That time of year again...

[Amina516]

I be going for a tattoo! (Hopefully)

I have 4 so far. 2 are Kingdom hearts symbols on either shoulder. One is a tribal dragon and one is a pair of gothicy fairy wings, both of those on my upper back. They all mesh well together (IMO). Im trying to decide whats next and where. I tend to stick to black and grey shadowing/coloring

Some ideas I had:

*8 bit hearts (ie from Zelda - the life meters. Id have to break my no color rule, but i would for a few of these)
*ominous latin phrase script (not literally that of course, but I have a few things in mind)
*Sailor Jerry-esque pinup (possibly calf)
*something cutesy like a hello kitty (im a HK collector, so not as odd I guess. Ive been a collector since I was a kid. Not a band wagon HK fan LOL.)
*mermaid pin up
*Nurse Betty Page pinup (my old avatar if anyone remembers).
*something else?

Any ideas? My interests are very broad. Games, dark, gothic designs, pinups, sailor jerry, old school designs.

Im not one for extremely silly tats *like an OJ label ..ive seen one, lol*.

And no Im not concerned with what Ill look like when Im 90.... Though I dont wanna tattoo my boobs or arms or neck. Personal preference.

[MaggieTheCat]

I remember when you got your Kingdom Hearts tattoos, they were really nice.

I wanna get a couple tattoos, someday. The things I'm considering are butterflies/flowers (I know, very cliche, but I really do like butterflies and flowers) and paw prints. Like a set of kitty paw prints going up my shoulder blade or something.

Hey, can you give any recommendations on how to find a good tattoo artist short of getting a reference? I don't know anyone who has gotten a tattoo around here, so I can't ask anyone. I don't really know what to look for, other than a clean parlor when you walk in. Any tips?

Good luck with your next tat, and definitely send pics when you get it!

[Kittish]

Hey, can you give any recommendations on how to find a good tattoo artist short of getting a reference? I don't know anyone who has gotten a tattoo around here, so I can't ask anyone. I don't really know what to look for, other than a clean parlor when you walk in. Any tips?

Couple of tips. You got the look for a clean place bit already. Next, look thru the artist's portfolio (actual photgraphs of tats he's done). Should be one or more photo albums sitting out near the flash; if there's more than one artist at the studio, the albums should be labeled with the artist's name. If there aren't any portfolios to be seen, ask for one. If the artist doesn't have a portfolio, find a different artist.

Talk to the artist. If you're looking for something custom, have some idea of what you want when you walk in, and tell him about it. He should be able to do a quick sketch on the spot (if he's not busy with another customer) that comes at least sort of close to what you described. If you're looking for a standard design, check out the flash that will be all over the walls.

Ask if you can actually watch him working. That probably depends more on the customers on hand than the artist, as the customer generally needs to give permission.

[draftermatt]

Oddly enough my wife's planning on getting a new tattoo next month (her birthday).

My next tattoo will be a pin-up nurse, and even though I like Betty Page I don't want her on my arm for the rest of my life. I'd like to get a pin-up nurse in like Vargas style (just clothed)

Good luck!