Jump to content

Virgin Skin, anyone help me brain storm?

Ebolarama

By Ebolarama,
in Initiation

 Share

Recommended Posts

Ebolarama Ex-Lurker

Ebolarama

Posted
Posted

Hi, young(ish) male from TX, trying to keep anonymous and new to the art, have no tats. Been an admirer of tattoos for years but I never really had anything too meaningful to get so as much as I wanted one I wanted to wait.

I'm not very artistic so it's been difficult for me to come up with anything but lately I've had a lot of random ideas coming together, I was hoping somewhere here could maybe jog my brain a bit.

A bit of backstory. I was born with anxiety/panic disorder.... as strange as that sounds, I seem to have had it since I was a toddler. It got progressively worse and then in my early 20's just became unbearable and I actually had to go on disability for some time. I'm still not well, but I've learned to live with it and have learned to "live with the monster". This has been a huge part of my life, though negative I also feel I've learned a lot about perseverance and also about my own character.... I used to have bad anger issues, I used to be a control-freak, I feel a lot of those traits contributed to my panic attacks and in a way it's all helped me sort a lot of bad habits/personality traits out.

During these years I felt like I was literally doing time.... like time around me was just passing by and i was chained up, it was a feeling of helplessness and despair. I saw some artwork a few years back of a clock disintegrating, which I thought was really cool because it really connected with the way I felt.

I've thought of making the main piece an old, degrading clock with pieces chipping off.... I've thought of maybe putting frayed ropes around it representing my slowly trying to break free and maybe chains around the top representing years back when breaking free was not even an option.... sort of representing the progress I've made, from unbreakable chains to ropes that can be torn.

I'm really into gray wash with a lot of shadow, placement would likely be shoulder down to elbow.

Thanks for having me and reading my long post lol. If anyone has any ideas I'm all ears, if my idea seems silly I'm also very open to criticism.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
marley mission Hero

marley mission

Posted
Posted

hey you got your wheels working sir

get into to see an artist that you like

i'm sure others can chime in that are in the know for texas artists

but you get in there and describe what you're thinking

maybe bring a couple of ref pieces based on your ideas

and let that artist do there thing

some cool ideas though

prob make a nice shoulder piece

Link to comment
Share on other sites
SeeSea Hero

SeeSea

Posted
Posted

Welcome! That sounds like neat imagery, and it's cool to think about representing how you are breaking the chains. But I wonder if down the line, when you have really broken free, if you want a memory that still reflects you being somewhat chained (or roped) down. Is there a neat image that can represent where you are heading, instead of where you have been? Anyway, just a thought. But a cool idea.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Cork Champion

Cork

Posted
Posted
Been an admirer of tattoos for years but I never really had anything too meaningful to get so as much as I wanted one I wanted to wait.

Ok, right there. If you really want a tattoo, then go get one. It doesn't have to mean anything. It could be something that looks bad ass and you just want to get it tattooed on you. I thought my first tattoo had to mean something too. You'll find that the experience of a fresh tattoo with a good artist can trump any personal symbology. What tattoos have you been admiring? Do those "mean something" to the wearer?

On the flip side, a candle burning at both ends, or a candle burning by itself, is pretty good imagery for losing time if you ask me. Google search reveals some good ideas, but no artists, so I'm hesitant to post a lot of pictures here.

Here is one from Grez in NYC. You get the idea. Added snake and dagger for badassitutude.

grez_candle.jpg?t=1417539989928

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Ebolarama Ex-Lurker

Ebolarama

Posted
  • Author
Posted

Thanks for the input

Seesea,

That's one of the things I'm still going back and forth on. Like, do I really want a constant reminder of this illness I've had? On the other hand I've always been one to hate showing weakness, so I hid how bad I was suffering from so many people to the point it ruined relationships etc. Getting it on me is almost of way of just saying "hey look, this is me, this is something I battle with, I'm not ashamed". But I do see your point and am keeping it in mind.

Cork,

Well I might as well make a bad first impression and admit I think tribal tattoos look ridiculously awesome, that's probably what I would have gotten years ago but man I don't know, just the whole stigma behind them gets to me. Maybe if I could find someone to do something tribal but with some kind of different flare to it I would go for it. I also love clocks too, aside from any relevance, i just think they make cool looking sleeve/half-sleeve pieces.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Graeme Autobot

Graeme

Posted
Posted
@Ebolarama If you think that tribal tattoos look ridiculously awesome, you should go for it! Yes, there is a bit of a stigma attached to tribal (but there's a stigma attached to tattoos generally, so...), and some of it carries over to here, but tribal when it's done well is really awesome. It's strong, it's bold, when it's done properly it flows with and accentuates the body amazingly, and all that solid black means that it's going to hold for the rest of your life. "Tribal" is also a really broad category of tattooing and is really diverse. Usually when people say "tribal" the first thing that comes to mind is that Leo Zulueta or Zulueta-inspired spiky stuff, and maybe that's what you're talking about, but that's only one small facet of tribal tattooing: you could go in a Polynesian or Micronesian-influenced direction; guys like Colin Dale in Denmark are doing essentially Nordic tribal influenced by Viking designs; in Austin you have Thomas Hooper who takes tribal as a starting point and is pushing tattooing into exciting new frontiers from there. There's so much more than this out there too. Explore, explore, explore, and find what excites you the most and makes you feel that you need a tattoo like that.
Link to comment
Share on other sites
blujax01 Regular

blujax01

Posted
Posted

I got my first tattoo 20-some years ago. I've forgotten what exactly Excalibur on my shoulder represented but I'm sure that at the time, it had some deep meaning. The important thing is that it's still bold and readable.

Here's the thing - no matter what you get, it's significance may fade but it's presence will serve as part of your personal history. It meant something to you at the time and that's all that counts. And the meaning may be as simple as "I've always wanted an Aloha Monkey on my stomach and I'm going for it!" (I'm close to committing, but not quite there yet!:cool:).

Dragons come and dragons go (as does barbed wire) but like all tattoos, they are a roadmap to one's past. Go forth confidently, get a good artist who can lay a solid line, and use spell and grammar check. Twice.

About to turn 60 and still writing my history,

~ Alan

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Fala Champion

Fala

Posted
Posted

You beat me to it @Rikhall! Roxx is amazing.

I highly suggest you check out a variety of shops and artists, since you have a general idea of what you like, now's the time to look at the plethora of artists available (online, and in person!) Once you find the right artist, you can trust them to create something that is just right for you.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Tornado6 Regular

Tornado6

Posted
Posted
Yeah can't imagine I'd ever get black work (lack of space) but if I did Roxx would be where I'd go

...but you could get space filling geometric work...

I like looking at blackwork. I'm pretty sure I'll never have a large piece of it, but I love to see it on all of those svelte bodies.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
scubaron Contributor

scubaron

Posted
Posted

I like the idea of a disintegrating clock. Sounds cool and if done well, would look awesome. A realism artist would be my choice. Tattoo traditionalists will hate it, but so what ? If you like it and the tattoo is done well, that's all that matters.

Do some more research and browsing on the internet. Not so much to find exactly what you want, but more to discover what's possible and how the tattoo styles have broadened. I like to spend time on the Pinterest site for my tattoo research.

You mentioned tribal. Not as popular today, especially on this site. The lines separating tribal from other styles is a little blurred. Geometric, ornamental, blackwork, black and grey. I like tribal as well, but really appreciate how artists have expanded on the style. Take a look at Tom Hooper, Jondix, Tony Mancia, Phillip Milic, Anderson Luna, John Sultana, Zac Scheinbaum.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Casey15 Ex-Lurker

Casey15

Posted
Posted

I would advise into looking to getting an image that represents your triumph over your anxiety instead of reminding you. Take it from someone who over came cancer and has a child with a disability, I would rather get something that has a positive reminder for years to come.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
 Share
Go to topic listing
×
×
  • Create New...