Things to know before getting first tattoo?

As an older guy (44) who has a bunch of them...my first advice is don't get any and secondly if you do, get them in places that are not visable in a short sleeved t-shirt and shorts. They seemed cool at the time. When you are a middle aged parent going into the school to meet with your kids teachers or if you move up to a fairly responsible job then you may wish you didn't have them and feel that they no longer represent who you are now.

Consider this--If you are a young guy think about how gross it would be to sleep with a 40 year old lady. The fact is someday you will feel lucky to sleep with a 40 year old lady (when you are 40 or so). This idea represents how your point of veiw will change. This is the same basic way you quit liking the tatoos you got years before. I still like the art of tatooing...I just wish I didn't have any.
 
Besides the tattoo removal industry, tattooists themselves do a lot of their tattoos to cover up old tattoos -- in fact the few I've talked to tell me that's most of their business. I believe people are choosing that option because tattoo removal is expensive, painful, and not always possible at all -- otherwise they would go with tattoo removal.
 
Something that I highly recommend: Keep in mind that tattoos are addictive. If you plan on getting a single tattoo, put a lot of thought into it and get what you want and where you want it. (Tiny tattoos in the middle of your bicep look silly!) Also keep in mind if you will be adding to it, and come up with a plan of what you want done.

I speak from experience. I will be going with my wife to get a tattoo removed (from the top of my arm down to my elbow removed because I added to a tattoo instead of having something planned out. It looks okay, but does not look good. So, I will be spending $900 getting it removed over the course of 6sessions spaced 3-6 months apart before getting a new tattoo that I designed. This is what happens when you start getting your tattoos at age 15.
 
I looked up places online and I found a studio not far from me who seemed to be good work. The guy laid my BM42 on the copier in the position I wanted and traced that for my design.

I think it came out good and I'm very happy with the size. I have some pics though it's still quite pink.

Click to enlarge I think.
61292216.tattoo02.jpg
This one you gotta reverse in your head b/c it was taken in a mirror, the tat's on my left shoulder.

61292218.tattoo01.jpg
 
Looks sweet! Take care of it like has been mentioned. If it scabs over, the lines will get blotchy/blurry.
 
not bad atall. i love the red colour ypu get aroud new black and grey tattoos.
ivetalked to other artists about finding a way to tattooo where you get the red to stay. ie adding red to the mix somehow. good one. the 42 must be your favorite.

i just got my first real bali last week, had ones when i ewas younger, lost them and had them stolen., i got the 42 but am gutted its the 440c not 154 cm especially as the cost the same.

ill have a morpho tommorow, touch wood. but yeah, why the 42, i haveheard its kinda the benchmark of balis.
 
how close in ny are you to newburgh?? i can reccomend a few good artists in the orange county area.Here's some work from skin city in vailsgate (no spam intented) the works not finished yet but i've gotton more since the pic.
backpeice.jpg

Edited to add. Nice tat Gong:D
dan i asked around about that too ther is really no way of keeping that nice fresh meat color to a tattoo :( it would look awesome on some of my back peice.
 
DANTHEMAN123 said:
... but yeah, why the 42, i haveheard its kinda the benchmark of balis.
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The 42(T latch) was the first quality knife I've ever had. And is still my favorite and the one I feel best flipping(Probably b/c I've been flipping it the longest of all the balis I have). And I would agree, it pretty much is a standard in the world of balis today.

valimas said:
how close in ny are you to newburgh??
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No clue, so I'm guessing not too close. I'm in Suffolk County on Long Island. That's a sweet looking tattoo though.
 
though i woulda never thought it possible my girlfriend has a couple of tats, small one on her ankle and a larger geometric design on her back/above her butt, nothing too crazy lol, i kinda like them, looks sexy on her anyway.

i'm suprised so many women have them nowadays, in the days of my youth (ie '70s) only "trashy" women had them, times change i guess.

she did say the one on her back wasnt fun at all to get, took a while and hurt from what i have heard about it.

but i do like them as long as ya dont go nutz.
 
18 year old girls who get Butterfly tattos on their boobs need to realize in 30 years it will look like a Salamander.
 
A much older... and not so attractive woman at work on Monday asked to see my new tattoo. I happily showed her, but what I didn't need to see was when she showed me her tattoo just above her boobs. Wasn't so interested in that... no.

I glanced and couldn't really tell what it was, she told me it was her old boyfriend's initials, LoL!

And SIFU1A, tons of young women around my age are getting tattoos just above their butts like that(also called the "tramp stamp"). Being trendy and mindless is one thing, but to go so far as to get a trendy tattoo is a bit much. But I guess 18-22 year old girls don't do a whole lot of thinking for themselves when it comes to fashion.
 
Gong said:
But I guess 18-22 year old girls don't do a whole lot of thinking for themselves when it comes to fashion.
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I find it ironic to read those words in your post and in this thread.

I guess of all the advice here, you decided to ignore Ed Gordon's and Gollnick's. Many people find tattoos to be equivalent to prison stamps (or in case of young girls, trash tramp stamps (yeah, you missed one word in your description). I know, I know, you don't care to ever deal with such ignorant people.
 
hwyhobo said:
I know, I know, you don't care to ever deal with such ignorant people.
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That is, of course, until one of them is hiring manager. :D
 
"tramp stamp" lol, i will remember that one.

nothing wrong with tramps, my wife always claimed other than her thats all i ever dated lol.

in all seriousness i would not get a tat i couldnt cover up with normal clothes, not that i want one at all.
 
Ed Gordon said:
Consider this--If you are a young guy think about how gross it would be to sleep with a 40 year old lady. The fact is someday you will feel lucky to sleep with a 40 year old lady (when you are 40 or so). This idea represents how your point of veiw will change. This is the same basic way you quit liking the tatoos you got years before. I still like the art of tatooing...I just wish I didn't have any.
Click to expand...

in general ya are right but not all 40 year old women look like, well, 40 yr old women. thrrow in some plastic surgery, boob job, lotsa working out and i guarantee some dont look too darned bad at all, no sir they dont.

i outta post some pics lol.
 
hwyhobo said:
I find it ironic to read those words in your post and in this thread.

I guess of all the advice here, you decided to ignore Ed Gordon's and Gollnick's. Many people find tattoos to be equivalent to prison stamps (or in case of young girls, trash tramp stamps (yeah, you missed one word in your description). I know, I know, you don't care to ever deal with such ignorant people.
Click to expand...

Thing is, I read every post, but I had already decided I wanted a tattoo. Just looking for advice about picking an artist and stuff. I was really asking about the more technical/artistic side of things. But ofcourse I expected posts discouraging the idea and I think I'm opened-minded enough to take those posts into consideration, but still, I'll decide for myself if a tattoo is right for me.
 
the only people I ever hear advising not to get tattooed either don't have them or have really bad ones. I have been getting tattooed for 17 years, work in professional sales, volunteer with at-risk kids and even my 96 year old grandmother accepts them. True I don't walk around with my shirt off - not because I am tattooed, but brcause I am fat!

Get good tattoos and cover up bad ones with better ones!

Dave
 
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