want. So...how about the rest of you?
Never had one, and never will. I guess I'm the wrong generation. But I do admire some that I see, especially the black abstract ones, that look like south sea island symbols. The ones that are part of an overall body design, rather than just little postage stamps. Or the black ones that are very intricate, flowers, scrolls, etc. I'm less fond of coloured ones. They look good at first, but the colours bleed and fade and look sloppy after a few years. I think I'd be more of a fan if tattoos kept their sharpness forever—but sadly, they don't. It's an individual thing, though. Tattoos are now so common they don't really attract the kind of attention they used to. Now it's more how they look, rather than the fact they're there at all.
That is true about fading but you can always get touch ups. The one on my back is almost all color and still looks great almost 11 years later. I'm pretty religious about sunscreen, though, which helps their longevity.
Aw, they all sound really lovely and meaningful. I too have tattoos, one above the shoulder blade, another on the shoulder and the third on the inside of my forearm. That one is a barely visible snowflake so even if I'm wearing short sleeves, nobody notices, but it gives me joy all the time (I adore snowflakes). Every tattoo artist I came across wants me to add a few more, up my arm, they say it'd look amazing, but all I wanted is one. All three tattoos I have mark something important in my life, an event, a milestone. One of them (a lily) has a scar through it, I got it years after I got the tattoo, and it doesn't bother me, actually, I prefer it because it symbolically fits the events. It's all like a private story I'm telling, plus I think they are pretty. If I ever got a big one, which I doubt I would, but if, it'd be a Japanese cherry tree in bloom, branches with flowers climbing up my back. Or a kundalini snake twisting up my back all the way to my neck.
I have two, but I usually keep them hidden 'cause of their locations. Most often I display them while performing onstage with my band. They're nothing special to look at, but that's not why they're there; I got them for myself (because of what they mean to me), which is also one reason why I usually don't show them to anyone. The first one I got when I was 20. It reads 'rōnin' in kanji (the upper is 'wave,' the lower 'man'), meaning 'wave man,' i.e. a masterless samurai who's been cast out to drift on the waves of fate. And a person who tried for a university, but failed the entrance exam. The latter was actually true at the time: I had just fucked up my wrist, so my 1st choice of trying to enroll to a music academy (uni level) with the classical guitar went out the window since I couldn't play the usual 6-8 hours a day anymore, so 2 weeks before the entrance exams, I decided to go study English philology instead. Because I had so little time to prepare, I knew I wouldn't pass, but I took the test anyway just to familiarize myself with the process, the location etc. so that next year, when I had actually studied for the exam, I could just focus on my performance without having to worry about where to go, what to do etc. The next year I did make the cut, but I still consider myself a kind of ronin since I don't follow any specific master like a religion, martial art etc. I use what I like and discard the rest. As you can see, what the tattoo means to me, isn't clearly evident even if you can read kanji, so there's not much point to flaunt the ink (especially since it's not visually impressive either). I have nothing against those who do, of course. In fact, I like looking at other people's tattoos. Anyhoo, the second one I got when I was 23, I think. It's the 2nd last line of a poem by Gosen Wakashū, but since I'm European and Caucasian, I chose to go a more familiar route and instead of kanji, chose runes (a tip of the hat to my Norse ancestors). They go around my right bicep and read 'when your own heart asks.' The whole poem goes: To tell others that It is a rumor Will not do. When your own heart asks How will you respond? It helps me remember to be honest, if not always to others, at least to myself. I still fail sometimes, but it's good to have a reminder etched on my skin.
I haven't really come up with anything significant enough yet, and yeah, I'm not jinxing anything with T's name either But we've talked about tattooing our totem animals as symbols of our relationship. Too bad he hasn't found his yet. Although even mine is still a bit fuzzy, either it's the hare or the stingray. Now, a stingray tattoo would be way cool. Anyway, I do have one, made by my best friend back when I was still in junior high. I've told the story here before... We used a carpet knife, bought ink from a book store, put on some goth metal (yeah I became such a cliché after I decided I don't want to be a bespectacled nerd anymore). It's still there, a triangle between my shoulder blades. I'm actually quite hesitant to have it tattooed over. It's a reminder of a period in my life that, while embarrassing and kinda cute in all its naïvety, meant a lot to me. Plenty of good memories.
I have 7 The one on my lower back is a stylized manta ray. It's "wings" follow the curves of my tushie and the scoop thingies it has on its head hold a kanji for peace. It's pretty big. You can see the tips of the wings coming around the sides of my upper butt, if you're my husband. Otherwise... pants.
Never had one; I'm not that big into permanence. I was also told at a very influential age, by my father, the best way to remove a tattoo was with a brillo pad. The best one I've ever seen was my uncle's Jolly Rogers skull and crossbones. He was one of those guys who pulled his second tour in Nam with the Rangers because he wanted to and they had to kick him out (not discharged, just forced to leave the shit) during his third because he got shot and demanded to get back in the action. Now he's an old crusty farmer. All the white has faded out of the tat and the outline is more of a prison blue. While working on his farm, the other guys gave me a great hint, "Keep an eye on that tattoo. If you ever see it turn white, somebody's in deep shit." Sure enough when T rolled the John Deere on the levee that skull and crossbones was as white as my ass in the winter time and T got his ass whupped.
I have seven total: Left arm, inner wrist: A simple crucifix with a black border and red interior. Right arm, wrist: A basic tribal band wrapping all the way around the wrist with a Celtic cross in the center. Right arm, inner wrist: The standard Red Hot Chili Peppers logo in black. Right arm, upper forearm: The famous Dale Earnhardt #3, framed by black roses. His signature is underneath and banners over the top and bottom read: "THE INTIMIDATOR - 1951-2001" Right arm, bicep: The Demon Hunter band logo, black with red eyes. I've had work done on it since this pic, so the mouth/nostrils are gone now. Left arm, bicep: A scroll which looks nailed to the skin. Inside, gothic style text reads: "HOW QUICKLY I FORGET THAT THIS IS MEANINGLESS." Right leg, calf: The Corvette racing skull logo, A.K.A. "Jake" You can actually see most of my arm ones here...
We actually just realized it wasn't a stingray but a manta ray, a giant oceanic manta ray, to be exact. And that I'd get the ray and Kat would take the hare on her calf 'cause it would totally make her run faster. Now I just gotta build a teepee (or perhaps an igloo in my case), put a camp fire in it, and sit in the smoke, coughing and sputtering until my totem animal reveals itself to me. So far I've suspected the owl, cat, and fox, but it's not yet clear which, if any of those, it is. I did get along great with one of the horses Kat used to groom (R.I.P. Guderian). It's not embarrassing at all, it's cute and cool especially 'cause it's not a parlor tatt.
I currently run at about 70% coverage—none on my neck, face or head. My tatts are very simplistic... I wanted them to have a hint of hand-tapped about them even though they were done with a gun. With the exception of some coloured 'skelping' work on my upper right arm and an eye Horus I did myself on the inside of my left ankle while I was apprenticing, they are all rendered in Pelican black and nowt else. I think if I could do it over, I've have insisted on Sumi black, but hindsight is a wonderful thing. Even so, I'm still content even 25 years on. My tats, while looking like they were all designed at the same time, weren't. There are very few heavily shaded areas where my own skin tone is not apparent, most of the designs being rendered primarily in line work with a little shading. Subject matter tends towards historical and mythological. Lots of passage tombs, dolmens, standing stones. I have a murder of crows flying from my hip up my ribs on the lhs. I have a cross between a '57 Ford car and a viking long ship carreening through space towards a black hole, a window in on a pagan alter with an image of Cernunnos in silhouette, a rune wheel, a Janus figure, a sprig each of oak leaves and mistletoe running down the back of my forearms and a spiral of ivy on my left kneecap, I also have a city enclosed in a glass bubble, a rendition of the comic book character Psyblade, a rat and a raven and a field mouse, and a lot of purely graphic work, mostly knotwork of celtic and middle eastern origin, making up my upper left arm and chest piece. My back/buttocks feature Newgrange, Tailltu, step mother of the celtic sun god Lugh and an over-arching celtic weave. The lower portion is split into two visions of the underworld. (Ahem... no 'back passage' jokes... trust me, I've heard them all before.) There are several little nods to people I love, my favourite being a triangular design based on a graphic from the film, The Dark Crystal. They were all done by the same artist with only two exceptions. One on my wrist done by a lover who had never done a tatt in his life. (No biggie... I kept him right. It was a trust thing.) And a portrait of the artist himself, (I couldn't trust him not to sheer 30lbs off) which was done by an artist I greatly respect and who I got the chance to work with for a while. I've no immediate plans to get more, although I would like a portrait of my grandson before I'm reduced to worm food. I've also rather fancied getting a hand-tapped one by Eric Reime, owner and head artist at Kunsten Pa Kroppen in Copenhagen. I love his hand-tapped style as it's very authentic. The last tattoo I did for someone else came several years after I retired. My daughter pulled a guilt trip and I couldn't refuse. It's a cascade of jasmin flower heads falling through ghosted wind work, running down her spine from her nape to her coccyx bone.
Meaningful ones are the best ones. Snowflakes are lovely, now that I don't have to look at them 8/12 months of the year! I'm with you on not sure how big I'd ever go. As much as I love them, I'm still more modest. ETA - speaking of trees, I have off and on considered getting a tree of life. That's one that you can't be too dainty about and still have look nice, which is why I go back and forth. Very cool. How did you find the proper translation in runes? I'd love something in runes someday as half my heritage is Norwegian and there is still a small town there somewhere named for my family. And some dark story of a banished ancestor who murdered his wife, her family, and their dog thinking she was having an affair...apparently the shack he moved into after is still there somewhere. SOOOO weird that you mention stingray because that is my totem animal as well and what I've been contemplating getting at the same appointment in May for the dragonfly. That's a more obscure totem animal and I'm surprised to see others have them! Love it! Are your others mostly visible or hidden with clothes? If I would've pursued my Masters in college it would have been for Archaeology with emphasis in Egyptology (B.A. was Anthropology & Religious Studies) so your mythological ones and eye of Horus stands out to me...and that fact that you applied it yourself, WOWZA. I've got a high pain tolerance and am not overly squeamish, but that I don't think I could do. That knee cap one had to have hurt! I love that you tattooed your daughter...I'm sure that makes it even more special, what the jasmine flowers mean to her plus the application. My mom hates my tattoos and goes out of her way to joke and say something negative whenever she sees them when we're at the beach. I told her someday when she's gone I'm going to get the biggest memorial one just for her and she threatend to come back and haunt me. Hey, gotta keep our loved ones near somehow, right?
This is the artwork for my next tat. I'm going to place it directly under the demon skull and extend the background over my shoulder to cover the lettering.
Is that your own artwork or a character I'm unfamiliar with? Either way, very cool. Do you have one artist that you use for them all?
Up until my seventh tattoo I had kinda' operated under the rules of "must be concealable under short sleeves and long pants". But now I'm semi-retired and I work as a freelance contractor for the USDOJ from home (most of the time) so my 7th one (about a year old now) broke the rule. *please excuse the admittedly d-bag "gun-show"*
I keep getting older but when I go to the beach everyone is forever 21. Gotta give the young-bloods a run for their money.
It's a mithra from Final Fantasy XI online. And no, that's not my work. I can't even draw a stick figure much less something that good! I played FFXI as a Mithra named "Eluveitie" for five years, and it was a very large part of my life. I was a level 99 ninja at my best, so I'm thinking of having the artist convert the armor from Samurai to Ninja. I also want to replace the long katana with the Kannagi sword (level 99 Empyrean weapon, very hard to get) and maybe put another unique katana in the off-hand. Far as artists go? My first two were done by a guy named Dave at Artifact Tattoo in Valencia, CA. The other five were done by Justin at Eternal Art in Los Angeles. Now that I'm in Tennessee, I have to find a new artist. I have a couple of leads, one looks really good, so we'll have to see how it goes. I was thinking of having this one guy do a smaller tat, see how it comes out, then contract for the big job.
I have three. The first one is a small but very colourful dragon on my ankle. I have a thing about dragons so when I went for my second, I chose two black dragons with intertwined tails underneath a water lily with a ball of fire on it. It was supposed to go across my lower back but I chose to have it across my upper back which meant the tails go down my spine and the flames go up to the nape of my neck (sounds bigger than it actually is). It needs touching up but it's very rarely on show these days. My last one, one I designed myself, (with lots of help from my tattooist) is over the edge of my right shoulder (in that place that's not covered by a bra strap but can still be concealed by a short sleeved shirt) and is in black and white. It's a phoenix feather quill pen writing the words "believe in yourself" and I had it done after I published my first fiction book.
@sunsplash Believe it or not, my kneecap was a breeze. I would have imagined beforehand it would have felt like a jack hammer, given the amount of bone, but the miniscus acted as a shock absorber of sorts and in all honesty it turned out to be one of the more pleasant ones. I have tatts on all the boney bits; ribs, elbows, knees, hip bones, sternum, feet and toes, and none came remotely close to the pain I experienced on my butt. Tattooing myself was more awkward than anything else. I think I was more worried about making a mess of it than how much it was hurting, tbh. @Lewdog Herve Villechaize was an honorary member of the National Tattoo Association.
