Symbolic pictures for a car accident

[Thotties keep walking]

Hey everyone, I got into a bad car accident a couple years ago and I plan on getting a picture with the date and a couple of quotes on my back shoulder. The only problem I'm having is I can't think of anything great!, I was going to bring in a picture of the car but with how bad it looked I'm not sure if it would look as detailed as I would like. If anyone can think of anything basic I could start with and make my changes and advancements on it would be extremely helpful!! Thanks and happy tatting

~~no Thotties~~

[deadsp0t]

If there's one thing I've learned from here, it's that tattoos like this don't need a bunch of banners with script/quotes/sayings. Good solid imagery can do the same thing for minus the daily questions behind it's meaning etc.

I have a remembrance tattoo and if I were to do it over I'd drop the banners and script.

[irezumi]

Broken steering wheel?

And yeah forget the banners and dates and shit

[tatB]

a dragon

[CultExciter]

Rat Fink

[irezumi]

a dragon

Dragon vs panther vs car battle royale

[Thotties keep walking]

Thanks! I'm debating the date because it was April Friday 13th 2012 and idk if I want that date on my skin haha. You think I should stick with my original plan and bing the picture of the car in? It's going to be on my back shoulder

[irezumi]

I think you should have a style or two in mind before much else.

Black & Grey, color bomb, traditional, realistic, neo-traditional, etc, also maybe a size in mind. From there it's easier to recommend artists or types of designs.

[tatB]

what about the the crash do you want to remember when you look at the tattoo?

the near death experience? maybe a grim reaper

the violent twisted metal? maybe bio mech

how lucky you were to survive? a traditional horse shoe, four leaf clover, or other lucky symbols

the unlucky Friday the 13th date? lots of traditional Friday the 13th tattoo designs to choose from

[Pugilist]

I agree with @BrianH - think about why you want this tattoo, and what about the experience you want to commemorate? What do you want this tattoo to do for you? Sometimes choosing non-literal imagery that symbolizes the feeling you are going for is a lot more successful than going for a very literal image. For example, if you want to commemorate survival, I think a phoenix could be cool. Or if it's about luck, see the suggestions above. Or if it's about a near-death experience, I like the reaper idea above, or even something like a skull, which to me is the most classic memento mori. There are a lot of amazing options if you think outside of the box a bit and go for the thing that feels right rather than what represents it most obviously.

[Graeme]

I like the original idea. It totally suggests a car wreck to me.

[misterJ]

@thotties is this your first tattoo?

+ agree with @BrianH & @Pugilist

[deadsp0t]

I like the original idea. It totally suggests a car wreck to me.

Insightful as always.. ;)

[MadeIndelible]

Car rose morph.

[JAllen]

a crash test mannequin holding a bent bumper

[irezumi]

^yes

[CultExciter]

I think this would be a good option:

[OutOfIdeas]

Seconded ^

[SeeSea]

Dragon vs panther vs car battle royale

I just can't get this one out of my head! The imagery is awesome.

[irezumi]

I just can't get this one out of my head! The imagery is awesome.

Well it hasn't been done yet! Any takers are welcome.