Tattoos have been all the rage now for years. They’ve survived the spike in popularity they enjoyed after the whole Nirvana, Pearl Jam, and grunge rock craze. That was the era that started it all. People wore flannels, got pierced every which way, and then got ink on their backs, their butts, their necks, faces, foreheads, you name it. Then the craze went mainstream. Frat boys and girls started popping up with pierced belly buttons and nipples at spring break. They’d flex their biceps to show off the wraparound tattoo on their arms, or they’d bend over in their bikinis to show off the spread on their lower backs.
And yet the craze continues, despite the fact that R&B and rap is the new top 10 music of choice, and despite the fact that people finally came to realize that yes, tattoos are forever. Sure, you can take a piercing out of your eyebrow, but you need a laser beam to burn that ex lover’s name off your ankle.
That leaves you—knowing the realities of tattooing, but still seriously considering the move. That’s nothing to be ashamed about. We’ll assume you’ve thought through the decision and came up with a kick-butt piece of art to stencil into your body. But have you put serious thought into where you will get the tattooing done? This is a serious consideration, because as the number of people wanting tattoos has skyrocketed, so has the number of tattoo parlors. And many of these parlors aren’t up to snuff, especially considering some of the tattoo artists out there.
So your job now is to track down those artists, the tattoo parlors that can put a piece of art on your body, and can do it in a clean and sanitary way. So first, ask around to your friends who have had work done before. See where they went, what they thought, and how their tattoos look now. Are they faded? Blurred? Raised? Or in any other way disfigured or not as crisp and attractive as the tattoos were when they were first drilled in?
Once you have a short list of parlors from friends and family, check out each one. Make sure that they have autoclave and sterilization certifications. Watch them perform on someone. Did the tattoo artist wear gloves while they were working? Do the artists have certifications to prove they’re the real deal? And once last question you should ask: are the artists vaccinated for hepatitis B? That can be a tricky question to pose, but if they’re professionals, the tattoo artists shouldn’t mind answering that one.
If they’re willing, also ask the tattoo parlor for a tour of the place. Take a look at their instruments. Are they clean and sanitary looking? Are all the inks, water, and ointment stored in different containers? Are the needles taken directly from autoclave, and sterilized, bags, and are the needles then immediately disposed of after use?
And believe it or not, ink should be fresh for every person, too. Watch how the tattoo artists use their ink. For every new person, colors should be poured into separate cups. Any ink that is left over should then be thrown out. Just as with needles, sharing ink is not a good idea.
Once you’ve done the rounds at several ink shops, you should find one that you feel comfortable with. If not, it’s worth it to wait, ask around some more, and track down that perfect parlor for your first tattoo.
Make sure you read up on all aspects of getting a tattoo before you finally lay needle to skin. You can find more information on the best tips at the top Tattoo site - Tattoo Body Art
http://ezinearticles.com/?A-Tattoo-Is-Forever---So-Beware&id=562833
Friday, June 8, 2007
The Truth About Christian Cross Tattoos
Female tattoos or feminine designed tattoos are usually favored by women or girls are becoming increasingly familiar as tattooing became more socially acceptable, largely due to the many celebrities who publicly sported tattoos. These can be usually found in a great female tattoo gallery.
This kind of female tattoo gallery has tattoos that are usually smaller and prettier. Popular designs might include a butterfly, a flower or a Celtic design. Women's tattoo designs are also less heavy, less aggressive–looking. They tend to have thinner lines, though this is, of course, a generalization rather than a rule.
Women nowadays are gradually opting for large tattoos. 'New school' hearts, stars, roses and tribal tattoo designs on the lower back are increasingly being asked for by females. Therefore these days, a female tattoo gallery will have these popular designs as women are becoming more experimental in the shapes and sizes of their designs.
Many tattooists and female tattoo gallery report that when musicians, especially hip-hop artists get tattoos, there is usually a particular tattoo that is very popular. The popularity of lower back and stomach placement of tattoos suggests that most women still don't want their tattoos to be too obvious and also a desire for a more sexual placement of the tattoo.
Many female tattoo gallery will normally recommend women to get their tattoos done on the more popular spot such as the lower back and ankle.
First, lower back is a very sexy spot to have a tattoo. It seldom shows, but can be 'flashed' as the woman bends over. Catching a glimpse of a lower back tattoo on a woman, you almost get the feeling that you're seeing something you shouldn't be – very tempting!
Ankle tattoos in any female tattoo gallery are usually small. Other tattoo location for girls include the shoulder – the left shoulder is traditionally the feminine side – because shoulder tattoos are a great accent when you're wearing a tank top or halter top in the summer.
When it comes down to it, it's what makes you feel good. It's going to be around for quite a while so you may as well choose a tattoo that has lasting appeal in the female tattoo gallery.
There are so many good tattoo designs and custom pieces a tattoo artists can do nowadays so don't be tempted to get some designs which will date really fast and end up looking shoddy.
Generally female tattoos in any female tattoo gallery are very sexy and striking, and they certainly don't need to be offensive in any way. Do a search for 'female tattoos' on the internet in order to get more ideas with regard to tattoo designs.
Get your hands on a collection of thousands of gorgeous high quality tattoo designs all viewable from your comforts of your home and you can print out for your favourite tattoo artist. Remember to get your special FREE Gift: 'You And Your Tattoo'
http://ezinearticles.com/?Female-Tattoo-Gallery---Popular-Tattoos-Women-Want&id=562183
This kind of female tattoo gallery has tattoos that are usually smaller and prettier. Popular designs might include a butterfly, a flower or a Celtic design. Women's tattoo designs are also less heavy, less aggressive–looking. They tend to have thinner lines, though this is, of course, a generalization rather than a rule.
Women nowadays are gradually opting for large tattoos. 'New school' hearts, stars, roses and tribal tattoo designs on the lower back are increasingly being asked for by females. Therefore these days, a female tattoo gallery will have these popular designs as women are becoming more experimental in the shapes and sizes of their designs.
Many tattooists and female tattoo gallery report that when musicians, especially hip-hop artists get tattoos, there is usually a particular tattoo that is very popular. The popularity of lower back and stomach placement of tattoos suggests that most women still don't want their tattoos to be too obvious and also a desire for a more sexual placement of the tattoo.
Many female tattoo gallery will normally recommend women to get their tattoos done on the more popular spot such as the lower back and ankle.
First, lower back is a very sexy spot to have a tattoo. It seldom shows, but can be 'flashed' as the woman bends over. Catching a glimpse of a lower back tattoo on a woman, you almost get the feeling that you're seeing something you shouldn't be – very tempting!
Ankle tattoos in any female tattoo gallery are usually small. Other tattoo location for girls include the shoulder – the left shoulder is traditionally the feminine side – because shoulder tattoos are a great accent when you're wearing a tank top or halter top in the summer.
When it comes down to it, it's what makes you feel good. It's going to be around for quite a while so you may as well choose a tattoo that has lasting appeal in the female tattoo gallery.
There are so many good tattoo designs and custom pieces a tattoo artists can do nowadays so don't be tempted to get some designs which will date really fast and end up looking shoddy.
Generally female tattoos in any female tattoo gallery are very sexy and striking, and they certainly don't need to be offensive in any way. Do a search for 'female tattoos' on the internet in order to get more ideas with regard to tattoo designs.
Get your hands on a collection of thousands of gorgeous high quality tattoo designs all viewable from your comforts of your home and you can print out for your favourite tattoo artist. Remember to get your special FREE Gift: 'You And Your Tattoo'
http://ezinearticles.com/?Female-Tattoo-Gallery---Popular-Tattoos-Women-Want&id=562183
4 Popular Free Tattoo Patterns Places
Many tattoo enthusiasts would really love to have free tattoo patterns. This is so because people would just prefer them to those to those that you need to pay.
So if you have been looking for great looking free tattoo patterns, don't worry now. You can get your hands on 4 popular places where you can find these patterns.
1. Photos
Photos are excellent tattoo sources. People rarely see photos as a source of finding free tattoo patterns. People often forget about that these are truly the best source of tattoo patterns but they may just think that they are too plain and cannot give much satisfaction to those extreme tattoo enthusiasts. But these photos can sometimes inspire new tattoo patterns in you and best of all, it's free.
2. Libraries
People often forget about this huge resource that they have at their disposal. Go to any community library, find those books and get your free tattoo patterns. Don't forget about the magazines too. These are excellent resources that are free to you.
2. Other Enthusiasts
You can get to know other tattoo enthusiasts by hanging around long enough in those tattoo shops. If you are comfortable about striking up conversations with strangers, then you can go up to anyone with tattoos and compliment him or her about that design. I'm sure they will have lots of tattoo ideas and designs to share with you. This is especially so if you start sharing some of your designs first and ask them what they think about it. You'll be surprised at how great the people respond your requests.
4. Websites
Sometimes it is just quite hard to find free tattoo patterns websites as they seems to blend into those paid search results that your search engines always display. But if you happen to find one, stick to it as it is quite hard to come across.
But if you want to really search for free tattoo patterns without all the hassles of searching for inspirations through photos, traveling to local libraries, chat up with people and you want it readily compiled for you maybe in a website so that you can easily print it out if you like it. Then I do have a great resource that has helped me all along these years. But I'm sure you can also find them on your own but you just need to search more thoroughly in the internet.
Get your hands on a collection of thousands of gorgeous high quality tattoo designs all viewable from your comforts of your home and you can print out for your favourite tattoo artist. Remember to get your special FREE Gift: 'You And Your Tattoo'
http://ezinearticles.com/?4-Popular-Free-Tattoo-Patterns-Places&id=562174
So if you have been looking for great looking free tattoo patterns, don't worry now. You can get your hands on 4 popular places where you can find these patterns.
1. Photos
Photos are excellent tattoo sources. People rarely see photos as a source of finding free tattoo patterns. People often forget about that these are truly the best source of tattoo patterns but they may just think that they are too plain and cannot give much satisfaction to those extreme tattoo enthusiasts. But these photos can sometimes inspire new tattoo patterns in you and best of all, it's free.
2. Libraries
People often forget about this huge resource that they have at their disposal. Go to any community library, find those books and get your free tattoo patterns. Don't forget about the magazines too. These are excellent resources that are free to you.
2. Other Enthusiasts
You can get to know other tattoo enthusiasts by hanging around long enough in those tattoo shops. If you are comfortable about striking up conversations with strangers, then you can go up to anyone with tattoos and compliment him or her about that design. I'm sure they will have lots of tattoo ideas and designs to share with you. This is especially so if you start sharing some of your designs first and ask them what they think about it. You'll be surprised at how great the people respond your requests.
4. Websites
Sometimes it is just quite hard to find free tattoo patterns websites as they seems to blend into those paid search results that your search engines always display. But if you happen to find one, stick to it as it is quite hard to come across.
But if you want to really search for free tattoo patterns without all the hassles of searching for inspirations through photos, traveling to local libraries, chat up with people and you want it readily compiled for you maybe in a website so that you can easily print it out if you like it. Then I do have a great resource that has helped me all along these years. But I'm sure you can also find them on your own but you just need to search more thoroughly in the internet.
Get your hands on a collection of thousands of gorgeous high quality tattoo designs all viewable from your comforts of your home and you can print out for your favourite tattoo artist. Remember to get your special FREE Gift: 'You And Your Tattoo'
http://ezinearticles.com/?4-Popular-Free-Tattoo-Patterns-Places&id=562174
Thursday, June 7, 2007
Tattoo Designs - Tribal Tattoos & Dragon Tattoos
What makes a tattoo a great tattoo? Some don't know, some don't ask. It is all in the tattoo design and the artist of course. If your tattoo artist is not up to par then obviously the tattoo will not be either. So make sure you ask to see your tattoo artist's recent work and their history. Because you have to know who is doing the tattoo. The tattoo is permanent in most cases but can be removed for thousands of dollars. So just make sure whom ever is running the tattoo gun is a professional and knows what they are doing.
Ok now you want a tattoo design of a dragon and some tribal. Well don't sweat it you can find many tattoo's of dragons and multiple tribal designs. The couple of things that I suggest that you do is cut out any pictures in magazines or any drawings that you may have and make sure that you take them to your tattoo artist. Doing this allows your tattoo artist to get a clear head on what you are wanting done with your tattoo.
Take in any suggestions that your tattoo artist may have about your tribal design or dragon tattoo. Soak it all in because they have many suggestions and comments that can help you get the full fledged tattoo that you are looking for.
So just keep in mind of what kind of tattoo design you are looking for and go with it. Just remember the tattoo is permanent unless you have thousands of dollars to shell out to get the dang thing removed.
Miami Ink tattoos. So if you are looking for Miami Ink Tattoos or Tattoo Designs then visit the site.
http://ezinearticles.com/?Tattoo-Designs---Tribal-Tattoos-and-Dragon-Tattoos&id=573511
Ok now you want a tattoo design of a dragon and some tribal. Well don't sweat it you can find many tattoo's of dragons and multiple tribal designs. The couple of things that I suggest that you do is cut out any pictures in magazines or any drawings that you may have and make sure that you take them to your tattoo artist. Doing this allows your tattoo artist to get a clear head on what you are wanting done with your tattoo.
Take in any suggestions that your tattoo artist may have about your tribal design or dragon tattoo. Soak it all in because they have many suggestions and comments that can help you get the full fledged tattoo that you are looking for.
So just keep in mind of what kind of tattoo design you are looking for and go with it. Just remember the tattoo is permanent unless you have thousands of dollars to shell out to get the dang thing removed.
Miami Ink tattoos. So if you are looking for Miami Ink Tattoos or Tattoo Designs then visit the site.
http://ezinearticles.com/?Tattoo-Designs---Tribal-Tattoos-and-Dragon-Tattoos&id=573511
Wednesday, June 6, 2007
Modern Tattoos
Quest for Deeper Meaning
It is about time these cultural vampires in the mainstream media woke up to the fact that tattoos are not some passing fad. Admittedly tattoos have been getting a fair bit of press lately in part driven by high profile celebrities flashing their ink in public. Or shows such Miami Ink with their carefully chosen tattoo artists making the whole tattooing process look like some kind of modern alchemy much the same way that thousands of wannabes wanted to become DJ's in the late 1990's when the DJ was revered as some kind of shaman.
I believe this is only part of the story. I would venture to say that the main reason for the massive increase in people wanting tattoos goes much deeper. Believe or not the vast majority of people get tattoos not in some vain attempt to be part of the crowd or cool but because part of them recognizes the deeper significance of tattoos and need for something beyond the mundane. To the tired and cynical hack this hunger for meaning is completely lost on them. Possibly because they cannot see beyond the vacuous consumer driven culture they are trapped in.
Tattoos have long been practiced as a quest for deeper meaning.
Tattoos have long been part of human culture
They fear anyone who is not part of their mindless consumerist culture. Fear is what it really is no matter how subtle its disguise. It shines through in everything they write from the cliche ridden nonsense disguised as journalism in the culture section of mainstream newspapers to the ultra conservative fundamentalists who warn of the evils and regrets of those who get tattoos. To them anyone who steps outside this mass hallucination known as consensus reality is immediately singled out from the herd and subject to ridicule.
It is the same form of mind control which brainwashes kids into accepting everything they are taught in school and told never to question authority or the massive lies which pass as history. No wonder people grow up to be mindless sheep when they are indoctrinated from such an early age. History really has become a set of lies agreed upon to keep people in their places and maintain the status quo.
Tattoos can symbolize .
Tattoos often have a deeper symbolism than merely ink on skin
The funny thing is that once you step outside consensus reality you begin to see how shaky the ground is upon which their spectacular lies are built. The people who are controlling the instruments of power such as the mainstream media know this and this is the reason why they use ridicule to suppress anyone who dares to challenge the official set of lies.
Getting tattoos used to be a form of rebellion. In many ways it still is to people who feel as though they are constantly bombarded with advertisements for designer labels and sucked into believing they need this or that to make their lives more meaningful. Well guess what? We have had consumerist culture shoved in our faces since the 1940's and it still hasn't made us any happier as human beings.
Tattoos can have many meanings.
http://www.tao-of-tattoos.com/modern-tattoos-meaning.html
It is about time these cultural vampires in the mainstream media woke up to the fact that tattoos are not some passing fad. Admittedly tattoos have been getting a fair bit of press lately in part driven by high profile celebrities flashing their ink in public. Or shows such Miami Ink with their carefully chosen tattoo artists making the whole tattooing process look like some kind of modern alchemy much the same way that thousands of wannabes wanted to become DJ's in the late 1990's when the DJ was revered as some kind of shaman.
I believe this is only part of the story. I would venture to say that the main reason for the massive increase in people wanting tattoos goes much deeper. Believe or not the vast majority of people get tattoos not in some vain attempt to be part of the crowd or cool but because part of them recognizes the deeper significance of tattoos and need for something beyond the mundane. To the tired and cynical hack this hunger for meaning is completely lost on them. Possibly because they cannot see beyond the vacuous consumer driven culture they are trapped in.
Tattoos have long been practiced as a quest for deeper meaning.
Tattoos have long been part of human culture
They fear anyone who is not part of their mindless consumerist culture. Fear is what it really is no matter how subtle its disguise. It shines through in everything they write from the cliche ridden nonsense disguised as journalism in the culture section of mainstream newspapers to the ultra conservative fundamentalists who warn of the evils and regrets of those who get tattoos. To them anyone who steps outside this mass hallucination known as consensus reality is immediately singled out from the herd and subject to ridicule.
It is the same form of mind control which brainwashes kids into accepting everything they are taught in school and told never to question authority or the massive lies which pass as history. No wonder people grow up to be mindless sheep when they are indoctrinated from such an early age. History really has become a set of lies agreed upon to keep people in their places and maintain the status quo.
Tattoos can symbolize .
Tattoos often have a deeper symbolism than merely ink on skin
The funny thing is that once you step outside consensus reality you begin to see how shaky the ground is upon which their spectacular lies are built. The people who are controlling the instruments of power such as the mainstream media know this and this is the reason why they use ridicule to suppress anyone who dares to challenge the official set of lies.
Getting tattoos used to be a form of rebellion. In many ways it still is to people who feel as though they are constantly bombarded with advertisements for designer labels and sucked into believing they need this or that to make their lives more meaningful. Well guess what? We have had consumerist culture shoved in our faces since the 1940's and it still hasn't made us any happier as human beings.
Tattoos can have many meanings.
http://www.tao-of-tattoos.com/modern-tattoos-meaning.html
Cover-up Tattoos
Is it Time to Rethink Your Ink?
Usually when we think of cover-up tattoos we think of an old lover whose name was tattooed in a moment of madness on some part of the body (usually highly visible) only to be regretted after the relationship suddenly ended. This is somewhat of a cliche and most often not the case.
Generally a lot of people are presenting to tattoo studios for cover-up tattoos simply because they want to touch up an old faded tattoo or rework an old design that does not resonate with them any longer. It may be the original tattoo design was not the most professional job or is just starting to look a bit dated.
This can often happen when a small tattoo was done without considering the bigger picture. For me personally that meant getting a small kanji tattoo covered over with a bigger tattoo that meant more to me. There is nothing wrong with rethinking your ink and covering up with a bigger and better tattoo.
Cover-up tattoos can be an art. Tattoo by Pedro Fraga.
Before... © Pedro Fraga
In the last few years there has been quite a bit of advancement with tattoo inks. This has led to a whole new variety of colors and inks that look brighter and better than the inks of old. In that sense many old tattoos can actually be made to look much better than what they did beforehand without taking away from the skill of the original artist of course ;-)
Many artist also specialize in cover-up work so it is a good idea to check through their portfolios to see some of the cover-up tattoos they have done. Don't settle for an artist who is content to cover up your old tattoo with heavy blackwork but is willing to use some creativity in integrating the old design with a newer better one.
Even if the original tattoo was black it is still possible to work the old design into a newer more colorful design with a little bit of imagination either by yourself or the artist who will probably have a better idea what will work and what will end up really dark and undefined. Remember it is your body so you decide what the finished outcome is.
Cover-up tattoo by Pedro Fraga. Tattoo by Pedro Fraga.
http://www.tao-of-tattoos.com/cover-up-tattoos.html
Usually when we think of cover-up tattoos we think of an old lover whose name was tattooed in a moment of madness on some part of the body (usually highly visible) only to be regretted after the relationship suddenly ended. This is somewhat of a cliche and most often not the case.
Generally a lot of people are presenting to tattoo studios for cover-up tattoos simply because they want to touch up an old faded tattoo or rework an old design that does not resonate with them any longer. It may be the original tattoo design was not the most professional job or is just starting to look a bit dated.
This can often happen when a small tattoo was done without considering the bigger picture. For me personally that meant getting a small kanji tattoo covered over with a bigger tattoo that meant more to me. There is nothing wrong with rethinking your ink and covering up with a bigger and better tattoo.
Cover-up tattoos can be an art. Tattoo by Pedro Fraga.
Before... © Pedro Fraga
In the last few years there has been quite a bit of advancement with tattoo inks. This has led to a whole new variety of colors and inks that look brighter and better than the inks of old. In that sense many old tattoos can actually be made to look much better than what they did beforehand without taking away from the skill of the original artist of course ;-)
Many artist also specialize in cover-up work so it is a good idea to check through their portfolios to see some of the cover-up tattoos they have done. Don't settle for an artist who is content to cover up your old tattoo with heavy blackwork but is willing to use some creativity in integrating the old design with a newer better one.
Even if the original tattoo was black it is still possible to work the old design into a newer more colorful design with a little bit of imagination either by yourself or the artist who will probably have a better idea what will work and what will end up really dark and undefined. Remember it is your body so you decide what the finished outcome is.
Cover-up tattoo by Pedro Fraga. Tattoo by Pedro Fraga.
http://www.tao-of-tattoos.com/cover-up-tattoos.html
Gamer Tattoos
Hardcore Gamers Fight Back
A tattoo artist friend of mine said to me recently that if he had a choice over tattooing or playing computer games he would choose the games. Now don't get me wrong - he is not some neophyte who has just started and doesn't know where he is at. Far from it. He has cut his teeth in tattooing but just prefers to hang out in Hack and Slash rather than in the tattoo studio.
I thought this was amusing until he said that he wouldn't have a problem chucking in his career as a tattoo artist to become a full-time gamer. It was then I realized how passionate he was about his games. You see I don't really play games. I was never any good at them. I had grown up with Atari and more recently bought myself a PlayStation but only ever used it to play music through.
Hardcore gamer shows his Atari tattoos.
Hardcore gamer shows his Atari tattoos - Courtesy of Good Deal Games
It was only until I went to Japan that the whole gamer culture was opened to me. Up until then I had always associated gamers as being young teenage boys with pale skin and spots who spent all of their time in their bedroom with the curtains closed. How wrong I was.
It made me realize that the stereotype I had in my head for years about gamers was all wrong and that there were hundreds of thousands of people such as my tattoo artist friend who were the norm not the exception. They were the kind of people you would see at Burning Man Festival and think to yourself how rad they were.
Triforce tattoos are not just for geeks.
Triforce tattoos are not just for geeks- Courtesy of Joystiq
Then I came across a story about this family who all decided to get a tattoo after their mom passed away. One of them said - "since we had just been through some bad stuff, it seemed like a good idea at the time. Grief's funny like that. We were all gamers, there were three brothers, so the Triforce seemed a natural fit. We made the decision to do it, then promptly didn't for two years, because I was a wimp."
This story blew me away on so many different levels. I am always one to encourage people to think seriously before they get a tattoo and try make sure it means something to them. This made me think that you don't have to get some portrait tattoo or a tattoo design of a headstone or some other predictable tattoo to honor a loved ones memory.
Old gamer shows his Triforce tattoos.
Old gamer shows his Triforce tattoos - Courtesy of Joystiq
The Triforce tattoo was completely fitting. It probably said so much more to them than some cheesy memorial tattoo. They all got different parts of the Triforce filled in. Their Dad got the full thing on his right arm because he already had a tattoo on his left. One of the brothers got it done on his calf. Another brother got it on his forearm. Full on dudes...respect!
http://www.tao-of-tattoos.com/gamer-tattoos.html
A tattoo artist friend of mine said to me recently that if he had a choice over tattooing or playing computer games he would choose the games. Now don't get me wrong - he is not some neophyte who has just started and doesn't know where he is at. Far from it. He has cut his teeth in tattooing but just prefers to hang out in Hack and Slash rather than in the tattoo studio.
I thought this was amusing until he said that he wouldn't have a problem chucking in his career as a tattoo artist to become a full-time gamer. It was then I realized how passionate he was about his games. You see I don't really play games. I was never any good at them. I had grown up with Atari and more recently bought myself a PlayStation but only ever used it to play music through.
Hardcore gamer shows his Atari tattoos.
Hardcore gamer shows his Atari tattoos - Courtesy of Good Deal Games
It was only until I went to Japan that the whole gamer culture was opened to me. Up until then I had always associated gamers as being young teenage boys with pale skin and spots who spent all of their time in their bedroom with the curtains closed. How wrong I was.
It made me realize that the stereotype I had in my head for years about gamers was all wrong and that there were hundreds of thousands of people such as my tattoo artist friend who were the norm not the exception. They were the kind of people you would see at Burning Man Festival and think to yourself how rad they were.
Triforce tattoos are not just for geeks.
Triforce tattoos are not just for geeks- Courtesy of Joystiq
Then I came across a story about this family who all decided to get a tattoo after their mom passed away. One of them said - "since we had just been through some bad stuff, it seemed like a good idea at the time. Grief's funny like that. We were all gamers, there were three brothers, so the Triforce seemed a natural fit. We made the decision to do it, then promptly didn't for two years, because I was a wimp."
This story blew me away on so many different levels. I am always one to encourage people to think seriously before they get a tattoo and try make sure it means something to them. This made me think that you don't have to get some portrait tattoo or a tattoo design of a headstone or some other predictable tattoo to honor a loved ones memory.
Old gamer shows his Triforce tattoos.
Old gamer shows his Triforce tattoos - Courtesy of Joystiq
The Triforce tattoo was completely fitting. It probably said so much more to them than some cheesy memorial tattoo. They all got different parts of the Triforce filled in. Their Dad got the full thing on his right arm because he already had a tattoo on his left. One of the brothers got it done on his calf. Another brother got it on his forearm. Full on dudes...respect!
http://www.tao-of-tattoos.com/gamer-tattoos.html
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