Hello from a newbie!

[JBluewind]

Hello fellow tattoo enthusiasts!

My name is Jamie, but I've been going by Bluewind online for years. My handle was inspired by the painting Starry Night by Vincent Van Gogh which is one of my favorite paintings.

I'm 30 years old and live in the southern US. I'm considered weird by most people here in my small town, but I know that it's just a synonym for unique. I'm trying to get my first tattoo.

Before anyone brings up the fact that an un inked individual is joining a tattoo forum, there's a reason I still don't have my piece. I've wanted the same tattoo since I was 13 years old, but every time I save up the money to get it, life happens. I'm legally disabled, so I get sick a lot. I admire anyone with good ink and enjoy a good collection. I know the tattoo tv shows are all BS, but I use to watch them when I had cable because I enjoy watching the process and envy people with nice results. I wanted to talk to other people who can appreciate good ink and the craft and I thought I could get a lot of good advice to keep me from making rookie mistakes.

The piece I will be getting is a wrap around lower leg piece. It's so important to me because she will be a symbol of surviving abuse. I would describe it, but I don't want anyone to think I'm fishing for free art.

I put a deposit down on a sketch, but the guy said since it would take me 6 months to save for the tattoo, he was gonna wait to make the sketch. I trusted him, but unfortunately he left town without giving me a sketch and kept my $50 deposit and butterfly biology book, so I'm currently looking for another artist who will be more trustworthy. My best friend will be working on a rough sketch to take with me to the next artist so I'll be able to get an estimate on it. When she gets it done (she said it might take a month for free time to draw it out), I'll gladly share it with everyone.

Anyway that's me. Happily waiting on your questions and advice. ^_^

Bluewind

[Graeme]

Welcome Jaime! You'll find that nobody here minds that you don't have any tattoos yet, and I think it's great that you've found LST because there is a wealth of knowledge here that will help you to be informed about tattoos so that you can get great ones straight out of the gate. I would suggest starting with this thread and watching the artist interview videos.

[JBluewind]

Welcome Jaime! You'll find that nobody here minds that you don't have any tattoos yet, and I think it's great that you've found LST because there is a wealth of knowledge here that will help you to be informed about tattoos so that you can get great ones straight out of the gate. I would suggest starting with this thread and watching the artist interview videos.

Awww! Well thank you for the warm welcome. I've been lurking to see if anyone would post and say if it was cool for me to be here ^_^

The thread looks like it will help me. It's difficult to explain what styles I like without sounding like a idiot and hard to critique any artist that can do something I could never dream of. It's an amazing artform.

I guess I decided to sign up after the disaster that happened the first time. I just hoping that the next artist won't have trouble designing the fairy without a good example of my state butterfly (the book he took was on butterfly biology). My family says I'm too trusting. I'm hoping this time goes better. I can't wait to get a sketch to share. :)

[pidjones]

Trusting people is not a fault. Neither is not having a tattoo. I didn't have any until after age 62. Research on here will help, but so will research on who to trust, not with your money - but with putting permanent art in your skin. Enjoy and study. BTW, you should be able to easily find your state's symbols on the interweb. http://www.statesymbolsusa.org/categories/insect

[SeeSea]

Welcome! It's better to join here and learn before the tattoo rather than run here lamenting about the bad tattoo!!!

[JBluewind]

Pid, you know I am basically required to ask you what inspired you to finally go for it right? ;)

Finding a photo of the butterfly was easy with a quick Google search, but finding a good example of the wings open and centered in frame is tough. The photos I've found are all taken artistically, but I intend to keep searching to find a better example.

Finding someone good is difficult for me. It's had to drive far with my condition (severe hemispheric migraines) and the nearest town that sports professional shops is about 45 minutes away. I'm afraid that I will come off as too picky and end up alienating the closest thing I can get to a great piece. I need something to remind me to keep moving forward so it's a juggling game of how much I'm willing to settle. Sometimes I wish I wanted a black and gray piece because there is an artist that really shines there.

Seesea, loved the quote. Also happy to see a fellow fish enthusiast. Is it something you enjoy from afar or do you have your own tank? I recently had to re home my 25 gal (beta sorority, 5 kuhli loaches, and 1 dojo) after a move and miss mine terribly! They have so much personality.

[pidjones]

Pid, you know I am basically required to ask you what inspired you to finally go for it right? ;)

Took that long to build the obsession, I guess. Not sure. Started with an image of my submarine dolphins and patrol pin (earned in the 70s), and grew from there. I'm not going for coverage, just ones that I feel indicate the marks that I already have on the inside. So I'm not a collector, but still enjoy other's collections. Let us know a state or city, and the folks here can recomend some artists. Southern US is kinda broad.

[JBluewind]

I love your reasons. I hope your ink is as beautiful as you are ^_^

Sorry for being broad. I try to keep in general online. I'm near Texarkana Arkansas. I hope you don't mind me going in detail on the piece I've dreamed of. I stayed more general with the first artist I went to, but I think I will tell the artist what I've always dreamed of and see how much can translate into ink. I'm worried about her placement and if she will still look okay if I gain or loose weight.

She is a fairy on my ankle/calf facing forward and standing still. Her wings are like the female Diana Fritillary Butterfly and wrap around my leg partway. Her hair is aqua blue, long, straight, and loose save for what's tucked behind her ear. Her arms are to her side with her elbows at 90 degree angle and palms up. An orb hovers above her palms (hoping it's big enough to get a symbol in it). She's wearing a dress (style up to artist) and barefoot. She's done in cool tones (I originally wanted there to be a full moon out, but I figured it would look odd in limited space).

I'm not sure what the style would be called, but googling fairy artwork might give an idea. Kind of realism, but will the feel of artwork done on the computer. I'm a huge fan of Cris Ortega, especially "The Storyteller".

I know that it's too much to ask for an artist to do, but I'm hoping that giving them the details will allow them to at least get the feel of what I like. I like the idea of doing her on my calf because the shape won't change too much over time. I flip flop between wanting her standing on the side of my calf with wings wrapping around my leg and facing forward on the front of my calf without her full body shown. I'm open to her body being in different positions, but I want her on my left leg because I have difficulty walking (my migraines cause my left side to quit working sometimes, but I always have left side weakness). She's symbolic of moving forward, freedom, and remembering where I came from. My skin is pale (I'm Irish, European, and Cherokee), so color should really pop on me.

Edit: I forgot to mention that I'm female. I was supposed to be named after my dad, so they altered his name slightly to be unisex. I get confused for a guy online because a lot of my interests are stereotypically male (gaming, pet snake, tattoos, science...).

[pidjones]

According to Google maps it is about 180 miles to Dallas. I'm sure there are plenty of folks on here that have had great experiences and tattoos in the DFW area. I'm in East Tennessee, so I don't know any there myself. Your description is very good and vivid. It should be easy for a good artist to make a great sketch from it, and adjust it as necessary to suit you. I suggest research of artists that are within your travel range and then contact them by phone. After narrowing the field of artists that you have gotten references for with phone interviews, you will know which one to send your description (and deposit) to for a sketch. It sounds like you want realism of a fictional character, but that is no big problem for a good artist. You may want to point out that you don't want it cartoonish (or you do).

And good luck with the migraines! I used to get ocular migraines (no pain involved), but haven't had one in almost a decade. I did have a classic migraine only once. I was in India on a mission trip in 2012, and luckily had a migraine pill (Axxert?) in my wallet that my wife had me carry for my ocular migraines. I was blessed that it worked in about 30 minutes. The pain was so bad that I couldn't even hold water or other medicine down, but 30 minutes after that pill I drifted off to a good sleep and woke the next morning feeling fine. Of course, I think that is one of the medicines for migraines that has been outlawed now.

[JBluewind]

Thanks. I was worried it was too descriptive. :)

Realism of a fictional character is a great description! I will definitely write that down ^_^

I can get as far south as Texarkana and as far north as Little Rock, but that's my limit on distance unfortunately because driving is a big trigger for me. The phone interview sounds like a wonderful idea and I honestly never thought of references. Can I ask for images of ones they've done in the style I like to be emailed to me if they don't have a website or would that be rude?

Glad you have been mostly migraine free for so long! They are such a life disruption.

[Graeme]

This shop is in the Little Rock area and it looks like they're making great tattoos there.

[JaySpike89]

Van Gough's Starry Night is one of my favorite pieces, too... Welcome to the Forum :)