Choosing the Perfect Design

[Teayo]

Choosing a design that you will be happy with for the rest of your life can be quite a challenge.



Now first and foremost I would like to simply say that a little trick i learned from a tattoo enthusiast take the pic of the tatt you want and make sure it is everywhere you look for at LEAST 6 months before you get it tattooed on your body DO NOT go into a shop and point at something on the wall and say I want that .. now on with the show LOL

• The Dangers of Foreign Languages
  
• Copying Isn't Cool
  
• Common Symbols and their Meanings
  
• Choosing a Tattoo Design and Deciding Where to Put It
  
• Beware of Name Tattoos
  

Thank You too the People of ABOUT.COM for their detailed listing in this matter .. as I get more I will post it .. there is also a video on youtube by the churchofdave that is about getting your first tattoo .. he has some amazing advice on the subject  

[Teayo]

The Dangers of Foreign Languages

When getting a tattoo, it might be prudent to actually consider what you are getting. Especially if the tattoo is in a language or comes from a culture you do not understand. Too many people get tattoos because they look nice without taking the time to think about what the tattoo might represent.

One example is with Chinese characters and Japanese Kanji. Admittedly, these characters are very beautiful and can "privately" display a message without others necessarily knowing what it is. But the problem is that sometimes even the wearer of the tattoo doesn't know what it means. They rely on the tattoo artist to tell them what the symbols mean or turn to unreliable character sheets or books.

Someone once said. "This girl who was born in the Year of the Rooster decided to get the Chinese word (they are words, not symbols) for 'chicken' on her back. Well, little does she know, 'chicken' is slang for 'prostitute'. Because of the allure of a foreign language and lack of research, she will now be forever branded with a word with a meaning she never intended. Some people end up with words on their back that mean nothing by themselves, or are not even words at all, but just look cool. Some people end up with words like 'death' on their bodies, which in Chinese (it is also the same word in Japanese) may also mean 'die', this word is considered extremely unlucky and cannot even be spoken around holidays."

Another type of design that has the potential for mistakes and embarrassment is Maori-style facial tattoos. These tribal designs may look very nice but require extensive research. With regard to Maori facial tattoos (ta moko), I would just like to point out all moko patterns (facial and otherwise) are gender specific and are often used to denote tribal rank and/or affiliation. A kiwi of Maori descent, an Anglo-American man wearing a moko that indicated he was a woman from the Kai Tahu tribe in the South Island now you wouldn't want that to happen. People would think clearly this guy had no respect for, or interest in, the meaning of his tat. Please research your tattoo's meaning before getting the ink, no matter what culture it comes from. A lot of cultures developed their designs for religious and social reasons and it would be pretty insensitive (not to mention stupid) not to know what your body art says.

If you're dead-set on getting a tattoo that is from a language or culture you don't personally understand, at least do some research. You'll avoid a lot of personal humiliation and gain a lot more respect for the culture it comes from.  

[Teayo]

Copying Isn't Cool

One of the hardest things about getting a tattoo, once you’ve decided you want one, is choosing the design. Hopefully by now you realize that the tattoo will be permanent, so once it’s on there, there’s no going back. Selecting the perfect piece of art to wear on your body for the rest of your life should be an involved, concentrated process.

The problem, though, is that too many people are lazy when it comes to choosing their tattoo design. They rely too heavily on flash and will pick something right off the wall in a matter of minutes because they like it, and insist that the artist do the design exactly as it is on the flash page.

When a flash artist sits down and creates a page of designs, he knows (or hopes) copies will be sold to numerous tattoo studios and will be used by potential patrons for tattoo designs. This is how he makes money, and it can also be how the studio makes money if the designs are popular. The more “sellable” (popular) a particular sheet of flash is, the more its worth. The prudent flash artist will fill his flash sheets with dolphins, hearts, tribals and other trendy pictures that draw the eye of the lazy consumer looking for a quick-find. The flash artist and the tattoo artist both make their money whether the customer uses an ounce of ingenuity or not, so many of them really don’t care if they see a thousand reproductions of the same design. You, on the other hand, should.

Flash serves a very important purpose in the tattoo world. People having such a lack of creativity that they actually don’t care if a thousand other people are out there wearing their exact same tattoo. I guess this is the difference between people that get a tattoo because tattoos are “kewl” and the people that get a tattoo because they appreciate it for the artistic quality. That is also going to be the difference between the people that regret their tattoos in 20 years, and those that still love them.

I can assure you that major life changes like marriage, children, and simple age can have a big impact on the things you find important. The key is to find out what is deeply important enough that it will still be with you many, many years down the road. Your favorite cartoon character, music band, celebrity, or even significant other may change drastically over time and are generally not wise choices for tattoos.

Flash does have its place in the tattoo world. It’s great to look at for ideas and inspiration. If you see a piece of flash you really love and you are sure you want it for a tattoo, fine. But for goodness sake, be creative with it! Use the flash drawing as the base for your own design. Take the time to think about it and make some changes to the original design to make it a better example of your inner self. Change the size, remove a few things, add a few things, change the colors, etc. Make sure that your tattoo – the picture you will be wearing for the rest of your life – is unique and special, not something you’re going to find an exact replica of on someone else’s body.

Don’t know how to draw? Well, that’s what your tattoo artist is for! If they can’t draw, then you are in the wrong place. Find someone that can! For small changes to an existing design, your artist should be able to draw it up for you while you wait and there is usually no charge for this service. Don’t be in a rush to make such a major decision – some people have been known to carry around a picture for months or even years while they contemplate it. If you’re in a big hurry, you might want to consider why. If it’s just because you want to join the crowd and be “kewl”, that is a great big permanent mistake. Think about it.

Copying Just Isn't Cool
While we’re on the subject of being creative and having a unique tattoo, I want to also address another important issue that is much more serious. I am talking about copying – copying someone else’s tattoo. I want you to imagine that you have followed all of my advice and have spent weeks working on the perfect tattoo. You spent days perusing pictures and designs in books and online to find something that was uniquely “you”. You spent hours consulting with your artist, drawing and re-drawing to make sure it was just right. You endured the pain and walked out of the studio with a perfectly 100% custom tattoo that was made for no one else on this earth but you, and you alone.

Now imagine that you love your tattoo so much that you want to show people and you post your picture on a site like this one, or your own site, or a message board. Everyone tells you how beautiful it is and you feel happy, and you love your tattoo because it’s so special since you put so much of yourself into it.

And now imagine that a few weeks later, you find out that someone took the picture of your tattoo that you posted and had a copy of it made on their own skin. They didn’t ask for permission and they didn’t take your feelings into consideration at all. They don’t care how much time you spent working on the perfect design. They just ripped it off and copied it, and now your tattoo is no longer an original. How do you think you would feel if this happened to you? Well, unfortunately, it does happen. It recently happened to one of my forum members. Want to know how it made her feel?

“I guess it's flattering that she liked my tattoo that much, but it pissed me the hell off at the time…how do I NOT have my own tattoo (which happens to be my favorite one) on my own website??? I hate the thought of someone taking my picture to a tattoo artist who DOESN'T have the morals mine does & who WOULD blatantly copy someone else's tattoo…Obviously the person knows very little about tattoos & tattoo etiquette ~ that's the only explanation I can come-up with. But God, even back when I knew NOTHING about tattoos, I still wouldn't have tried to copy somebody's EXACT tattoo.”

Doesn’t sound too happy, does she? Well, she has every right to be upset about it and you would be, too. So before you think about copying someone else’s tattoo, think about the feelings of the person that’s wearing it. And no, asking for permission to copy does not make it OK. It’s just not cool to duplicate someone else’s art – in fact it’s disgraceful. Don’t be lazy! The tattoo galleries are meant to provide you with inspiration and ideas, not templates to be reproduced.  

[Teayo]

Common Symbols and their Meanings


Ok for this One I am giving a link because it is really in depth

Common Symbols and Their Meanings  

[Teayo]

Choosing a Tattoo Design and Deciding Where to Put It

You've decided on the artist for your new tattoo, but now the question: what to get and where to put it. Although this is all really a matter of personal preference, there are some things that can possibly help you in making this decision.

The Pain Factor The question I get asked most is, "Where does it hurt the most?". Well, there are no hard and fast rules about this subject, but based on many opinions over the years, here are some ideas:

* Most Painful Areas:
* Men - Abdomen, Spine, Chest
* Women - Ankle, Spine, Ribcage

* Least Painful Areas:
* Men - Buttocks, Arm, Back
* Women - Abdomen, Buttocks, Thigh, Shoulder

Consider Your Professionalism It's great to see that many white-collar professionals are getting tattooed these days. It is becoming more main-stream and acceptable on all levels of education, background, and professions. Unfortunately, though, this does not mean it is acceptable to the employers or clientelle of the professional worker. Before putting a tattoo in a very visible area of your body, you will want to consider how it will affect those around you.

Your Tattoo Is A Reflection Of You You can pick up the latest tattoo-related magazine, and you will see some examples of great artwork of some very "outspoken" tattoos. Demons, serial killers and sexually explicit tattoos can be artfully perfect, but this may not be how you want people to view you. Whatever you have tattooed on you is the impression people are going to get about what kind of person you are. Granted, this is no-one's business but your own, but if you want to project a certain image, your tattoos should reflect that.  

[Teayo]

Beware of Name Tattoos

Although we sometimes joke about the humorous side of this issue (like the Norman Rockwell painting of the man with all his former girls' names crossed out as he gets yet another name tattoo) it is one that should really be strongly considered. Before you etch your significant other's (boyfriend, girlfriend, husband, wife, etc.) name in your skin for all eternity, consider the seriousness of your actions. I've seen everything from disgust to desperation on the faces of people wanting to get a name tattoo covered up. Fortunately, many of you reading this article will have the opportunity to prevent that from ever happening.

Getting a tattoo is even more of a commitment than getting married. You can't divorce your tattoo! And even though you can cover up a tattoo, it will still always be there, and it will stand as a constant reminder. If you have it removed with laser surgery, more than likely you will have the scars to show for it. Your tattoo is for life. So, how much do you love that man/woman again? And anytime you go into getting a tattoo with the attitude that, "If it doesn't work out, I can have it covered/removed", you should not even be thinking about it in the first place.

The Jinx Factor?
Although I'm not usually inclined to be superstitious, there does seem to be a connection with name tattoos and following break-ups. Some people feel that getting their loved one's name tattooed on them would just be tempting the Gods of mayhem. Couples who swore their love would never die (ahem, Billy Bob and Angelina for example) are now scrambling to the nearest cover-up artist to erase forever the one they claimed undying love for. I'm not saying this will happen to you; I'm only advising that you give it some really serious thought before you make a decision you might regret some day.

Tattoo artist, Chris Long of Fairborn Tattoo in Fairborn, Ohio, gives his opinion on this in "An Artist's Perspective". Chris says, "Names as a tattoo are not always wrong but there are lots of reasons not to do it. Of course the name of a boy/girlfriend or significant other seems like a lasting tribute or commitment to that other person. However I have rarely done this type of tattoo on someone who didn't have some notion of the possible regrets one might encounter in the future. Names tattooed upon your body won't make you or the other person any more committed to each other and it is not like a shirt that you can take off. Think about it. I have of course covered up many names, the names of ex-lovers as the new lover stands by tapping their foot, a persons own name as they tell me they are tired of telling people they are not gay or wondering, 'how does that guy know my name?'"

Now, getting a tattoo of that special someone's name is a generous show of devotion, and if you decide that this is really what you want to do, I would not be one to stand in your way. You will, however, want to consider the personal feelings of the person involved. Make sure they don't object to you openly displaying your feelings for them.

Exceptions to the Rule
One of the few exceptions to the no-name rule is when you're getting a tattoo in memory of someone special in your life who has passed away. It's very unlikely you'd have any reason to change your feelings about them once they're gone. This is a very loving way to show that you will not forget someone from your past. However, if you plan to remarry or date again, the above advice may still hold true so bear that in mind. The other exception is your children - you will always love them no matter what and getting a tattoo with their names is a great way to show how much you care.

So, seriously consider the consequences before you choose to show your love in the most permanent of ways. Honestly, my personal suggestion would be to buy your sweetheart a teddy bear, and if you really want to have someone's name tattooed on you, save it for the names of your children. No matter what, you will always love them.