Tattoos

[VXZZZZZZ]

Ok, I know this thread is over 2 years old, but I just wanted to put in my two cents as I was reading through it...

I have a total of 4 tattoos...one is on my right hand, another below my left breast bone, one on my back, and one on my upper right arm.

I need to have the one on my hand removed, it has caused me to not get jobs because of the conservative nature of some of these companies; plus, after 12 years, it looks like hell.

It is a black heart, a little larger than the size of an American quarter.

The one below my left breast bone is 4 names, done in my own handwriting, of my ex and her kids...big mistake when you get married again and have kids of your own...need to have that removed or covered.

I am, however, extremely happy with the one on my upper right arm and on my back, because they were my designs, and I had thought them through for years, and as time has gone by, these tattoos have evolved and grown, as I have evolved and grown...

I guess what I wanted to intimate to everyone is be careful of what you get for ink on your body, make sure it is something that you can either cover with a short sleeved t-shirt, or that cannot be seen when wearing business suits and dress clothing. Do not get tattoos on your face or sides of your neck, these will be detrimental to you later in life. Same goes for tattoos on hands: these kinds of things are "gang markings" as far as employers go.

My neighbor and I were also discussing tattoos recently, and he is an older man, and when he saw my tattoos (I was washing my car), he told me how he had always wanted one himself, but as a young man his father had told him not to mutilate his body because 1. it was against their religion, and he could go to hell, and 2. because it would only give the police and other governmental agencies a better way to identify him should they need to.

Needless to say, he never got a tattoo, nor did he ever get any piercings, he instead became a major gun enthusiast, and now has all sorts of permits to carry up to machine gun status....

I look at this guy and sometimes wish that I had not ever gotten tattoos myself now...lol...


Just my two cents into the kettle...


Vince

[PeterTimber]

dedar Vince the only tatoo that attracted my fancy was a pair of closedred lips on my upper left buttocks. I was in my 20's and felt its profundity far exceeded the succulence of the tatoo! Thanks for reminding me of my well spent youth. =Peter=

[VXZZZZZZ]

Heh, anytime Peter...lol

[nuccia]

Vince, Good advice. Thanks for sharing.

Peter.... Thanks for sharing, too........

[GinaAdriana]

I'm thinking about getting some kind of Italian tattoo. Not something cheesy though.. something nice, elegant, and shows my Italian pride. I'm just not sure what I want yet!

[wldspirit]

From one gal to another.....think long and hard before you commit to it.
Make sure you know the artist and his work, because once it's done it can't be easily undone.
I found out the hard way that the tat is only as good as the artist...
wldspirit

[PeterTimber]

To keep it Italian just have "SI" and "NO" tatoos.=Peter=

[nuccia]

After years of arguing with my husband and kids that I wanted a tatoo I finally took their advice and decided against it. Keep in mind that this was a decision that took me almost 20 years to make...I realized that it would not have been for me.

Of course, my oldest son came home a few days ago and suddenly wants a tatoo and a body piercing! My "Mr. Conservative" son, who is now an adult has gone the other way and asked me if I wanted to go with him and get one too.

So my advice..think long and hard. One day you may have children (if you don't already) and you better be prepared because what you think you might accept today suddenly changes when 20 years down the road you have the same conversation with one of your children.

For me though its simple..I will call in the reinforcements..Nonno and Nonna. Let them deal with this.

[GinaAdriana]

When I was in Italy, I wanted to find a tattoo place, because what better souvenier than to get a tattoo IN the country!?

[VXZZZZZZ]

Well, once again, it depends on how good the artists is, and if he or she is serious about their art or if they are just in the work for a buck, so to speak...I now live in Arizona, USA, and have seen many people here who are doing tattoos when they should go back to art school or back to drawing stick figures for a living...it's scarey to think that some of these people put tattoos on other people's bodies!!!

Where abouts do you live Gina, what state or province? There are resources on how to find some place really good in your area, if you just google them, or if you check out the artist's websites they normally have an online portfolio on there of their art.

The guy who did my back and my arm piece I had known for many years, and he had apprenticed to a man who owned his own tattoo shop for two years before he had done even one tattoo. In that two years, he had been copying and designing his own "FLASH", or the art work that goes onto people's bodies, as well as taking the time to purchase all his own equipment before he started, so that he never had to use some one else's.

When he was ready to do his first tattoo, he called me and asked me if I wanted to be his Guinea Pig...lmfao...in retrospect that is kind of humorous, in the slanderous sense...lol....anyways, he asked me to be his first tattoo subject, and I said yes because I had been wanting to get a tat for a long time at that point.

I had a basic design in mind, and I looked through the flash that he had, and chose one piece to base the rest of my work off of. The basic design was small, about 3 inches long by 1 and 1/2 inches wide...that took all of an hour to do, but it was not sufficient for my needs...I needed it be bigger...the design said "I am not done yet, do not close me off", so I left it open for more work to be done...after 4 years and 28 hours total put into my arm band the design finally said "I am happy now. I am done."

It's strange how sometimes when you are working on a tattoo the design seems to take on a life of it's own...it ceases to become "just a tattoo" and becomes a living and breathing part of your soul that you are bearing to the world...

Once again, just my opinion on that though...


Here is a picture of what my arm piece looks like now, after all that work...it needs a few touch ups, as all pieces inevitably will, but you can at least see what it looks like...


Vince

[nuccia]

Vince, you have me curious. Where is the picture? I think you forgot the attachment or link.

[FDooks]

Aren't tattoos addicting?

On my left arm, I have a half "Italian" sleeve in the works.

I have the Sicilian Flag (3 arms of Sicily) as well as my ancient coat of arms. Next Saturday I am adding some scenery to it as well. (a canal scene with the boat and buildings in the background). I'll post up some pictures soon.

[wldspirit]

When I got my first, I swore that was it...I ended up with three!!

But I seriously regret one of them.....hence my advice to really know the artist and his work....

wldspirit

[nuccia]

Lee..you will have to send me a picture of your tatoos some time. Am dying to see them. Let me guess..one is a Harley?

[wldspirit]

But of course.... That one is on the small of my back, major ouch!!
I have a rosary as well as a guardian angel, all in places which can be easily hidden!!
Will have to send you a picture.....
Lee