Seeking advice

[Damo]

Hi, I'm 35yrs old from Scotland and new to this site. Mainly looking for advice to make my next tattoo my best one.

Basic idea: black and grey shoulder tattoo which will in some way symbolise my two sons.

Brief details: Ryan (means little king), libra and Rhys (means enthusiasm?! And dragon which should be easier to symbolise with a tattoo) Pisces

Considering dragon with basic zodiac symbols for libra and Pisces leading to rose skull, symbolising me protecting/loving them from birth til death

Any ideas / suggestion most welcome

Thanks

[RoryQ]

@Damo

Welcome to the forum.

My initial thought is that a dragon, done in black and grey, whether in a traditional japanese style or a western style (think Sailor Jerry) can be a fantastic subject for a tattoo. There's a reason that dragons are so iconic.

You've got to ask yourself whether adding in zodiac symbols or something like the boys' names in script is actually going to gel well with that, or whether it's going to look cluttered or a bit OTT.

Richard Pinch does some great dragons. Richard's Tattoo Studio - Scotland UK

[Damo]

Thanks for the advice mate, makes sense. Possibly hoping to fit too much into one tattoo

Cheers

[Graeme]

Completely agreed with @RoryQ about the dragon being a great subject for a tattoo, but if you're considering doing the tattoo in a Japanese style, maybe look into Foo Dogs as well? A female foo dog (usually depicted with a cub) would represent the sentiment you want about protecting and loving your children. Steven Wrigley in Glasgow does great Japanese.

[Damo]

Excellent suggestion Graeme, just looked up some Foo Dog images. Some really good ones out there. Really like the Japanese style too so thanks for that

Damo

[beez]

@Damo Foo Dogs (or Fu Dogs, Shishi or Karajishi) are generally seen in pairs and pair well with peonies (Botan). Karajishi Botan is a classic motif :). The king of flowers with the king of beasts!

Clark North Art has a lot of info on those and other symbols in Japanese tattoo. It's a good quick reference to use as a jumping off point, but there are sooo many more resources out there, don't stop there!

[Damo]

Hi Beez, just googled those sorts of tattoos briefly and they are a style I have always liked although I wasn't aware of the title of them. Another great post, thanks very much for the advice.

Made more progress on deciding on a tattoo in 4 hrs on this forum than weeks checking online

Thanks

Damo