I'm really eager to get this tattoo but i've looked through hundreds of sun pictures/tattoos and i don't like any of them. They are all either tribal, celtic or cheesy! with faces and flamelike bits coming off them. It's not what i want, but i can't really describe what i want. I want a realistic looking sun, so pretty much just the circle in like a white gold with the text around it. But i can't visualise it as a tattoo.
So i was thinking of just getting the quote, but if you're just getting wording WHERE is the best place to put it, and it has to be somewhere i can read it???
I thought the inside of my forearm, but i looked at some pics and it kind of looks like you scrawled a reminder note on yourself rather than a stylish tattoo if you know what i mean??
I was thinking of having the text as a ring around my upper arm, but my dh said he doesn't really like those ring style tattoos...
I can't think where else to put it, any ideas?
And any ideas how i can find a good pic of a sun? have even tried looking up sun drawings but not much luck!
Ideally i would love to get it on my side, but its a weight loss/gain area and i know i won't be this size forever. I've gone up and down so much over the years. I don't think its a safe place to put it.
I was going to suggest down your side - are you planning on having any more babies? If not, I don't think this will be a big problem for weight loss/gain. A friend of mine has a dragon down her side. The tip of it's tail stretched a little when she was pregnant (she gained 30kg), but still looks OK now. Her weight has fluctuated up and down probably as much as 15kg since she's had it and it hasn't affected it at all. Depending on the text, I doubt your tattoo would be anywhere near as big as hers so you could put it up higher, closer to the breast than the belly?
I also think around your arm would be cool. I know you said your DH doesn't like that but I guess you need to decide how much you need him to like it as opposed to how much you need to like it iykwim?
Have you spoken to any tattoo artists yet? That's a great place to start and you can talk to them about designing the sun you want. They should be able to draw something up for you.
Kirsty that would be fantastic! my description is vague i know, but i want the sun to look as natural as possible. Here we have blue skies most days, so the sun just looks like a big whitish/gold/glowing circle, with tiny thin rays... i don't know how you can draw a natural sun but thats kind of what i was wanting but i'm open to other ideas you know?
I'm thinking twice about the ring of words around my upper arm... i like it, and i think in a cursive font it would look feminine... i could probably change his mind, he isn't visual so he cant imagine it and i think he's thinking of those big celtic ones. I would like mine around my arm no bigger than say 1.5 cm... hmmmm this is growing on me.
I don't think i'd ever get tired of the quote, but maybe the picture of the sun? i dunno.
Willow, no more babies for me. But the problem is that last year i was on a medication that in 3 months i put on 15kg and had extreme swelling, it was so bad that i have stretch marks all over my side, thighs, tummy, 10x worse than in my pregnancies! I've been off the medication for about 3 months, and all the swelling has gone down , so i have that post baby loose skin there, and the stretch marks are in the red stage still.... i'm too unfit to do anything other than light walking so its going to take me ages to lose this. For my height, i'm probably 20 kg over weight. It's not really a priority at the moment because i'm trying to get on top of my other health issues, but i just have a feeling its not a good idea to put it there. Because i'm about 160cm, and over the years i've weighed as little as 50kg and as much as 85kg! And where i gain weight is my mid section. My arms always stay pretty toned, probably because i'm always using them!
Hmmmm i'm really thinking about this ring of words idea now!!!
I just thought incorporating the sun would help as a visual reminder.... Oh i haven't mentioned the quote.... so this all doesn't make sense probably but its: Turn your face to the sun and the shadows fall behind you (Maori proverb)
hmm yeah I get what you mean hun. Might be a bit hard to tattoo that kwim? Without it looking like just a circle of skin with no ink it yeah?
ETA; if it's something you really really want though, maybe it would pay to go talk to a tattoist babe? Then they will be able to say yeah its doable and even do up a sketch for you?
Last edited by kirsty_lee; April 29th, 2010 at 01:51 PM.
: forgot something
Tan I know the issues you've had with the medication and weight recently, it must be very hard and I understand why you want to avoid that area.
I'm loving the quote around the arm idea. And I agree, if it's in a cursive font, it will look really feminine I think.
With the sun you are describing - my brother has a full sleeve on one arm which is a native american theme. The first part of this he had done on his 18th bday (we're kinda keen on tattoos in my family, we all have at least one! But my parents asked us all to wait until we were at least 18) and the top part of it is a wolf howling at the moon. The moon was done the same way you describe your idea of the sun. Very real/natural looking. But the guy who did it stuffed it up and it didn't look quite right. It was done in mainly white ink and shadowing and it just had no definition. A few years later he had it re-done and it looks much better. But yeah, I think it would be tricky to achieve what you are looking for. You'd have to find someone pretty good
I was 18, I didn't think about the future and I wanted a tattoo, so I got one LOL
* Does anyone regret theirs?
Actually no, not at all, it is a symbol of myself at a certain point in my life. Like a piece of artwork that represented me and everything I was into at the time. I have an RMW Longhorn - definately not something I would choose now, but it's a reminder of the past, a visual diary of my past tattooed on my butt!
* Visible tattoos & job prospects - does anyone feel its prevented you from getting a job?
Mine's not visible unless my shirt comes up! However I want a few more, one on the inside of my wrist and one on my foot. I would also love one at the base of my neck on my back. I'm hoping to be self employed (Beauty Therapist) so it shouldn't matter, but I think alot of workplaces are reasonable, society isn't as crotchety as it used to be as long as it's not huge and in your face I guess!
* How do you find a reputable artist? Clean equipment etc. What to look for in a studio?
Make sure you look at a portfolio of their work and when you go in there you can usually tell how clean they are.
* How does weight gain & weight loss affect it?
I'm probably 30kg heavier now than when I got it and it hasn't changed a bit. It's even got a few stretchmarks in it and it's still good!
* Where can i find inspiration for designs?
Internet and mags. Once you find your artist most of them can design one for you if you have something in mind!
* How do you think tattoos look on pale skin?
I think they look great on pale skin!
* Pain factor - how much did it hurt?
The cliche is childbirth is worse... tattoos are an odd kind of pain but probably more uncomfortable than painful...
* So its a pretty permanent thing, is there anything else i need to consider?
I get told by older ppl (conservatives in their 50s) that my tattoos are going to look so unattractive when I'm old and what are the people in the nursing home going to think while they are giving me a sponge bath (seriously LMAO)... 1) I am going to be old so who cares really! 2) If ppl are wondering about my tattoos then I have a story for everyone and a meaning behind everyone. I wouldn't get one for the sake of it, it has to mean something. I also want people to think I've had a fulfilling life one that involves not worrying about what society thought of me! 3) They used to be a sign of a rebel, but now they are fashionable and there will probably be more ppl in the cemetery with tats than without.
I say go for it! Why spend your life worrying. I'm hoping to get more but like you I am yet to find a design that I am sold on (OK I have one that I will get... I want the pink ribbons that P!nk has on the backs of her thighs on the inside of my wrist) but the one on my foot I want a vine with a ladybug (DD2) and a butterfly (DD1) and then it needs to have room for baby#3 when he/she is born and also room for my angel baby (I'm thinking footprints)...
it rand true at the time (each time) and i like to think of them not only as a statement for the present, but a reminder of the past in years to come
* Does anyone regret theirs?
i find myself regretting some of them (i have 8 so far) but they still ring true, i would still have the same 'ideas' or words but maybe drawn/worded differently iykwim
* Visible tattoos & job prospects - does anyone feel its prevented you from getting a job?
ive worked retail and they dont seem to mind, ive never applied for an office/corporate job so they may be stricter with that sort of thing. personally ive just covered up at interviews, asked what thier policy is on tattoos and go with it. i dont think ive ever missed out on a job caus of my tatts
* How do you find a reputable artist? Clean equipment etc. What to look for in a studio?
im lucky i know alot of tattooists in perth (if your gonna come up i can recoimmend a couple of places) but 'generally' all places these days are clean/sterile, but the quality of the actual work differs greatly....i know some who are great at script but bad at portraits, etc. if you have any friends with tattoos you consider good quality, ask where they went
* How does weight gain & weight loss affect it?
unless you get it in a spot that will stretch easily e.g. belly if you get pg, thighs etc you should be ok. my weights fluctuated 10kg either side of 60kg and mine are all fine
* Pain factor - how much did it hurt?
depends on the spot, how much sleep youve had, id say get a good sleep and eat well, drink lots of water and you should be fine. lack of sleep makes a huge difference to the pain, and painkillers arent suggested caus they thin your blood.... ive found 'exposed' spots such as outer arm, lower back, are easier to handle, tender spots such as inner thigh, inner arm etc are quite painful!! a technique i use is amp my self up to think its gonna absolutely kill, so then it doesnt seem as bad when it starts...im a wuss though haha
* Where can i find inspiration for designs?
internet, songs, daily life...tattoo mags are ok but always looks like the same old stuf to me...
* How do you think tattoos look on pale skin?
the best i reckon...the colours come out really vividly....i get called a 'goth' if that proves how pale i am (lol) and mine look great
* So its a pretty permanent thing, is there anything else i need to consider?
ask around to friends, friends of friends, remember that not all 'pictures' or images can be translated well into tattoos, each artist has a different flair and will maybe suggest putting a different spin on your tattoo...they are the artist but never agree to something your not 110% on...unlike a bad haircut, it wont grow out!!! GL (oh and PM me if you want to add me on Fb so u can check out my tatts :P
I have 3 tatts. the one on my ankle, it didnt come out very well. Its a cherry blossom flower. The tattoo place was in Newtown, Sydney and its fading (got it done maybe 7 yrs ago). was a bikie place.
My butterfly on shoulder is a strange looking one. So I added flowers. I think I need to color in the butterfly.
I wud love to have my son's names Dylan and Seb. Wud love to have on wrists, or add to my lower back which is a crappy tribal sun.
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I know the issues you've had with the medication and weight recently, it must be very hard and I understand why you want to avoid that area.
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