Looking for ideas on a tattoo

[jkoj]

You guys usually have some good input ,so here's what I'm looking to get.I already have a celtic cross on one shoulder and I'm ready for my next tattoo.I want to get my kids names(Julia and Joseph) tatooed on my other shoulder.I need some ideas on maybe a good design that would go with the names.I kinda want to do the names,maybe birthday and maybe a design of some sort.Any ideas will be appreciated.
Thanks,john

 

[Wolfie]

Make a single "J" script in large, and shared between the two names? Will you be planning on adding names to it in the future?

 

[jkoj]

Not going to have anymore kids.Two is perfect for us

 

[Wolfie]

Not going to have anymore kids.Two is perfect for us

Makes it easier. Could be a little awkward trying to work more in unless you kept going with the J's. Have any special "things" in common? Hobbies, etc? Plant a tree for them? You could do a ribbon around your arm like a high cuff with a leaf seperating the ends of the ribbons, their names on either end of the ribbon. Kindof a cross between these two (substitute the pot leaf, of course)...

Kindof like this...sorry about the poor quality, I just mocked it up real quick.

 

[b.dawgson]

I'm going to get my son's first and middle name in an Ambigram. It'll only be one half of this picture, the picture just shows it from both sides. Read it one way and it says Daegan, turn it upsidedown and it says Everett.

 

[Jonesy]

Not to try to rain on your parade, but there are two rules I have when getting ink done....1) never get flash tattooed on you, 2) don't ask somebody else what you should get. It's gonna be on you for the rest of your life...not them.

I qualify to give this advice as I have well over 50 hours of sitting in a chair getting inked.

 

[vortexofhate]

What type of other hobbies are you into?

You already know one part of what you want done which is your kids names, now you just need to decide upon the design of it. Check out all the different fonts (go to web sites like 1001freefonts.com) and pick out one.

You mentioned that you had a celtic cross already so I am assuming that you are possibly Irish; if you are, why not incorporate part of your heritage into the tattoo? It might be kinda neat and something unique to you that also has a meaning behind it. I have a buddy that got a tattoo of an old looking tree (symbolizing a family tree) then a moon in the background which has his wifes and first borns finger print on it. Turned out pretty sweet and it is something that he will never look back and go "shit, why did I get that done?".

For me, I've thought about a tattoo for a couple years now going back and forth. I wanted something that meant something to me, something that was "part of me", something that any of my friends could take a look at and go "yup that fits you perfect!". I ended up deciding upon a beer related tattoo because I consider myself to be a bit of a beer connoisseur. I still don't have it done as I'm looking for the perfect artist which I believe I found so soon I will get it. I like to make sure I have it perfect because as Jonesy mentioned, it is something that's going to be on you for the rest of your life.

 

[Wolfie]

I don't think anybody questions that you should be committed to whatever you go with...that it should be personal and you should love it...but speaking from personal experience, some of my favourite pieces started off as ideas I got in one way or another from others and later fleshed out to suit myself.

My favourite started off by my asking a friend what he was scribbling on a wet drink napkin in an Outback Steakhouse. The napkin had teared, which is what caught my eye. My second favourite came from an argument with one of my ex wives of all places.

The guy's just asking for ideas. Great art needs inspiration and you never know who or where that inspiration may come from. There's a lot of merit in asking for ideas.

 

[Jonesy]

The guy's just asking for ideas. Great art needs inspiration and you never know who or where that inspiration may come from. There's a lot of merit in asking for ideas.

I agree! An idea is where you get the ball rolling. He asked for suggestions so I gave him the two rules I follow when I'm thinking about the next piece or addition I plan on getting. Everyone is different when it comes to tattoos and from what he's describing, he certainly wants it to have great personal meaning, so my advice to him is to ponder it, don't rush it, and let it come to him...this way it is personal and will have the greatest meaning to him over the course of his life. When I realize what I want, I'll let my guy know, he draws it out, I critique it, he polishes it up, and then it's on to the needle work. My post certainly wasn't in criticism, but was out of experience.

 

[Poronico]

This is coming from the heart... DO NOT LISTEN TO ANYONE ABOUT ANYTHING WHEN IT COMES TO TATTOOS EXCEPT FOR YOURSELF! except maybe me and Jonesy lol


with that said... Tattoos are a way for you to express yourself. When you decide to get a tattoo its best to go in with some general ideas and guidelines for the artist, don't goto the first shop you stop in and pick something off the wall and have the artist slap it in your skin. Shop artists just like you would shop for a car, feel them out and take them for a test drive figuratively speaking. Check their portfolio ask them questions about styles and what they are comfortable with doing. An artist will ALWAYS give you a better piece of art if it is something they can put their heart into, so give them some creative freedom to come up with something that you will fall in love with. If you are fishing for ideas hit google and look at pictures until you are ready to put a cigar out into your own eyes. Creating the perfect tattoo is a painstaking and extremely personal process. Asking another person to tell you what to put on your body is a terrible idea and I have an excellent story as of why.

I worked in a tattoo shop for a short stint and there was a very firm rule in place by the owner... NOTHING RACIST So in comes this wannabe skinhead thinking he is the next posterboy for a Hitler youth rally, he is full of piss and vinegar raining down hate and discontent like a motherfucker. He wants a flaming skull with a flaming swazi in the background and iron crosses in its eyes. Long story short we tell him to be a good puppet and pick something off the wall. He comes back to us for a little guidance and we show him some skulls and what we can put in the eyes. After the kid makes his choice and we finish the outline the artist looks to me and says "don't you think its really big of this guy to have such a change of heart?" and I am almost in tears by this time trying not to laugh. The artist had just outlined a flaming skull with 2 Jewish Stars of David in the eyes. Moral of the story I guess is this... if you give people half the chance they will talk you into doing something VERY VERY stupid.

 

[tsmckenney]

I would sit on a design for a while. Come back to it in a few months. If you still think it's all that, go for it.

Also, find an artist who is known for quality work. Find someone who paints and/or draws. Someone who enjoys creating art of all kinds. Bring your ideas to them well ahead of actually getting them done. See what they think. Some designs don't show as nicely on skin as they do on paper, given the curves of the body (2D vs 3D).

It's not often that I see a tat that actually looks like a little thought went into it.

 

[Nocturnus]

I sat on my idea for a year debating on the design. Had a 1/2 sleeve done, which was a 15 hour coverup for a 1 hour tattoo i got a while back. I'm about to do the same on my other arm. So think, look, sit, think and think some more. Then when it's time, find a good person to do you work. Lucky for me I knew quite a few people who worked in shops, so I asked around to find out who to get my work done though.

 

[jkoj]

I do like the ribbon idea with the two names and maybe a design in the middle of the ribbon.I do want to try to incorporate thier birthdays somehow.I am Irish so maybe a clover or something in the middle of the ribbon.I am not rushing to get it done,I like reading all of your ideas.The kids do have hobbies like soccer,pop warner football and cheerleading but I don't want to put that on the tattoo because who knows if they will be into that stuff 5-10 years down the road.Keep em coming.If anyone wants to draw up an idea that's cool too.

 

[4cbln3]

A lot of sound advice being given to you from the bruddahs! There's different types of people that collect tats and how they approach something you will have 'til you die.

My .02 cents? Buy tattoo mags, peruse the artist styles, tattoo methods (guns vs tapping), check out shops in the free time to get a feel of the artist. I love tattoos since I was a little boy and like collecting anything. It's similar to a timeline of events you want to remember your life by. I have "scratches" that were done before I was allowed in the shops to pieces I had to sit hours for. There's so much skin on your body that you can have as many as you want to pay for and willing to sit through.

Whatever you choose for your 2nd tat, just go for it, it's special to you and your kids. Blast more as your kids get older! Just don't go in high so you can feel everything. Show us when you do with some pics!

 

[grateful1]

SEX MACHINE!

 

[4cbln3]

SEX MACHINE!

Why, thank you for noticing :laugh:

 

[Jonesy]

My .02 cents? Buy tattoo mags, peruse the artist styles, tattoo methods (guns vs tapping),

Any good artist would send you out the door for saying something like that. Calling a machine a "gun" is akin to calling their Grandmother a whore.

 

[4cbln3]

My .02 cents? Buy tattoo mags, peruse the artist styles, tattoo methods (guns vs tapping),

Any good artist would send you out the door for saying something like that. Calling a machine a "gun" is akin to calling their Grandmother a whore.

It's just slang I've used here, no offense to what the artists call them. I have a couple from some great artists and they were cool to me throughout the whole process. They'd probably not appreciate prison tats either, but you get 'em during your time there. As long as you like tats, the collecting and jargon will be part of your "experience".
I cring when people ask "did it hurt?" or "how drunk were you?" I just laugh.

 

[Devil Doc]

My .02 cents? Buy tattoo mags, peruse the artist styles, tattoo methods (guns vs tapping),

Any good artist would send you out the door for saying something like that. Calling a machine a "gun" is akin to calling their Grandmother a whore.

In my day, most tattoo artists grandmothers probably were.

Doc.

 

[The Black Cloud]

All this talk makes me want to get some more work done! Damn I need to land a job!