Of course if you take something sleazy, run-of-the-mill or the name of a girlfriend you might regret it. But most of the pieces I have are artful and one of a kind, made just for me.
If there's anything I regret it's not doing it earlier.
I just don't have any images or artwork that I have any sort of connection to that would make me want to paste it onto my body.
Also, as far as regret goes, if you let an artist who does art you like do something for you, you won't regret engaging them. You can get something on your thigh, for example, that is rarely visible.
If you're really serious about getting a tattoo, here are some things you should think about:
- Find a style you like. Japanese traditional, American traditonal, American neo traditional, highly realistic etc. Different artists specialize in different areas and often go all over the place. It's worth reading the history on american traditional, as a starting point - it has some very direct lineage from the japanese style, which itself is so bright and clear because it was developed before tattoo guns existed.
- Instagram is currently "the" place for artists to show off their work. Also, go on google maps and look at shops' websites in your local city to get links to their artists' instas. This is very much an artisan process.
- Create a list of tattoos you like, and then find an artist who does work you like in the style you like.
- Tell them you're new, that you're open to ideas, and bring a list of art (both stuff they've done and others in a similar style) that you liked. Try not to go in with a very specific idea - rather, be open. For various reasons, most of the better artists won't do walk-ins and have calendars booked weeks or months out. Schedule a consult.
I personally like more funky, clear, bright stuff.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CoiQyavO0ES/
Exactly. If it did, the tattoo would fade, after all. Perhaps some makes it through during the process but if it's done well there isn't much contact with the bloodstream.
> Also, as far as regret goes, if you let an artist who does art you like do something for you, you won't regret engaging them. You can get something on your thigh, for example, that is rarely visible.
Exactly, for me that regret worked the opposite way. I had one put on my shoulder and it's usually not visible at work (I work in IT so I always wear a T-shirt). I regret this now :) Next time I'll get one on my lower arm so it's always visible.
I used to live in Ireland where they had this weird prejudice about tattoos but where I live now in Spain it's super common. More than 1/3rd of people have visible tattoos (and I mean visible on the street!). Even in a high-class restaurant we had a waitress who was covered in (beautiful) tattoos. It's so normal here, it's amazing <3
To me, my tattoos are both art and a sort of snapshot of myself in time. They reflect the things I was interested in, what my mind was preoccupied with. I look at my tattoos kind of like a personal photo album; it's a spread of me over time, and each tattoo brings back memories of the city I was in when I got them, the people I was friends with, the things I was doing.
Also, sample size of 1, but I routinely "forget" that I have tattoos, despite several being on my forearms. My brain just processes them as part of my arm rather than a marking on my arm, like freckles. I am currently weirdly conscious of my tattoos lol.
You can always talk to an artist, they can work with you on issues like this. You could always get something small somewhere discreet. I've got a tattoo a little bigger than a quarter on my shoulder blade that I completely forget I have. Like I am unaware of my arm tattoos but know I have them; I completely forget about the shoulder one.
You do you, though, and make the best choice for yourself!