My first tattoo

a reply to: verschickter

My brother is covered in ink.... Many done on a drunkin whim, or as practice for an aspiring artist- or just cause someone wanted to attempt to tattoo another person. Some are nice and have thought behind it. Most not. (I should post a pic of his most recent job, hilariously sad.). That said, I always felt that there should be lots of thought into a work of art that is with you for the rest of your life. I spent well over a year planning mine. Only have one, and it's also in an area that is generally covered, so most people aren't even aware I have it. Been thinking about another one for a few yard, but still not sure.

a reply to: rockintitz
Not really feeling like showing my haired chest to the whole world, including some colleagues that dwell here.
But I had the same thought like you. How to make it not look weird.

The solution was to complement the black lines with a dark blood red, everywhere the underside of the tentacles show up + giving the head a touch of even darker red to make it stand out with a yellow eye.

The point of view is like in this picture but a little bit more from the top.
umad.com...

The picture above was not the template, he made it freestyle after I showed him what path and order the symbols should follow (important for me). It looks way more fleshy, thicker tentacles and boy does it look evil when you look at it in the mirror. I was told by my kids it only looks evil in the mirror, not if you look from the front. I suppose it has to do with the way the eye is aranged??

Either way, it took 12 hours in two sittings to get it done.

originally posted by: rockintitz
a reply to: DBCowboy

That is crazy! Idk if I like that kind of intricacy tbh.

Care to post yours DB?

My ink is boring. But I'd surely do 3D. My wife showed me this one today.

a reply to: verschickter

Not really feeling like showing my haired chest to the whole world, including some colleagues that dwell here. 

Don't blame you bro.

Sounds awesome, and that's all that matters right?

Either way, it took 12 hours in two sittings to get it done

No pain no gain.

a reply to: DBCowboy

Good luck finding an artist that can do work like that. The ones that can are prob booked up for 2 years

a reply to: DBCowboy



That's when my ADD kicks in.

I could not sit in a chair that long.

a reply to: chelsdh

I always knew what I wanted but never had the skills to bring it down on paper. So I started corel draw 6 on Win95 and messed around to at least get the position and shapes of the symbols right and drew a fat blobb with a red crayon after the (needle) printer was done and making the crude outlines.

I went to him and described how it should look like, that the tentacles should bulk up like it´s moving towards the viewer anytime. He asked if he can throw it into the trash

It took him 15 minutes to draw the whole thing up again and it was amazing. It was my template but instead of thick crayon lines, it was the bad-ass-est octopus I´ve ever seen. He also gave him a monocular that one tentacle would hold to one eye but in the end I decided against the monocular and rotate it more to only have one eye but the others brow on the sideline.

There was only the crude outlines templated on my skin with transfer paper, the rest was done "freestyle" but it nearly exactly turned out like he projected it before.

originally posted by: Zerodoublehero
a reply to: DBCowboy

Good luck finding an artist that can do work like that. The ones that can are prob booked up for 2 years

On the one hand, I'm close to Seattle and Portland, plenty of artists here.

But I'm too old for this stuff now.

a reply to: chelsdh

Care to share what it is? Or what you plan on getting?

a reply to: rockintitz

Good for you!

It seems like I recall a member awhile back who posted a similar thread. I don't remember ever seeing an update so, please, pictures when it is done.
My children's father has tattoos, I don't.
He's got the usual rock and roll type (?).
He also has one of our daughter's names on his forearm. It's very nice.
He dreams of many many more to come including his parents portraits and his family name.
Big dream is the one eyed jack covering his back. (singer for Buckcherry as reference)

He told me that getting the tattoo is almost meditative or trance like after the initial pain of the outline, etc.
I have never desired one but if I were to get one, I always wanted something (it would be up to the artist) along the lines of the infinity sign and a reference to my two girls.
They have been referred to, by family, as Snow White and Rose Red so...maybe something like that.

He does tell me that it is very addictive in a way, the act of getting tattooed.

Enjoy your artwork and share when you are done!

a reply to: Zerodoublehero
Not back then. When I finally decided where to get it, I walked into the shop and got an appointment three weeks later.
I saw his polaroids. It was a different time, there was no "photoshop", digital cameras were in it´s infants. I trusted him and it became awesome. I´m really not bragging (because I did not stitch it, it was him).

It was before you could go online and search for works of different artists. You had to know where one is (try yellow pages on a tattoo shop in 1998). Of course there was internet but nobody had websites except for some star pattern background and comic sans MS in yellow. If someone remembers this time.

Kind of funny, it´s not so long but maybe total unimaginable for todays kids that you maybe had to ask around and know people to get something done.

Yours looks kind of like the Spectre symbol. Here's mine. $10.00. But it's been on my arm for 45 years! Still pretty dark.

Just saying now guys there are plenty of hacks and fakes. I've seen portfolios that were pictures from the Internet. It's more difficult than you would think to find a very good artist and there is a difference between good and great.

a reply to: TNMockingbird

He also has one of our daughter's names on his forearm. It's very nice. 

Now that's something I would do. That would be the one and only time I would consider getting someone else's name on me.

I briefly thought about getting my old family dogs paw print on me. Still might.

a reply to: Zerodoublehero

Back then you would take the bus or your car and drive to the artist. The polaroids never lied. Not comparable today.

originally posted by: rockintitz
a reply to: TNMockingbird

He also has one of our daughter's names on his forearm. It's very nice. 

Now that's something I would do. That would be the one and only time I would consider getting someone else's name on me.
I briefly thought about getting my old family dogs paw print on me. Still might.

Yeah, we joked about the name. I said how will you explain that? He said it's my daughter, they'll get it or they won't be around.

I never thought of a paw print. My niece has leopard spots going down her side to her leg. It's very pretty but she is young and beautiful. LOL

a reply to: rockintitz

Wait until you are very sure, don´t hestitate, you will have it for the rest of your life (hopefully).
My wife had red roses with little skull faces in it, growing up out off her pants on the side of her body up to the side of the chest and a little star. After our first child, it was looking like a comet
She always regretted that star, although it was her first one, it was badly stitched, compared to the roses and the octopus.

a reply to: TNMockingbird

Wow that must have taken a while!

He said it's my daughter, they'll get it or they won't be around. 

Should be the definition of a tattoo. I'll explain it if you want, but if you don't get it, I don't care

I wish I never got the tattoos I did.

No tattoos is the new tattoo.

originally posted by: slowisfast
I wish I never got the tattoos I did.

No tattoos is the new tattoo.

Please elaborate.