Hi!

[Brenna]

My name is brenna and I’ve been getting tattoos since 2015. I just recently got my fifth and I’m starting to have second thoughts. I’m mainly here for advice. Thanks! I feel like I was swindled or just not paying attention. It didn’t look bad as a drawing and it was a short 2 hour piece on my knee. It was a Japanese style piece like all my tattoos are in memoriam for my hedgehog. At first the drawing looked fine in the outline phase but filled in and on my leg I don’t like it. He looks proportionally wrong and it just looks derpy to say the least. I want to go back and discuss with the guy but I don’t know what to say? I’ll add a picture for reference. But the head looks big and the whole piece lacks detail. I went to a guy with awards in Asian tattooing near me so idk what to do. Any advice would be appreciated. 

Edited June 17, 2019 by Brenna
Hit button to submit on accident

[cyoonit123]

I tried googling hedgehog tattoos in japanese style and there wasnt any helpful pictures so i have no basis at what that is "supposed" to look like. 

With that being said, i'm curious to see what the drawing itself looked like. The second picture angle makes it look perfectly fine. If it's way too far off from the drawing and you're that unhappy with it, I would go talk to the artist about it. But if it's in your artist's style and looks similar to the concept drawing, sorry to say there's nothing that you really can do other than to look into lasering/coverups way down the line.

I would let it heal completely first and see where to go from there? You might be judging your own tattoo a bit too much, but I only say this because i'm not sure what the concept was supposed to look like. 

Keep your head up and good luck!

 

[Brenna]

Thank you cyoonit! I have bad body dysmorphia as well and so it’s hard for me to see reality sometimes. I’m working on it but I’ve been that way my whole life. My idea I proposed to the artist was a monmon cat but instead of a cat, a hedgehog. It’s what I had named my deceased hedgehog after. I’ve just had people come ask me to post my tattoo on reddit for bad tattoos and for Twitter and it really hurt my feelings. I’ll post my inspiration pics. I liked aspects of all of them. But I’m gonna let it heal up for a month or two and if I don’t like it still I’ll contact for a cover up/correction. I’m moving to Philadelphia in July and I might be able to contact artists there. Maybe adding gray in the body? Hard to say.  Unfortunately I didn’t take a pic of the drawing I had been shown. Maybe without the shading it looked better to me. I don’t know. My husband says it looks fine. But I just keep seeing the face looking wrong to me. 

[Gingerninja]

Your tattoo looks just fine! You are also comparing it to work by Wendy and Tomo which are incredibly high standards. Me, I wouldn't touch it but plan to add more to your leg. Good luck!

[Hogrider]

6 hours ago, Brenna said:

 I’ve just had people come ask me to post my tattoo on reddit for bad tattoos and for Twitter and it really hurt my feelings.

Whoever said that is a jackass. They know nothing about tattoos and even less about being a decent person.

I'd leave the tattoo as is. I say this over and over, I think you have a better chance of making it worse than you have improving it. It's a nice tattoo. Did you see examples of the artist work that looked like what you wanted? 

[scottyg]

it looks perfectly cool to me!

aren't hedgehogs kind of derpy animals anyway?

[Brenna]

I appreciate all the feedback! I do plan to add more and more to my legs until they’re covered. I plan on getting my ferrets as Kamaitachi on my calf, my 3 shibas on my thigh, and many more on the other leg. To answer, the artist does great work I saw I liked. He has done monmon cats and other wonderful Asian inspired tattoos. He’s won awards for Asian inspired tattooing. That’s why I was really wanting to go to him. And haha hedgehogs can be very derpy. Mine sure was. I appreciate the help. I think the comments just really got into my head. 

[Hogrider]

54 minutes ago, Brenna said:

I think the comments just really got into my head. 

Everyone wants people to like their tattoos, but the most important thing is that YOU like them. I never had any negative comments, other than that I have too many (live with it mom), but if I did, I'd try to blow them off.

Edited June 17, 2019 by Hogrider

[oboogie]

Ignore the other people. It looks like a hedgehog. The end. Just go and get more tattoos.

[VenomX]

Looks good to me 🙂

[Brenna]

So I may add more detail to the face at some point. Just to make myself more comfortable. I appreciate the help. I know that in time I will get used to it being on my skin. Something along these lines in detail. I guess to me it looks more cartoon than traditional Japanese like I had in mind. I’m moving to Philadelphia and I know there must be good artists there. 

[scottyg]

idk I really wouldn't add to it; traditional Japanese can look kind of cartoonish to modern viewers but that's the style.

[cyoonit123]

I agree with everyone. I'm sorry you had people making you feel bad. I just don't see how you could add to it without making it more complicated. It's a hedgehog and will always be a hedgehog. Don't be too harsh on yourself and just rock it!

Edited June 17, 2019 by cyoonit123