Your overall look as a tattooed person

[keepcalm]

So in regards to balancing things out and placement... I do still partake in that little detail. For some reason symmetry must really be a woman's thing. I have 18 tattoos total and nine are on the right side of my body and nine are on the left side.

This is awesome, haha! Also makes me think about the different ways to achieve balance...

My left/right split is 2 and 2.

My front/back split is 1 on front, 2 on back, 1 on side.

My top/bottom split is 3.5 on top, and 0.5 on bottom ;)

I dunno, the more people post and the more I think about it, I realize it's all totally personal preference and style, and people who care more about managing their overall look will always pay more attention to things like this, and people who are more relaxed about it won't. And the world goes on ;) I tend to think of my tattoos as permanent accessories -- I always think about how they'll look with the kinds of clothes I like to wear / my style / etc., so I'll probably always agonize over placement before a getting new one.

[SnowyPlover]

I like to be balanced - also, the more tattooed I get, the more important it is. I have 3/4 sleeves and thigh piece that goes from knee to hip. My first sleeve crept a bit onto my chest (image in the negative), so when my tattooer did the second one, the image is in the positive. Starting in fall I'm getting my torso done (back & front), leaving my derriere and chest free, then move on to my other thigh. I like large scale pieces because I personally prefer how it can be fit to my body and that is part of the "balance" part for me.

[gougetheeyes]

I have no clue how to tie them in together and it's annoying the hell out of me.

"Tie 'em in" by getting something totally unrelated.

[HaydenRose]

I think we should turn this thread into people posting full body shots... reading how every one's tattoos are laid out is making my brain hurt. Picture books! Picture books! (sorry it's pre-noon, and I'm bored and delirious at work)

[slayer9019]

I think we should turn this thread into people posting full body shots... reading how every one's tattoos are laid out is making my brain hurt. Picture books! Picture books! (sorry it's pre-noon, and I'm bored and delirious at work)

Agreed!

I got some leg shots on my instagram. Here's one. Kinda crappy shots for the purpose, I'll throw these up for now till I get home.

Here is my two thighs. I like the placement and some of the tweaks done to make it look good when you seem them next to each other. They at least to me compliment each other, while being by 3 different artists (Stewart Robson, Matt Van Cura and Regino Gonzales).

This one you can see the "clashing styles" that I seem to think looks pretty good almost touching.

[mtlsam]

As you can see, I have one arm completed and a start to the other. I'm feeling a drive to get more work done on my front. Saving the upper shoulders for one day when I get on to my back.

I'm pondering whether to get large rib pieces that will leave a strip down my stomach, or go huge on the stomach and let the back piece wrap onto my sides.

I feel really lucky to be at the stage I find myself in, and have a resource like LST to get inspired with great ideas! It sure beats the awkward moment when you get caught staring at someone's tattoos.

(edit, spelling)

Edited August 8, 2013 by mtlsam
spelling

[Hospitelli]

Balance and placement were def important for me at one point. After getting my left calf sleeve completed I remember thinking to myself if I were to ever get something done on my arms it would go on the right to balance things out. To me if I had done something on the left it just wouldn't have looked right. I also thought at one point that mixing styles of tattoos would look off and out of place. Now though I think that life is just too short to worry about any of that stuff. Get what you want where you want and from who you want.

[keepcalm]

I think we should turn this thread into people posting full body shots...

Sounds fun! I don't really have a full-body shot of myself yet but would be interested to see others in the meantime!

[tatB]

I think we should turn this thread into people posting full body shots...

maybe if you buy me a few drinks first

[Iwar]

So I bought some fundoshi's off of eBay a while back, thinking I might use them when I start my backpiece. In hindsight I should have known that only japanese men with bodysuits can pull those off. Pale norwegian guys, not so much. Had to cherish the moment with a picture though. I hope you all feel privileged! :cool:

- - - Updated - - -

Only thing I made my mind up about pretty early on was that I wanted to go big on my front and back. Other than that I'm just randomly filling it in with different styles of work from different tattooers I dig. I guess my thighs and feet match each other, but other than that I just pack'em in there. I absolutely love the look of japanese bodysuites though, but that's not for me. I like too much from both worlds.

Now let's see the rest of you in your fundoshis! If you don't have any laying around, all you need is an old bedsheet and a pair of scissors, and voila.

[iowagirl]

I I tend to think of my tattoos as permanent accessories -- I always think about how they'll look with the kinds of clothes I like to wear / my style / etc., so I'll probably always agonize over placement before a getting new one.

ME TOO! I never really thought about it much when I had just my frog and the flower circlet. When I was in shape (in the b.c. before children days, sigh), I wore sleeveless tops as much as possible, and the thinner the straps the better. Didn't matter what was on the shirts. Now tho, I have all those blossoms, and plan on getting so much more from one side to the other, I prefer solid color tops or ones that have something on the front but not the back so it's plain there.

I'm huge into jewelry, and find that I don't wear necklaces if I'm wearing something that exposes my upper body tattoos b/c I feel it's just too "much". Same reason for earrings. Thank god my hands are safe b/c I'd never give up my rings!

Now that I have my feet all fancy, I find that I just want plain black flip flops so colors aren't detracting from the tattoos. My husband oughta like some of this newfound simplicity..should save some money!

- - - Updated - - -

I don't have any pictures of my ankles on the laptop. I might have some random ones on the pc. Tigger on the outside of my left ankle, a rose on the inside, and a dragon on the outside of my right ankle.

I want to go from the bottom of the cherry blossoms, around my arm, up across the top of my back and down to the band on the right arm...maybe a little lower there so it matches up w/the blossom side. Not sure how in the world it will all work out, but somehow..

[iowagirl]

Did find one of my dragon and rose. Tigger's on the other side of the rose so you can't see him.

[TrixieFaux]

I am digging these pictures that show more than one tattoo at a time. Good idea! Here are my arms. I plan to add to the right arm...filling it out to match the amount of coverage on the left. The owl is a little out of place.

ETA: oh darn @Iwar...forgot to wear my fundoshis. I have several pairs. Pairs? Yeah next time for sure.

[iowagirl]

You have pretty arms. Not just the tattoos, which are lovely, but the shape of them as well.

[hogg]

So I bought some fundoshi's off of eBay a while back, thinking I might use them when I start my backpiece. In hindsight I should have known that only japanese men with bodysuits can pull those off. Pale norwegian guys, not so much. Had to cherish the moment with a picture though. I hope you all feel privileged! :cool:

- - - Updated - - -

Only thing I made my mind up about pretty early on was that I wanted to go big on my front and back. Other than that I'm just randomly filling it in with different styles of work from different tattooers I dig. I guess my thighs and feet match each other, but other than that I just pack'em in there. I absolutely love the look of japanese bodysuites though, but that's not for me. I like too much from both worlds.

Now let's see the rest of you in your fundoshis! If you don't have any laying around, all you need is an old bedsheet and a pair of scissors, and voila.

Haha, dude, you're the best.

[joakim urma]

I'm just going to add my own narcissistic ramblings on here too..

As for being a "tattooed person", I don't think I want to be one all the time. In order to be a normal "respectable" person I think I will save neck up and hands (even though I really enjoy seeing good hand tattoos). I like do be able to go undercover and not always be percieved as tattooed. Over the past two years I've gotten 15+ tattoos all in all and just a few weeks ago I visited a public outdoor swiming pool, a rare event for me. I swear it felt like everybody was scrutinizing me (or I am just self centered..) and it was both enjoyable and not, at the same time.

Some of you might know that I plan to only get black n gray work, and that I'm not into single needle stuff. So I think my tattoos will harmonize with eachother in a pleasant way (and that I will look awesome in the end, naturally). It has been mentioned that women of this thread tend to care more about balance and harmony when it comes to tattoo placement and shapes. If I would consider not covering my body I am sure I would be HUGE on harmony and balance. But now, since everything will get it's share of ink I just think of the time of imbalance as being a wrong that will be corrected. This autumn I'm getting the first tattoo on my left lower arm and also the back of my left knee, and I know I will feel a little better, in balance. I have both (man) breasts tattooed but I'm finding it hard to start something on the ribs, it will look so empty on the other side! I also think I will have to do both feet in a short time frame.

Negative space is very important to me. I really don't like how some people get a bunch of (a bit too small) traditional designs on their arms and then proceed to fill all the empty space between them with tiny fillers, stars, dots and what not. It just looks cluttered. When I first set out to get my arms tattooed I got a pretty dense and detailed tattoo on my outer left upper arm, and then put in another tattoo on the inside which ties together. I think it looks too busy now and I learned my lesson. Some space in between is the way to go.

While I do, more and more, begin to enjoy really large tattoos on other people, on me the only big ones will be my front piece (solar plexus down to pubic area) and back (neck to lower ass). Even if big scale japaneese stuff can look amazing it is more important for me to be able to get MANY tattoos. I want to be able to fit as many artists, styles, subjects and concepts as possible on my body. I like the whole story board feel, where each tattoo holds some kind of meaning/association/emotion that can change and vary both for me and whoever else sees my tattoos.

[Suiren]

I don't have enough tattoos for it to apply exactly, but I do think about balance a lot!

Mostly I want it to harmonize with the curves of my body. I would not place anything large on a small part of my body and vice versa.

My first tattoo was a small symbol on my lower back closer to the hip. After a few years I decided that I find it a bit too small for that spot and that it does not harmonize with my hips well, so I got two more things added and although it is probably something typically girly I find it to be a uniquely balanced and harmonic lower back tattoo (But maybe that is just me lol)

I am planning something bigger and I actually drew the approximate size of it on my arm to make sure it does not overwhelm it. Having something on my left arm would make me want to add something to the right too for more balance.

I have done it the same way with my piercings for years too ;)

[Blian]

At the beginning I didn't care to much about the placement and the flow. But after I got more into tattooculture, and ofcourse got more tattoos, I started to think more and more about the flow of new tattoos.

At the same time, I think it´s hard to "plan" a whole arm in one-shots, so I´m pretty carefree still. The "flow" looks better after each tattoo anyway. At least for trad. tattoos.

I´m planing a jap. piece soon, and with this the placement and flow comes more important to me.

[Slester]

So I bought some fundoshi's off of eBay a while back' date=' thinking I might use them when I start my backpiece. In hindsight I should have known that only japanese men with bodysuits can pull those off. Pale norwegian guys, not so much. Had to cherish the moment with a picture though. I hope you all feel privileged! :cool:

- - - Updated - - -

Only thing I made my mind up about pretty early on was that I wanted to go big on my front and back. Other than that I'm just randomly filling it in with different styles of work from different tattooers I dig. I guess my thighs and feet match each other, but other than that I just pack'em in there. I absolutely love the look of japanese bodysuites though, but that's not for me. I like too much from both worlds.

Now let's see the rest of you in your fundoshis! If you don't have any laying around, all you need is an old bedsheet and a pair of scissors, and voila.[/quote']

I have been thinking so much about what i want on my front lately. I know i wanted a snake fighting some other animal, but right now when i saw your front i think i have to go with the classic eagle!! I have to finish another project first though, so i have plenty time to change my mind :)

[JeffK]

I like having tattoos so some people automatically assume shit about me. This way I can weed out the stupid assholes from the people who are, seemingly, worth dealing with. They don't need tattoos to be worth dealing with, just not assume stupid shit.

[Wilhell]

This is a photo taken by my friend, @Iwar, right after Marius Meyer did a hell of a oneshot on me. I was almost dead, at least very close to fainting. Haha! See a better picture of it in the august contest. The front is just a collection of good and bad tattoos. Some day the owl is going to taste the laser..

[Fala]

I care about the balance portion to a degree. At this point, I'm getting my left outer thigh done this fall, have my right ribs done down to my lower hip/upper thigh done, and will save up for a backpiece. After that I "plan" on stopping regardless of the fact that the left thigh will be more filled out than the right thigh. I too am one of those who has to be covered up for work, which limits me (in a way) to what I want to/can do at the moment.

[MsCandyPants]

For now it's a case of looking at a body part and thinking "that spot looks naked"! For example I was sitting down the other day and just happened to glace at my feet. For some reason my right foot looks naked right now. I'm sure once that's done my left foot will need something.

[Dapper Dan]

i tend to decide i want something new and when that lightbulb sparks in my mind i have no idea what im getting or where its going...

i get in the car, go to the shop, point aimlessly at something on a sheet 3rd from the top 7th across and say "that one please"

the response is usually "have a seat" and 4 hours later ive got something brilliant i didnt think id have when i woke up that morning.

[Riyko]

I really think about where i'm going to have my tattoo's placed before i get them (I have to rethink the location of two of my tattoo's because they don't tattoo the area i want them). I'm OCD when it comes to numbers so I have to have an even amount of tattoo's on my body (i'll be up to 6 with 4 on the left side and 2 on the right side) and most of my tattoo's have to be on the left side of my body. Besides that I don't care how i look in clothing with my tattoos