Hey everyone,
still fairly new to this forum but feeling right at home!
For the past days I have been throwing some ideas around on what to get as my first tattoo. I have pretty much been all over the place and thinking of different things for different parts of my body. Originally I was thinking I’d like something similar to a japanese sleeve because I love that style, but with an eagle as this is the heraldic animal of Germany and also has a connection to my last name. I was thinking that the eagle could kind of wrap its wings around my shoulder but couldnt find any pictures of similar tattoos. However, Im not sure if I want to start off with a tattoo which will be visible any time I wear a t-shirt? Im a girl and would be wearing short sleeved shirts or tank tops during summer. Also an eagle might be a bit masculine?
Therefore, Ive put that idea on ice for now. Another thing I have been considering is some sort of a tribute to my hometown Berlin. I have lived here all my life but Im moving to Mexico next year for a year and after that I will pursue an internship in another country. I love Berlin but hate the weather during winter, so after I finish my studies I would like to move somewhere else. Still, it would be nice to have a little part of Berlin with me!
I’m not a very talented artist at all, but this is what I have come up with idea-wise:
Let me say a few words about the design:
The building is a simplified version of the tv tower of Berlin (Fernsehturm), one of the major landmarks of my city.
The bear is both the symbol of Berlin as well as my current university and I think it also helps to make the design a bit more “feminine”. I think I’d like the bear to be a bit different though, maybe shown more from the side and looking up at the tower kind of amazed. However, I couldnt find a good template like that, so if anyone has a better picture or suggestion that would be great! Also Im thinking to replace the crown with the actual crown from the coat of arms of Berlin, which looks like this:
When I thought of that I’d already drewn it differently lol, sorry…
The heart balloon is just an idea, I’m not sure about it but I think it looks cute and shows how much I like my city. As for the writing I think I’d like a different font, this one is a bit manly, but I dont want it to be too “all over the place” with lots of swirls and stuff either…
As for placement, I was thinking to put it on my calf, but Im not totally sold on that spot. I just thought since its rather tall but slim that might fit well. However, I would again be faced with a visibility issue in summer when wearing shorts. :confused:
I also thought about simply having the logo of my school put on my shoulder once I graduate (summer of 2012). This is what it looks like:
I thought I could extend that later by adding other stations of my life and make it a larger shoulder piece if I wanted to. The logo itself would be rather small and subtle, and only visible under tank tops or in a bikini, so that would be easier to keep out of sight. I would not have it in red but probably in black as that’s the colour of the city’s bear, kind of a combination of the two and I think it would look better. After writing this really long post (sorry) I actually think I currently favour that approach.
Pretty much I’m open to any and all suggestions, comments and criticism. These are just some ideas and I’m not really attached to them yet so I’m just looking for some feedback and maybe some artistic support 🙂
Many thanks in advance,
J
Just as ArniVidar said, you need a lot more time to think this through. At least a year to six months minimum to think up a design. But I have an idea for you.
First off, cute idea. However, from looking at your drawing, you have too much negative space. Let me explain: You don’t want there to be so much skin or blank space between objects. Instead, it would look really good to either collage the three parts together or somehow have them in the same image.
My idea is, have the tower, with your bear hugging it at the base. Then, instead of a balloon in the bear’s hand, it could have a banner or flag with the word “Berlin” in it. The look on the bear’s face can be as you described — amazed and you can show your artist exactly what you want the crown to look like.
You also need to consider how you want it shaded. Color? Black and gray? It’s another very important element to any tattoo.
Hopefully this gets your brain in a more creative thought process. Good luck and if you have anymore questions let me know.
-D
First of all, thank you both for your answers! Don’t worry, I will definitely take my time to decide on a final design, I’m well aware that tattoos are forever. Right now I’m just trying to get a clearer idea on what I want 🙂
My idea is, have the tower, with your bear hugging it at the base. Then, instead of a balloon in the bear’s hand, it could have a banner or flag with the word “Berlin” in it. The look on the bear’s face can be as you described — amazed and you can show your artist exactly what you want the crown to look like.
I like the idea of the bear hugging the tower, I hadn’t thought of that! You are right that they dont really mix well so far and look a bit lost, that’s actually why I threw the “Berlin” in. I figured that an artist could probably solve the rest of the negative space by putting in some sort of background but your idea is really nice! Not sure about the banner though, how large would that have to be to be clearly legible and not too liable to blurring over time? Maybe I could just leave that out altogether though…
At what point is it ok to ask an artist to design a draft? If I decide to go with the tower idea I’d probably like to see what I would be getting in advance and put it on my wall for a while to see if I continue to like the design before putting it on my body. However, I can imagine that the artist would not like me to take his design home? What is customary in this regard? :confused:
Very good point and one that I’m not sure about yet. I think I’ll decide on that when I’m have a clearer idea on which design I’m going with. Not really sure which would look better, I’d have to try that out… Would it be ok to ask an artist to do one draft in b/g and one in colour?
Thanks again for the comments so far, keep them coming 🙂
J
Generally artists either require a deposit for art or a fee for anything that they illustrate for you. You shouldn’t do this until further on down the line. It’s disrespectful to bring one artist’s work to another one’s studio.
As far as legibility? All ink fades in time. Everyone gets touch ups now and again. But the artist you pick will be able to determine the question of size.
I’m not a professional and personally, I’m not fond of tattoos done with lettering or words. But to each their own.
Also, be researching artists that you may be interested in doing your tattoo. That alone takes a lot of time.
I agree with the time frames listed above. This is going to be a major piece for you and it’s not something you should rush into.
However, I have an idea as well:
How about if you take a stylized version of the skyline of berlin and wrap it around your forearm. have the base of the buildings on your wrist and have them move up your arm. The tallest, most prominent building with be the tv tower with a flag of germany on it. You can incorporate a marquee on lower level building that says berlin, if you still want that. from the elbow up you could have sky, clouds, airplanes, etc and one of the clouds could be your bear. As a focal piece towards the top near your shoulder you could have a large eagle flying forward out of the scene in the foreground with great detail. so city, then sky, then foreground eagle. Could be pretty nice.
As far as you being a girl, well, in my mind there is nothing sexier than seeing a women with a sleeve. I know I’m just some guy on the internet that you’ll never meet but for what it’s worth I think it’s pretty damn hot.
However, I have an idea as well:
How about if you take a stylized version of the skyline of berlin and wrap it around your forearm. have the base of the buildings on your wrist and have them move up your arm. The tallest, most prominent building with be the tv tower with a flag of germany on it. You can incorporate a marquee on lower level building that says berlin, if you still want that. from the elbow up you could have sky, clouds, airplanes, etc and one of the clouds could be your bear. As a focal piece towards the top near your shoulder you could have a large eagle flying forward out of the scene in the foreground with great detail. so city, then sky, then foreground eagle. Could be pretty nice.
As far as you being a girl, well, in my mind there is nothing sexier than seeing a women with a sleeve. I know I’m just some guy on the internet that you’ll never meet but for what it’s worth I think it’s pretty damn hot.
I love your idea. <3
Don’t worry about how masculine or feminine your ink is. It’s your body. There are ways of making things appear more feminine without actually changing the subject matter. If you want an eagle, then get it. If you wanted a skull, then go for it.
This is again where it’s crucial to pick an artist who can portray something less manly and more stylized to fit your personality.
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