That sure does sound like 10 pounds of shit in a 5 pound bag. What i mean by that is your trying to put a whole lot into not a very large space. I dont see how your going to put that quote in it without it being very small and nearly illegible (SP)?

If you like them, get them. Let the insecure homophobes worry about themselves.

Well I only used the word gay because that’s the word you originally used to describe the roses. Actually I don’t think long quotes are gay I think they’re lame in tattoos. In my opinion quotes, mottos, etc., belong on t-shirts and bumper stickers and not in tattoos. But that’s just my opinion, if you want a bunch of meaningful quotes on how to live your life tattooed on you then tha’ts your business. I’d rather have an a nice image to represent the text and not clutter it up with a bunch of words quoted from another source. If I was going to use a banner, I would use 2-3 words at the most but that’s just me. Do whatever makes you happy.

Ultimately it comes down to what YOU want and what YOUR perspective is of the tattoo. There is nothing “gay” about any imagery/text that you plan to get if you don’t intend it to be “gay.” Your design is clearly meant to be a culmination of your beliefs, so much so that you want them permanently inked into your skin–if you think that roses/text/whatever is the perfect way to visually portray that, then by all means go for it. If someone is going to be immature enough to say that your vision is less than masculine, then they’re missing out on the message.

A rose can certainly be done with a masculine flair–they don’t have to be frilly, pink, blooming pieces especially if they’re incorporated into something a little more elaborate. If you do feel that criticism is something you’ll have to deal with, then maybe there are other images that would work just as well. As of right now we can’t really be sure what your motivation for the piece is, so the elements as you’ve listed them just seem arbitrary. Are you set on the elements from a personal perspective or did you just decide “that looks cool” or “that sounds cool”? You’ve already stated that you have other quotes you can pick from which makes me think that you’re not so much attached to the quotes themselves, but rather just the idea of getting a meaningful quote.

I’m not of the “no text ever” school that some people wholeheartedly stick to, but you still should take into consideration how much text can fit onto your forearm and ultimately what it’s going to do for the piece as a whole. I’ve certainly seen my fair share of text, and to be honest, it can be a little tacky (but I wouldn’t go so far as to say they’re “lame” or “gay”). I believe that there are some messages that simply cannot be translated into images (no matter how good the artist), so there is a time and a place for text. If you’re planning on getting Old English or a really fine, italicized cursive, then just be aware that you’re tattoo will seem less personal and more aesthetically safe–a hindrance to the piece. Also be aware that text can break up a perfectly good design–chances are that your artist will put the most effort into the non-text elements, but people will be drawn to reading the quote regardless.

So really, just make sure that all the elements that you want in the design are truly necessary and properly executed. The quote may be nice, but is it truly meaningful? Are the roses the best representation for whatever it is you want them to represent? Is there a reason you want the charred, old scroll besides aesthetics (because again, it can definitely be tacky). Just ask yourself questions like these. If you’ve decided you absolutely need and stand behind everything, then talk to your artist and see if you can incorporate everything into a nice piece, but don’t be discouraged if they try to push you away from certain aspects of your vision, it’s for the best.