JBluewind

Okay! Took a few hours at my local library to try and smooth it out. It's not perfect, but better than it was. What do yall think? PS: The line thickness variation is intentional.

@Naiemh I know, but I stay because I have family here. It's where I was born and raised. Also, I'm broke ;) I've gotten the speech before about keeping my body a temple as well as a speech about saving myself for marriage and the crap I caught when I didn't (I was 23!). People don't seem to catch too much guff about tattoos like they use to (especially with their popularity), but I really don't care either way. I like good ink and I want good ink and if I'm gonna pay for it, I'm gonna show off good ink. ;)

@Naiemh Awww. Thank you! It really means a lot to me. And I have been looking for an artist near me that can do it. It's actually gonna be my first tattoo! I actually had enough saved up to get the one I talked about in my introduction post a few months back, but my ex got my savings (and the house, the furniture, one of my sand boas, and my dignity). He (who left me for a 21 year old) found out I'm an atheist and has been texting saying he's praying for me and I've gotten over a dozen religious booklets from him XD @marley mission Agreed. I want it as smooth as butter. And I envy that you are in an area where you have no clue about having to come out as an atheist or agnostic. I'm not really open, but I wanted those close to me to know. I went running errands the other day and I had to hear people talk a lot about Christian stuff to me at my Chiropractor, Walmart, and pharmacy and I had one woman bugging me for a good bit about needing to go to church while I was at the vet! Believe it or not, people are less likely to get really nasty to homosexuals than atheists here (I caught less crap when I came out as bi several years ago!). I live in the middle of nowhere and am a quarter mile from my nearest neighbor and there are 2 churches within 5 miles of me and I was getting religious people knocking on my door regularly before I put up a sign. I have a friend who is a non-practicing Catholic that gets badgered by friends and family to go to church. Another friend of mine is a closet wiccan and her family is pressuring her constantly to add bible text into her upcoming wedding vows (even though she repeatedly said her and her fiancé aren't religious) because without god involved, the marriage won't be blessed and will fail. @Graeme Lol! You're a hoot. Actually, I'm not an anti-theist. I don't want to fight against religion as I believe it is important to a lot of people. As long as it's doesn't influence schools/government, isn't used as an excuse for bigotry, or isn't shoved down my throat like reverse bulimia, I'm cool with it. I believe in the beauty and importance of a finite life and want to express that in a way that is positive and religiously neutral. Honestly, nothing would make me happier than if my symbol became popular with others like me because it doesn't insult any one religion and it doesn't completely leave out anyone that speaks a language where Atheist doesn't start with an A.

Hello all! I'm not the best at designing, but I have a rough design I've done in paint and I could really use some help smoothing it out. I'm okay with slight alterations as long as it doesn't lose any of its symbolism. Here's the deal. I live in the bible belt so it's super Christian here. A few months ago, I finally had the strength to come out as an atheist to some of my family and close friends (7 total so far). The reactions were mixed. I've lost 2 friends so far. So I wanted to make a symbol that showed the positive side of my beliefs and the beauty of a finite life. The symbol as a whole is a broken infinity symbolizing the importance of the life we have now (if you actually connected the 2 parts, you would see the ∞). Each half is a lowercase g which takes the power out of capital g God. The swirl symbolizes the wind which is invisible but able to be studied and proven by science meaning even the invisible is not exempt from science and proof. Edit: I'm also open to suggestions on placement. I want to put it a place that ages well, so I'm thinking of right ankle, inner wrist, breast bone, or the back of my neck at the hairline, but I will consider other places.

This. So this. I think a pocket watch can be quite beautiful really. And the time you choose can have meaning. You can have the time be the time you were born signifying the moment your life in this world began. You can have the time be when a child was born. You can have the time be one minute to midnight signifying how close we always are to the end of our lives or the end of peace. If you get it done well by a good artist, it will transcend fad and simply be art. Best of luck :)

Oh god! It's not the fact that they are hipsters that make a lot of these tattoos bad, it's the subject and/or placement! A mustache between fingers is a trend that will go away quickly and look pretty foolish when she's 50 and a lot of these tattoos are about trends. A lot of the face ones are just bad. The lettering on the VEGAN one just looks blurry, the G looks like a C, and it's probably gonna loot like shit after a couple decades (I've seen good vegan themed tattoos and I don't count this one among them).

There are so many lovely pieces on here! I must ask though, how well do calf tattoos age? Would they get distorted too bad from weight and/or muscle fluctuations?

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.

There are so many things you can do! Besides matching tattoos, you can do the same subject matter in different styles, two different tattoos with one common element, or father and son animals just to name a few. A few animals known for being paternal are Emperor Penguins, Wolves, Marmosets, Red Foxes, and great horned owls. Fish are also very paternal from my own experience and make amazing tattoos because of their color variety and movement. Male betas care for their brood like mad and come in great colors.

Oh! Nice mandala. Love the linework. :D

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...).

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.

Looking for my first one too! Still saving up, but love the craft so I joined for advice ^_^ From what I heard the ribs are killer, so you might want to avoid those for your first piece. Have you thought about doing an upper arm piece to eventually turn into a sleeve? I seen a pic of someone with a cornucopia overflowing with vegetables a while back that turned out good. Or are you more black and gray? These questions might help... A) What subject matter do you like now? B) What have you liked for a long time (like something from childhood)? C) What styles do you like? D) Do you want any color? E) Does it have something in it that might make you want to get it covered up one day (name, fad, celebrity inspired, something illegal,...)? In the end, you have to follow your heart. Can't wait to see what you come up with hun! :D

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. :)

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