How can you make your smaller tattoos not look like stickers on your skin?

[Sick]

Hello,

I've been struggling with this lately. I am at a point where I want a few small tattoos but I feel that they will look like stickers...I don't know how to counteract this thing, better placement?

Here's an example: I want to get a mickey mouse on my shoulder. I tried a little sketch and it just looks like smth that you get from a bubblegum and stick on your skin for a day.

Any ideas?

[abeukeveld]

An actual tattoo will look different than sharpie on top of the skin, or tracing paper. After a while the tattoo will appear to be part of the skin. Even new, big tattoos have the appearance of being "ontop" on the skin when they are fresh. They will settle with time.

https://instagram.com/livedintattoos/

Flip through this instagram profile of old, healed tattoos. Plenty of them are quite small, but you'd never look at them and think "That's a cool sticker".

[SlickSquid]

Background colors and adding a bit of movement in the design

[cltattooing]

Get small tattoos in small areas of the body so they don't look like they're drowning in a sea of flesh. Or put them between big tattoos.

[heathenist]

Get small tattoos in small areas of the body so they don't look like they're drowning in a sea of flesh. Or put them between big tattoos.

This.

[Sick]

This.

Thanks. Unfortunately I don't have nor want for now some really big pieces...

[9Years]

Thanks. Unfortunately I don't have nor want for now some really big pieces...

Soooo what about the longer, more detailed first part of that great advice then?

[Sick]

Soooo what about the longer, more detailed first part of that great advice then?

Yeah clearly. That was good advice but not very helpful. I still have no clue where to put my bodybuilder mickey mouse and still not look like a fucking sticker. Do you have an idea?

Imgur

[heathenist]

Ankle, foot, wrist, inner bicep, forearm, etc.

[Sick]

Ankle, foot, wrist, inner bicep, forearm, etc.

I just cna't picture this on my inner bicep ..but ankle can be a good idea! maybe shoulder..

[polliwog]

I feel like the "looks like a sticker" thing pops up a lot as a way to shame people about their choice of tattoos. I mean this in a way that's entirely unrelated to understandable concerns about placement. A tattooer should be able to help you with that, but I have a smaller tattoo near my ankle and I like how it fits there.

[jimstanley]

get it over your nipple. hopefully after seeing it daily for a couple years youll notice that it has become your nipple and you cant scratch it off. "oh, shit! so that really wasnt a painful sticker!"

the ends of extremities (ankles/wrists) or somewhere central (try the top of your spine instead of your shoulder). also wanna say that certain designs make sense as stickers and certain designs make sense as tattoos

[Pleadco]

If you have the image already, it is really your journey to figure out where you want the tattoo. Good advice has already been given.

If you aren't inspired to put it on a particular body part, it might be best to wait until it's a more decisive decision.

[Dan]

Hello,

I've been struggling with this lately. I am at a point where I want a few small tattoos but I feel that they will look like stickers...I don't know how to counteract this thing, better placement?

Here's an example: I want to get a mickey mouse on my shoulder. I tried a little sketch and it just looks like smth that you get from a bubblegum and stick on your skin for a day.

Any ideas?

yes ! get it bigger , get a larger tattoo that won't look like a "bubble gum pack" sticker.

Yeah clearly. That was good advice but not very helpful. I still have no clue where to put my bodybuilder mickey mouse and still not look like a fucking sticker. Do you have an idea?

Imgur

yes,don't get a fucking tiny souvenir tattoo then.

[DJDeepFried]

If you get it as a tattoo it will look like a tattoo and not a sticker.

[MarvelAvengers]

I use the 10/10 rule. If you probably not going to be able to tell what it is in 10 years from 10 feet away, then it's too small

[tatB]

I thought "looks like a sticker" was a compliment? Example "that tattoo is so clean, crisp, and bold it looks like a sticker"

[Sick]

I use the 10/10 rule. If you probably not going to be able to tell what it is in 10 years from 10 feet away, then it's too small

haha. that's a pretty nice rule. How do you know how would i tlook in 10 years though?

- - - Updated - - -

I thought "looks like a sticker" was a compliment? Example "that tattoo is so clean, crisp, and bold it looks like a sticker"

Really? I thought it's a derogative : is that a tattoo? or did you get it from a bubblegum?

[MarvelAvengers]

haha. that's a pretty nice rule. How do you know how would i tlook in 10 years though?

- - - Updated - - -

knowing that some fading and line widening is to expected, if it's boarderline when you get it from 10 feet away then it it's going to go downhill from there.

I see tattoos all of the time now that I can't tell what the hell they are

[Synesthesia]

As others have said, all tattoos look unnatural when they're first applied. It takes some time for them to settle into the skin and look natural, no matter what style or size. I personally love tiny tattoos as fillers between larger pieces, or on smaller areas of the body, but you should get whatever you want (within reason, your artist might steer you a little or give some ideas to make it better). Don't worry so much what everyone else thinks, as long as you're happy.

[marley mission]

lots of good advice here

go bigger is a good one

also - is it placement thats the issue

or content? kinda feeling it might be both

also - if you plan to get a bunch of tattoos

then just proceed and get on with it

the more you have around it

the more natural to the spot it will look

[Sick]

lots of good advice here

go bigger is a good one

also - is it placement thats the issue

or content? kinda feeling it might be both

also - if you plan to get a bunch of tattoos

then just proceed and get on with it

the more you have around it

the more natural to the spot it will look

Is this a haiku?

what does

"go bigger is a good one" means?

what do you mean by content? that is not a good idea for a tattoo? did you see the photo?

- - - Updated - - -

As others have said, all tattoos look unnatural when they're first applied. It takes some time for them to settle into the skin and look natural, no matter what style or size. I personally love tiny tattoos as fillers between larger pieces, or on smaller areas of the body, but you should get whatever you want (within reason, your artist might steer you a little or give some ideas to make it better). Don't worry so much what everyone else thinks, as long as you're happy.

Thanks!

[marley mission]

no poetry here

go bigger is good advice - always!

not judging the content myself

just wondering if you had an issue with it

meaning - were you second guessing yourself on it

[pidjones]

Just a warning - you may think that you won't get more and bigger tattoos in the future. Yeah, remember that.

[bongsau]

give er a tear out