Let's say you have a thing about Spartans but the images you find of Spartan warriors are all just a bit too common for you, you're really struggling to find that special something that really floats your boat. Then let's imagine you spot an image of a Roman soldier that you think would be amazing if it was a Spartan. It doesn't matter that it's a Roman, a good tattooist will be able to use the Roman as the model for a Spartan. You take the image to your tattooist tell them you want that but instead of being Roman you want a Spartan, they draw it up and hey presto! One unique, perfect Spartan. Your Spartan.
Everytime I get more work done, I go through a "I know what I want, but I don't know what I want" phase. So I get busy with Google. |
Since, David Beckham very famously had his wife’s name written in Sanskrit down his forearm it has become very popular to have words of wisdom, song lyrics, mottoes etc etc tattooed in the same place. Think very carefully if this is the direction you think you want to go in.
Beckham’s Sanskrit tattoo is very famously misspelled, fortunately it’s in a language most of us don’t know and only we know about the error because we have been told, however there are many tattoos in existence that are misspelled in English. Check, check and check again you’ve got it right before you give it to your artist and then before he or she starts to tattoo you check it some more. If you want no regrets, don’t get a tattoo saying “No Regerts!” |
Thinking of getting your girlfriend's name tattooed on yourself? Fancy your husband's name forever engraved in your skin? STOP!
Names are possibly the worst idea you can have. Sure, your kids names are fine. You love the little cherubs and very little can happen to change that but relationships of the romantic kind can be fleeting, they can come to calamitous ends and very often even an amicable split can leave behind some bitterness and when you move on do you really want your old boyfriend's name where your new one can be constantly reminded of it? Will your new wife be happy with the ex's name greeting her each morning? I suspect possibly not. Save yourself the embarrassment and get something else. |
This is another area which could be fraught with peril. You may decide to get the portrait of your favourite actor, actress, musician or a departed loved one tattooed on you and while there is nothing wrong with the idea, the execution of the idea is another matter.
If you decided to take this route, you MUST find somebody with an extensive portfolio of fantastic portrait tattoos. Being able to tell who it is is not enough, if you’re going for photo-realistic, make sure your chosen artist can do it. Of course, you can tell that the picture on the left is Marilyn Monroe, well I hope you can, but would you be happy if you were commemorating your late mother or father with a portrait and this is the quality you got? I know I wouldn’t. |
By doing your homework and finding a top drawer portrait tattooist you can have fantastic things created for you. The imagery that’s permanently tattooed upon you should be nothing short of excellent, you deserve it and it could not be more true than it is in regard to portraits. On the right you can see a tattoo done by a fantastic artist called, Francisco Sanchez, based in Denton, Texas. Of course, not everyone can get out to Texas but this is the standard you have to find nearer your home.
The quality of the tattoo you get is determined by the ability of your tattooist, however the ultimate responsibility is yours. YOU are the person that allows the artist to do their work, if you get the wrong artist, you really only have yourself to blame. |