Tatoos
I recently became old enough to get myself a tattoo (something my crazy catholic parents would never give permission for), and would like to get one. The trouble is, I can't decide on a good design. My friend got the Incan earth god tattooed on the inside of his forearm, which I think looks awesome, and he wants to take me to get one this winter where I'll be able to cover it up with winter clothing for at least six months before I have to own up and tell them. One of my initial ideas was to get the profile of the Green Mountains done on my upper back, but I bet this would be wicked expensive and I look quite awkward with my shirt off due to my lankiness and my scrawny vegetarian body. What do you think would be a good design? Do you have any tattoos of your own? Do tell.
No specific ideas, it depends on what you like. Don't just get one because you can though. Make sure you give it some thought...you're probably going to be stuck with it forever (yeah, you can get it lasered off, but it's expensive and I've heard it's painful).
Personally, I don't have any. DH was going to get me one for Christmas one year but I kinda chickened out at the tattoo parlor. I tend to draw on myself sometimes, if that counts.
dor my first one, I looked at TONS of pictures that meant things to me, and looked at what colors meant, etc. Then I had a friend draw it up and I hung it on my wall for about a month. If I still wanted it after that, I got it! The thing is...I went through like 3 or 4 of those drawings before I got stuck on one.
Also reasearch the tattoo parlor. From my experience cheap= badly done.
I'm not old enough to get one, and my mom wouldn't let me, but I have a star tattooed inside my lip that one of my best friend's brothers did for me (he's a tattoo artist). I like it, it's non-noticeable, and it was really just for the thrill anyways cause it fades away in a couple years. When i'm of age I might get some kind of tree on the side of my torso, and something on my ear. not sure. good luck!
When it comes to cost and quality, I go w/ artists who have "life-time guarantees" of their work, where you can go to them for touch ups and not have to pay anything. In the long run, you get better work, and you build a relationship with the artist....
Because of the job scene, I have my tattoos on my back. I have a short torso though. The main thing I have to say in regards to having an upper back/shoulder blades tattoo as the first.....maybe not the best idea, there's very little padding between bone and skin there and even though you may have a high pain tolerance, that doesn't mean your eyes won't twitch uncontrollably when the needles hit certain points.
Make sure you're not getting a tattoo just because you can. A good idea is to mark this time in your life. Figure out what represents you best, something you'll be able to be like "I got that when...."/ Try to stay away from trends because you'll regret them later. And get your first tattoo in a spot that won't be seen while you're wearing clothes.... in case you hate it or regret it, you won't be forced to look at it every day. And finally, find yourself a great artist whose work you trust. THis is something you're stuck with forever. And lastly, have fun!
For your first one it's probably best to go for something on your arm or leg; something you can hide if you have to or show off it you want. They're addictive as hell and the likelihood is you'll progress to something bigger and better, so just try not to make an appalling mess and you should be fine.
Also, regarding what SecondBase said, while getting something purely because it's oh-so-meaningful is great, tattoos are a form of decoration and as long as the artwork and placement are good, it's going to age well. Get something to mark a time in your life and if it goes bad, all you'll be able to think of when you look at it is that time period. Meaning is good but at the end of the day, it's body art and you don't need any more justification than "This cat tattoo is because cats are beautiful and I like them." I know that's not a popular point of view but life's seriously too short to imbue everything you do with some deep, spiritual meaning.
go to the best person you can find. This is not a time to go cheap. I've had the stars on my wrist worked on 3 times and they still aren't great.
I have 7 tattoos and I'm going to chime in about not getting one just to get one. The first one I got was when I was 18. It was super meaningful to me at the time but now I'm kinda embarrassed about it! I would say wait until you see something that is PERFECT, it will probably happen when you're not looking for it. I would also definitely recommend getting it in a place that you can always cover up with clothes.
I just want to reiterate the cost thing. I have on on my back over to the side, and it's about the size of my fist. It's a heart with a cross cut out of it, with a blue butterfly on top, and PS 18:19 witten to reference my fave. bible verse. It cost $45.....the result? the cross looks more like an X and the red heart wasn't completely filled in, and he added blue highlights that I don't mind, but did NOT ask for....so now I have to get it fixed.
The one on my ankle is maybe an inch and a half in diameter. It's a blue circle with black flames coming from it, and a black cross in the middle. It was $75 dollars... but it's perfect and the colors stayed very bright.
My husbands arm tattoo was $120 and it's gorgeous it looks like a watercolor.
Seriously...if you go cheap at first, you will pay for it later. also, look at the cleanliness of each salon you go to.
DO NOT get a tattoo until you really really KNOW what you want. please don't just get one that you think 'looks cool' because later in life, you will seriously regret it and probably try to get it covered up. (speaking from experience)
i have several tattoos, and my very first one i ended up getting covered up about 2 years later because it was awful! i just wanted one soo bad, so i didn't really think it through. now i have a system: if i think of something i'd like to get tattooed on me, i wait. for like.. months. or even a year or so. and if i still want it, then i get it. because lots of times impulse tattoos sound like a great idea, but then they're not. like at all. it might sound extreme waiting that long for a tattoo, but.. you've waited this long. and you'll have it the rest of your life.
i just hate bad tattoos that people get for no reason. it makes people with good tattoos that got them for real reasons have a bad rap.
oh, and make sure you go to a reputable shop. shop around. and don't go for the cheapest place - there's a reason they're cheap!
I SO badly want to get a tattoo. I spend all my time in lectures doodling out what I want my tattoo to be. I know a really good shop, so I'm totally ready. I just have to get the guts and decide where I want it to go! I also want to get a matching one with my sister, which we've got planned out but which we keep on discussing back and forth all the time. Yay tattoos!
Make sure you're not getting a tattoo just because you can. A good idea is to mark this time in your life. Figure out what represents you best, something you'll be able to be like "I got that when...."/ Try to stay away from trends because you'll regret them later. And get your first tattoo in a spot that won't be seen while you're wearing clothes.... in case you hate it or regret it, you won't be forced to look at it every day. And finally, find yourself a great artist whose work you trust. THis is something you're stuck with forever. And lastly, have fun!
All very sound advice. I have full sleeves and a chest piece (basically 6 big tattoos) that I've gotten over a 10 year period, and some I wouldn't choose if I did it again, but they are all memories of where I was in life when I got them so I have no regrets. Where I live, all the good tattoo artists take a minimum of 6 months, up to 3 years to get an appointment since they are in such high demand. That gives a lot of time to contemplate your design. Do not pick an artist because they can tattoo you sooner or are cheaper. Do research of the artists in your area and pick the best, even if you have to wait a year or two. You will be much happier in the long run.
I got a small flower with my first and middle initials on my right shoulder blade when I was 16. I remember thinking at the time that it was a smart way to do the intials since if I ever got married the initial of my last name would change. However, at that age I didn't have any clue of the natures of some people's minds. Even 17 years later I still get the occasional smart ass commenting that I must be into S&M since I have it as a tattoo.
I don't regret getting it nor would I change it. I've been wanting to get others but have just never got around it since I can't make up my mind about what I want and where to put it. I'd say if you're dead set on getting one, follow some of the advice posted. Pick a design, give it several months to make sure you'll still like it and find a good, reputable and CLEAN place. Make sure they're licensed by the Health Dept.