Tattoo lust...

[denny]

Okay, I think this year is going to see me acquiring more ink. Very probably a large piece. I'm just trying to work out the details now.

What I really want is a big piece of tribal, covering my right shoulderblade, my shoulder, down to at least my collarbone in front, and about 3/4 of the way down my arm.

The only problem is that I have a tattoo on the upper arm already, and I'm not sure it will be possible to work with/around it without either the new tattoo looking stupid, or it making the original tattoo look stupid. If it can't be done and look right then I'd rather get something else done, probably on my left leg... but I'm really keen on the idea of the shoulder/etc piece.

For those curious, here's a pic of the existing tattoo:


Also one of me from behind which shows how much room there is behind that tattoo on the upper arm:


Not much room in front of it though.

Some links that might give some idea of the kind of thing I want:
http://home.earthlink.net/~markstewart/DuskPage.tattoo.html. (but not coming up onto the neck)
http://www.newwavetattoo.co.uk/Galleries/01tribal/01htmlPP/PP8html/01imagePP90.htm
http://www.newwavetattoo.co.uk/Galleries/01tribal/01htmlPP/PP8html/01imagePP91.htm (but covering more of the shoulderblade and arm - and again, not hitting the neck. Also, some of the pieces of this one are too big and 'lumpy/gloopy' - I can't think of the right words to describe why I don't quite like the style.)

I guess I'm going to have to talk to a tattoist and see what they think about working with what I've already got there. I'm also pretty keen on the idea of trying this out with bodypaints and stuff... some plans along those lines are already afoot, but if anyone thinks they could do a particularly good job of drawing tribalwork on me, please do offer. Appropriate bribes offered in return :)

Comments

[(Anonymous)]

get a hair cut you fuckin homo

[libellum.livejournal.com]

Wow, didn't realise you were seriously thinking about it :)

Are you really considering getting it around the dragon? I'd have thought the other arm would be better - both because the dragon is a much nicer tattoo and deserves to stand out on its own, and because your left arm doesn't have a widget on the shoulderblade.

Saturday will be interesting in terms of seeing which aspects work and which aspects don't, although as discussed, tribal is not really my style ;)

[dennyd.livejournal.com]

Mum, I've told you before about commenting in my journal.

[dennyd.livejournal.com]

They're both dragons, but yes, around that one. (a) I prefer the idea of having it on the right, (b) it means it can be used to cover over that stupid japanese character, which is seriously naff, and (c) there's more room for it there as the existing tattoo is slimmer from front to back of the arm.

I'm willing to be persuaded by an artist that it would work better on the other side, but all my instincts are for having it on the right.

[skx.livejournal.com]

I love the Dusk Til Dawn tattoo on Clooney, and would love to have it myself. But I'm in a similar situation to you with a piece or two already present.

Still I think it'd look lovely.

Maybe go for the other arm? That'd look OK anyway since you'd only ever see it in a mirror .. mostly ;)

Left arm...

[dennyd.livejournal.com]

[djlongfella.livejournal.com]

Hello Mate,
I have a friend ( as ever ) who does body air brushing, I'm sure you could chat to her about doing some airbrush work to check out different designs, to see how they look before you take the plunge, also, and just my two cents, is it worth getting ink now, as you are working out regular and changing in shape ? would it not be best ( voice of reason ) to give it six months and see what shape you are and have the art flow with the new shape .

As ever just two cents

[dennyd.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I did think about that. I don't think I'm going to change shape that much, I'm in it for toning up and getting fitter, rather than body-building particularly, but obviously there's some bulking up possible.

I doubt I'll be getting this done much before summer anyway though - I've got another hospital trip to look forward to first, and then healing up from it, before I start giving my body anything decorative to try and heal.

[snoof.livejournal.com]

I <3 you.

[fellcat.livejournal.com]

cover over that stupid japanese character

It's the worry of changing my mind ten years later that puts me off having tattoos.

[libellum.livejournal.com]

Isn't the fact that the left one isn't recognisable as a dragon an argument for making it part of a general pattern? On the other hand it could just be me being dense.

I confess I can't imagine it looking good on either arm unless the lines were the same weight as the tribal curves in the dragon - equilibrium, as you were saying. I'll be interested to see how it works out :)

How are you envisaging covering up the japanese character without it being lumpy and/or gloopy?

[dennyd.livejournal.com]

*grin* A very valid concern.

I could actually live with that tattoo for the rest of my life quite cheerfully - it's not bad, and it has memories of good times associated with it. But if I'm going to get a big piece done that could potentially sweep over it to give a cleaner look to the other work I have, I'd like to do so.

Basically it was the second thing I got done, and I just picked the first thing I saw that half-way appealed to me, at a bike rally, in the grip of tattoo lust because a friend had just had her first one done and I got a contact high. All in all, nothing like the three years of careful selection that went into my first tattoo. Lesson learnt; body mods are a bit addictive - so, you get a tattoo when you know what you want, not when you want a tattoo :)

[dennyd.livejournal.com]

I don't think there's enough open space in the other one for it to be made part of anything, except maybe a solid black splodge about six inches by eight inches :)

I'm pretty sure the japanese character could be tucked under a join in two lines or something, if it was done with a bit of care. Again, something I'd like to get a tattooist's expert opinion on.

[libellum.livejournal.com]

No, but I can envisage lines licking around the left tat more cleanly than around the dragon, which could easily suddenly be overwhelmed by it.

I'm not convinced on the character, but this is what tattoists are for :D Your hair covers it most of the time anyway. How would you feel about cyberish circular designs in the midst of the tribal sweeps - or do you want all long lines?

[dennyd.livejournal.com]

Cyberish circles? Que?

I like the long spiky lines, with criss-crossing, but I'm not religiously against other things if they fit the overall look.

I have to admit that I'm not entirely sure what the japanese thing even looks like, it's behind me :) It's possible that it's bigger and denser than I think it is and therefore harder to cover.

[aiwendel.livejournal.com]

ooo pretty :)

I'd love to have a go at drawing on you/painting on you that sort of thing.
No idea how it'd turn out mind, but then you could wash it off, and there's a slim chance it could give ideas and photos....

xxxxxxxx

[fellcat.livejournal.com]

I like your hair in those shots BTW.

[sepheri.livejournal.com]

If you keep the thickness of the tribal pattern to roughly the same thickness of the pieces coming off the dragon it could blend in no problem and even make a feature of the original. That way it wouldn't have that gloopy effect that the other eaxmple has too.