Tattoos and perceptions
polycounter lvl 11
Come on I know some of you PC'rs are Inked, give me some input.
Now first of all im 17, I've been drawing and doing everything artistic for god knows how long, and im REALLY contemplating starting a full sleeve tattoo (only one). Of course im not doing it to be a douchebag or look badass. Im not going to just walk in and say WOW THAT DRAGON LOOKS COOL PUT IT RIGHT HERE UNDER THAT TRIBAL TATTOO ....
I really want to create/design my own tattoo 100% myself, inspired by artists and sculptors like Da Vinci and Michelangelo and MC Escher and favorite works of art, which means no demon wings, no stupid skulls etc. In between I may do little fillers like tentacles and Ivy to allow proper tapering to my wrist so it doesn't end as a straight line.
I am choosing to do my right arm since it faces away from the window in cars so it will fade slower, and I wont be doing color because they're more expensive and fade noticeably quicker from what ive heard.
Now I have a few questions... because I know the game industry isn't regulated in self expression and exposure is common. (Im not getting a tattoo with expectations of getting an industry job, but I already work at a local graphic studio and am moving to another that i've already been accepted to in 2-3 months)
I don't want to be perceived as a badass or anything, but being the same as everyone else isn't very fun either. I don't have long hair, no piercings, Im not a metal head, I havent served any time lol. Id prefer to be perceived as someone artistic rather than some satan worshiping druggy with pentagrams and demonheads and flames everywhere.
So:
If its only a sleeve (no neck etc) what kind of job limitations did you first notice? (outside of the industry)
Was it hard to keep it covered?
Arm hair. I do not have much facial hair yet, but how can possible dark arm hair interfere with a tattoo? Shave it? Should I wait to see if it thickens or should I already know by now?
How did your interactions with people change?
Do you regret it, and WHY.
Whats the best way to do this over time? Get tattoos one at a time slowly down my arm, or measure out my arm and design the entire sleeve at once?
Will it be done in one entire sit session, if not, how can I be assured the design will line back up where we left off?
Hopefully my post shows im not just getting a tattoo to 'get one' and look cool, and i've put alot of thought into this, but id love some input.
Thanks!
Now first of all im 17, I've been drawing and doing everything artistic for god knows how long, and im REALLY contemplating starting a full sleeve tattoo (only one). Of course im not doing it to be a douchebag or look badass. Im not going to just walk in and say WOW THAT DRAGON LOOKS COOL PUT IT RIGHT HERE UNDER THAT TRIBAL TATTOO ....
I really want to create/design my own tattoo 100% myself, inspired by artists and sculptors like Da Vinci and Michelangelo and MC Escher and favorite works of art, which means no demon wings, no stupid skulls etc. In between I may do little fillers like tentacles and Ivy to allow proper tapering to my wrist so it doesn't end as a straight line.
I am choosing to do my right arm since it faces away from the window in cars so it will fade slower, and I wont be doing color because they're more expensive and fade noticeably quicker from what ive heard.
Now I have a few questions... because I know the game industry isn't regulated in self expression and exposure is common. (Im not getting a tattoo with expectations of getting an industry job, but I already work at a local graphic studio and am moving to another that i've already been accepted to in 2-3 months)
I don't want to be perceived as a badass or anything, but being the same as everyone else isn't very fun either. I don't have long hair, no piercings, Im not a metal head, I havent served any time lol. Id prefer to be perceived as someone artistic rather than some satan worshiping druggy with pentagrams and demonheads and flames everywhere.
So:
If its only a sleeve (no neck etc) what kind of job limitations did you first notice? (outside of the industry)
Was it hard to keep it covered?
Arm hair. I do not have much facial hair yet, but how can possible dark arm hair interfere with a tattoo? Shave it? Should I wait to see if it thickens or should I already know by now?
How did your interactions with people change?
Do you regret it, and WHY.
Whats the best way to do this over time? Get tattoos one at a time slowly down my arm, or measure out my arm and design the entire sleeve at once?
Will it be done in one entire sit session, if not, how can I be assured the design will line back up where we left off?
Hopefully my post shows im not just getting a tattoo to 'get one' and look cool, and i've put alot of thought into this, but id love some input.
Thanks!
Replies
And im sure you don't walk around with tattoos of pentagrams, demons, and flames everywhere, do you? Thats where other people get the whole satanic idea
I tried, but got arrested for letting my wiener hang out
I mean if you have demonic signs, with lusty naked ladies grinding a dead baby who umbelical cord is killing people and eating kittens, I say you're in the safe.
Was this directed at me or him? I know its common for artists to have tattoos, because the environment isn't that of a washington DC law firm office, or somewhere were you're potentially representing something (ie bestbuy, waiter, etc)
Ahah, I guess I just don't have the mindset that a tattoo is a tshirt
I mean in all honesty what you get really doesn't matter. A sleeve usually looks the same. But I don't want to be in a situation where I have to explain my reasoning lol
Well thats what I was saying. I wanted to do it not to be perceived different, I was just asking if you noticed any change in interaction once you got one?
@ your edited part, isnt tattoo removal extremely painful and a long process? And sure you could do it to look cool but I see no real point in just picking a bunch of cool things and throwing them on your body. You couldn't explain them. It looks like you got it just to get it
I do know some friends working in supermarkets etc that are meant to wear long sleeved shirts to cover them, but others that are allowed to have them on show in clothes shops. At the end of the day it's probably more down to how you carry yourself in the rest of your person, your attitude etc
I very rarely have had any negative situations with people but I've always lived in pretty modern cities (ny,austin,miami). I'm not sure where you live, the way you describe the misconception of tattoos makes it sound like you're in some kind of crazy religious or right winged community. In the places I've lived and the people I surround myself with always just seem to connect tattoos with artsy and creative people, not devil worshipers.
As for the length of getting a tattoo done. The outline is done all in one sitting, and the shading/coloring can generally be done over the course of a few sessions at a few hours at a time.
yeah, some people will judge you for it, but there will always be people judging you for how you look. If having the tattoo means something to you, and you're not trying to get a job as a server in salt lake city, I wouldn't sweat the perception aspect of it.
@Skillmister, thats a good point. I know businesses are becoming a bit more lenient on tattoos and maybe some piercings over time. But I think my overall attitude will be fine lol, I wont have any brass knuckle necklaces or teardrop tats.
If your tattoo is cheap you're doing something wrong!
Simple as that.
I mean, who cares what other people think.
Thanks
Great info, thanks. I have lived in Virginia, Florida, and South Carolina, and if we drive near certain "areas" of the county i've seen people like this
More than ive seen people like this:
Great point also. In the end attitude and presentation says more about you than a few tattoos.
Anyway... a lot of people still have some old-fashioned notions about things like tattoos, but there are less and less of them every day. A LOT of people have tattoos, and it's not really something that should effect people's perceptions of you in any extremely negative way, unless your tattoo is vulgar or bad.
I would never get a tattoo, though. two reasons:
I would want to design it myself
I'm my own harshest critic.. anything I make I hate a few days later.
But if you can design a tattoo that you think you will still like for the rest of your life, go for it.
I would definitely say people look at you differently if you're inked, its only natural since there seems to be a stigma around bodyart that implies negativity... or at least that's what I've learned through talking to people, (some actually think its cool too though.) Obviously its a life long commitment so its good that you're asking for other's opinions.
When I did QA at Sega, after people got to know me better they would say stuff like "You're a nice guy, but when I first met you I was a little intimidated" which I found pretty comical as I'm the last person to get confrontational with anyone!
Having said that, when I was at Escape a couple of years back there were quite a few inked up people, one guy had a sleeve done similar to what you described and people just commented saying that he looked more like the 'arty' type, rather than looking like a criminal XD
So to conclude... people may comment but the way I see it we're in an industry where it is ok to be inked, as long as you bust your ass at what you do and you're sick at your craft, nobody can say anything
@Torch Great read, thanks man! YOLO, but I prefer LLL (livin like larry) Yolo is for FB hipsters.
I have two. One on my forearm and one on my upper right arm of a dragon I got done when I was in Singapore while in the Navy...
Both are my own designs and both times I did not allow the shop to keep the sketches...
I'm working on a sleeve design now to get started later this year. It's changed so many times though so it's just about deciding on what I want...
Everyone that I work with (including Pedro) usually takes at least some interest in what work ive had done at that time. I honestly wouldn't want to work anywhere that you are judged on how you look and not the merits of your abilities/talent, fortunately Crytek are very liberal and ive never felt any discomfort based on that kind of thing.
*Ive got some pretty gruesome shit too:
Ive made my peace with the fact that Ill never be a school teacher.
For me, I had designed and drew out the sleeve and found a tattoo artist that I thought was a really cool guy/artist. We talked about it for a while and I explained the style I was trying to go for and all that and then he made some changes to help strengthen the style and design overall for tattoo form. It ended up being a really rewarding collaboration.
I would imagine some people would prefer having exactly what they designed but I enjoyed the experience and trusted him since he obviously knew what worked better as a tattoo, and the major cornerstones of the style. Had it for 5 years or so now and love it every day.
@eric, did you design the entire thing and how did you give it to him to transfer?
1)I'm not a huge fan of my own art, especially not to the point of wanting it on my body. I can be way more critical of my own work more than someones.
2) They are are trained professionals in this medium and craft. They know way more about the subject and what will work that I ever would.
To answer the questions:
If its only a sleeve (no neck etc) what kind of job limitations did you first notice?
-I have 2 full sleeves, 8 knuckles and a leg sleeve and have never been restricted to what job I can get in the industry. I dress up nice when I go to the border and have probably screwed myself out of ever working with the public.
Was it hard to keep it covered?
-I have no need to cover mine up with my job but, excluding my knuckles, if i were to wear a long sleeve shirt it wouldn't e a problem. Kat Von D (gross.) actually have a line of tattoo cover up makeup through Sephora...i believe.
Arm hair. I do not have much facial hair yet, but how can possible dark arm hair interfere with a tattoo? Shave it? Should I wait to see if it thickens or should I already know by now?
-I shave both of my arms regularly.
How did your interactions with people change?
-They didn't. I get asked about my tattoos A LOT by strangers. That's basically the only difference.
Do you regret it, and WHY.
-My only regret is taking up space that I can never cover again. Sometimes I wish I had something better on my knuckles...but that's only in rare moments. I wouldn't necessarily call it a 'regret'
Whats the best way to do this over time? Get tattoos one at a time slowly down my arm, or measure out my arm and design the entire sleeve at once?
-For all of my pieces I had a larger stencil made up, from there they split it up and placed it on my arm so that it fit naturally. The first sitting was the outline, then bolding, then multiple sits to get the colour filled in chunk by chunk...generally focusing on one area at a time.
Will it be done in one entire sit session, if not, how can I be assured the design will line back up where we left off?
-To get a full sleeve done in one sit you would need to be resistant to discomfort, your tattoo artist would need to have the strongest back in the world, the shop would need to be open for like...12+ hours...and/or you would be willing to drop tons of cash all in one sitting. Each of my sleeves probably took about 6 sittings of 2 - 4 hours each.
Gav
Great info Gav. Did you get the sleeves before you went into the industry? Or at least start them? How much did a single sleeve usually cost total? I understand its expensive but im curious, this isn't something id try and get done crappier for cheaper lol.
If you feel that you'll get a different job later in life, just get something you can cover up easily with a long sleeved shirt or whatever. In other words, don't get the facial spider web if you want to go into banking eventually.
I got all of my tattoos while already in the industry..but honestly man, no studio will care. Unless you have a giant cock n balls tattooed on your face. but even then...
My only warning is, don't go hog wild with tattoos at 17, in your mid twenties you'll probably be a very different person. I got a half sleeve on my arm of weird tentacles and eyeballs when I was 23 - I'm 30 now and wish I went with a Traditional art style.
I guess I should pimp my brother's shop - Crawling Panther Tattoo.
Yea justin, ive heared theyre not super hot in Japan from some Japan VLogers
My tattoos are in places that are hidden enough so that if I wear like a t-shirt, it doesn't look like I have any. Only if I wore like a wifebeater or something they would show. So I never got any weird treatment from other people. Actually, funny enough, I get it the other way around. Where some people would assume I have them, but then they'll say it's weird that I don't. Or some people find out that I do, but then because they're not visible that makes them wonder. That's just cause our industry is cool like that.
But yeah, overall I haven't "suffered" for it or anything. Most people are cool with tattoos these days.
Also, I have to warn against getting someone else's famous art piece tattood. I have that too. What I mean is if you like Giger, so you get Li tattood on your stomach or something. It gets cheesy real fast, so you should make sure it's a piece you're totally inlove with for a reason other than "It's badass". Cause chances are you only think it's badass at the time you get it. Stuff gets old.
The best would be an idea that you want to express, and let another person do the art for it. Could be the tattoo artist, or even a friend you trust (with the design, you still want to get a pro to actually tattoo it).
I wouldn't blatantly be putting pieces on my arm, maybe just da vinci's naked proportion man as a good center piece on my arm to let it all go downwards from lol Im sure ill change my mind once I actually draw it up and see it though
It's an original piece I drew as well. It's funny, most of the time I completely forget I have it.
Might not wanna get a tattoo then.
Bitchy 17 year old shocker!
It's just advice kid. Like Justin said, wait till you at least move out of yo mommas house before making these big life decisions. That's basically what I'm saying. Once you get out in the world and see every second person with faded blurred ink on them, you might regret it. Not that I got anything against the art of tattooing of course, some sweet stuff out there. No need to throw a strop cause you got told off for starting the 100th 'should I go to college?' thread. Enjoy your thread, it really ain't that interesting. Ciao.
And its not like im going to run out and get the tattoo tomorrow or anything. I said considering, not hurry up and post now I have 12 hours to change my mind.
And no im not bitchy. I just wonder why you continue to post and troll my threads. Or everyones threads for that matter. You only post in general discussion anyway.
Most definitely. You usually have to wait until one part completely heals to safely have stuff added later though.
lolololo teacherrrrrr
In the industry? Sheeeeit, anything goes
EDIT: just to enforce my point
Do the teardrops mean he is a cry-baby?
I personally think tattoos are a very personal thing. I got my first one a few years ago and really want to get a half sleeve once funds come in.
As for my tattoo I wouldn't care if anyone liked it, its important to me and all that matters.
they don't really have any deep personal meaning... in fact, i always snicker to myself when someone shows me their coy fish and how it represents the love they have for chicken wings or whatever bit of sentiment they've attached.
for me, it's just art. you get no prize for dying with clean skin. have fun with your body :poly121:
Still though like even if i got a dick tattooed on my forehead, i would want it to be a good dick...
more on topic; old people are now scared of me.