Might this be the right place to ask about tatts?

[evilstonermonkey]

ok, my financial situation has finally settled itself out enough that im able to afford to get my first tattoo. Im planning on getting something on my left shoulder, where it can be concealed if needs be (eg at my work, which i love aside from the whole no visible tatts/piercings thing and the no swearing in front of impressionable little chiddlers), all i need to do is figure out just what i want. i would never get anything that didnt mean anything to me directly, but i am a little short on ideas. could anyone help with suggestions or lines of thought that might trigger the whole inspiration sequence?

current ideas are
-an ouroboros, possibly with a human head, maybe wrapping around my arm as opposed to just being on it
-a bear looking up at the sun, the bear (which apparently is the animal that best represents me, in survey of almost everyone i know) symbolising me and the sun symbolising my father
unfortunately they seem a little cheesy to me and i might have second thoughts.

if i think something better arises that would suit being on my chest or something then i might think on that as well, but most likely i will get something for my arm.

[evilstonermonkey]

additionally, do you have any tatts? and if so, where/what/why?

[ObscureZan]

additionally, do you have any tatts? and if so, where/what/why?

Yeah, my advice on tattoos is 'Get something that means something to you, don't just do it on a whim because it's currently a 'fashion statement'.' I've got a blue butterfly done on my upper arm (all my tatts are on my right arm) symbolizing strength and beauty, also the connection I have to one of my greatest muses (he has a similar blue butterfly), down on my wrist I have the kanji that reads: "Beauty of the Curve" which is the title of one of my muse's poems, along with the kanji for his name. I'm currently getting a geisha done around that Kanji, it's my biggest piece to date, her feet are right above my hand and her head is in the crook of my arm. In her right hand she's holding a sword, and in her left she's holding a severed head covered by a cloth. To me, this represents that I have power over my enemies and that nobody can mess with me, it's a reminder that even though I go through a lot of shit, I can be strong and redefine the norm

[Black Spiral Dancer]

The best advice I can give on tattoos is: Look for someone that has good looking tattoos and ask them where they got them done.

If you have a specific design you want done, don't get it done straight away. Wait and make sure you want it bad enough to permanently mark your skin.

As for mine, I have 3 tattoos, but I want more. I have a wolf paw on my right shoulderblade, and 2 "Werewolf" Pictoglyphs on each of my upper arms, one being the Black Spiral Dancer.

[OliX]

...
-a bear looking up at the sun, the bear (which apparently is the animal that best represents me, in survey of almost everyone i know)
...

so you do eat everything I know bear does :P
anyway, let's put joke aside, I think you should make tattoo that symbolizes a certain point in your life... for example when you get a child or something.... anyway, your first tattoo can symbolise when you got your first tattoo if you're going for trendy style tattoing....
I still haven't got reason to tattoo my self so I'm tattooless...
good luck making choices

[TheDeathKnight]

Another thing to keep in mind, is that the style of tattoos changes over time. Back in the 50's, 60's, 70's there was a specific style old-school style. Then in the 80's and 90's there were lots of cheesy dragons and wizards and stuff like that. Then in the 2000's, you got all the tribal stuff and Kanjis. And now, you have all the stars, and sparrows, and other things that are trendy now.

So my suggestion is to get something that you like, that you want, that means something to you. Not something you just think looks cool. Because trust me, in 20 years, if you get something trendy now, it will look dated in the future.

I have quite a few, and I designed all of them myself. My own art, my own ideas. That way they are uniquely mine, and not just something I got down off the wall at some tattoo shop.

I also discourage people from getting tattoos of specific things that they are into. Because you may be a wiccan or satanist now, but maybe you will be a buddhist in the future, and think your pentacle looks stupid, because you are no longer into that specific thing anymore. And the same can be said regarding style. Maybe you are really into fantasy, roleplaying, and stuff like that. So you get a big dragon and a wizard, and a castle on your back. But let's say that 20 years from now, you are no longer into that stuff as much. Do you still want your back to be covered with a scene from the cover of some Dragonlance book? Maybe not... Same thing with goth, skulls, etc. Maybe you won't always be into that stuff. So do you really want your body covered in it? It's no different than gang tattoos. People will make assumptions about you, based on your ink, and what's on the ink. If you have a bunch of white power tattoos, or gang tattoos, people will assume things about you. I think tattoos are awesome. But you need to think a little about what it means, and make sure you want to carry that style and meaning with you for the rest of your life...

[evilstonermonkey]

i know! ill get a barb wire ring around my bicep, tribal patterns that i dont understand the relevance of over my other shoulder, and a kanji symbol meaning 'power' (though a quick google would reveal it to mean dog-fucker) on the back of my neck!

fuck, im so cool i make ME jealous

thanks guys, its made me think a little more.
OliX, i dont have any real significant points in my life that i would want marked on my body, although that is a good suggestion. definitely a one for later.
DeathKnight, me likie the idea of doing the original art myself, but unfortunately i cant draw the only good piece of art ive ever made i had to do in two parts... for some reason i can never make the second half of a picture look like it goes with the first. so i did two halves seperately and it looked goooood...ish. anyhoo...

[seeker]

article that could be relevant.
New Tattoo Ink Makes Skin Art Removable
Aug. 7, 2007 — Afraid to commit? You're not alone. Tattoos are painful to receive and remove and, barring the later, last a lifetime. But a new technique makes skin art durable and easily removable.

And although it can't take away the pain, it can ease the regret.

[the start of the article by Tracy Staedter, Discovery News]

[ObscureZan]

i know! ill get a barb wire ring around my bicep, tribal patterns that i dont understand the relevance of over my other shoulder, and a kanji symbol meaning 'power' (though a quick google would reveal it to mean dog-fucker) on the back of my neck!

fuck, im so cool i make ME jealous

thanks guys, its made me think a little more.
OliX, i dont have any real significant points in my life that i would want marked on my body, although that is a good suggestion. definitely a one for later.
DeathKnight, me likie the idea of doing the original art myself, but unfortunately i cant draw the only good piece of art ive ever made i had to do in two parts... for some reason i can never make the second half of a picture look like it goes with the first. so i did two halves seperately and it looked goooood...ish. anyhoo...

I'm currently engaged in doing a bunch of tattoo designs for my friends so if you want any custom artwork done I'd be more than happy to work with you on a design Just PM me on here and I can give you contact info.

[TheDeathKnight]

It doesn't have to be your artwork, but make it your idea at least.

Like a friend of mine, all her tattoos are of significant dreams she had. So they are very abstract, but they have meaning to her. So as long as she gets a good artist to do the art, they at least do not look like anything anyone else would have. It's not trendy, it's her dreams, her ideas, as images on her skin...

[Tinman]

I think everyone has there own point of view here n thats what ur tatts r about, the decision u make will be with you along time, take ur time, shop around is very good advice, find a tattoo place u like and go in and have a chat with them, they arent gonna pin u down n tatt u for walkin in, alot of places will give u email addresses for artists they use or addresses to view the kind of thing u asked about, some might not give u the time of day, rough wit the smooth im afraid, i trust my tattoo guys n they havent let me down and there always happy to chat about tatts.

As for tatts i have a Black Dragon on my chest(front of my shoulder)
A Black panther on my forearm and my daughters name in chinese symbols on top of my right arm, writing is tricky, its gotta mean something to u, like a verse from fave poem or lyric from song, or line from book, in yrs to come u might not be into that any more like TheDeathKnight said but if it means something to u now pretty good chance it will in the future, Choose well, n good hunting

[Nos]

I didn't "shop around" for my first batch of tattoos and I've had to have all of those re-done. Note: The kitchen table in the "punk house" will not result in good work.

Some of mine have deep meaning .... others I got because they grace my body very well. All of them have grown with me and become a part of me.

No matter the original reason behind them .... they always mark a certain point in your life and stay with you.

*mine*
3 small purple bats on each side of my neck.
pumpkin with bat wings on the back of my neck.
A Clockwork Orange cover art on my left forearm.
Large purple bat on left forearm.
"Bis Das Ende Der Zeit" w/ bolts on left wrist.
Wolf head on right forearm.
Black lizard on wait line.
Panter w/purple rose/small black cat/cock on grave stone on left leg.
Negative purple star on left rib cage.
STAY DEAD accross my knuckels.

XoXo