Think About That Ink

Any of you who know me, know how much I love tattoos. I have three, two of which are in highly visible spots, and I'm very proud of them all. If you want to look at the two most recent, you can find them on this blog post here. Recently I made the decision that I am planning to get both sleeves done, full sleeves down to the hands, as well as both legs from the knees down and on to my feet.

Photo courtesy of Flickr

I probably won't get them done all in one go, because I'd love to collect ink art from truly great tattooists. Besides, I don't care WHAT I have to do, I am getting a piece by Chris Garver (you may have seen him on Miami Ink) if it kills me.

Anyway, as someone who loves their ink and has spent a lot of time learning about it and the culture around it, I want to give any of you who are thinking about getting tattooed some advice. Because despite the fact that it is fairly obvious that tattoos are permanent, people don't always think about what they're doing before they get one. And I will tell you now people, laser removal is not only expensive and painful, it also doesn't work that well. So here are my tips.

1. Think about it. Sleep on it. Make sure you are really comfortable with the design you are getting. The longer you've thought about it and talked about it, the more perfect it will sit with you.
2. A cheap tattooist will give you a cheap tattoo. Cheap = nasty.
3. Ask people who have tattoos that you admire where they got their work done. You'll notice the same name come up on the stuff you really like again and again. Go to that tattooist.
4. ANY good tattoo artist has his/her name as their best guarantee. They plug their name relentlessly and a quick Google search will bring up their work and reviews from their customers. We tattooed not only like to talk about our tatts, but we love to plug our tattoo artists too.
5. If a tattooist has books or walls with stuff that you can walk up and say "I'll have that one please" - you're going to the wrong tattooist. Quality tattoo artists do not do "catalogue" work. Every piece is original for each customer. They may have lots of reference books to give them starting points and help you pick a look or style you want, but that's different to catalogues.
6. Never choose a tattoo while inebriated in any form. You WILL regret it.
7. Remember that tattoos spread and thicken with age. This means that anything too detailed will end up blobby.
8. A good tattoo artist will guide you in the design, fit it to the contours of your body and tell you if something isn't going to work long term.
9. Take reference material. Google image search the things you want done, print out a whole bunch IN COLOUR and take them with you.
10. Check out the tattoo shop before you get your work done. Does it smell like a hospital? Bingo, that's what you want. You want to smell disinfectant, see lots of rubber gloves and every thing they use on you should be sterile. Only the very best of tattooists can work "remotely" to high quality, so beware of getting work done outside of tattoo shops themselves.
11. Are you Celtic? No? Then don't get a Celtic tattoo, you'll only look like a dick. Same goes for Maori/Pacific/Polynesian/Native American designs.
12. Ladies, please don't get a fairy.
13. Getting genitalia tattooed on yourself is not classy.
14. Nor is getting your genitalia tattooed itself.
15. Get some good quality tattoo magazines. I love Post-Modern Ink.
16. If the tattooist is rude, dismissive or makes you feel stupid, then they are not the tattooist for you.
17. Any tattoo artist worth their salt will provide you with the artwork BEFORE you get anything done to you. They'll ask you to approve it before they go any further. If you want to change something, say so straight away.
18. Be aware that certain tattoos don't go on certain parts of the body, and that tattoos need to face a particular way. A good tattooist will tell you this, and explain why he/she wants to mirror image a tattoo, or change the design a bit. It's for your own good!
19. If you have made a mistake with a past tattoo, and you want a cover up, be aware that whatever you get to cover it has to be darker and heavier than the existing tattoo. Therefore if you have a big black tribal piece and you decide you hate it... there ain't much you can cover that sucker with.
20. Don't get what everyone else is getting. Cos you'll end up hating it in a year or two. Get something that means something to YOU and that isn't a fad or trend.

But most importantly... THINK ABOUT IT! This is something you are going to have for the rest of your life, and you will want to love it every time you look at it. You'll want to show it off and talk about it and be proud of it. Don't get it until you've really thought about it.

Getting Ink

Chris Garver at the Hard Rock
Originally uploaded by Erik Voake

As you can see by my new layout, I am a bit of a tattoo fan. I decided to go with this layout because it was a bit more "me" than the pink spotty one (that was cute though).

I only have three tattoos, one of which is old and dead, and none of them are very big. Mostly because I haven't been able to afford any really big work. But I have decided that I really want to start seriously collecting tattoos.

The ultimate for me? Getting a tattoo done by this guy, Chris Garver. I absolutely love his work, it often leaves me speechless. He seems to be able to put movement and flow into his work, it never looks like a flat picture. As far as I am concerned, Garver is the best in the business.

It helps that he's a hottie too.

I'm saving him a spot, because one day I want this guy to tattoo me. I'm going to give him a surface, and say "Knock yourself out bro" and let him tattoo whatever he would like there.

Until then, I'm planning a few new pieces. I want a pinup of a librarian. Underneath it I want it to say "Reading is sexy." I've also decided to get a rainbow lorikeet. I like them, they're noisy and chatty and make that laughing sound, and are colourful and loud. Kind of like me. I'd also like a baby sea-dragon too. The word "Serendipity" somewhere. A tiny number 42.

Can you tell I've decided to really go the whole shebang with tattoos?

Do you have any tatts? If yes, what have you got and why did you get it? Do you have any planned?

Inky Business

I have to tell you a little story about something that happened to me a few months ago.

Now, let me just tell you, I have tattoos.  Three in fact.  Two of them are rather noticeable, those two being the most recent ones I had done.  On the top of my left foot there is a big pink lotus flower.  On the inside of my right forearm, I have a kind of balloon heart with a string in pinks.  I also have a Gary Larson "Far Side" cow on my back, above my  left shoulderblade, but people don't normally see that one.  I do intend to get more tattoos in the future.

So anyway, about three or four months ago, I got in the lift at work, and there was a woman already in there.  For a moment she looks down at my foot, and I feel her look me up and down.  I'm wearing tailored navy pants, a turquoise top, low heeled court shoes and those fishnet "socks" (for wearing under pants).  No wild outfits, no wacky hair-do's, just you're average local government corporate worker.

So she looks at my foot again and says "Is that a real tattoo?"  I smile and say "Oh yes, it is." (she isn't smiling).  She replies "Did you get that when you were young and stupid." in a tone that implies only people who are young and stupid would get tattoos.  My smile is now gone, and I say in a flat tone "No, I got it three months ago." to which she replies "Oh..." and hurries out of the lift.

Unfortunately there are still people in the world that assume that having tattoos is either a massive mistake you have made when you're young, or you're some kind of trouble making rough neck.  People don't realise that just like clothing or jewellery, they're a form of self expression, only ones that are permanent.  Part of you.  They can't understand that a mature, hard-working, intelligent person would choose to get something permanently marked on their body.  They're also the kind of people that can't see tattoos as works of art.

When I was planning my two latest tattoos, I told a colleague (who has tattoos herself) that I planned to get the one on my foot done to cover most of the top of my foot.  She suggested that I opt for something smaller so that "You can cover it up."  I kind of wonder what the point of getting a tattoo is if you have to cover it up and hide it away from the public eye.  It's not like I have some pornographic or violent image tattooed on me, it's a beautiful lotus flower.  I'm proud of it, I love the artwork of both it and the one on my arm and I WANT them to be seen.

I understand wanting to have something tattooed in an intimate area that is special for only yourself and your partner perhaps to know about, but I don't understand tattooing the rest of the body only to cover it up because of what other people might think.

My tattoos are part of me, and they do reflect on my personality, but not in any negative way.  They're items of beauty, they're symbols that reflect who I am, and if people don't like to see the art on my arm or my foot, that is THEIR problem, not mine.  It would be different if the designs were something offensive, like sexual or violent images, but it's a flower and a heart balloon.  Get over it people - it's just INK!

Do you have tattoos?  Are they somewhere that can be seen in everyday wear?  Or have you got them somewhere that you cover them up?  If you cover them up, why?  And have you had any negative experiences because of other people's attitudes towards your tattoos?