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Need Tattoo Advice!
Going to get a pearl jam tattoo after my wedding in September. Why after the wedding? So my dad won't see it and end my life, of course. 26 or not, what Dad says, goes.
I have a ton of questions, need advice on what to get, where, what to expect, etc. Any and all advice appreciated. Whatever I do get, will be all black. No colors.
What I'm thinking of getting:
1. a guy in a parachute, like this. Our first dance, wedding song is Parachutes. And I like that song in general.
2. The Evolution.. logo? Sans the Pearl Jam words.
3. The lyrics 'The smallest oceans still get... big, big waves.' somehow artistically imposed.
Can't decide on which of those! I'm leaning toward #2 or 3. Thoughts?
How do I decide where to get it? Will it hurt insanely? Location wise I was thinking of my foot, but I heard that hurts, a lot, so I'm thinking between my shoulder blades. Or will that hurt a whole lot too? I'm a girl btw. I know that makes a difference in where I should get it. Tramp stamp is a no go.
thanks in advance. I've seen the facebook album of tattoo pictures, all very, very cool.
I have a ton of questions, need advice on what to get, where, what to expect, etc. Any and all advice appreciated. Whatever I do get, will be all black. No colors.
What I'm thinking of getting:
1. a guy in a parachute, like this. Our first dance, wedding song is Parachutes. And I like that song in general.
2. The Evolution.. logo? Sans the Pearl Jam words.
3. The lyrics 'The smallest oceans still get... big, big waves.' somehow artistically imposed.
Can't decide on which of those! I'm leaning toward #2 or 3. Thoughts?
How do I decide where to get it? Will it hurt insanely? Location wise I was thinking of my foot, but I heard that hurts, a lot, so I'm thinking between my shoulder blades. Or will that hurt a whole lot too? I'm a girl btw. I know that makes a difference in where I should get it. Tramp stamp is a no go.
thanks in advance. I've seen the facebook album of tattoo pictures, all very, very cool.
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My first Pearl Jam tattoo is on my right calf. Not only is there a stickman but lyrics to Oceans. This tatto took just over 2 hrs and had little pain.
My second tattoo was the tiki art from Dumbgun's Hawaii CCFA print, which I absolutely love! This one is on the front of my left leg, took 4 hours, and was probably one of the most painful things I have ever endured. Still glad I did it
Again tattoo's are all about you!!!
it's hard to say. it's one of the most personal choices you'll ever make. I have always wanted the Alive stickman. Of course, that is the most inked PJ tattoo there is, but I don't care, as that song literally saved my life when it came out. And has inspired me in ways I could never imagine ever since. You could always do something PJ-ish and put a personal spin on it. For instance, I just came up with an idea for my first tattoo that I thought would be pretty cool. You know the Smashing Pumpkins logo?
My daughter's names are Sam and Kate, so I was just going to change the "P" part of the logo into a "K", and there you have it. But again, whatever you do, just do it for you, and nobody else.
Fargo 2003
Winnipeg 2005
Winnipeg 2011
St. Paul 2014
Damn, had a hole book written out and just erased it... I guess I'll start over...
First, to the above, nice work. That art really pops.
To the OP:
I've had a lot of work done. And can share a few thoughts:
To begin: Don't start with the top of your foot. I've had all the usable area on my left foot tattooed, and let me tell you, it was the worst pain I've had so far. It made the inside of my upper quad seem like a cake walk. As well, the foot is a pain in the ass for healing up properly. I've had my ankle area touched up 3 times now and it still isn't quite perfect.... but I'm not going back to try again anytime soon. The outside of your bicep is supposed to be the most comfortable area to get tattooed (haven't done it yet), and the upper part of your back is alright (but stay away from your ribcage, front or back).
Next, I would say, the art is all in the eye of the beholder... however, you shouldn't go into your artist with your image set-in-stone. If you pick a good artist, they will know all kinds of little improvements that can be made to make the tattoo come out better. If they have been tattooing a while, they know their medium, and you should trust them. A good artist will always do a good job, make sure you check out their portfolio and his/her art and the quality of his/her work is up to snuff. Also, don't be thrown off by a stencil. A lot of times the stencil won't look the best, but by the time the artist is finished it looks amazing...
Also, I would advise you to make sure that you connect with your artist. You want someone that you can hang out with for X amount of hours and still tolerate. I've been to a bunch of artists, and now I just have one guy that I go to, and he does all my work. We get along real well, and he knows my tastes... and his pricing for new work keeps getting lower cause we have a history. I started going exclusively to him after I had a real bad experience with an artist elsewhere. I did a 4 hour sit with this one artist and at the end of it I was ready to throttle her... she was a real bitch and made my experience terrible to the point where I am considering covering it up...
Finally, and most importantly: DON'T CHEAP OUT!!! if you have something that you really like, but it costs too much, either save it and come back when you have enough, but don't settle for something you don't want... you will regret it. All of my work is custom and I love it all to pieces. I have friends who can't stand a lot of their work years later, just because they know they comprimised and settled on something they didn't love.
If you've got any questions, feel free to PM me... in the meantime I'll see if I can take a few pics of some of my ink for you.... I have one PJ tattoo, but like all my stuff it's not a carbon copy of the PJ imagery it's based on... I always give my guy a free hand to play with it how he wants....
cheers,
shep
i agree with shep on this one. do not (under any circumstances) go cheap. go to a shop where you can get a consultation and talk to the artist and ask to see the drawing before they put it on you. also. never everevereverever feel pressured into getting it done. if it doesn't look EXACTLY the way you want it to look then ask them to change it. any artist worth a damn will change whatever you want.
Anyway I've got 2 other tattoos & re the pain I just wanted to say for me it/they hurt like FKN unbelieveably!!!!!!!!!!!!! The way I describe it is imagine a red hot needle going into your arm(or shoulder or leg, or wherevare you're having the tattoo...., going right through & coming out the ther side! I hope that creates a picture of something that hurts a lot coz it really really does!!! But then like I said I've got 2 so it obviously didn't really put me off.
JM2CW.
PJ - Auckland 2009; Alpine Valley1&2 2011; Man1, Am'dam1&2, Berlin1&2, Stockholm, Oslo & Copenhagen 2012; LA, Oakland, Portland, Spokane, Calgary, Vancouver, Seattle 2013; Auckland 2014
EV - Canberra, Newcastle & Sydney 1&2 2011
Everyone also owns a tv, a pair of jeans, has internet connection, listens to music, etc. etc.
You should continue your rebel streak and give all that up, too. Go against the grain!
+1 for no tattoo, but ultimately it is your body, do what you want.
Up to now, I hadn't even thought of the cost of it. I assumed it would be a lot.
Do any of you know about fading? I was going to go with just solid black, is there a better, longer lasting color I should go with? Also, what of hypoallergenic colors? Are all of them formulated to be hypoallergenic? I have a few wacky allergies (bananas for example), want to make sure I'm covering all my bases.
Thanks again everyone. I'm looking forward to getting my ink
Directly between your shoulder blades shouldn't be too bad... but be aware, your spine is going to be fairly sensitive (more so than the meat of your shoulders, but no where near as bad as your foot
Anything and everything will fade with time. There is no such thing as a fade proof tattoo. A solid black will stay deeper, longer, but it's all relative. I have a lot of colour, and it has all kept very well to date. Just make sure you cover it up with sunscreen whenever you have it exposed in direct sunlight for extended periods of time. Sunlight is your tattoo's worst enemy (unless you are someone who spends time in a tanning bed, then that is your worst enemy and I would advise against a tattoo altogether because tanning beds will destory work).
Most artists will have a set of inks that they work with, and again, they will know their inks well if they are good at what they do. I wouldn't recommend asking an artist to use a specific type of inks, as it will probably take them out of their comfort zone, and may shade in ways they are not used to and distort the tattoo.
As for allergies, I think you should be ok, but ask. Most all the inks that artists use now-a-days are hypo-allergnic... however, if you stumble into a very staunch traditionalist, you may run into any artist who still uses metallic inks, and these are not so good for you. But, there are very few of these people left (i've yet to encounter one, and unless you're getting tattooed in Japan, it's not going to be an issue), as most have switched to modern inks, so I wouldn't worry about it a whole lot.
Cheers,
shep
Thanks again! :geek:
As far as location goes, I would think long and hard about how visible you want it to be. Because of my current job and future jobs I'd like to have, I had to make sure I got it someplace that is pretty much always covered by normal clothes. So, I got mine on my hip. It's always covered, but it's still easy enough to show people without have to expose any naughty parts.
Also, in regards to after care, trust me on this one (and I'm sure that shep will agree) you will get a different opinion about what is the best aftercare from almost every single person you talk to. It can drive you nuts because aftercare can play a big part in how good your tattoo eventually looks and you want to make sure you're doing the best thing. Mostly, the point is to keep it clean and lightly moiturized and you should be good.
Columbus, OH 5/6/10
Cincinnati, OH 10/1/14
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So true... It used to drive me nuts everytime I went to a different artist they would recommend different aftercare... even the artist I work with consistantly has changed his recommendation over the years... it's crazy.
However, what I would say to you, being that this is your first tattoo, do what the artist recommends. There are so many suggestions people have out there, and ultimately it all depends on what works best with your body. Being that this is your first tattoo, you don't know that yet, so I would highly recommend sticking with what the artist tells you.
Personally, I'm a really slow healer. My ink usually takes anywhere from 8-11 days to completely heal up and the scab to peel off. Most people usually heal up a lot quicker. The important things:
Don't pick or scratch at the scab, let it peel away naturally (picking or scratching will actually create light and dark spots in the tattoo).
Monitor the scab - if it starts getting really thick, try washing it a little more frequently (not scrubbing it, but lightly soaping and letting the water run over it) to loosen up the scab.
Do not apply vasoline after the bleeding has stopped! Vasoline has no healing properties and artists only use it as a protective barrier while the bleeding stops.
Try not to sleep on the healing skin.
Do not go out drinking for the next 24 hours of so.... your body will thank you for it and heal up much faster. (I once had a tattoo done in the middle of a 4 day bender... it didn't do so well and it was my own stupid fault.)
Other than that, there's not really much I can tell you. What works best for me:
Go home after the tattoo, rest for about 4-6 hours, then hop in the shower, take off the bandaging, and lightly soap off the vasoline. Allow the tattoo to breath for the next for the next 12-24 hours, until it is dry to the touch, then use a light amount of moisturizer (typically I use Aveno, but DO NOT USE ANYTHING WITH ALOE CAUSE IT WILL BURN LIKE ALL FUCKING HELL). Wash 1-2 times a day and reapply moisturizer while the scab heels and peels... then continue moisturing until I feel the skin is all healed up!
8/15/92, 9/28/96, 8/28/98, 8/29/98, 9/18/98, 8/3/00, 8/9/00, 8/10/00, 8/23/00, 8/25/00, 9/1/00, 9/2/00, 4/28/03, 6/18/03, 7/5/03, 7/6/03, 10/1/04, 10/3/05, 6/19/08, 10/27/09, 10/31/09, 5/21/10, 9/3/11, 9/4/11, 10/21/13
More to Come....
Just wanted to reiterate that you should def be comfortable w/the artist & place itself & totally agree that any artist will be willing to work w/you to help you get exactly what you want but sometimes this does mean allowing them to work w/your original design. Took me a long time to finally decide what/where I wanted mine. Made it small & just black for my 1st. I work in an elementary school so didn't want anything to "jump out" but am also not a fan of getting something that I can't see & thereby enjoy. I ended up on inside of my left wrist w/"smile" written in script as it's one of my fav songs as well as nickname/name here. The artist worked w/it a bit & ended up liking his version better than what I had in mind. Anyway did not feel it was too painful @ all & I love it!!!!-no regrets! That's why I hope to add one or 2 more. Next one I hope to be more colorful & incorporate sun design & "opening band for the sun" lyric &/or waves-stickman & "riding high amonst the waves" lyric. Also maybe some reference to PJ Spectrum shows (a Philly area girl here) &/or MSG shows since I am still ridin my high from them!
Anyway best of luck to ya-just stick to what you really want & take yer time/don't be rushed into deciding. It'll be w/ya for a long time
'03-Philly Spectrum 4/28, Camden 7/5, Hershey 7/12
'06-Camden 5/28
'08-Camden 6/20
'09-Closing Down the Philly Spectrum! 10/28, 10/30, & the Epic 10/31
'09-EV Solo Tower Theater, Upper Darby, PA6/12
'10-MSG1& MSG2, New York City, 5-20 & 5/21
That's the kinda support
that has me hooked on this board.
Cheers all around.
For my 18th birthday in October I'll be getting my first tattoo (PJ related), and I'll definitely keep in mind all the things I read here.
And thanks for that link- definitely very informative!
~not a dude~
2010: MSGx2
2012: Made In America
2013: Pittsburgh, Brooklynx2, Hartford, Baltimore
2014: Leeds, Milton Keynes, Detroit
2015: Global Citizen Festival
2016: Phillyx2, MSGx2, Fenwayx2
2018: Barcelona, Wrigleyx2
Red, yellow orange colors fade quick... I just had my AIC sun recolored. Closer to bone is more pain. I use neosporin afterwards and I never let it dry out and scab...that is bad and the ink comes out and it will fade quicker. I've got 5 tatts so far and it hasn't failed me yet. I like the parachute idea! Dimitri has a nice tattoo page going on face book make sure you send it to him!
What works for you, works for you, but I've never heard of someone have a good result using neosporin. That stuff actually will wash the colour out of your tattoos.
I have plenty of red, yellow, and orange on my body, none of which I would call faded. The oldest of which is over 8 years old now.
I'm also curious how you don't let it scab? Scabbing over is a natural process that happens with any and all tattoos. I have well over a third of my body tattooed, and every one of them has scabbed and peeled off.
Here's a couple of pics of my older work... I'll have to take a fresh pic of the PJ related tattoo...
http://i1009.photobucket.com/albums/af2 ... tomach.jpg
http://i1009.photobucket.com/albums/af2 ... omach2.jpg
http://i1009.photobucket.com/albums/af2 ... C_0709.jpg
(keep in mind with this second pic the light spots in the heart were part of the design - the camera doesn't seem to have captured it quite right...)
I'll see what else I can post up tomorrow for anyone interested....
Before I forget, how long does it take a tattoo to heal? Like, until its totally ready to go. Trying to plan out the exact day I should get it among holidays and travel and whatnot. Thanks!
It depends mostly on you, but it also has to do with how heavy the artist tattoos. By heavy referring to what frequency he uses on his/her machine and how hard he presses on your skin. Generally the more heavy (i.e. higher frequency and the more he/she presses) the deeper the ink will set, and the more color will stay in your skin, so you get a darker more fade resistant tattoo. As well, typically artists who tattoo heavier will tattoo faster, cause they get the ink in quicker. The down side of this is that if your artist has a "heavy hand" the tattooing process is going to hurt a little more, and typically you will be sore (muscle and bones) for a little longer.
But, back to the question: most people, provided you're not doing a massive tattoo and you give your body some opportunity to rest, will heal over in 5-7 days. I'm atypical in that it takes me a little longer - usually 9-11 days... again the healing is largely dependent on your body and how it reacts, and the stresses you put in through in the days following the tattoo.