I want to get a tattoo but I could use some advice and some ideas

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Hylian

Hylian

I am thinking about getting a tattoo but I am unsure of exactly what I should get a tattoo of and I am unsure on what exactly I should be on the look out for as far as where to go and how much it may cost. Whatever tattoo I get I would prefer to keep it somewhere I can have covered up (for work).

I also have been torn on what to get a tattoo of. I want to get something that appeals to my nerdy/geeky nature but I have so many hobbies and interests that I feel completely lost on where to start so any suggestions or advice on designs would also be appreciative.

Thanks in advance for your time and help :)



*edit*

To narrow down what kind of tattoo I was thinking about

Legend of Zelda
Pokemon
Avatar: The Last Airebender
Video games in general actually
Anime (Ghibli films , Fullmetal Alchemist,Gurren Lagann, etc)
Star Trek


That doesn't mean I am against any other suggestions these are just the ones I have been thinking about.


*edit*

Here are couple of tattoos I saw that I liked to give a further idea of what I was thinking of

http://i.imgur.com/wxglL87.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/Wik0IMY.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/wHpM7nn.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/k3qySwN.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/5PgOy8Y.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/g7fMKNI.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/BRsxilX.png

http://i.imgur.com/TDhKVVq.png

http://i.imgur.com/zBm2gsS.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/49Z3Gmq.jpg
 
Chad Sexington

Chad Sexington

Think about it for five minutes, take a shot, first thing you see is the tattoo, go to the first tattoo shop in walking distance and then do it. FOOLPROOF[DOUBLEPOST=1363889970][/DOUBLEPOST]Okay. So, more seriously.

Find a design you love, and keep it somewhere at work or at your desk at home that you'll see it for hours a day. Still like looking at it after a week? Two? Start thinking about where you would want it placed, both strategically if you have to cover it up, and personally/aesthetically. I can't really help you on design, since "geeky nature" covers an immense area of ground. I can say, "Get a 20-sided die on your wrist, cover it with a watch at work." but if you don't play dice games, well, that's useless :p

Meantime, you research tattoo shops. Call them up, talk to people, view their portfolios online and in person. LOOK AT TATOOS/PHOTOS OF TATTOOS THAT ARE HEALED. I cannot emphasise this enough. Fresh tattoos often look vivid and excellent, even when they're not done especially well. Look at healed tattoos. Look at healed tattoos. Look at healed tattoos.

If you have transportation, look outside of city, or even outside of state. You might find stronger tattoo culture and tattoo shops in other cities that aren't too far away.[DOUBLEPOST=1363890045][/DOUBLEPOST]And keep that design hanging in your sight for like... a month. Maybe two. Make sure you ain't tired of looking at it.

Also if you're the type to get seriously regretful and feel embarrassed/ashamed of past choices, tattoos may not be for you.
 
Hylian

Hylian

Chad Sexington said:
Think about it for five minutes, take a shot, first thing you see is the tattoo, go to the first tattoo shop in walking distance and then do it. FOOLPROOF[DOUBLEPOST=1363889970][/DOUBLEPOST]Okay. So, more seriously.

Find a design you love, and keep it somewhere at work or at your desk at home that you'll see it for hours a day. Still like looking at it after a week? Two? Start thinking about where you would want it placed, both strategically if you have to cover it up, and personally/aesthetically. I can't really help you on design, since "geeky nature" covers an immense area of ground. I can say, "Get a 20-sided die on your wrist, cover it with a watch at work." but if you don't play dice games, well, that's useless :p

Meantime, you research tattoo shops. Call them up, talk to people, view their portfolios online and in person. LOOK AT TATOOS/PHOTOS OF TATTOOS THAT ARE HEALED. I cannot emphasise this enough. Fresh tattoos often look vivid and excellent, even when they're not done especially well. Look at healed tattoos. Look at healed tattoos. Look at healed tattoos.

If you have transportation, look outside of city, or even outside of state. You might find stronger tattoo culture and tattoo shops in other cities that aren't too far away.[DOUBLEPOST=1363890045][/DOUBLEPOST]And keep that design hanging in your sight for like... a month. Maybe two. Make sure you ain't tired of looking at it.

Also if you're the type to get seriously regretful and feel embarrassed/ashamed of past choices, tattoos may not be for you.
Click to expand...
I added more details to my first post about what type of geeky/nerdy things I was thinking about. Also I like the idea of looking at the design constantly for a month or so. As far as being embarrassed about past choices I do have things I am embarrassed about in my past but none of it is due doing geeky/nerdy things. My nerdiness and geekiness is something I have come to accept a long time ago. :)
 
strawman

strawman

You should get a blue arrow on your head, as in avatar, then shave when you want people to see it.

Or, as I suggest in the GPS tracking thread, tattoo a sundial around your gnomon.
 
Gared

Gared

I'll check with my wife as soon as she's done with the training class she's running and is off of DND; she's had a couple of tattoos done in Seattle, and while one of them is a bit old and faded (it's probably 15 years old now, if not older), the one she got 14 years ago of a dragon down her calf still looks great, and the line work is really nice. We have several other friends who've had work done at that studio and all of theirs looked good too, I just don't know the name of the place.

You do still live in the area, right?

Scratch that - she didn't have her work done in Seattle. But she has heard good things about Slave to the Needle.
 
Gusto

Gusto

My first inclination is that if you want a tattoo but don't know of what, you don't really want a tattoo badly enough.

I'm kind of the same way. I'm not against the ide of getting tattooed I just can't think of anything I like enough to have marked on my body forever.
 
Hylian

Hylian

I have been thinking about it on and off for a few years now. Part of it is that I want to find something I will love since it is pretty much permanent but it is also since there are so many designs that I like. I was thinking of starting out with something small and kind of out of the way (shoulder,back,etc) and seeing how I like it.
 
Squidleybits

Squidleybits

Chad's advice is excellent. And a wrist tattoo can easily be covered with a watch or a suit jacket at work. (That's what I do) Something on your foot as well depending on the type of shoes you wear.

Are you a Super Mario fan?
 
Zappit

Zappit

Staff member
Pokemon, eh? Have you seen my Miscellanious thread in the artist forum? If you decide to go that way, go check out that thread. Then we should talk.
 
Hylian

Hylian

I was thinking of maybe something along the line of one of the following images on my upper arm






And then having a word or a phrase in Hylian underneath it

 
Chad Sexington

Chad Sexington

My vote (for what it is worth. It's your body, so my vote should be worth nothing really :D) is for the first, pixely one. I don't like the placement of young/old Link in the second, and I have a longstanding hate of the art style in the third. I like the fourth one quite a bit as well.
 
Gared

Gared

Yeah... it kind of looks like old Link is trying to very angrily skull fuck young Link in the second one.
 
Hylian

Hylian

I think I will look at the 8-bit link/shadow link and the young Link drawing the master sword as well as maybe this one for awhile and see how I feel in a few weeks (although I will still keep an eye out for other possible designs as well). If I do go with a Zelda tattoo with Hylian text underneath I wonder what text would work well underneath it. My initial thought would be a quote like maybe


Never fear shadows. They simply mean there's a light shining somewhere nearby

There is strong shadow where there is much light.

There is a shadow on every page.

True legends will span through time



But I am a little worried that those are too long and would distract especially if they are written in Hylian. Maybe something short along the lines of


Legendary

Timeless

Link

Hero of Time

Courage

Hylian Knight

A legend reborn

Hero of Legend
 
Hylian

Hylian

I am not sure what size would be the best. I was thinking if I did decide to get the tattoo I would get it on my upper arm that way I can have it covered if I need too. From my shoulder blade to my elbow is about 12" give or take an inch so somewhere in that size range most likely.


Also if anyone has any ideas for a tattoo feel free to show me them.
 
Hylian

Hylian

For the 8-bit link which of these do you think looks better?


Original
Edit 1
Edit 2
Edit 3
Edit 4
And one last image I saw that I liked was this one


If I did use this one I could possibly put a song from the game underneath/above it ( something like this ) along with the Hylian text.
 
Ravenpoe

Ravenpoe

Hylian said:
For the 8-bit link which of these do you think looks better?


Original
Edit 1
Edit 2
Edit 3
Edit 4
And one last image I saw that I liked was this one


If I did use this one I could possibly put a song from the game underneath/above it ( something like this ) along with the Hylian text.
Click to expand...
Last one needs navi over shoulder.

With a HEY, LISTEN!
 
Hylian

Hylian

I think adding Navi to that last image would be really cool but I think the "HEY LISTEN!" would get a tad distracting. Although I must admit that "HEY LISTEN!" is my current notification sound whenever I get an email on my phone.
 
Chad Sexington

Chad Sexington

Hylian said:
I think adding Navi to that last image would be really cool but I think the "HEY LISTEN!" would get a tad distracting. Although I must admit that "HEY LISTEN!" is my current notification sound whenever I get an email on my phone.
Click to expand...
How have you not broken your phone.
 
GasBandit

GasBandit

Staff member
Hylian said:
I think adding Navi to that last image would be really cool but I think the "HEY LISTEN!" would get a tad distracting. Although I must admit that "HEY LISTEN!" is my current notification sound whenever I get an email on my phone.
Click to expand...
you could get one of those pressure sensitive microsound boards implanted in your skin under the Navi tattoo (they're like 4 square CM and about 1mm thick, , so as to fit into greeting cards), so that the tattoo will actually say "hey, listen!" when pressed.
 
Hylian

Hylian

Chad Sexington said:
How have you not broken your phone.
Click to expand...
It annoys me but it also gives me a huge dose of nostalgia at the same time so it kinda washes itself out.


GasBandit said:
you could get one of those pressure sensitive microsound boards implanted in your skin under the Navi tattoo (they're like 4 square CM and about 1mm thick, , so as to fit into greeting cards), so that the tattoo will actually say "hey, listen!" when pressed.
Click to expand...
As amusing as that would be I think I will skip that idea for now. :)




-------------------------------------------




With the Link with the Ocarina tattoo I was thinking of something like this

 
Yoshimickster

Yoshimickster

I am not sure if it is uncouth or not to use someone elses thread for their own purposes but whatevs. I'm thinking of a blockish question mark on my back, how many installments of that should I do? Cos I know it'll hurt like a mother-fucker I'm just wondering how much I should get on at a time.
 
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