now, this is a serious undertaking for me. i want to put thought into this, and plan accordingly, as i hope to be adding more than a few to my body. i have found my tattoo artist, which i admittedly didnt put as much thought into as i have the designs. however, he tattoos my friends, speaks minimal english, parties with us, and is willing to do them at a discounted price. he isnt some stranger who cant understand my french and will never see me again, it actually matters if he messes up. he specializes in detail, which is perfect as i want only black outlines. i have high hopes for this partnership.
in the past few days, i have been reading blog after blog about tattooing. i have learned quite a bit about the process, how to prepare, and what to expect.
all that is left, is the designing. i am going to leave most of the designing to him. i cannot draw nearly as well as he can, and he knows what looks best. that being said, there are key elements that i will include. i am going to try to write them out, so as to clear my head.
my own drawings:
right forearm/dip: train tracks viewed from side, simple telephone poles with one black bird on wire. possibly one flying away as well. [this tattoo idea inspired my new header.]
right shoulder blade: a triangle of airplanes [just the outline] turning into a flock of black birds, flying towards the top of my shoulder.
helpful images-
left inner upper arm: end design unknown, elements to be included: one or two from a set of classic matryoshkas, a spool of thread with thread branching out attached to needle, empty birdcage hanging by thread, and a mini ribbon pottery tool. this one will need a lot more thought.
helpful images-
not my own drawings:
[more cliched, less designed, but just as meaningful.]
left rib cage: the little prince taking advantage of a flock of wild birds to make his escape from his asteroid, including stars and flower.
left wrist: a ball of yarn, with thin needles at diagonal.
behind right ear or outer left forearm: a small anchor.
every single one has an intense personal meaning, which i am sure is easily guessed just by reading through my 'about me' and the post detailing the search for my yellow bird.
they still need some thought, and i am going to wait just to be sure i always want them. that being said, i have had my piercings for years, some since i was fourteen, and i havent regretted a single one yet. in fact, i miss the ones that have healed. it took four months of debating to just get my lip pierced. it takes me so long to actually get something, that when i finally get around to it, i love it for life.
any thoughts? this is a really big deal, and i want to know everything i can.
11 comments:
It seems like you've got a pretty good handle on things so far. :)
It's a really good idea to think on designs for a long time to be sure you're happy with them. And trusting your artists placement and design tweaks is a good plan too. They know what they're doing. :)
General tattoo advice:
Drink and eat a good meal before going. Bring a snack and some water with you. If you don't nourish yourself first (and even sometimes when you do) you can have blood sugar issues and feel faint. Not fun.
Tattooing near bones and in areas with lots of nerves is more painful than fleshy areas. But it's going to hurt no matter what, so don't let that scare you.
Take breaks if you need to. Sometimes it gets pretty intense! Just be aware that it sort of feels like rubbing salt in the wound when you come back for the first few minutes. lol
I hope this helps! These are my experiences with tattooing (I have 3) and it might be different for you, but it still gives you an idea of what to expect. :) And yes, they are addicting like everyone says. haha
I'm excited for you!
Do you know "Coeur de Pirate" ? She's a great signer from Quebec but she's in France right now and quite popular. I love her. She's full of tatoos - see on Google. She's on twitter too, why don't you ask her? You make me feel that you are both quite similair as I read you for a while... artist, bohème,
Cool. I love your ideas and it seems as if you know exactly what you want tatooed. I'm looking forward to the results.
i'm really excited to see how the one on your inner upper left arm turns out. sounds interesting. the triangle turning into airplanes...that's so you..as soon as i read it, i nodded my head and smiled. what's your anchor represent?
First - I love yuor new header, It's simple and lovely.
Second - Go for it! I have one tattoo, and long tail of tibetan script that runs from my left shoulder-blade down to my mid-back, and I absolutely love it. I debated getting a tattoo for years and years, and could never really decide what to get (I'm a big fan of henna - I tried out a lot of designs :D ) but when I found my design, it felt so RIGHT.
My only regret is that I can't see it without a mirror and some twisting - so I'm thinking about getting another one or two.
It's wonderful that you've found someone you're comfortable with to do your work - that can be a hurdle if you're body conscuous (I am). And I totally agree with Sarah that you should make sure you've eaten and you're hydrated before you go in - I wasn't, and I got faint. It isn't fun.
Good luck!
Sounds great! I find myself drawn to black and white outlines as well. I've got a ball of yarn and needles w/a heart on my leg and am thinking one day I'd like to have it travel onto my foot and into a tomato pincushion.
My biggest recommendation is that you stay relaxed, I had problems with TRYING to keep my leg from shaking and that just made it do it more. Once I finally relaxed (not really pain, just nerves) it went much smoother. As my artist said you just gotta take the pain.
I'm guessing you like the style of his tattoos since you've seen his work on his friends.
1. Make sure you see a copy of the drawing before it's transferred to your body. Do you like it? If you have the SLIGHTEST hesitation, be sure to get changes made.
2. When the copy is transferred to your body, are you SURE you like the placement? If not, wash it off and get it transferred to the correct place.
3. Don't be passive or sweet about the first two things. If you don't like it, speak up or get a friend to do it for you. Regretting a tattoo sucks eggs.
4. Chewing gum helps.
Congratulations on your upcoming tattoos. I love the fact that you've designed your own - I've done the same for my 4 tattoos. Picking something from a tattoo store's wall/book is the first sign that you will hate it down the road...
I have 4 tattoos and my advice would be to be sure, which you pretty much already thinking. My first tattoo I thought for 4 years and my back (which I still haven't gotten done) I have been thinking about since I was 16.
When you do decide to get tattooed just remember to ask ALL your questions. Don't worry about being polite, make sure you ask all your questions are if you think it's off by 2 cms tell him and get him to fix it.
I like all your ideas but I don't think it's right of me to give you my opinion on the designs... you'll know :)
thank you everyone for your comments! you'v offerred such grea advice and i'm even more excited now!
sarah: i wouldnt have wanted to eat before, being worried about my nerves. but now i definitely will.
the litter box house: i will be strong [eep.] it goes against my nature, but i will be stubborn, vocal, and pushy about placement and how it is drawn.
i read somewhere that eating candy during helps you relax. i have never had any problem eating candy, so that will be good!
chantal: she is gorgeous and her music is wonderful. i am honored that i remind you of her.
melodie: hmm i hadnt thought of that. i think my first tattoo i will want to stop and look at, to enjoy at any moment of the day, rather than having to use a mirror to see it. now i think my first one should be on my forearm.
b: the anchor represents "weight" and "burdens", as i have chosen weight instead of lightness. it is also to remind me the lesson that france and my finances are teaching me: that sometimes it is best to stay where you are and enjoy what you have, instead of constantly running around from one place to the next.
the one on my inner arm is to commemorate home and family.
oh i am excited! i am taking the first steps and gaining courage more and more. hopefully, ill get my first one soon! thanks again everyone!
Hello! I found you on ravelry because your Truffle coat comes up everywhere, and after I looked at more of your projects and saw what an amazing knitter you are, I found my way to your blog. I'm hooked! You're a fantastic writer and I love to see your travels through your eyes. I've also identified with you quite a bit on your search for your yellow bird. I get very antsy and emotional if I go a year without some sort of major change in my life, and it is usually my living situation that changes. ANYWAY, all that to tell you that your tattoo ideas are fantastic. My father (figure) is a tattoo artist and I only have one so far because I let ideas marinate for so long. And the one I have is only special because it was done by him. No matter what you get, they will mark this time in your life, so feel free to never have a regret. If you see any filth in the shop, get out of there. Please be sure to post once you're healed. Oh, and DO NOT scratch as it's healing. It will scab and itch, but heal on it's own. If you scratch, you fade it immediately. Good luck!
For your first tattoo, I would warn against getting it on your forearm, simply because of the extreme visibility and pretty much every tattoo artist I know (my boyfriend is a tattoo artist, so I know many) wouldn't tattoo someone's forearm for their first tattoo.
I like the idea of the branch turning into a birdcage. I think this is the most original and will be beautiful.
The only other thing I would add is to be open to the tattoo artists' interpretation and placement suggestions. Also, I find that listening to my own music or podcasts on my ipod or reading while getting tattooed helps, but I may only get to do this because the person tattooing me is my boyfriend.
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