My first tattoo... need some help with recommendations, too!

[TheHappyPeanut]

Hello there! I have always wanted a tattoo, but I've never actually committed to getting one. I would like to get a 3/4 sleeve, but I'm still trying to determine what exactly the tattoo should be. I'm really leaning toward a cyborg sleeve (http://24.media.tumblr.com/9284561d5bd08147f7dbf16efaea1cc9/tumblr_mfm9opSUMP1qf1gzno1_500.jpg), but I have not fully made up my mind yet; right now I'm at 150lbs at 5'11 (currently working out and bulking to 200lbs) and one concern I have is distortion of the tattoo, but everything I've read has said that if you gain weight at a healthy rate, your tattoo should be perfectly fine. So that leaves me to a few questions:

1) Can tattoos be tattoo'd over? Like, if you got a tattoo and weren't satisfied with it after a year, could you tattoo over it and it still look great?

2) What is your experience with arm growth with sleeves? Should I be OK with growing arms?

3) Can someone please recommend some great tattoo artists in North Carolina (near Charlotte or Asheville) or South Carolina (near Spartanburg)? I'm not trying to step on toes, but some tattoo artists aren't very good at drawing up realistic looking tattoos and that's a very big deal for me; I want my tattoo to look as realistic as possible... not cartoony or poorly drawn. I don't care what the hourly rate is... I'll pay for quality.

I really appreciate the help guys!

[SeeSea]

Welcome! Someone will be along with recommendations. Regarding realism - not every tattoo artist specializes in every style, so you need to find someone who does what you want. Doesn't mean they aren't good at what they do.

Look at some of the threads here about cover-ups and lasering. if you get a tattoo like the one you posted, and you don't like it, you're looking at some serious laser removal first. Here's one to get you started - http://www.lastsparrowtattoo.com/forum/tattoo-removal-coverup/22-cover-up-removal.html

[tatB]

Empire Tattoo in Asheville

[hatchettjack]

Little farther away but yellow rose in kernersville nc is awesome!

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[Al Pascarelli]

My only input would be to make sure this is something you've really thought about. To get a cyborg sleeve on kind of a whim seems impulsive. I know so many people who wish they could start over with their tattoos. You may think a cyborg sleeve looks cool now but will you think the same a couple years from now. The answer may be yes, I don't know. I would suggest first defining a style you are sure you will love and be happy with for a long time. American Traditional. Japanese. Realism. Black and grey vs color... Whatever it is. Especially if you plan to get more tattoos in the future. Just my two cents.

[TheHappyPeanut]

My only input would be to make sure this is something you've really thought about. To get a cyborg sleeve on kind of a whim seems impulsive. I know so many people who wish they could start over with their tattoos. You may think a cyborg sleeve looks cool now but will you think the same a couple years from now. The answer may be yes, I don't know. I would suggest first defining a style you are sure you will love and be happy with for a long time. American Traditional. Japanese. Realism. Black and grey vs color... Whatever it is. Especially if you plan to get more tattoos in the future. Just my two cents.

I definitely understand where you're coming from. I've thought about this for about a year--I'm just now making the commitment to do so.

[Graeme]

Welcome. Like @Al Pascarelli said above, make sure that this is what you want before you get it, because your question about if you can cover it up kind of concerns me. Getting tattooed, and especially getting your first tattoo, involved a lot of uncertainty about if you're going to like your tattoo, the process, what it's like to be tattooed, etc., and that's all fine, but I think if you're wondering if you'll be able to cover it with something else in a year, or even ten or forty years, you should maybe think on it some more until it feels like that or something else is EXACTLY what you want. If what you really want though is a realistic cyborg tattoo, find the best artist you can and go for it.