Why are bad tattoos so popular?

[SeeSea]

...and I'd just like to clarify that I have no idea exactly how shitting a tattoo goes down.

[ShawnPorter]

The Letter of the Law: Laws for Lettering and Tattoos | Occult Vibrations

Not judging, just some useful information.

I get SO MUCH wonderful hatemail because of that post.

[MMx5]

I think celebrities and mainstream influence peoples decisions when choosing a tattoo. I personally have my eye on a praticular design for a few months and then decide if I still like it whether to get it or not:eek:

[purplelace]

My 2d's worth (in no order):

I have my tattoos on pinterest, it was one place at the time where I could put the images up for my online friends to see. But, I do know the ones you talk about when you mention this. Some of them I do like, but coming from a crafter's point of view. They would work for sewing or for hand drawn decoupage ideas. In regards to text tattoos, mine were just drawn freehand by the tattooist at the time. Personally, I wouldn't want a "wall of text" on me, but who am I to judge if someone does? Some "walls of text" look amazing, others look shite. Same with imagery, swings and roundabouts. As for reality shows, I've never watched one, until a co-worker told me about on that was shown on E4 called Tattoo After Dark, or something like that. And yes, it was the first time I ever watched one and it will be the last. I'll never get that hour back. In regards to those that said about "Going to get inked" and it irking you. Here it is slang, and accepted slang. Fellow tattooed people come up to me and say "Cool ink, etc" and I comment on others saying the same. Tattooists say it too. Different slang in different parts of the world. For example, if I was to say "I'm off for a fag", here it means "I'm going for a smoke" (I don't smoke anymore). But Stateside the word "fag" means something else, whereas here it's slang for a cigarette. As to the meaning vs no meaning, all my tattoos have meaning. It's just how it worked out, some have double meanings. The ones I tell people if they ask, and the hidden meaning. I've been getting tattooed on and off for 15 years now, it's just me. Nothing against those who get tattooed with no meaning, that's not the point of getting tattooed. Every tattoo doesn't have to have meaning behind it, as I've said. It's just how it's worked out with me. I've always waited at least 3 years before getting mine done, but I have a big back-log of work I want done. Because I couldn't get tattooed for a few years (various reasons). My mind has gone into overdrive, remembering what I had stored away to get done, plus my tattooist asking me to think about filer work hasn't helped matters! But, it's all good. I've had non-tattooed people say that tattoos aren't for them, but they appreciate the art work in it. One of my friends called me a "walking sketchbook" lol I don't think I'm that far yet, but I am working towards it. I think that's everything I wanted to comment on/say. Only had one cuppa today so far, so might have missed something.

[SeeSea]

Different slang in different parts of the world. For example, if I was to say "I'm off for a fag", here it means "I'm going for a smoke" (I don't smoke anymore). But Stateside the word "fag" means something else, whereas here it's slang for a cigarette.

Fag used to mean cigarette in the US about 40-50 years ago, at least in the Midwest FWIW.

[HettyKet]

Fanny is another funny one. Arse in the US and female genitalia in the UK...

LST has a Pinterest account, as I'm sure you all know. It's rather nice.

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(erm, sorry, totally off topic there :rolleyes:)

[purplelace]

@SeeSea I didn't know that, learn something new everyday

and @HettyKet Yes exactly always makes me snigger when I hear that word on a show/film from the states. I was going to add something, but thought best against lowering the tone lol

[SeeSea]

@SeeSea I was going to add something, but thought best against lowering the tone lol

I don't think this is a thread in which anyone would get upset to see a lowering of tone ;)

And @HettyKet - no, I didn't know that! Thanks for mentioning that. Learn something new everyday :):rolleyes::cool:

[purplelace]

@SeeSea okay, remember those words...

Fanny pack is slang for what a woman erm, uses during that time of month. "Need to get fanny pack" is slang for "Need some tampax etc" You did give me the green light. It's another thing that always makes me snigger esp when see a show/film from stateside and they say "It's in my fanny pack" makes me snigger every time. I don't know if it's slang for rest of UK/Ireland but it is here.

[SeeSea]

@purplelace - I wonder if there are examples of someone getting a word tattoo and finding out that it was slang or had another meaning elsewhere. I'm sure it's happened, but it would be funny to see.

[purplelace]

@SeeSea I'm sure it has happened :) I would be curious as well.

Mineral here is slang for a fizzy drink and in the states asking for a soda will get you a fizzy drink. If you ask for it here, you'll get given some bread. Soda bread is a type of bread here and mineral is only slang in Northern Ireland.

[Mireille Pelland]

I'd have to agree with you! I only have a few tattoos for the main reason that for me they need to have personal meaning to them. Mine are not text though! lol

[purplelace]

No harm in waiting, it's a commitment and not one to be taken lightly. As all of us here know.

[marley mission]

i'm certainly a fan of bad tattoos - in some cases the more the better

now - few things - i'm not into offensive art which is obviously pretty subjective

and i hesitate to give example of where my lines are on that issue

but i like the fun weird cool poorly executed stuff - i just do

i do think they look better on heavily tattooed people

also it helps to have a healthy amount of well executed work

anyway

[purplelace]

One of my friends is heavily tattooed, he's got some tattoos that some would consider "bad". They're drawings his children did and he loved them that much he got them tattooed. They're fun and cute :) They do work well as fillers in amongst his other work. They're not poorly executed, but they do look child-like, because well they are.

[marley mission]

cool cool

yeah and i mean i'm not saying go seek out poorly executed tattoos

but sometimes i hate to see those old sloppy quirky tattoos getting covered

[purplelace]

:) And yeah I know but meh :)

[ShawnPorter]

Fanny is another funny one. Arse in the US and female genitalia in the UK...

LST has a Pinterest account, as I'm sure you all know. It's rather nice.

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(erm, sorry, totally off topic there :rolleyes:)

That led to an incredibly unfortunate incident between me and a gal from Manchester when I was in the UK.

Totally misunderstood what she was asking me to do. Can't say I'm not good for a laugh though.

[purplelace]

Haha! Part of me doesn't want to know and part of me does.

[Ashley76]

I'm planning to get a tattoo that combines a few lines from "Hamlet" along with a southern magnolia flower. It combines a flower that I've loved since my childhood and a few lines of my favorite literary piece. Is it "basic" or "lame"? Probably. But I feel like the idea is very grounding, and right now that is not only comforting, but liberating.

The only tattoos that really bother me are the little black birds and the infinity tattoos. I find it hard to believe that most people can make a connection to "Divergent" or "The Fault in Our Stars."

[jimstanley]

Makes me laugh to think about people getting ambiguous words tattooed. something like "BK" could go one of five ways

Celebrities aren't helping shit by being as dumb as they are. Wish I had a link to the story, but theres this italian scratcher whos tattooed mad celebrities for mad expensive with absolute garbage. Bullshits ignorant philosophies and generally raises my hackles. Feel like most shit tattoos are basically people that dont "get it" and are tryna look like they do.

note: peeped the word "entitled" being used to defend a persons tattoos... so...

My worst tattoo -- going to a charity event, but I didn't much like anything on the sheet. Yeah I shoulda dipped, lesson learned, but it was a "cant afford anything huge and rad so tiny and dumb is chill" deals. So I just told my girl to pick. Still like it, dont regret it, but its admittedly a shit tattoo and I ain't gonna do that again. Was 18 in a childish rush for coverage.

[SeeSea]

@Ashley76 - welcome to LST. You'll get some feedback and welcomes if you start a new thread and ask questions in the Initiation thread here: Initiation | New to Last Sparrow Tattoo | Last Sparrow Tattoo

[CGriffin]

I personally don't get the refuse to sink with an anchor. When I see them I just want to ask the people if they know what an anchor is for or why they didn't get the titanic.

[Gloomy Inks]

I'm with SStu. I figure most of the people out there are just like they were in say the 50s, just full of more BS. The level of artistic talent has sky rocketed of course, and people find there way to the people who are good. And then there are bums. It seems to me like there is almost a strata of person for the strata of artist. The Paul Rogers "pyramid" for both clients and artists.

Lettering? I despise lettering that isn't pithy. Now if it's fun, that's a whole different colored horse. Once I put Hebrew script ("Thou shall not...," Ringing in my ears) on a Cuban woman who was Catholic and couldn't remember what the script meant. She had to get her friend to look it up on her phone to tell me.

And then right at the end of the tattoo I got a big rip in my jeans.

You can't expect people to have high taste.

I dunno either, what about DeVita? You look at and go, "Holy crap that's good!"

And it's missing part of the lining.

[Metfly]

IMO celebrity tattoos are the worst. Some are god awful and of course the general public runs to imitate. I can't say i don't have any lettering but it stops at my kids' names.