Ishmal

for about a year now, i've been thinkin about getting a tattoo.
i don't want anything silly that i will grow out of like a ICP "Hatchetman" (my fav band)
i've been thinking of a dragon, or some other mythical creature. does anyone have any good designs for a dragon or something simalar?

i'm also open to what people think of tattoos...

would you employ someone that has one on their arm? i'm only 18 now so i gotta think about my future job options. my current boss says hes not weary about it because he has them... but some employers might be.

what are the views of the people in TFP?

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"Despite the high cost of living, it remains popular."

Carno

Don't get anything that is visible when wearing a short sleeved shirt and shorts.

If they can't see it then it doesn't matter.

Squishor

My personal view has always been that I never wanted to tattoo anything on myself because I didn't know if I'd still want it 10, 20, 30 years down the road. So I don't have any tattoos and now that it's 10 or 20 years down the road, boy am I glad!!

MSD

Get something meaningful, not just something that looks cool. Get it done in henna first, and in 6 months, see if you're still just as happy with it. If you want designs, ask in Tilted Artwork and someone might spare some time to help you out.

Hirare

Some employers may base judgements on your character off what they can see. It's the same reason people wear suits to interviews. If you look presentable they will be more likely to take you seriously. But you can still get it on the upper arm or shoulder or somewhere that would be covered 90% of the time if you are worried about it.

As for what to get for a tattoo, I've thought of getting one, but have never found anything meaningful that I wanted to etch into my skin. I have a friend who got his Frat symbols on his upper arm and a picture of lake Superior (he's lived in Duluth for 4+ years and is a very outdoors person) on his shoulder blade. When he wears a t-shirt you can't really see it, but if he wears a tank top or takes off his shirt in the summer they are very visible.

Find something you will want to wear for the next 20 or so years. If you decide once you get old that you really don't like it anymore you can always get it removed, but if you get something that seems that seems cool at the moment and regret it a year from now it's a big waste of money and a bunch of pain for nothing.

Carno

When I join the Marine Corps I'm getting a tattoo of wings on my left pec muscle. Right behind where they'll be on my uniform.

paj

if u want examples, www.bmezine.com

Stick

I've got a Japanese style tattoo on my right arm from wrist to shoulder. The left arm has some celtic tattoos and I'll be filling in the rest of that arm with ink soon. Then across the top of my shoulders, front and back.
I'm the boss and I don't give a fuck what other people think, anyway.

merkerguitars

When I get one it will probably be on my back (hideable but not to hideable). Just don't do like 90% of young people do. Most as soon as they move out of the house they have to get a tattoo to rebel and they will get a tattoo of anything. The worst I can imagine is all the college students having to get all these "asian" symbols. Just remember take your time and find something you want, you'll be way happier. It took me about 4 years to think of a tattoo I wanted. And I know i'll be satisfied.

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Zeraph

Just make sure it's not something cliche or something that could become cliche. Make sure it has personal meaning and make sure it in some way betters your life. Otherwise what's the point?

Ishmal

hmmm...

everyone seems to be saying the same thing... take ALOT of time to think about it...
well thanx for all the suggestions. i guess i'll keep thinking, maybe make a list of what is important to me and see if its still a good list in a few months. thanx again.

and all new suggestions will be appreciated.

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"Despite the high cost of living, it remains popular."

StephenSa

Not a big fan of tattoos. My wife has a large one of a dragon on her shoulder and it really turns me off. She got it after we got married, there was little I could do. I don't think my opinion really mattered. Beyond just not liking them, I never wanted any more identifying marks on my person than necessary. I did a lot of things at 18 I'd never do now so if you have ANY doubt, don't do it. Otherwise its your body only you can decide.

WillyPete

IMO, if you get your design from a book of tattoos then you've done it for the wrong reason.
I consider a good tattoo to be one that causes the viewer to ask questions. It's a personalisation, not a label.

hiredgun

Everybody has said it, but I'll say it again just for good measure: be very, very sure you want it.

Also, I absolutely second the suggestion to get it done somewhere where it can easily be hidden. It may seem stupid, but having a conspicuous tattoo will definitely affect people's perceptions about your professionalism. But if it's not always visible, then no harm, no foul.

vox_rox

I've had a tattoo for a long time, and I want more, but that is because I really wanted it/them. If you just think you MIGHT want one, stop and think about why you're saying that. Do you REALLY want one. Will it have some important meaning to you, now and later.

Don't get me wroong, I like tattoos and I like tattos on me and others. But I also know people who regret getting tattoos, and that would be a shame.

Make sure you want one, find someone good who can make you proud to have it, then be a living peice of art.

Pierre

Slavakion

Personally, I wouldn't care about tattoos if the persona was capable of acting like a professional. But most people don't feel that way.

How about M.C. Escher's Metamorphosis circling your body? Never seen it before.

Ishmal

WHOA!!!

i had to do a google search on " M.C. Escher's Metamorphosis" but that is wicked... might hurt a bit getting it all the way around my body... but they are really cool pictures! thanx for opening my eyes Slavakion.

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"Despite the high cost of living, it remains popular."

Snoogans

I got my first tattoo the day after my 18th birthday.
I knew what I wanted but I hadn't chosen a specific image, I just went down to the tattoo-parlor and said "I want a skull".
Two months later I was there again, this time with an image I had found a few weeks earlier "I want something kinda like this".
I have six tattoos so far, and five of them has been done with a minimal amount of thinking it through, wheying the pros and cons, worriyng about if I'd still like them 10, 20, 30 years down the road. The only reason I waited a year before I did my forearm was that I couldn't afford to do it when I first found it.
The first three tattoos I got didn't have any special meaning to me before I got them, but the way I got them made them special, they show who I am.
If I want to do something, I do it without worrying about the consequenses.
I'd rather regret the things I did than having regrets about what wanted to do, and didn't.


This is what I see every day in the mirror, and I have no regrets whatsoever.
Closeups are to be seen in the "Post your tattoo" thread in Tilted Portraits.

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Internet hint: If someone's asking if what they do is weird, it always is.

tropple

I got drunk and got a USN tattoo while on bootcamp leave long ago. On reflection, I think it was a bad idea.

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Grasshopper Green

I have two tattoos. The first one I got five years ago and I still love it. The second I got two years ago and still love it. Neither of them have extreme personal meaning to me; I liked the way both look and they both suit my personality. I am planning on getting a third though that has very special meaning to me. I have wanted this one for awhile but can't find the right design for it yet. I don't find tattoos a turn off, but I know quite a few people who do. As for advice on this, just like nearly everyone else has said, make sure it is something you really want to do.

As for the professional aspect, part of it probably depends on the field you are going into. No one sees mine at work and they never will, but they wouldn't care anyway. A lot of places probably don't want visible ones, but if it is on your back or upper shoulder/arm, no one is going to see it anyway.

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Cadwiz

The only tattoo I every considered getting was a "meat tag". I ended up not getting one. It is a dog tag tattoo on your side under the left arm. You could get them at about any shop around town for about $5. I have seen too many people with tattoo remorse after they see 20 other people with the same artwork in the same place. Not very individualistic.

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Semper Fi

yellowchef

I actually spent most of high school contemplating mine on the suggestion/drawing of a friend. My nickname is "lildevil" and I wanted to be a chef(now I am one!) and so she combined the 2 and drew me a little devil with a chefs knife instead of the pitchfork. I finally got it over a year ago and I love it. Its on my back so its hidden from anyone who need not see it.. and then when I took it to my artist(I met him through a friend who is a tattoo enthusist) he LOVED it. I got it.. and Im happy, but I dont know that Id get anymore.. I want to but I dont know where Id put them, and Im almost ashamed(but why should I be, Im really Japanese) to go in and ask for love, life and perserverance in symbols..because everyone gets them

so just think about it.. make sure..

my mom is always scratching at it to make it go away..... so........ think twice.

and no I didnt do it to rebel.. my parents are pretty liberal with things, they dont like it but it didnt make me drop out of college or anything and I was 19 when I got it so I didnt run out and get it...

Peloquin

Ok, here is my 2 cents on the tatoo..... Do your research. Look for the type of artwork that you want. Then, visit a few tatoo parlors. Look at the books of artwork that the artists have done. Find an artist that you are comfortable with. If you have a job that you are in contact with the public or conservative get one where it can be covered fairly easily. A good tatoo artist will answer any concerns you have. Just take your time and find something that is right for YOU.

toverfie

I have no tattooes....I've heard it's painful....pain is bad.....fun is good

Glory's Sun

pain is all in the mind.. and to be honest I'm quite fond of pain

as far as tats go.. put some time and thought into it. If you sorta know what you like and where you want it, then ask the tat artist to put the flash on you and make sure you like it.. it washes off..so you can wear it around for a few hours and see what you really think.

indigochild111

I knew what I wanted for a tattoo since I was 14. My mother gave me this beautiful celtic pendant the day of my first real big musical performance. It was for creativity and inspiration. I always wore it for good luck. To me it was a significant symbol and I know that I won't regret it. I have it right above my shoulder blades in the middle of my back. I think it's beautiful. The really awesome thing was I actually got my tattoo with my mom, so it was like this mother-daughter bonding thing (her first tattoo too)

Bodhi

I have a Japenese dragon wrapped around an orchid as a symbol of condradictions. Power vs delicacy, Plant vs animal, male vs female etc. I think it's cool. Had it for about 13 years and still love it.

fhqwhgads

Ya know, I didn't think I'd enjoy it as much as I did, but I was kinda disappointed when he was done.

jfelco

to each is their own. find something you like and can live with and get it.

brinkn1

Have you considered getting a Taz tattoo? Looney Toons were all the rage in the early nineties...

I got my first tattoo about a month ago, I have been wanting one for so long. It kicks ass and I know I'll never regret it. I have this gnarly scar on my shoulder from a surgery, and it looks like a worm. Instead of sewing the wound shut, the doctor stapled it, and the staples left all these little scars that look like legs.

Since it looks so much like a millipede, on my opposite shoulder I got a millipede tattoo to mirror my scar. I love it because I know it's a one of a kind and nobody can ever copy it (unless they want to give themselves a massive scar), and I also love bugs. (I know, millipedes are not technically bugs)...

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Antikarma

I'm a patriot. I know I want a tatoo, I've decided that. I know I want something that screams Canadian (though in a conspicous place where business clothes will cover it). I'd have to say the only thing stopping me is I haven't found the right IMAGE that I want. Some may say thats a sign that I'm doing it for the wrong reasons, I disagree. I know what I want, I just don't know how to say it.

Think hard, I thought for years before I decided. But, if you want one you will get one, just be sure of how you do it

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"Whoever you are, go out into the evening,
leaving your room, of which you know each bit;
your house is the last before the infinite,
whoever you are."

Psycho Dad

I talked to a tattoo artist once and he said he will never tattoo a drunk person. One for the reason you cited and another because alcohol thins the blood and makes it difficult for him to work.

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Don't always trust the opinions of experts.

st33lr4t

i have a polynesian design on my lower back i got a couple years back. it doesnt mean anything but i still like it. my next two tats should be getting done in the coming months, they both having meaning and both going on my arm.

i would highly suggest you get something either with meaning, or something orginal.

Bryndian_Dhai

I have seven tattoos. I got my first tattoo for my 20th birthday, and my last one for my 33rd birthday a couple of months ago. (You can see pix of 6 of the 7 here)

I grew up in an "alternative" lifestyle.... My folks were bikers, and all their friends were, too. Every single person I knew growing up (with the ironic exception of my parents, go figure) had tattoos. I knew several artists and have never seen tattoos as a "rebellious" thing. However, I am (rather painfully) aware that not everyone shares my point of view about tattoos and other body mods. My seven tattoos are all in places where they can, for the most part, be displayed if I want them to be, and covered if it is necessary that I cover them. My art, and my method of expressing it, is personal and should never be inflicted on anyone who doesn't share my appreciation. Just like I'd rather not have their religious/political/whatever views inflicted on me. It's simply good form, imho.

Every single piece of art on my body has particular significance to me. Most of them involved meticulous, careful searches for art after I had dreamed the concept. Sometimes, after I've found the perfect piece of art, I dream about it's placement on my body.

I'm currently in school, trying to get a degree in English so that I can teach. Once I've found a job in a school, I might think about expanding my body canvas to include my arms and other more visible places.

Good luck finding what you want, and kudos to you for the thought and care you are putting into it. Tattoos aren't for everyone.

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Jelorian

Here is a link to a bunch of dragon tattoos.

http://www.draconian.com/artwork/tattoos/tattoos.htm

Like others have said, it can't hurt to put it somewhere easily hidden if you are concerned about future employers impressions on you. It sucks that some people think that way but its just the way it is. If you have no problem or don't care what other people think then put it anywhere you want. Just remember that although there are ways to remove them, its probably more painful and it takes more time.

Work with the tattoo artist and make an original piece. Don't pick out of a book.

Good luck.
Good luck.

Ishmal

WOW. thanx for all the replys ppl... and thanx for the links.

i guess i'll have to go and c some of the tattooists(spelling???) in town and c they're work!!!
my mate just got a tattoo. 2dice bettween his thumb and finger. he says it has no meaning it was just something he wanted... no regrets yet but its only bn there a month or so.

thanx again for all ur suggestions, and thanx in advance for any other replys!

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"Despite the high cost of living, it remains popular."

Faygo

Don't get flash it's the stuff you pick out from books and walls.

Get a custom design from the artist. It's going to be expensive but a tattoo is going to be on you for the rest of your life. Not the right time to be cheap.

I want a custom koi. I've gotten it priced out from 700 to 1,000. Which is the reason why I don't have a custom koi on my shoulder.

shaggs_manoa

Okay, got 4, neck (below collar line), back, left arm, and right leg.

Not real hot on the back because I can't see it. Forget it is there sometimes.
Neck was one me and wife got together (smallest but my fav) can't see it but I see hers and it's way sexier than a wedding band.
Left arm is an armband (all the way around or nothing don't wimp out on the inside of the arm!) stops where a short sleeve dress shirt does. I'm in the Air Force so it can't show below uniform.
Right leg is a huge dragon (22 inches from nose to tail)

Best thing about all of them....noone else has them! All were custom drawn by my artist and shredded after she put them on me. I HIGHLY suggest the same. Nothing is more annoying than that same lame ass panther/tiger/lion clawing its way up/down a guy's arm/chest/back. Pay the extra couple of bucks to have the artist do a custom piece, you'll be much happier and the tat will be that much more special.

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Ishmal

now THAT is a tattoo!

LOL.

is it coloured??

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"Despite the high cost of living, it remains popular."

RolandGilead

If you are worried about what your future boss will say about your tattoo, then you are not the right guy for one, IMHO.