Part of my project was to make some "Tattoo Guidelines" for people who don't have a tattoo but want to get one, and I wanted to show my responses to a lot of commonly asked questions by people who are looking to get a tattoo. I've been working on them for about a month now, but I didn't want to call them finished until I got my tattoo, because then I could look at the guidelines with a different perspective.
By the way, these guidelines are from me and are my opinions, if you don't like them that's okay with me.
I've decided that there are five things to consider when getting a tattoo. (Or only four, depending on what you believe.) They are: The Placement, The Cost & Artist, The Design, God, and Yourself.
The Placement:
The placement is very important. You need to think very carefully about where you put a tattoo, because it will be there for life. Think about the job you have, or a job you want to get. Will you need to cover it for work? Do you want people to be able to see it 24/7? What will it look like when you're old? There are certain parts of the body that stretch and sag with age more than other parts of the body.
Cost & Artist:
The cost of a tattoo isn't something you should cheap out on. You are paying for a piece of artwork that will be on your body for the rest of your life. You want a quality piece of work done in a sterile environment, so you should be willing to pay for it. I do not recommend walk ins for getting a tattoo. You will want to visit the shop a few times and get a feel for it. If it seems sketchy or unclean, go to another shop. Don't risk it. You'll want to meet with your artist a few times as well. This person is going to be taking a needle to your skin, and be super close to you for a few hours (depending on the size of your tattoo) so you'll want to at least have met them before hand.
Design:
This is a very personal one, everyone wants to get something that will be represent them, or a part of them. Be original. Do not find a picture on Google images and then get that permanently on your body. The person who is going to be doing your tattoo is an artist! Use them! Artists normally do not like tattooing designs like that anyways. They want you to wear an original piece of art as well. Give them pictures of things that you like, and then tell them about what you want. They will be able to come up with something that you like. If you don't 100% like the design, do not get it. It will be on your body forever, so wait until the design is just right. Make sure it's symbolic of something in your life. Don't get a tattoo just because it looks cool. Know that what's cool now may not be cool later.
Yourself:
Getting a tattoo is a very personal experience, especially if the tattoo has a lot of meaning to you. Before you get your tattoo, you'll need to decided if this is what you really want. Will you regret it at all? Is it something that you can handle having on your body for the rest of your life? Even if you love it when you're young and your skin is nice, will you love it when you get married, when you have children, when you have grandchildren? These are all things to consider.
God:
This is something that the Bible is not 100% clear about, so I will be sharing what I believe about this matter. Is it okay to be a Christian and have a tattoo? I believe it is. I think the question should be "Does your tattoo glorify God?" and if the answer isn't "Yes" than the answer to getting that specific tattoo should be "No". In Leviticus 19:28 it says "Do not cut your bodies for the dead or put tattoo marks on yourselves. I am the Lord." This verse seems pretty clear, but we also have to look at the context of this verse. The whole book of Leviticus is filled with rules and regulations, such as that verse and many others saying things like "Do not eat any meat with the blood still in it" or "Do not cut the hair at the sides of your head or clip off the edges of your beard." (Leviticus 19: 26 & 27) Now, I don't know about you but I eat my steaks rare and I cut my hair. These rules in Leviticus were from God to the Israelite people. The Israelites were to follow these rules so that they could be set apart from the sinful world. These rules all changed at the cross. When Jesus died for us, he paid for it all and we do not have to do anything to gain forgiveness except ask. We don't have to follow the rules in Leviticus anymore. Jesus paid it all.
So; if you're a Christian and you're looking to get a tattoo, pray about it. Look at the rest of the guidelines and then ask yourself "Does this tattoo glorify God?"
Monday, December 23, 2013
Gun
This is a gun and some roses that I did for my mentor. I gave it to her after she finished my tattoo and she loved it. She has a fascination with guns, haha. First I penciled this drawing, and then I painted it. I wanted it to look old, so I took a tea bag and seeped it in a little bit of hot water and painted the background with it. I painted the leaves of the roses with green tea, and the roses with this weird berry tea in my kitchen. I painted the gun with some black tea. I also used grey water color paint with some of the tea to make shadows. I don't usually paint with tea, (well actually, I've never done that before) but I was feeling experimental. I really liked how this one turned out.
Finally
It's been about two full days since I got my tattoo, and it hasn't been nearly as bad as I thought it would be.
Since I've watched a number of tattoos being done, I sort of knew what to expect, but I didn't know what it was going to feel like. When I arrived at the shop we did all the things I had seen before, like washing my skin and putting the stencil on. We got the stencil in the right place on the first try, which apparently barely ever happens. Since I couldn't wear a shirt while I was being tattooed I had to wear this scarf wrapped around me and it was sort of annoying. As soon as she put the stencil on and everything was about to begin, all the nervousness I had in my stomach the whole week went away, which was a really nice feeling. I had no idea what the actual tattooing part was going to feel like, so I was a little scared for that, but she did the first line and I realized at once that I was going to be fine. I wouldn't describe the feeling as pleasant, but it was certainly bearable. The whole tattoo took about two and a half hours to do. During the last twenty minutes my skin was becoming pretty tender and the lines she did hurt more than they did at the beginning, and I was ready to be done. I barely got swollen or bled, so that was really nice. After she finished tattooing she wiped it down and put a piece of saran wrap over it and taped it to me, and told me to take it off after 6-8 hours and then gently wash it and let it air dry. She also gave me some lotion to put on it. So far it's been healing fine, and it isn't hurting at all. I'm super glad I decided to do it, I don't feel any regrets. I love it.
I would post a picture of it, but it's on my sternum, and I can't find a way to crop it so you just see the tattoo (if you know what I mean). So here is a picture of the stencil that we put on. There were some tiny little things we had to change on the stencil ( like the dots under the left leaf not being right underneath the leaf like on the right leaf) before we tattooed it, but this is pretty much exactly what it looks like.
Since I've watched a number of tattoos being done, I sort of knew what to expect, but I didn't know what it was going to feel like. When I arrived at the shop we did all the things I had seen before, like washing my skin and putting the stencil on. We got the stencil in the right place on the first try, which apparently barely ever happens. Since I couldn't wear a shirt while I was being tattooed I had to wear this scarf wrapped around me and it was sort of annoying. As soon as she put the stencil on and everything was about to begin, all the nervousness I had in my stomach the whole week went away, which was a really nice feeling. I had no idea what the actual tattooing part was going to feel like, so I was a little scared for that, but she did the first line and I realized at once that I was going to be fine. I wouldn't describe the feeling as pleasant, but it was certainly bearable. The whole tattoo took about two and a half hours to do. During the last twenty minutes my skin was becoming pretty tender and the lines she did hurt more than they did at the beginning, and I was ready to be done. I barely got swollen or bled, so that was really nice. After she finished tattooing she wiped it down and put a piece of saran wrap over it and taped it to me, and told me to take it off after 6-8 hours and then gently wash it and let it air dry. She also gave me some lotion to put on it. So far it's been healing fine, and it isn't hurting at all. I'm super glad I decided to do it, I don't feel any regrets. I love it.
I would post a picture of it, but it's on my sternum, and I can't find a way to crop it so you just see the tattoo (if you know what I mean). So here is a picture of the stencil that we put on. There were some tiny little things we had to change on the stencil ( like the dots under the left leaf not being right underneath the leaf like on the right leaf) before we tattooed it, but this is pretty much exactly what it looks like.
Friday, December 20, 2013
13 Hours to Go
The final drawing of my tattoo is done, everything has been finalized, and in about 13 hours I will have a design on my body that will stay on me for the rest of my life until I die. And I'm sort of freaking out about it.
I think it's a good freaking out. An excited freaking out. But it's still sort of scary. I'm making a decision about something that will stay for life, and I'm not sure I've ever done that before. I can't go back on it after, and I can't change it. It will always be there and it won't ever leave. It's sort of like marriage.
But yeah, I'm nervous, but an excited nervous. I'm no wimp to pain, I'm not that nervous about that part. I think that it's just starting to hit me now that I will have this on me forever, but I am okay with that. It's just a little bit frightening.
I think it's a good freaking out. An excited freaking out. But it's still sort of scary. I'm making a decision about something that will stay for life, and I'm not sure I've ever done that before. I can't go back on it after, and I can't change it. It will always be there and it won't ever leave. It's sort of like marriage.
But yeah, I'm nervous, but an excited nervous. I'm no wimp to pain, I'm not that nervous about that part. I think that it's just starting to hit me now that I will have this on me forever, but I am okay with that. It's just a little bit frightening.
Tuesday, December 17, 2013
5 Days
This morning my mentor emailed me her second draft of my tattoo, and I loved it, so I went to her shop after school today. I got there early, so I watched as she finished a tattoo on another person. She also took a photocopy of her draft of the tattoo and gave me some pens and white out and told me to change the stuff I didn't like and add onto it. While she was tattooing the other person I did just that, and after she was finished her and I talked about how we could change it and we came up with what it's going to look like for Saturday. Just for fun she put a stencil of the second draft onto me, just to give me an idea of what it's going to look or how big its going to be.
I'm super excited to get it done, but I'm still really nervous. I love the way the stencil looks, but making the decision to put something on your body forever is sort of scary.
I'm super excited to get it done, but I'm still really nervous. I love the way the stencil looks, but making the decision to put something on your body forever is sort of scary.
Monday, December 16, 2013
6 Days
There are six days to go until my tattoo! I am feeling nervous and excited at the same time. I've had a lot of feedback on my tattoo from other people, most of it has been positive and encouraging, but some of the people I have gotten feedback from have told me that I'll regret it one day. I'm feeling a little bit conflicted about the whole thing. I was super sure about it before I talked to those people. I still am really excited about it and I really want to get originally what I wanted to get, but I feel that if I do I will be letting those people down (the people who told me I'll regret it).
Throughout the whole time there have been periods where I have been super, super excited about getting it, but then there have been times where I have sort of had thoughts of doubt, but the excitement outweighs the thoughts of doubt by far.
I've decided that I do really want it, and it's going to be on my body. That I shouldn't let other people's opinions affect my decision. I appreciate all the advice I've been given, but when people tell me that I shouldn't get it just because they don't like the design or placement, that's something I don't like. This tattoo is going to be special and symbolic to me, and if other people don't like it, that's okay. This tattoo is for me, not them.
Tuesday, December 3, 2013
Interviews Completed!
Hi everyone. I finally finished interviewing people about their tattoos. I interviewed nine people (Five guys and four girls) and asked them those seven questions that I had posted earlier. I won't be showing all of their answers word for word, but I'll sort of combine their answers all together.
Here are the questions I asked, just as a reminder:
1. What and where is your tattoo(s)?
2. How old were you when you got it (them)?
3. How long did you think about it/want it before you got it?
4. Why did you get it/what does it symbolize to you?
5. Do you regret it/do you think you'll ever end up regretting getting them or regret where you got
them?
6. Did you research the shop or artist before you got the tattoo?
7. What advice would you give to people who want to get a tattoo?
Their Answers:
1. All of the answers to this question varied of course, these nine people had all different tattoos on all
different parts of their bodies. Every tattoo was unique and different. Five out of nine people had
more than one tattoo.
2. The ages for this question were from ages sixteen to age forty-four.
3. The time frame for this questions ranged from barely any thought, to thinking about the tattoo for five
or six years!
4. These answers varied as well. A few people got their tattoos just because it was a cool thing to do,
but the majority of the people I interviewed had a lot of personal meaning associated with their
tattoos. Some of their tattoos symbolized things to do with their family and children, while others
tattoos symbolized something significant to them, something that happened to them or to symbolize
a struggle they went through.
5. Not one person I interviewed said that they would regret their tattoos or think that they will regret
them in the future.
6. Some people just decided to walk into a shop and just get it done. Others researched their shops and
artists for a long time before deciding where to go. It all depends on the person, and their personal
views on tattoos.
7. Every person I interviewed had different advice to give to people who are wanting to get a tattoo.
Here is a general list of what they said:
-Get it somewhere you can hide it, keep the placement in mind.
-Think about it, and don't be impulsive
- Don't rush into it.
- Make sure you can live with it for the rest of your life.
- Make sure it's something significant to you and has meaning.
- Be original.
It was super fun to ask people these questions, and I really liked hearing the answers and hearing all of the different things people had to say. Doing these interviews made me think more about my tattoo in general, and gave me some really good ideas for later on when I make my own personal list of "Tattoo Guidelines".
Here are the questions I asked, just as a reminder:
1. What and where is your tattoo(s)?
2. How old were you when you got it (them)?
3. How long did you think about it/want it before you got it?
4. Why did you get it/what does it symbolize to you?
5. Do you regret it/do you think you'll ever end up regretting getting them or regret where you got
them?
6. Did you research the shop or artist before you got the tattoo?
7. What advice would you give to people who want to get a tattoo?
Their Answers:
1. All of the answers to this question varied of course, these nine people had all different tattoos on all
different parts of their bodies. Every tattoo was unique and different. Five out of nine people had
more than one tattoo.
2. The ages for this question were from ages sixteen to age forty-four.
3. The time frame for this questions ranged from barely any thought, to thinking about the tattoo for five
or six years!
4. These answers varied as well. A few people got their tattoos just because it was a cool thing to do,
but the majority of the people I interviewed had a lot of personal meaning associated with their
tattoos. Some of their tattoos symbolized things to do with their family and children, while others
tattoos symbolized something significant to them, something that happened to them or to symbolize
a struggle they went through.
5. Not one person I interviewed said that they would regret their tattoos or think that they will regret
them in the future.
6. Some people just decided to walk into a shop and just get it done. Others researched their shops and
artists for a long time before deciding where to go. It all depends on the person, and their personal
views on tattoos.
7. Every person I interviewed had different advice to give to people who are wanting to get a tattoo.
Here is a general list of what they said:
-Get it somewhere you can hide it, keep the placement in mind.
-Think about it, and don't be impulsive
- Don't rush into it.
- Make sure you can live with it for the rest of your life.
- Make sure it's something significant to you and has meaning.
- Be original.
It was super fun to ask people these questions, and I really liked hearing the answers and hearing all of the different things people had to say. Doing these interviews made me think more about my tattoo in general, and gave me some really good ideas for later on when I make my own personal list of "Tattoo Guidelines".
Sunday, November 24, 2013
Jellyfish
I am super excited about how this piece turned out. I love it so much. It took about 6 hours in total to complete. It started out as a pencil drawing. Next I used watercolor paint to paint the blue background. I painted around the jellyfish. I then painted the actual jellyfish. The next day, I realized that the tops of the two bottom jellyfish were just shaped really awkward, so I took out my paint again and made them a bit more rounded. I then inked the drawing, which took a long time because the ink pens I have don't really like to work on top of paint. After I inked them, I did some finishing touches with pencil crayon. I really, really like this piece, and I'm sad now that I don't get to keep it, because it's a birthday gift for someone else. Wah. Oh well. I hope they like it as much as I do.
Monday, November 18, 2013
Another Book
Today in class I read another book that my mom brought home for me. It's called "Tattoos and Body Piercing" by Leanne K. Currie-McGhee. I honestly didn't really like it all that much, it was sort of boring. It was just a lot of information about the history of tattoos and piercings. Stuff about when people started doing them, why they started doing them. It talked a lot about all the safety stuff associated with getting tattoos and piercings, the risk of infection and getting diseases. It also had a really long chapter on removing tattoos. It wasn't a super interesting book, but it also wasn't super boring. I probably wouldn't recommend it to someone who is wanting to get a tattoo. It's not really good for that. The other book I read was way better for people who want to get a tattoo than this book. This book sort of had the feel of a textbook and I don't really like that.
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Friday, November 15, 2013
Almost Inked
So today I went down to the shop again for my tattoo consultation. A consultation is basically where you meet with the artist who is going to be doing your tattoo, and you basically tell them what you want done. You show them pictures, tell them your ideas and tell them where you want the tattoo on your body. The artist takes notes, draws little sketches, and helps you work out all the details.
I'm super excited that my mentor is going to be the one doing my tattoo. She's just so awesome, and her work is so great. I gave her some pictures and drawings that I had, talked to her about where I wanted it on my body and how big. It's going to be a very awesome tattoo.
I paid for it up front, (I preferred that, now I don't have to worry about the money part again!) and we booked the date of the tattoo. She's going to contact me once she has some things drawn up, and then I'll go in again before the actual tattoo date and take a look at them, and we will put a stencil on my body, just so I can see what the tattoo will actually look like on me.
I'm very excited for this tattoo, and also a little bit nervous. Even though I've watched 4 tattoos being done, I still haven't experienced it myself. I'm not really nervous for the pain part, even though the part of my body I want tattooed is said to hurt very much. I'm just nervous because this piece of art is going to stay on my body for the rest of my life. That's a long time. People have told me that I'll regret it because I'm still so young, other people have said that I shouldn't get it because I'll be old one day and it won't look as good. I really don't think I'm going to regret it, because I feel that once it's on my body, it will always have meaning to me, and it will always be special. Even when I'm older and it maybe doesn't look that good, it will still represent that time in my life when I got it, who I was when I got it, and the meaning of the tattoo will still be there.
I'm super excited that my mentor is going to be the one doing my tattoo. She's just so awesome, and her work is so great. I gave her some pictures and drawings that I had, talked to her about where I wanted it on my body and how big. It's going to be a very awesome tattoo.
I paid for it up front, (I preferred that, now I don't have to worry about the money part again!) and we booked the date of the tattoo. She's going to contact me once she has some things drawn up, and then I'll go in again before the actual tattoo date and take a look at them, and we will put a stencil on my body, just so I can see what the tattoo will actually look like on me.
I'm very excited for this tattoo, and also a little bit nervous. Even though I've watched 4 tattoos being done, I still haven't experienced it myself. I'm not really nervous for the pain part, even though the part of my body I want tattooed is said to hurt very much. I'm just nervous because this piece of art is going to stay on my body for the rest of my life. That's a long time. People have told me that I'll regret it because I'm still so young, other people have said that I shouldn't get it because I'll be old one day and it won't look as good. I really don't think I'm going to regret it, because I feel that once it's on my body, it will always have meaning to me, and it will always be special. Even when I'm older and it maybe doesn't look that good, it will still represent that time in my life when I got it, who I was when I got it, and the meaning of the tattoo will still be there.
Sunday, November 10, 2013
Great Experiances
So, on Friday I had no school, and I went down to the shop where my mentor works and I was able to spend a good chunk of the day with her.
She is a beautiful individual, inside and out. I was really nervous about meeting her, but I felt so comfortable talking with her. She is wonderful.
I was able to watch and learn a lot of things in the amount of time I was there. I was able to watch some touch-ups get done on a client she had recently tattooed, and I got to watch her finish the outline of a butterfly tattoo on another client's leg. While she was setting up for the tattoos, she explained to me what she was doing, she explained the parts of the tattoo machine and showed me the needles and where they go in the gun, and how different needles are used for different things. She explained about being sanitary, and showed me how much they need to clean things. They clean a lot in tattoo shops.
She showed me how the stencils are made, and how they are applied to the clients body. She even let me put on a glove and hold the tattoo gun and step on the pedal and make it work. She showed me how deep the needles go into the skin, and how you have to adjust it for different people's skin.
She looked at some of my artwork, and I got to see a lot of hers. She showed me some tattoos she was working on for different clients. She talked a little bit about how her apprenticeship worked out, but not a whole lot.
We talked about the tattoo that I'm going to be getting, and I'm going back to the shop probably in the next week for a consult, and then the tattoo is going to be done sometime in December. I'm super excited because it's going to be done before this project is over, so I can incorporate it into my project, and my mentor is willing to tattoo it for me.
The whole day was just a really, really great experience. I knew before I went to the shop that I wanted to be a Tattoo Artist, but now I am even more positive. I'm still not exactly sure about how getting an apprenticeship works, but I'm hoping I'll be able to talk to my mentor a little bit more about how that will work, or how I'll even go about finding someone who is willing to apprentice me. I feel like becoming a Tattoo Artist is sort of difficult, because there is no school you can go to. You have to find a real, licensed artist who thinks you are talented enough and is willing to take time out of their lives to teach you. I feel like that's really difficult, but I feel like I can do it.
She is a beautiful individual, inside and out. I was really nervous about meeting her, but I felt so comfortable talking with her. She is wonderful.
I was able to watch and learn a lot of things in the amount of time I was there. I was able to watch some touch-ups get done on a client she had recently tattooed, and I got to watch her finish the outline of a butterfly tattoo on another client's leg. While she was setting up for the tattoos, she explained to me what she was doing, she explained the parts of the tattoo machine and showed me the needles and where they go in the gun, and how different needles are used for different things. She explained about being sanitary, and showed me how much they need to clean things. They clean a lot in tattoo shops.
She showed me how the stencils are made, and how they are applied to the clients body. She even let me put on a glove and hold the tattoo gun and step on the pedal and make it work. She showed me how deep the needles go into the skin, and how you have to adjust it for different people's skin.
She looked at some of my artwork, and I got to see a lot of hers. She showed me some tattoos she was working on for different clients. She talked a little bit about how her apprenticeship worked out, but not a whole lot.
We talked about the tattoo that I'm going to be getting, and I'm going back to the shop probably in the next week for a consult, and then the tattoo is going to be done sometime in December. I'm super excited because it's going to be done before this project is over, so I can incorporate it into my project, and my mentor is willing to tattoo it for me.
The whole day was just a really, really great experience. I knew before I went to the shop that I wanted to be a Tattoo Artist, but now I am even more positive. I'm still not exactly sure about how getting an apprenticeship works, but I'm hoping I'll be able to talk to my mentor a little bit more about how that will work, or how I'll even go about finding someone who is willing to apprentice me. I feel like becoming a Tattoo Artist is sort of difficult, because there is no school you can go to. You have to find a real, licensed artist who thinks you are talented enough and is willing to take time out of their lives to teach you. I feel like that's really difficult, but I feel like I can do it.
Ink
My mom brought me home this book called "Ink - The Not-Just-Skin-Deep Guide to Getting a Tattoo" by Terisa Green. It didn't have that much to do with my project, but I am planning on getting a tattoo, and she and I thought that this book would be helpful.
It was actually a really interesting book. It was written very well, and very easy to read. The author has a great sense of humor. Something I found interesting was that the author wasn't a tattoo artist herself, just someone who was super curious about the subject.
The book has eight great chapters on anything someone would need to know about getting a tattoo. The first chapter is sort of an introduction, and it talks about the main three questions people ask when they see someone with a tattoo, or just tattoos in general. The questions include "Is it real?", "Is it permanent?", and "Did it hurt?".
The second chapter is all about finding the right design for you. The author includes a little paragraph of just about every "type" of tattoo in this chapter. Things like Animals, Horror, Insect, Japanese, Lettering, Maritime, New School, Old School, Portrait, Tribal, and Zodiac. There are 40 of them in all.
The third chapter is all about finding your artist and shop. The author talks about researching the artist and shop. How you should find many pictures of the artists previous work, and how you should make sure the shop you're going to has a good reputation. The easiest way to do this is through word-of-mouth.
The fourth chapter is all about the science of tattooing; how the gun works, how deep the needle goes into the skin, and the healing process.
Chapter five talks about all the things you can expect from the moment you walk into a tattoo shop until the moment you leave. It talks about the way your artist should treat you, and the steps that happen leading up to and after you actually getting your tattoo.
The sixth chapter talks all about how your tattoo will change over time, and what you can do to make sure it stays in the best condition possible. The first three weeks of having a tattoo are the most critical, because how you take care of your tattoo in those three weeks determines how your tattoo will look for the rest of your life.
The seventh chapter talks about ways you can change your tattoo, things like laser removal and cover ups.
The final chapter is a summery chapter, and discusses you and your tattoo. It talks about getting a job while you have tattoos, and living the rest of your life having a tattoo.
Overall, this book was great. It didn't change my mind about getting a tattoo, but it gave me some really great things to think about, and I actually learned a lot. I found the chapters four and six the most interesting. I was really interested to learn about how the gun works and how the ink stays in your skin. The sixth chapter was great too, because I know that a lot of tattoos end up looking gross over the years because of where they have been placed or how the person took care of them. This book prepared me more for getting my tattoo, and I recommend it to anyone who is looking to get a tattoo.
It was actually a really interesting book. It was written very well, and very easy to read. The author has a great sense of humor. Something I found interesting was that the author wasn't a tattoo artist herself, just someone who was super curious about the subject.
The book has eight great chapters on anything someone would need to know about getting a tattoo. The first chapter is sort of an introduction, and it talks about the main three questions people ask when they see someone with a tattoo, or just tattoos in general. The questions include "Is it real?", "Is it permanent?", and "Did it hurt?".
The second chapter is all about finding the right design for you. The author includes a little paragraph of just about every "type" of tattoo in this chapter. Things like Animals, Horror, Insect, Japanese, Lettering, Maritime, New School, Old School, Portrait, Tribal, and Zodiac. There are 40 of them in all.
The third chapter is all about finding your artist and shop. The author talks about researching the artist and shop. How you should find many pictures of the artists previous work, and how you should make sure the shop you're going to has a good reputation. The easiest way to do this is through word-of-mouth.
The fourth chapter is all about the science of tattooing; how the gun works, how deep the needle goes into the skin, and the healing process.
Chapter five talks about all the things you can expect from the moment you walk into a tattoo shop until the moment you leave. It talks about the way your artist should treat you, and the steps that happen leading up to and after you actually getting your tattoo.
The sixth chapter talks all about how your tattoo will change over time, and what you can do to make sure it stays in the best condition possible. The first three weeks of having a tattoo are the most critical, because how you take care of your tattoo in those three weeks determines how your tattoo will look for the rest of your life.
The seventh chapter talks about ways you can change your tattoo, things like laser removal and cover ups.
The final chapter is a summery chapter, and discusses you and your tattoo. It talks about getting a job while you have tattoos, and living the rest of your life having a tattoo.
Overall, this book was great. It didn't change my mind about getting a tattoo, but it gave me some really great things to think about, and I actually learned a lot. I found the chapters four and six the most interesting. I was really interested to learn about how the gun works and how the ink stays in your skin. The sixth chapter was great too, because I know that a lot of tattoos end up looking gross over the years because of where they have been placed or how the person took care of them. This book prepared me more for getting my tattoo, and I recommend it to anyone who is looking to get a tattoo.
Interviews
I've decided that part of my project will be interviewing people who have tattoos, so I can get a better understanding of what it's like to get a tattoo, to have one, or thoughts someone has throughout the whole process. After I've gathered all the information from these interviews, I'm going to look at the information, and take my own knowledge to compose my own list of "Tattoo Guidelines". These will be guidelines anyone can look at, whether they are thinking of getting a tattoo or not.
I've made up seven questions to ask:
1. What and where is your tattoo(s)?
2. How old were you when you got it (them)?
3. How long did you think about it/want it before you got it?
4. Why did you get it/what does it symbolize to you?
5. Do you regret it/do you think you'll ever end up regretting getting them or regret where you got
them?
6. Did you research the shop or artist before you got the tattoo?
7. What advice would you give to people who want to get a tattoo?
I've made up seven questions to ask:
1. What and where is your tattoo(s)?
2. How old were you when you got it (them)?
3. How long did you think about it/want it before you got it?
4. Why did you get it/what does it symbolize to you?
5. Do you regret it/do you think you'll ever end up regretting getting them or regret where you got
them?
6. Did you research the shop or artist before you got the tattoo?
7. What advice would you give to people who want to get a tattoo?
Sunday, November 3, 2013
Stoked
Part of this project is to get a mentor. Someone who has knowledge about the topic that your project is on, and someone who can answer your questions and help you along. My ideal mentor would be an actual Tattoo Artist. But what was I going to do? Just walk into a Tattoo Shop and start asking questions?
Turns out, one of my teachers at school is friends with a Tattoo Artist. This teacher heard about my project and they talked to their Tattoo Artist friend for me, and then gave me the Artist's contact information and told me that she was interested in meeting me. It was hard to get a hold of her, since I only had the phone number of the shop that she worked at. She was never there when I called, and the messages didn't seem to be getting to her. I was sort of discouraged. I talked to the teacher again, and they told me to take a chance and just Facebook her, so I did.
We've been talking over Facebook for about a week, and she is super, super nice, and really funny. She's invited me to go to the shop on Friday and visit her. I'm very excited.
I feel super blessed, because I get to actually talk to someone who is in the Tattoo Industry and is willing to show me things and talk to me and give me advice. I'm hoping that this won't be the only time I meet her, but that I'll be able to continue to talk to her even after this visit.
Turns out, one of my teachers at school is friends with a Tattoo Artist. This teacher heard about my project and they talked to their Tattoo Artist friend for me, and then gave me the Artist's contact information and told me that she was interested in meeting me. It was hard to get a hold of her, since I only had the phone number of the shop that she worked at. She was never there when I called, and the messages didn't seem to be getting to her. I was sort of discouraged. I talked to the teacher again, and they told me to take a chance and just Facebook her, so I did.
We've been talking over Facebook for about a week, and she is super, super nice, and really funny. She's invited me to go to the shop on Friday and visit her. I'm very excited.
I feel super blessed, because I get to actually talk to someone who is in the Tattoo Industry and is willing to show me things and talk to me and give me advice. I'm hoping that this won't be the only time I meet her, but that I'll be able to continue to talk to her even after this visit.
"Ladybug"
Completed October 28th, 2013
I decided it was time to draw something more realistic. This drawing took me about 3 and a half hours to complete. I didn't think it would take very long, but shading everything to look real actually takes a really long time. This drawing started out as a pencil drawing, and then I coloured it with pencil crayons. I'm not completely thrilled with it. I think it looks better further away then up close. I don't like how the shine part on it's wings turned out, but I like the way it's head looks.
Monday, October 21, 2013
"Koi"
Completed October 20th, 2013
Doing this drawing was fun, because I really enjoy just drawing things in pencil. At first it was just a line drawing, and then later I filled in all the shading. This piece took me about 4-5 hours in total. Something I really struggle with is drawing scales, but I got a bit of practice drawing that snake a few weeks ago, so drawing the scales on this drawing wasn't as difficult as I thought it was going to be. I also struggle with eyes sometimes, but his eyes in this piece turned out well. I feel like there is a lot of pressure to get the eyes right, because the eyes capture the whole soul of the animal. If the eyes are off, the whole drawing is off. I think I did it justice. I'm really happy with this drawing.
"Snake With Tiger Lilies"
Completed on October 10th, 2013
Doing this piece was really fun. First I sketched it with pencil. I then used water color paint. It was kind of tricky, because the water color paint covered up the pencil lines, which made it hard to ink afterwards because I couldn't see some of the lines. I like how I painted the snake in a really loose style, but the ink is very tight and detailed. The only thing I don't like about this piece is the snake's belly underneath the top right tiger lily. It doesn't really match up with how a snakes belly would actually be.
"Time Is An Illusion"
Completed on September 29th, 2013
Monday, October 14, 2013
Salutations,
and welcome to my blog!
I've wanted to be a Tattoo Artist ever since I was little. I've been drawing since I could hold a pencil. I've always been fascinated with tattoos, it was probably my father who sparked this interest. He has several tattoos, and is quite the artist himself. The idea of becoming a Tattoo Artist was always in the back of my head, but it wasn't until last year when I went and watched my father get a tattoo, that I realized this was a career I wanted to pursue.
I believe that tattoos are a way of expressing yourself. They can show different stages of your life, what you've been through, and what you believe in. I also believe that tattoos are something that need to be well thought out, because they will be there forever.
On this blog, I will document my discoveries about myself and the Tattooing Industry. I'm hoping to progress in my knowledge of getting into the industry and my knowledge of the industry itself. I'm also hoping to progress artistically. I'll be posting what I learn, from other people and myself. I'll also be posting some of my art and be reflecting on it. I'm also hoping to be posting pictures of my first tattoo within the next few months. :)
I've wanted to be a Tattoo Artist ever since I was little. I've been drawing since I could hold a pencil. I've always been fascinated with tattoos, it was probably my father who sparked this interest. He has several tattoos, and is quite the artist himself. The idea of becoming a Tattoo Artist was always in the back of my head, but it wasn't until last year when I went and watched my father get a tattoo, that I realized this was a career I wanted to pursue.
I believe that tattoos are a way of expressing yourself. They can show different stages of your life, what you've been through, and what you believe in. I also believe that tattoos are something that need to be well thought out, because they will be there forever.
On this blog, I will document my discoveries about myself and the Tattooing Industry. I'm hoping to progress in my knowledge of getting into the industry and my knowledge of the industry itself. I'm also hoping to progress artistically. I'll be posting what I learn, from other people and myself. I'll also be posting some of my art and be reflecting on it. I'm also hoping to be posting pictures of my first tattoo within the next few months. :)
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