Hello, new to this.

[Havoc]

Hello, I'm Havoc. I apologize in advance for the length of this post. As the title says I'm completely new to the tattoo world and literally know nothing. I've never considered getting one before now. I have nothing against them, just never saw a reason. However, if anyone is willing to spare some time I need some assistance. Let me explain.

Some months ago I lost my wife and daughter. My mother-in-law not too long after got a tattoo that incorporated multiple things that my wife loved and I've been considering doing that as well. My problem is that I am the least creative person on the planet and could never come up with an idea on my own. I realize that it would be difficult for someone to help without knowing my wife and daughter, but I really don't have any choice other than to ask for advice.

My wife was a huge classic rock fan. AC\DC, Kid Rock, Tom Petty and the like. She was also a colossal anime nerd. Sailor Moon, digimon, pokemon, all the things from around that time period. I'm looking for a tattoo that incorporates a few of these things, along with maybe Harry Potter, The Sims, or something like that. I understand that this may be a difficult request, but I honestly don't know where else to go. Any suggestions or ideas on a design or something would be a great help. Thank you, and sorry for the crazy long post.

[Graeme]

Welcome. First off, I am incredibly sorry for your loss. I can't imagine.

As far as the tattoo idea goes, I'd suggest just getting their names done in beautiful script. I'll try to find some examples of what I'm talking about and post them here. There's nothing wrong with the idea you have of getting a tattoo of things that they liked, but to me, a person is always more than the things they liked and their name comes closer to conveying that idea. However, that's just my opinion, and you need to find the tattoo that is going to bring you the most peace, or comfort, or memory, or closure, or whatever it is you're looking at getting from this tattoo. I hope this helps somewhat.

[Havoc]

Thank you Graeme. I have considered getting their names done, but something about my mother-in-law's tattoo just really caught my eye. It's not so much about the stuff they liked. It's more that remembering those specific things reminds me of the good times. We met because of similar interest in nerdy things. They're what originally drew us together 11 years ago. So it just seems fitting to try and capture that memory, that feeling, if that makes any sense.

[Guerillaneedles]

Hi there, first of all I'm so sorry for your loss. My advice would be to find an artist that you trust or else work you like the look of. Have a look online, visit any local shops and look at portfolios. This will give you an idea of aesthetic. Once you've chosen your artist, start a dialogue with them about your ideas. Understand that it may not be possible to include everything you have listed, and that the right artist will advise you about how to include as many elements as possible but still make it a 'good' tattoo. I feel you should always have a good rapport with an artist, and that it is especially important for you since this tattoo means so much to you. Take your time, remember this will be with you forever. I hope that helps.

[Graeme]

That totally makes sense. In that case, I'd suggest to start looking at tattoos. Look at a lot of them and try to see what grabs you stylistically. Do you want the pared-down efficiency of traditional Americana? Realism? Something illustrative? There are a lot of ways to do a tattoo like the one you want, so find an artist who does tattoos that really speak to you. Do you want to get the tattoo locally or are you willing to travel for the right artist? Take your time with this, because choosing the right artist is the most important part of getting tattooed. I'd suggest looking at Instagram because there's a wealth of tattoos on there, and I'd also highly recommend looking at the Latest Tattoo Lowdown thread on here because it's packed with excellent quality tattoos.

[Havoc]

Thanks for the advice. I already have an artist in mind that has been constantly recommended to me, though I haven't spoken with him yet. I was hoping to have kind of a rough idea of what I wanted, then I figured I'd talk to him and see what he recommended seeing as how he is the professional. I just can't come up with a decent idea. I've seen countless tattoos online, but I'm looking to create an original design, something the reminds me of how unique my wife was. It's not so easy though. I just can't find a decent way to make everything fit together into something unique without it being too insanely complex.