Tattoo design advice please

daven8Mon 21/07/08 19:13

I've wanted a tattoo for about 15 years but, until recently, never gave much thought to a design...and I'm far too sensible/cautious to pick a design on a whim. So, over the last couple of months I've spent quite a bit of time thinking about it, and looking for inspiration. I've got a whole folder of design ideas now.

Most of the ideas come from Ancient Greek art, mostly from pottery depicting scenes from Greek mythology. I have a strong affinity with all things Greek (I've lived there, speak the language, listen to Greek music...); and the mythology, and the art it inspired, has always fascinated me.

Since I also have a love of wine and general debauchery, images of Dionysus/Bacchus and satyrs are particularly appealing, and lots of the designs saved in my folder are on this theme.

There's one depiction of a satyr which I particularly like. However many others I look at, I keep coming back to the same one. Deep down, I guess I've known "it's the one" since I first saw it, but have been continuing my research to try and dispel any doubt. Anyway, I no longer have any doubt that this is the design I want. Sad git that I am, I've even printed it out, cut it out, and stuck it to my arm! It looks good (to me at least). It's what I want.

http://www.theoi.com/Gallery/T60.9.html

It'll be on my right arm....sort of between the bicep and the shoulder.

The satyr itself will be my skin. The ink will be the background (just as, in the original plate, the colour of the satyr comes from the base colour of the terracotta plate, and not from paint).

I want the satyr (obviously) and a circular border. I want a simpler border (probably the same 'Greek Key' design, but larger 'keys' so it's not so 'fussy'; or another (simpler) design from Greek pottery).

The lines showing the pecs, the dick etc probably need to be thickened a bit.

But what will a tatoo artist expect from me?

Can I turn up with this image, maybe another image showing the simpler border, and an instruction to 'thicken the lines of the pecs etc'?

Or should I use paint/photoshop etc to create an exact template for the tattooist to copy?

The original image uses some colour for the wreath around the head, and for the beard, which appears to be a reddish-bown. Should I get the wine-amphora he's sitting on done in the same colour, so that his legs and tail show up better?

And does anyone know a good tattoist in the London area which doesn't have a huge waiting list? After so many years of waiting, I'm suddenly impatient!

hoi_polloiMon 21/07/08 19:23

I think you can take the seperate elements of the tattoo into the shop and either the tattooist or one of his compadres will draw up the actual design for your approval.

I'm not sure if they still do it, but when i had one done, they did a transfer-type thing where they put ink on the back of the design then transferred it by drawing on the paper copy, thereby leaving the actual image on my skin for them to follow. But my mate has just had one done freehand straight onto his skin, but he did agree the actual design first....

I've never regretted having one done and am considering another - its good to have something personal to yourself etc.

But as i live in zummurrrzet, i dunno any tattoists in the big city ;-)

daven8Mon 21/07/08 19:30

quoting > "I think you can take the seperate elements of the tattoo into the shop and either the tattooist or one of his compadres will draw up the actual design for your approval"

Thanks. Would it be useful to take an enlarged, detailed design as well as an 'actual-size' version?

quoting > "But as i live in zummurrrzet"

Where in Zummerrzet? My ancestors are from the area around Porlock, Dunster and (especially) Old Cleeve.