Tattoo advice, your artist and some people on the internet

[Kev]

Having read through several of these threads, I'm noticing a trend of people having been given advice or ideas by their tattoo artists and then coming here and asking our opinion. So here's my opinion- if you trust some random stranger on the internet over the guy/girl you're paying to mark you permanently, I think you should reevaluate your relationship with your tattooer and maybe tattoos in general. I understand forums are a pretty recent thing, but I'm close to positive people didn't go around asking every Tom, Dick, and Harry on street what their opinions were on their tattoos. I don't know if it's a validation thing, attention seeking, or what, but hell, if you're doing this based on anyone's opinion other than your own, I think you're in this for the wrong reasons.

[kylegrey]

Agreed Kev , ask your personal trainer or someone I know this site can be theraputic but don't push it and respect others .

[CultExciter]

I think it is a product of culture(s) today. Many of us (I'm as much to blame as anyone), use Google to figure out what ailment we have, use Yelp to figure out what restaurant to eat at, use Amazon reviews to figure out which pair of headphones is best. There is no problem with word of mouth, but there becomes a point when people no longer use their intuition and best judgement to make decisions, and instead opt for the majority rule. We no longer let ourselves experience anything. Unfortunately, Orwell's and Huxley's premonitions are starting to render themselves true.

[slayer9019]

I think it's usually the fear of actually DOING it more than anything else. I remember my first tattoo was a few year struggle to actually pull the trigger. Earlier in my life tattoo shops were one of the most intimidating places to walk into, now I can't wait to go

[Avery Taylor]

I try to stay away from bashing the tattoo tv shows, but i think they play a big part in it. People decide that the tattoos need to mean something so they ask the artist to jam fifty different elements into a three inch tattoo. The artist says yeah i can do it if that is what you want, but doesn't jump up and down about how new and original the design is or most likely gives a suggestion to simplify the thing. Everyone of their friends and family has told them what a great idea it is, and now the person that they have came to get tattooed by is telling them that it isn't. They get all butt hurt about it, and go looking for some other people to reassure them that it is as great of an idea as they think it is.

[Kev]

@slayer9019 Me too, but some of these people are on their 3rd or 4th tattoo. Belaboring tiny details or squeezing every ounce of personal meaning into a tattoo means zip to the rest of the world. I think sometimes people are like "Well, my tattoo has this deep meaning/detail, therefore it is more socially acceptable than some flash somebody picked off the wall". If people (specifically the ones that matter, like employers) don't like tattoos, they will care less what it means. I don't speak for every other person with tattoos, but I don't care what it means . So just get whatever the hell you want already.

[slayer9019]

@slayer9019 Me too, but some of these people are on their 3rd or 4th tattoo. Belaboring tiny details or squeezing every ounce of personal meaning into a tattoo means zip to the rest of the world. I think sometimes people are like "Well, my tattoo has this deep meaning/detail, therefore it is more socially acceptable than some flash somebody picked off the wall". If people (specifically the ones that matter, like employers) don't like tattoos, they will care less what it means. I don't speak for every other person with tattoos, but I don't care what it means . So just get whatever the hell you want already.

Yea still never understood the whole pack 5 novels worth of "meaning" and hidden symbols/words/etc, into a quarter sized tattoo in white ink on their wrist so it "faces them".

If an employer cares about tattoos then yes visible/not visible is the only thing they care about, but offensive (this is subjective) tattoos 90% of the time are a no-go regardless if they care about tattoos or not.

[Kev]

I woke up too early, so lack of sleep reminds me of "Fight Club", which reminds me of this scene:

[HaydenRose]

I look at it this way, if you trust your artist to use THEIR style and ideas on your piece, then there is no reason to ask for opinions on the internet or to any one else (except a SO or some one close to you). If you feel compelled to ask these questions to LST or other forums, then you must not feel comfortable with what your artist is doing in some way. For example, every time I go to King's Ave they are so incredibly nice and supportive. I would go to any of the guys there and give them my idea knowing they would do it the best it could be. If you don't feel that way about a shop, then you should just go some where else, because in the end only you know what you really want and there is definitely an artist (not some one on the internet) that can bring life to your idea in the best way possible.

[Our Endless Days]

I try to stay away from bashing the tattoo tv shows, but i think they play a big part in it. People decide that the tattoos need to mean something so they ask the artist to jam fifty different elements into a three inch tattoo. The artist says yeah i can do it if that is what you want, but doesn't jump up and down about how new and original the design is or most likely gives a suggestion to simplify the thing. Everyone of their friends and family has told them what a great idea it is, and now the person that they have came to get tattooed by is telling them that it isn't. They get all butt hurt about it, and go looking for some other people to reassure them that it is as great of an idea as they think it is.

i can't even imagine dealing with that bullshit if i were a tatooer. i have some tattoos that i chose for a specific reason, and others that i have because i think they're cool. when i tell people that, you can immediately tell that they think i'm crazy because my tattoos don't have some crazy, dumb, symbolism attached to them. i don't care, nor wanna hear that your tree represents how grounded you once were but now you're lost like a leaf blowing in the wind.

[cfgsteak]

I think when I realized I didnt have to have a "reason" to get a tattoo, and it didnt have to have a "meaning" it changed my perspective immensely. I credit this site and actually getting off my ass and going to a lot of different shops and seeing what the hell is really going on with tattooing.

I think the biggest mistake people make when they come here is that the dont do some lurking first. I learned a lot more about what tattooing is about by just listening to the interviews, reading the posts of people who are either tattooers or serious collectors. Now that I get what a good tattoo is, its enough. I dig just going to a shop, knowing the artists are all kick ass, and then just picking a piece of flash off the wall cause I just love tattoos. I dont have to go to therapy before hand to disect my relationship with my mom and pick an image that shows our conflicts blah blah blah

I'm not gonna lie, I like the attention of posting a new tattoo...I think we all kinda do to a certain extent. But yeah, shut up and get tattooed is kinda my mantra at this point I guess.

[reverend1]

@slayer9019 I have had the same experience. I've spent the last year and a half researching and waffling on my first tattoo. I have a consultation scheduled in July!

[gougetheeyes]

I don't know if it's a validation thing, attention seeking, or what, but hell, if you're doing this based on anyone's opinion other than your own, I think you're in this for the wrong reasons.

Seems like it's a lot of things. Validation, attention, but mostly lack of understanding. There will always be a never ending amount of folks that will get a few tattoos and have them be all they ever get; they won't be "in it" because they have a different relationship with tattoos. And they don't want to be covered and they don't get all wild-eyed and nerdy when someone mentions other tattooers or a rare book or whatever gives the average LSTer a halfie.

So when people show off a little under the cover of asking "what to do," all you can do is either ignore it or give em a quick and succinct answer. "Looks good pal, keep it up," or "Best to go talk to whoever tattooed you, since they'll have a much bigger reference library than your google search," or just ignore it completely. Not worth gettin all worked up over <--..constantly trying to practice what I preach.

(Also, when I started getting tattooed at 18, I'm sure I made all kinds of obnoxious rookie missteps -- like, getting the tattoos in the places I did -- so you can't be too frustrated. Hard though when it's every day with the same nonsense, so I share the frustration.)

[Kev]

Yeah, I was in a ranty mood yesterday. Sorry :rolleyes:

[JAllen]

i think what's happening is people sign up thinking its a website for this kind of tattoo:

and they are too embarassed to admit it so they make up some "i'm getting tattooed soon story".

in all seriousness though i think its a case of "me" "me, me, me, me, me" did i mention me?

[writerAZ]

RE: Fight Club clip

"I make and I sell soap, the yardstick of civilization."

Great line.

[Gregor]

I just want a sleeve, tell me what to get !!!

[David Flores]

I just want a sleeve, tell me what to get !!!

"I don't want something that everyone else has"

[Dan S]

So, shortly after Maniaci does the sleeve on my right arm, an old friend drops into the school for some sparring. he sees my arm and flips, "where'dja get it done?" I told him, and he said "I want to get one like it." Told him to call Miles, or go on down to have a consult, and he says "NO! I want one EXACTLY like it!"

Had to convince him that duplicating my older work and then doing the new stuff wasn't gonna look so hot on him.

[David Flores]

I think people are searching for something that doesn't exist. This mythical original idea that no one has thought of. When in reality someone has already thought of it determined it sucked and got something better tattooed.

Most of the people I hang with think it's cool when you have the same tattoo, in fact my friend got a tattoo I already have the day before I went to Chicago . Even last week getting tattooed by someone I had never met before I noticed we had a lot of the same tattoos and some tattoo designs I had always wanted to get.

I have plenty of tattoos that aren't off flash sheets but I mean ultimately if most of your tattoos are in the same style your look is going to be very similar even if the subject matter is different.

[JAllen]

I just want a sleeve, tell me what to get !!!

Butt sleeve. Nothing but butts! Hairy ones, big ones, little ones. Naked or with thongs. Realistic or traditional or both. I guarantee no one else has it either... Yet, that is....

[kylegrey]

There's a Bruce Lee quote I recite all the time that can be applied to the idea of a one off tattoo over flash or such -

'' Just be ordinary and nothing special. Eat your food move your bowels, pass water and when you're tired ,go down and lie .The ignorant will laugh at me ,but the wise will understand ".

[Kev]

Butt sleeve. Nothing but butts! Hairy ones, big ones, little ones. Naked or with thongs. Realistic or traditional or both. I guarantee no one else has it either... Yet, that is....

Joey Ortega did this on his wife yesterday while I was getting tattooed. It's a play on the common mispronunciation of "Merci Beaucoup"; "Merci Beaucul" mean Thanks, nice ass: