Your First Tattoo

[iowagirl]

I did a search but didn't see anything more than "getting/just got my first tattoo" type threads. 

Wondered about everyone's first ever tattoos. Do you still have it? Do you still like it? Do you feel attached to it? Etc. 

I got my first two days after I turned 18, on Halloween, 1992. My best friend and I got matching tattoos-a rose off the wall. Hers is teal, mine is purple. We were the only tattooed students in high school, and were considered huge bad asses. People remarked about how large it was and I thought, really? It didn't seem large to me, but, yanno, then party dots became like the "cool thing" to do, so if you put my rose next to a party dot it looked like I had a full bodysuit to those people I guess. 

As I've gone along in my tattoo adventures, I had one of mine covered, which ended up turning into this big Japanese wind/water deal, and now I'm looking at my first few from my 18-21 year old self and wondering if I want to keep them like they are, rework them, incorporating them into something new either way..or remove/cover them w/something else that fits me now. 

[oboogie]

This is a cover up of my first tattoo, which was shit. (I got in 1996 when I was in college with little to no thought, and I was half in the bag.), so it is really my second tattoo. It was covered up in 2011, and I haven't stopped since. Now I've lost count.

 

[Devious6]

I got my first about six months ago...a month shy of my 61st birthday. Got my second last Saturday. After many years of finding excuses not to do it, I finally decided it was time to make it happen. Where do I go from here? I have no clue...but you never know.

[Transplant]

i got my first tattoo when i was 16, an outline of a cross on my chest. My second tattoo was to cover up the first.

 

Cant say i felt attached to either, its been in the way of other stuff for nearly ten years now.

[Synesthesia]

I have the Minor Threat black sheep on my foot, I got it a couple months after turning 18. Not the greatest experience, the guy I went to was a little unfriendly and the shop wasn't the best. Tattoo came out okay but probably needs a touchup by now. I used to be straight edge so it held a lot more meaning then than it does now, but I still like the band and it reminds me of my past and all that good stuff. I probably wouldn't do it again if I had the chance, but it doesn't really bother me either. I've considered getting a hop tattoo on my other foot for a humorous contrast between feet: one for straight edge and one for beer. 

[AverageJer]

I got my first tattoo about 5 years ago when my wife decided it was time for her to get a new tattoo after a long break. 

We decided to get matching tattoos of a terrible drawing I had done on a Mother's Day card of the two of us and our daughter all holding hands. Think of those stickers people put on their mini vans except drawn by someone who can't even print his own name legible most of the time. 

It is by far my worst tattoo and one of my favorites. I never thought that it would lead to all these other tattoos. 

[BrokenTV]

I got my first tattoo a week ago and it is a sea serpent/dragon. I just saw it in a flash book of Sailor Jerry stuff and got it.

I didnt think of any meaning at first other than it looked neat to me but as I was getting it, it reminded me of my unit's logo design, the beret flash when I was in the Army. Its also a little ironic because while my brother was in the Navy for the time I was in the army yet I am the one with a SAILOR Jerry tattoo, go figure!

Edited September 21, 2016 by BrokenTV

[Devious6]

You are truly supporting inter-Service cooperation. I don't think all, or even most,tattoos have to have some special meaning. If you like a design, go for it!

[oboogie]

I didn't mention what my tattoo is, so I'll add it here. It's a drawing by the artist Keith Haring called "Barking Dog." He was a pop/graffiti artist from the 80s. He died of AIDS in 1990. I studied 20th century art in college and grad school, and I've been a fan of Keith's since I was a kid. I have two other drawings by him tattooed on me, too: a dancing man behind my left ear (from one of his larger drawings) and Funny Bunny on my right ankle. I also have a crown from graffiti artist Jean-Michel Basquiat, who was a contemporary of Haring.

[Exiny]

My first tattoo was a little broken heart with a small rose I got straight from a flashbook when I was 14. I was shopping for clothes in the city with my mom and mentioned I wanted a tattoo. We walked straight from the mall to a tattooshop and picked something out. The original was a normal heart, but I asked for a broken one because I was "emo". Later I had some more rose added around it when I was 16. And then a (really, really badly done) girl shooting herself through the head with crows flying out, behind it when I was 17.

At 20 I finally got some sense and had the whole thing covered and started getting good tattoos. :')

[marley mission]

my first ever tattoo I got about 7-8 years ago - its covered now - basically i went to a local shop - got a small tattoo of plankton (yes from spongebob) which promptly became infected - skin fell off - scars were established - it was then covered by this Bob Marley tattoo - which was later chewed on by a pitbull (whole nother thread there) - anyway - my tattoo selection process has changed since then - and I dont think i'd ever get another coverup - anyway...

[Isotope]

My Grandfathers' WWII service serial numbers on each tricep after my first grandfather passed. They each pretty much raised me. 

[Gingerninja]

Artwork from Frank Turner's Poetry of the Deed. In the process of lasering it off, so I can get a coverup done!

[a_beukeveld]

First tattoos were wild roses on each hand and a shrimp on my collar bone 3 years ago when I was 18. They were original drawings from the t-shirt artist Craig Robson, whom was my favorite artist at the time. I was entoxicated by art school culture and didnt really think ahead. I initially wanted the shrimp behind my ear but decided to not because I thought it would hurt too much.

I regret them because they were pulled off the internet and I enhibited the artist from doing a better job because I wanted them to be exactly like the picture. I also regret getting them on my hands, as they cant be covered. Getting anything on your hands/head is a bad idea in general, let along as your first tattoo. I also regret getting the shrimp on my chest as it enhibited me from getting a large chest piece latter on.  I told the artist to make it darker after my bad heal for a touch up and it's sort of just a dark mess now. I've seen worse out there but if I was to get laser surgery these 3 would be the ones Id get rid of. I should have gotten them on my leg or something. Much easier to hide and work around.

I dont have any good photos of the shrimp as its hard to photograph, but heres a voomed in crop of me while I was getting my chest tattooed.

Edited September 24, 2016 by a_beukeveld

[Guillotine]

I just got my first tattoo yesterday (23rd of September 2016) and I am really proud of it. 

[Dan]

the heart with the key and banner was my first tattoo,I got it in 1985,(I was 26)it was for an ex-wife with her name in the banner.it was flash off the wall,that's the way it was back then.

and a couple other stupid choices from a while ago.

.but now it's all nicely covered up ! :)

Edited September 25, 2016 by Dan

[JakeyFlower]

My first tattoo when I was 18

I then got this one not longer after there both home jobs the cross is on my chest and the dragon is wrapped around my right arm which is incomplete 24 now and wanting more including the dragon finished





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[iowagirl]

So interesting, thanks everyone! Next time we head down there (recoloring my peony on my upper arm so it flows better w/my big piece) I'm going to talk w/my artist about fixing my feet, and what can be done w/my ankles. My dragon is just a flash dragon, no attachment there..but my Tigger..I dunno if I could mess w/him. Buuut then I don't know how things will work w/the plan I have in my head for future pieces. 

[TattooedMumma]

My first tattoo was a trail of seven butterflies going from the front of my right hip up and around my side. I was 19 and at the time the first two sat in my undies line and the last one closer toward my back. 4 kids and 12 years on, they sit very differently ? poor things have been through a fair bit! In the past I wanted to either rework them or add to them, but now I'm too sentimental and like them all stretched and sad looking ?

[JakeyFlower]

Ain't tattoos just such fun =]


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[marfil98]

I got my first tattoo 6 days ago. A traditional sailor jerry bald eagle with American flag. I plan to add a lot more around it though. I never understood what drove someone to get full sleeves...now I do .

 

Edit: The first picture is fresh,  the second is 6 days into healing.

Edited October 3, 2016 by marfil98

[Devious6]

Congratulations!!! But, pictures are required!

[himmelfarb]

Heres my unique (first);

 

 

[bongsau]

St. Christopher, 2003 ... 

[JakeyFlower]

Tattoo 'd self (random camera, smiley face and my little sister)



(Edit: yes they look crappy but I made them so I love them)

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