SStu

agreed, leave it alone. 

besides, the actual earth is deformed, anyway. 

My recommendation:

Consider making the tattoo at least half again as big. That will open up the possibility of some detail work that will make the end result WAY more interesting. 

Don't ask anyone to reproduce that drawing. It can act as "loose reference material" but you want one of these artists to produce an original work. 

Visit artists 1,2&4 and talk with them a bit. In the course of conversation express to them your vision to get "an astronaut riding a jet propelled earth" and see how interested they are, what their projected schedule might be and anticipated cost. 

Review the vibe you get along with the other input and make a decision from there. 

@Loveitwhentheyrun, remind me of where you're located?

All four of those appear to be real good. 1,2+4 are more neo-traditional in their styling while 3 leans toward the american traditional side. 

What kind of imagery are you interesting in getting, and how big a piece?

Welcome, and glad to assist in any way we can. 

I'm seeing tons of awesome work coming out of Spain - especially Barcelona. 

22 hours ago, shampoobottle said:

Do you think it could still be dainty even if the cover is dark?

"Dainty" usually involves thin lines. There might be an artist out there who incorporates both dainty and thick into the same images, but that's not what I usually look for - so I'm not familiar with any. 

That cage is pretty dark with fat lines and the examples you're posting are pretty dainty. Any cover is going to have to be quite dark to hide the old work, and trying to incorporate that cage with dainty next to it doesn't sound appealing, at least to me . . . 

The "meaning" of a tattoo doesn't need to be literally linked to the visual objects depicted in it, unless it's very important to you that strangers have the opportunity to try and understand your vision. 

Any tattoo that reminds you and your girls of those memories will fulfill the purpose of displaying that artwork. If it were me, I wouldn't worry about trying to find the right '1 large, 2 small' objects as much as coming up with any camping scene (or any scene that reflects the vibe) that reminds you of those encounters.  

I see the Bowie influence and that's not bad execution, either. I agree with @Dan. Let it be and settle in with you. 

I wouldn't get any closer to the snake and knife

1 hour ago, Kate said:

If anyone has a blackout tattoo like Sstu was referring to, please share a picture!! 

https://www.instagram.com/p/B53pfR2pFwi/

Wooo. Without a bunch of laser your options are going to be quite limited. Do you like geometric tattoos? Blackout with white patterns over are getting seriously better results by some artists. 

If that artist is close enough to visit the shop then get a rapport going and visit occasionally. You'll end up running into past work there. Lots of artists also post client's pictures via social media that have some age on them. 

welcome. show us your tatttoos

Hello to you and welcome. 

Art is subjective - and what style resonates with you is truly what should guide with with respect to style and artistry. There really are no wrong answers to this question. 

Learn to visually discern if a healed tattoo has clean, clear and straight lines PLUS good ink saturation. At that stage you can gauge if you've found a good tattooist.   

You'll need to satisfy both answers in order to be truly happen with the result and decades of wear. 

Either way will work if it's kept clean. I left my 1st saniderm on for the full 4-5 days and that pocket of plasma/ink will reduce in size and dry somewhat. After removal you'll just be washing off the dry matter and sludge. Kind of like a damp scab. 

Something to discuss with your artist. The flower and hanya might could overlap one or the other a bit . . . 

where are you located?

1 hour ago, chipbz said:

What advice do you have for designing a tattoo that will still look good in a few years? I get that everything will change over time and am okay with that. But what are things I should be looking/asking for specifically so that it ages well?

The "design" process is a collaboration between you and the artist. If you've done your homework/research then you'll have proof from the artists previous work that their design, layout and use of space is already spot on. Aging well with black/grey realism is a toughie. There are plenty who specialize in that field but whose tattoos (or parts thereof) end up fading and become unrecognizable after just a few years. Part of your research will be to get view or pictures of that artists previous and aged work. 

Frankly, it's a little small for the subject matter and the space where it is sitting. Not sure if it's too late in the next process to cover that with a larger hanya . . . 

Welcome, Boog!

This forum is based off of the enthusiast's perspective. No technical discussion is permitted here. 

Welcome, and congratulation on coming here BEFORE you jump in. 

Generally, the 1st steps are to narrow down the style of art you want and finding what artists nail the style you're interesting in wearing forever. 

Understand that quality work is going to cost you good money. 

Send us a couple of links to the artist's work you are considering. 

Well, we definitely have hard water . . .