Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Betty Lou Wants a New Tatoo
I just saw Facebook photos of an old highschool friend as he got a full forearm tatoo. (It looked super, cool, by the way.) Thought I'd throw it out there that I have been thinking quite a bit about getting another tatoo...something a bit more spiritual than my cute little cherries. So, what do you think? I have two questions: What should I get? Where should I get it? (My criteria on this second one is that I want a place that can remain pretty private most of the time, but that won't embarass the heck out of me to reveal to the tatoo artist, either.) So...if you have any great ideas, I'd love to hear them. Maybe if I pick yours, you can come along with me for the tatoo ;)
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2 comments:
This one's easy. A flaming eagle with a Harley-Davidson logo clutched in one talon, and a Pabst Blue Ribbon can in the other. There should be a banner below the eagle reading "Ride to Live - Live to Ride". The tattoo should be placed squarely on your chest.
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Seriously, I can't suggest what *kind* of tattoo to get; that's far too personal. If it helps to hear others' ideas, I'm currently thinking about how to put together my other [left] sleeve as a series of scattered photorealistic "photographs" consisting of our kids' artwork or things that are unique to them. Eli draws comics, for instance, so one photograph might be one of his comic cels.
As for where to place it, there are lots of spots where cover-up potential and modesty can be preserved:
1. Upper arms - anywhere north of where a short-sleeved shirt falls.
2. Legs - anyplace from mid-thigh to knee is pretty easy to conceal and/or display as desired. Higher is possible, but only if you plan to show just your *good* friends.
3. Depending on hair style, the back/nape of one's neck is possible, although doesn't present much space.
4. Depending on footwear, ankles are another option.
Really, there aren't many places you can get tattooed (besides your face and hands) where covering the work is going to be difficult - it depends on your comfort level. Once you have your tattoo's theme and/or art, I would recommend finding a good artist and discuss it with him/her. Lots of times, a particular piece of art can be fit to a given body part, but sometimes the size or shape of a tattoo really just fits best on a particular spot; you don't want to fight that if you can avoid it.
Finally, try not to go too small. I know my tattoos are kind of on the large side (and getting larger) but there's merit in this comment. The smaller the tattoo, the faster it tends to lose definition as the ink particles break down and spread in the skin. That's why you see so many old sailors with grayish blobs on their forearms where there used to be an eagle, globe and anchor. partly because the materials and techniques 40 years ago were a lot more primitive than today, but also because they tried to squeeze too much detail into too small an area. Again, talk to your artist - the good ones want you to talk to them; they *HATE* doing the $60, one inch Chinese character for "Love" on the butt cracks of ten consecutive sorority sisters. Most of the good artists live to bring unique ideas to life, and they'll work much harder to do so if they know you've thought about it and are personally invested.
Sorry to ramble on, and good luck!
Jared...wow, thanks for the thoughtful response. I am SO going for the PBR...it reminds me of my childhood, so it will be sentimental, too!
Seriously, though. I really admire the thoughtful, symbolic body art and that is all I'll settle for this time. (Last time, I just wanted to be able to say I had a tatoo! The symbolism was only Stoiber's high school nickname for me!)
Your sizing comments are really helpful...I've seen those grayish blobs! In fact, my cherries are on the small side and should probably be touched up if I go in for a new one. I'll keep you posted!
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