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First Tattoo - Perfect Circle

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  • 07-09-2014 12:06am
    #1
    Right Turn Clyde
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,487 ✭✭✭


    Hi. I want to get this as my first tattoo.

    550px-Dr_Manhattan_symbol.svg.png

    It's Dr. Manhattan's symbol from the Watchmen comic. It probably looks fairly boring to some people, but it has great personal significance for me, and I know I'd be happy to carry it with me for the rest of my life.

    However, I'm worried that it won't turn out right. I know it looks fairly simple, but perhaps it's more difficult than it looks? I mean, it's a perfect circle. It must be hard to pull off. The reason I'm worried is that I've seen a few of them online (see below), and personally, I wouldn't be happy with them. The lines are too thick, the proportions aren't correct and the circle does not look exact. I'd rather not get it done if it's not going to be done perfectly. So I guess I'm asking if a good tattoo artist can do this perfectly. I want to pay top dollar to get it right.

    My apologies if this is a stupid question, but I haven't seen a perfect circle tattooed before and I'm quite anxious about the whole thing.

    Thanks.

    hydrogentat.png

    tumblr_lj5dubVAm41qai5d2o2_500.jpg


Comments

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    #2
    bluefinger
    Registered Users Posts: 1,800 ✭✭✭bluefinger


    if you bring that image in, in the exact dimensions you want they actually trace it on to your skin. a good artist will take their time and it will look better for it. although forgive me if i'm wrong but i believe there's no such thing as a perfect circle.


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    #3
    Right Turn Clyde
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,487 ✭✭✭Right Turn Clyde


    bluefinger wrote: »
    if you bring that image in, in the exact dimensions you want they actually trace it on to your skin. a good artist will take their time and it will look better for it. although forgive me if i'm wrong but i believe there's no such thing as a perfect circle.

    I think Plato was one of the first people to suggest that there is no such thing as a perfect circle. So you're quite right. :P

    I guess I'll settle for a circle that is a perfect to the human eye.


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    #4
    Orim
    Registered Users Posts: 4,971 ✭✭✭Orim


    Thread title disappoints but still...



    As bluefinger said, if you get it printed as you want it then any artist will be able to do it to those specifications. Don't forget to take body shape into account. For example, that back of the neck one was always going to be slightly off becaause you're right on top of the spine.

    It would be hard to get right but I would consider scarification for that. It just makes sense to me considering how it was done in the comics.


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    #5
    Right Turn Clyde
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,487 ✭✭✭Right Turn Clyde


    Orim wrote: »
    It would be hard to get right but I would consider scarification for that. It just makes sense to me considering how it was done in the comics.

    I really don't like the scars at all. No offence.


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    #6
    Orim
    Registered Users Posts: 4,971 ✭✭✭Orim


    Right Turn Clyde wrote: »
    I really don't like the scars at all. No offence.

    None taken, just a suggestion.


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    #7
    bodice ripper
    Registered Users Posts: 4,681 ✭✭✭bodice ripper


    you find me a perfectly flat, perfectly immobile piece of skin on your body, and I will tattoo you a perfect circle


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    #8
    P_1
    Registered Users Posts: 14,681 ✭✭✭✭P_1


    The curvature of your skin might make achieving a perfect circle a bit tricky to be honest.


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    #9
    Right Turn Clyde
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,487 ✭✭✭Right Turn Clyde


    bodice ripper wrote: »
    you find me a perfectly flat, perfectly immobile piece of skin on your body, and I will tattoo you a perfect circle

    Does that mean that no artist can tattoo a circle that is 'perfect' to the human eye?


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    #10
    P_1
    Registered Users Posts: 14,681 ✭✭✭✭P_1


    Right Turn Clyde wrote: »
    Does that mean that no artist can tattoo a circle that is 'perfect' to the human eye?

    A perfect circle is simple to draw on a piece of paper because you're only dealing with two dimensions. On a three dimensional surface like your body it becomes more difficult


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    #11
    Right Turn Clyde
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,487 ✭✭✭Right Turn Clyde


    P_1 wrote: »
    A perfect circle is simple to draw on a piece of paper because you're only dealing with two dimensions. On a three dimensional surface like your body it becomes more difficult

    I see. Forgive my ignorance, I really have no idea what I'm talking about. There must be any number of variables that I just haven't considered. Thanks.


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    #12
    Star Lord
    Registered Users Posts: 30,123 ✭✭✭✭Star Lord


    If you draw a perfect circle on a piece of paper, and then wrap that paper round something cylindrical, such as a bottle, it'll look a little elliptical, the extent to which it does so will vary depending on viewing angle. As our bodies curve in different ways in different places, it'll ultimately have a slight warping effect on the circle, unless it's done to look like a perfect circle from a set viewing point, in which case looking at it from another angle will look even worse!

    For a slightly exaggerated idea of what I mean, take the below 3d street art for example, where it's drawn to look perfect from a certain angle, and if you click on it, you'll see if from another angle.

    s-CHALKSNAIL-large640.jpg?4


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    #13
    Right Turn Clyde
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,487 ✭✭✭Right Turn Clyde


    Star Lord wrote: »
    If you draw a perfect circle on a piece of paper, and then wrap that paper round something cylindrical, such as a bottle, it'll look a little elliptical, the extent to which it does so will vary depending on viewing angle. As our bodies curve in different ways in different places, it'll ultimately have a slight warping effect on the circle, unless it's done to look like a perfect circle from a set viewing point, in which case looking at it from another angle will look even worse!

    For a slightly exaggerated idea of what I mean, take the below 3d street art for example, where it's drawn to look perfect from a certain angle, and if you click on it, you'll see if from another angle.

    I see. I hadn't though of that. I assume significant weight loss/gain can effect a tattoo as well? My ankles and wrists are the only parts of my body that don't metamorphose every 5 years!


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    #14
    Star Lord
    Registered Users Posts: 30,123 ✭✭✭✭Star Lord


    Obviously any change in shape to the underlying tissue may subtly change the appearance of it, but with regard to stretching/shrinking, I think there'd need to be a lot of growth/shrinking for it to be noticeable for most tattoos. When it comes to something as subtle as a circle, it may be slightly more noticeable.

    However, I'd be of the opinion that so long as it's done well, with nice clean, even line work, then it'll look as close to perfect as you're going to get, and will look good regardless.


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    #15
    Right Turn Clyde
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,487 ✭✭✭Right Turn Clyde


    Star Lord wrote: »
    Obviously any change in shape to the underlying tissue may subtly change the appearance of it, but with regard to stretching/shrinking, I think there'd need to be a lot of growth/shrinking for it to be noticeable for most tattoos. When it comes to something as subtle as a circle, it may be slightly more noticeable.

    However, I'd be of the opinion that so long as it's done well, with nice clean, even line work, then it'll look as close to perfect as you're going to get, and will look good regardless.

    Great, thanks for that. And thanks to everyone else as well. You've all been very helpful.


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    #16
    innad
    Closed Accounts Posts: 306 ✭✭innad


    The other thing to note is, whatever about tattooing a circle that looks perfect to the naked eye, taking a photo of it without it looking warped would be very tricky. Some of those photos of tattoos you've seen may just look wrong because of the angle the photograph was taken at - that street art photo illustrates the point very well!


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