Tattoo idea for my 20th birthday

Armanguy

Well my 20th birthday is coming up in a few months and i want to mark the occasion with a tattoo. but i dont want to go into it with a bad idea i want the tattoo i get to mean somthing. i want to look back when im 40 and be proud of it. i helped design my friends tattoos but they get bull and tigers which i would never get because there so generic and pretty dumb which mean nothing.I think i might do something with my name any ideas for tattoos? the reason im coming here is because this community is full of creative talented artists and was hoping you guys could help

ill list the idea and thoughts i have so far:

Peace dove ( i come from a region of the world where war and conflict has been in our region for ever.I am Persian i was born in Tehran Iran and moved to Canada when i was just a year old, I feel apart from the Persian culture but i am proud of being Persian but living in Canada for so long i have become whitewashed. the reason for the tattoo idea is because i am person that tries to avoid conflict as much as possible, i really think fighting solves nothing and
that everything can be accomplished through talking and not fists. even though it sounds really pussy thats the kind of person i am.

Also here some info about me to help with ideas you guys may have:

I was born on July,12,1988 ( its the year the Iran-Iraq war stopped)

I had a heart problem and received open heart surgery in grade 4

I love art and have drawn since i was a wee lad

My full name is Arman Arsham Abounourinejad

i think those are the major things if anyone can help it would mean a great deal to me thankyou.

aesir

If you need to search for, and/or ask other people for an idea for a tattoo, you shouldnt get one


(get two penises holding swords have a sword fight)

Armanguy

"Well my 20th birthday is coming up in a few months and i want to mark the occasion with a tattoo."

edit: also if anyone else is going to say "If your asking for ideas maybe you should not get one" please don't post, i see nothing wrong with trying to get more ideas for my tattoo.

thanks

Ferg

he's saying you should design you own tatoo, and I agree. They mean a lot more that way... do you really want something that means that much to you designed by a bunch of assholes on the internet?

Armanguy

I do want to design my own im just looking for some ideas to help me with with my design and how i want the tattoo to look. thanks for the input ferg:)

edit: your not all assholes :P

Xenobond

You thinking of all done up with color, or just straight up black with the ink?

Saidin311

Ferg, thats a matter of opinion. I have a slightly meaningful tattoo and the moment after I got my first one I loved the idea of body art. When I get my next one it will likely have little meaning because I will be more concerned with it looking good and looking like a piece of art.

Sorry I can't help with your design Arman, although the couple of tattoo artists I've used have been VERY good at taking ideas and creating something that looks good and holds up to the clients criteria. Some will charge for the consult, but sometimes you can get them to design things as favors. So my suggestion would be to go to a reputable tattoo artist with your ideas.

rooster

personally, I would never design my own tattoo. I'd have new ideas for tattoos right after I got it and would want a different one. I mean, doesn't everyone look at their older stuff and think, 'hmm that could be better'. imagine having one of those permanantly stuck to your body, no ta

Armanguy

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You thinking of all done up with color, or just straight up black with the ink?

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straight up black with the ink.

Gav

<Personal Opinion> I'd say not to design your own...as in don't draw it yourself and get a tattoo artist to do it for you and don't get it with the idea that it means something. I've got two big pieces, entire left arm sleeve and right leg half sleeve...both are custom made by the tattoo artist and both, in my opinion, are well done. Neither of them mean absolutely anything...i just wanted pretty tattoos. I approached the artists with a rough idea / theme, we sat down for a consultation meeting where the rough sketched the elements, after some conversation, I came back to view the final sketch and they were both awesome. If you can't have faith in the artist to design a tattoo for you, you probably should trust him to tattoo you for life

At my last session I actually talked to my artist about this (after a conversation about Miami/London/LA Ink and how ridiculous they are) and he gave me his point of view. The better tattoo artists are formally trained and want the artistic freedom that you probably do with your work. Giving them a good balance of direction and freedom will get you a wicked piece, trust me. Thinking of an idea you really like and just allowing them to use their abilities to design the tattoo is the best approach, in my opinion. They know what they're doing and they'll probably design something better than you could..i mean...that's their job.

Based on the fact that you're asking for input ideas gives me the impression that you're pretty open minded about what goes on your body. As weird as it sounds, I think that's a great mindset. I think that people who regret their tats are generally people who asked for specific things at specific times in their lives and turned out to be disappointed or have matured. If you can just think of a cool idea, think of key elements you want and just allow the artist to work his magic...you'll be happy, i bet.

As for ideas, I dunno, it's your body. If it's specifically for your birthday though..what about a set of gears and an old clock face with the hands pointing to your time of birth? You could maybe incorporate a mechanical heart/valve system and get it on your chest....?

Any idea what artist you're going to go to? After you have a rough idea, I'd strongly recommend browsing around and finding an artist who's usual style matches something you'd like. If the artist usually does small tribal pieces, don't go to them for a big colourful custom piece...if you want a big greyscale, mechanical piece..don't go to the guy with only coy fish in his folio.

Anyways, hope it all works out for you man. I really love my tats and plan on having the 4 limbs covered. It's definitely not for everyone, but if you really want one, the experience is awesome. </Personal Opinion>

<edit> after realizing plenty of people typed a response while i was ranting...I could've just said what rooster and saladin said
cheers.
Gav

Jeff Parrott

I design all my own tattoos. At least then I can only blame myself if I hate it. Plus being an Artist and not designing your own is like being a chef and not cooking for yourself I think. I have a few that mean something to me. At least in terms of little things. I don't tend to get ones that are too deep though. It's cool for other people but I like to get things that I just think look good at the time. Just don't get them too small. I have one on my upper arm that I'm getting lasered off because it's too small and I want to continue my forearm tattoo into a full sleeve. Anyways that's a little background on mine.

Just get something that fits your personality I think. Maybe ask a really close friend or cousin or something what you should get. It's kinda hard to ask on a forum openly. But since you did I think you should get Louisville Slugger on your arm. That's probably the best tattoo I've ever seen getting done. You gotta love meatheads.

danr

get a snake wrapped round a dagger. they're ace

Gav

I've seen a guy get a chick riding a hamburger put on his ribcage...pretty cool, i guess

TheWinterLord

buy or rent the tools and start doodle away! jk

Armanguy

i would never let anything i have drawn onto my body :P i just want a rough idea of what i want. Preferably something that looks cool also, i plan on going to the Dutchman in Burnaby that guys a crazy artist i want something with a dove maybe on my back right trap or front left chest depends.I am really set on the dove but what can i do to the dove so it does not look so well "gay"?

Gav

Awesome man, the Dutchman has a bunch of great artists. good luck!

Rhinokey

i have a couple tats (not the one i just posted) and one i like and one i hate. neither mean anything to me, they are just pictures on my skin.

its anoying when i hear people go "this wicked dragon with bat wings riding this harley davidson oout the cargo door of a exploding helicopter symbolizes my need to be my own person"

i'd never design my own tat,.. mostly because i can't even design something on paper that i don't completely hate the next day. i'lll warn you tho.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=rEmzIgfPGzY

this vid holds true in a lot of ways.

the tat i got when i was 20 i hate now.. because like the vid states, i was an idiot then..

Jeff Parrott

Umm... Get the dove on shoulder stars like in Eastern Promises. Russian prison tats are pretty tough, even if you get doves.

Armanguy

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Umm... Get the dove on shoulder stars like in Eastern Promises. Russian prison tats are pretty tough, even if you get doves.

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you got a pick of this tat?

Wells

i only get meaningless tattoos. just got my scalp done.

there's no prize [i think?] for dying with a clean slate.

your forum pic would look pretty cool - you could even say it symbolizes the time you were a polycounter and all the art you learned from a great community, etc. etc.

Jeff Parrott

Like that but with doves in them. I was joking around. You totally won't be able to go to Russian bath houses without getting pummeled by Russian mobsters if you get them.

Armanguy

when will i ever go to a russian bath house?

Gav

Just wait until your 21st birthday...

Luxury

My plan for when I eventually get a tattoo is to come up with a design(which I've already begun), and then have the tattoo artist take that and embellish it with his own style. I also dislike everything I do, so I figure with 2 heads combined, and me placing more trust in a person who does this for a living vs. my own wishful thinking about what would look good, it can't totally suck. (Thats my plan anyways)

Plan B is to get a cool anchor on my chest. (seriously)

Cody

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Just wait until your 21st birthday...

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When I came up with the idea for my tattoo, I sat on it for a year to make sure I still liked it. Hung it next to my computer, and a year later, I got it. I drew it myself, and it is a combination of my dad's tattoo and my best friend's. It's been 3 years, and I love just as much as I did the day I got it. My roommate jumped the gun and got one the next day after coming up with the design, and is now paying $200 a session for tattoo removals [which are ridiculously painful]. What I'm saying is don't rush into it.

Armanguy

rush is my middle name:P nah if i don't feel comfortable with it i wont get it. thats why i made this thread so early just to get an idea of what i want

AstroZombie

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If you need to search for, and/or ask other people for an idea for a tattoo, you shouldnt get one

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QFT

You are really over thinking it, man, which really kind of defeats the point of getting a tattoo. Stop watching so much Miami / LA / London Ink on TLC and just get something that you like (such as a bull or a tiger )


My tattoos are almost a road map to my personality and interests from the time I was 20 years old until now. I am 36 now and only regret the one that I got when I was 20 because it is so poorly done. Get something that you like but for the love of god make sure that you check out many artists portfolios before you decide who you are going to let put a needle to your skin.

aesir

yea armanguy. I'm not against getting tattoos for no reason. I'm mainly just against getting other people's input on something that has nothing to do with other people.

The only real real true advice is to take your time picking out an artist. Even travel around to find a good one.