BrookR70

Before I met my wife, I had a single dolphin tattoo on my hip that I got while I was in the Navy. We've known each other for about 7 years. She's just the girl next door type and doesn't like tattoos. She didn't speak to me for 3 days after I got my last one, which was actually a nice break. - - - Updated - - - Yeah...so maybe a U-Haul truck parked on an island dumping a bunch of crap (refrigerator, sofa, bird cages) next to a palm tree. I love it!

Trust me, left to my own devices, i would have a few more in other places, but the wife hates them. So this is a compromise. The bug has bitten me hard. I love getting tattooed...even when it starts to get painful, I love it. But, I'm in no rush to get this one done. I'm just looking for ideas and inspiration. Thanks for the replies.

I'm searching for some inspiration for a design that will be placed between my shoulder blades. The tattoo will be flanked by the two I already have and I have about 6 inches of horizontal space to play with. Some of the themes I'm thinking about: road trips, home (North San Diego County, California), moving from place to place (I've moved 13 times in the last 20 years), isolation. Some of the images I've thought about are: a lighthouse of the beach I used to frequent as a kid (although I think lighthouses have been overdone); a desert scene with a lonely road and mountains in the background that would extend past my current tattoos; two smaller flash tattoos to make my shoulder look like a trad american sleeve with small "filling" tattoos; a buoy getting tossed around around in waves that would extend across my shoulders; and island with a palm tree (too cliche?). Maybe a U-Haul truck? The other image I attached because I like it, as well. Thanks for any and all ideas.

I had/still have concerns with the anchor competing with the Sun Conure for attention. In the original sketch, there was a big circle at the "T" where the metal and wood meet. I went in two days before my appointment and had him edit that out. In the original sketch, my eye was stuck on the big circle right above the sun conure's head. It disrupted the basic "Z" flow of the design too much and would have competed too much with the red circle on the anchor and the conure's head. I do think the bright colors on the anchor and rope compete with the sun conure. It would be nice if the anchor was a little more subdued so that the conure stands out a little more. The rope is a bit much, and the tattoo would have looked cleaner without it, but the red on the anchor frames the tattoo nicely. I guess I could have given a whole lot more input, but I didn't want to be pain in ass and I wanted the artist to just do what he does best. I'm very happy with it. It's big and bold and colorful. So anyway, the process was fun but exhausting.

Thanks for the kind words Graeme. After the first tattoo I got (I went in blindly and just got it before doing my research), I was rather upset that everything wasn't perfect, which caused me to reevaluate my artist and go to just about every single shop in my area to look at portfolios. After seeing more of his work and seeing everyone else's work, I really began to appreciate his style, and I love his coloring. So I felt really good going into this session and knew what to expect. With my expectations properly set, I'll have to say that I'm blown away by it every time I see it. There are a few flaws, but I like them. I feel very lucky that I landed in the right shop. It's funny, because 2 months ago, I wasn't even considering a tattoo. I had a small conversation with him while getting my hair cut. He was in the barber chair next to me complaining about the tattoo reality shows. I'm really looking forward to getting more work done by him, but I don't have any pressing design ideas right now. I may just have to get some of his flash tattooed on me.

And now for something completely different. I had this piece done on Saturday. It's a tribute to my pet Sun Conure. Done by Papa Joe Dawson. His lines can be a little quirky sometimes, but that's partly why I like his work.

So here is a sketch of the parrot and anchor and I'm going to get this Saturday. The only change I'm possibly having the artist do is to change the head of the parrot from a macaw to a sun conure. I'm not sure how this will work out, so I'm open to keeping it as a macaw but with sun conure colors (I own a sun conure and he is the inspiration behind this tattoo). So while I would like it to represent my pet as best as possible, my priority is having a solid design. I do have one question about placement. The new tattoo is 30% larger than the one in my avatar. The artist thinks it would would look good on my opposite shoulder blade, but I'm worried it would look a little out of balance. Another option would be to place the new tattoo between my shoulder blades and then get another on my right shoulder that is roughly the same size as my original tattoo. And yet another option would be to scale down the tattoo so it's roughly the size of the original. My only hesitation is that I will lose detail. Thoughts on both placement and design? Thanks

I'm struggling with blank space too. I'm due to get my next tattoo on Saturday and can't decide if I should get it on my right shoulder to balance the tattoo on my left shoulder or if I should place it between my shoulders so I am committed to getting another one on my right shoulder. But, I feel lucky to have this problem.

I'm in Boise also. I need to check out Devotion. I went there last Sunday but they were closed. This looks like it's going to turn out really nice.

After too much thinking and scheduling and canceling a consultation appointment about a parrot/anchor design, I'm having Papa Joe Dawson draw up two designs for me. One is my design, and the other will be completely his (no restrictions except for the color of the parrot). One of those designs will be on me in a couple of weeks. I really had a tough time deciding on an artist for this one. I completely over thought it and part of me will be very relieved once the tattooing starts.

I know I posted this in my intro thread, but here it is again. I got this at Papa Joe's Tattoo one month ago. This is the pic taken right after it was done.

The web pics don't do his pics justice. I posted a link, but it needs to be approved by a moderator. Just look up chalicetattoo and look at Nate Lauerman.

Chalice Tattoo Studio - Boise Idaho Custom Tattoos

I went out today and browsed a tattoo shop. I found an artist that blew me away so I booked a consultation with him. I believe he's a photo realism artist that started doing more traditional work. The results, from what I saw in his portfolio, is a traditional style tattoo but with very nice shading and depth. His pinup girls seem to pop off the skin, so I'm very excited to see what he can do with the depth of field in my tattoo. I'm not married to the layout, but I do have a few requirements. I used to create ads for customers, so I understand the negotiation that goes into a design...customer requirements vs. artistic freedom.

Thanks for the replies. Yeah...I think I'm leaning towards the character side even if it comes with a few flaws. I will try to not incorporate any challenging designs into my tattoo like a compass rose or stars. For some reason, stars and compass roses are very difficult to do well. I'm going to check out two places today and then make a decision on the artist this week. - - - Updated - - - Here are two versions of my idea...basically the same, but with different emphasis on the palm tree and parrot. I think because the pics are so similar, I will just let the artist work his/her magic. I would like some border embellishments, but am open to what the artist can/will do.

Hello everyone, I'm glad I found a place for people people really into traditional American style tattooing. My father was in WWII and was covered in traditional tattoos. I've resisted getting lots of tattoos, but now I think I've been bitten by the bug. I'm 43 and got a dolphin tattooed on my hip 20 years ago when I was in the Navy. One month ago (the anniversary of my father's death), I decided to get a remembrance tattoo of my mom and dad. My wife doesn't like it, but I'm so happy I got it. I got it from a guy (legit...been at it 30 years) that I met while getting a haircut. I've since been researching artists in the Boise area. I'm planning on getting a second piece done between my shoulder blades. I would like it to be of a parrot perched on an anchor on the beach with a palm tree in the background. My trouble is, I can't decide who to go to. There are very technically sound tattooers in the area. They all have steady hands and their tattoos look nice. However, the guy that I went to get my remembrance piece is not as steady. His lines are imperfect, but at the same time, his tattoos have lots of character and are filled with detail. They almost look like they are moving. I suppose this is a sign that I should spend some more time thinking about my next piece, but I wanted to get opinions from people who live/breathe American Traditional tattoos. Thoughts on who I should go to? Thanks