Tattoo Experts Please Advise...

[matto18]

I'm plannin on gettin my first tattoo here pretty soon and need some advice from those that know what to do. I've been thinking about it for years now and have finally decided on what I might want to "get inked" (LOL). Okay, this is not a joke. I think I may want to get a small lizard (or gecko) tattood on the top of my ass cheek, complete with a cartoonish smile and sunglasses (I wanted something good, fun, light-hearted, and something that would make a great conversation-starter...). So if I have a friend who can come up with a good design, should I just bring that into the shop and see if it can work? Or should I just ask the pro's to draw me some designs up? I don't really know what to do, I'm a tat virgin, so I need all the help I can get. Also, does anyone know of any "design books" I could flip through for last-minute ideas, etc? Thanks ya'll....

 

[FreeballinDC]

First, do any of your buds have tatts? If so, which ones have the tatts that look good as far as good design and clean lines, and good color? Ask those guys where they got it done, and then look that place up.

Take the design that your friend drew up for you, and show it to the artist. See if he can do that one, or improve the drawing, or come up with one of his own. Also, these guys always have photo books that show what kind of work they do, and how it turns out. Look through the photos, it usually shows how good (or bad) they are.

I have a big tatt of a black panther that covers most of my right ass cheek. If you decide to get the tatt in that area, you need to find an old pair of shorts, and cut a flap in the shorts, so that way, if you have to take a break from the inking, then the flap will cover your ass for modesy's sake.

Also, it wasn't as bad as the guy made it out to be. He warned me about that area being extra sensitive to the needle, but it wasn't a big deal for me. But then again, I have a relatively high tolerance for pain.

Good luck with it.

 

[matto18]

thanks man! should i really go to the trouble of makin some shorts w/a flap if its only gonna be a small tat?

 

[FreeballinDC]

thanks man! should i really go to the trouble of makin some shorts w/a flap if its only gonna be a small tat?

I guess it depends on the setting. Will he do the work in a small area, where it is just you and him? Or will it be in a communal work area, where there could be others getting tatts as well?

If it's the former, then prolly no big deal. If it's the latter, then you have to think of everybody else's modesty, and their lack of wanting to see a bare ass getting tatted.

I would take the shorts in, just in case.

 

[Buddy_Christ]

some of the best tattoos come when you let the artist have his/her creative input into the design. some of my best work came about when i just threw some ideas at the tattoo artist and let them work from there. not to mention that mine are 100% original. i think that's kind of important to have that originality in what you get put on your body, but that's just me.

being tattooed isn't too bad. my back was horrible, but that's cause i'm bony. i'd recommend that you eat a good meal about an hour before your session. the one session i had done on my back we started on an empty stomache and i got real light headed and turned pale white.....and i didn't think it hurt quite that bad. every other tattoo i had done prior to that i had eaten shortly before the session and had no problems.

design is up to you though. there's 3 ways you can have it done. you can have an image transferred onto your skin (either a flash imagine or one that was drawn by you or the tattoosit),. you cah have a freehand form where the tattoo artist draws an outline and some detail of the tattoo onto you and then works from there. finally you can have true freehand where there's nothing on your skni prior to the gun touching it. 2 of mine were done by transfer, but they were original designs, the rest were done by the first form of freehand i mentioned.

good luck in your final decision.