Why Did You Get A Tattoo?

ether

Why did you get a tattoo?
Thats the question I always get asked by the non tattooed members of our community. Well I was 18 going on 19 when I got my first done, I wanted it to represent something and at the time it didn't, it was more to see what it was like, but now I see it as maybe a transition into manhood or whatever.I've never regretted getting it done because its original( i think) and makes me think back and remember the good times I had when I was 18. I like what Dave Navarro said about his tattoos, they're a diary of my life, this ones when I was at this stage in my life and this ones 2 years later and so on.
So people tell us why did you get a tattoo?

Chaos_Path

i love the idea of having a permanant piece of beautiful art on your skin.

ether

I agree, but was there any specific reason?

jack shictt

Well ether i got mine in memory of a cousin of mine, it was bet deal we made first of us to go gets the others name tatto'd on them. I don't think id get another one tho and as the guy who done it finised he said to me.

One more of us and one less of them. lol

garthv

I was dead set on getting a tattoo last year,had a design picked out and all but never got round to it. Found the design in my room there the other day and was totally disgusted with it, couldnt believe I was going to get that tatoo'ed on me.
Not that im against tatoo's, I just believe they are too permanent for my liking,ok if you are getting them done for a reason( me and the girlfriend are thinking of getting matching tatoo's ) well then yeh as it will be a constant reminder of that reason.

Blub2k4

GaRtH_V wrote:

I was dead set on getting a tattoo last year,had a design picked out and all but never got round to it. Found the design in my room there the other day and was totally disgusted with it, couldnt believe I was going to get that tatoo'ed on me.
Not that im against tatoo's, I just believe they are too permanent for my liking,ok if you are getting them done for a reason( me and the girlfriend are thinking of getting matching tatoo's ) well then yeh as it will be a constant reminder of that reason.

as long as the relationship lasts ( not a commentary I know nowt about ye right ) permanent reminder and all that.......

tman

i was drunk at the time:(

i don't hate my tat... i just dont particularly like it

seagizmo

To impress girls Well the first was one anyway.

The second one was more of personal thing, a change, a reminder of who, where, when, what. Can't really explain it.

Third, fourth, fifth, well just hooked

SG

cajun_tiger

i fell in love in paris which is where i drew my fairy when i was 14, went back this year brought the pic with me to update it incase i got inspired which and did... came home and said right she's finished i love her and i want to keep her this way for ever so got her tattooed on to me!!!


still in love with paris xxx

church

i only got my first last week. i got it cos i like the look of certain styles of tattoos and i've always wanted one since i was about 9. no personal deep meanings or nothing.

garthv

Blub2k4 wrote:

as long as the relationship lasts ( not a commentary I know nowt about ye right ) permanent reminder and all that.......

Yeh but its not going to be a giant "I LOVE LINDA" across my back,its a tatoo ive always liked and shes liked,matching black stars on our shoulderblades

cajun_tiger wrote:

i fell in love in paris which is where i drew my fairy when i was 14, went back this year brought the pic with me to update it incase i got inspired which and did... came home and said right she's finished i love her and i want to keep her this way for ever so got her tattooed on to me!!!


still in love with paris xxx

Yeh i love Paris Hilton too ;p

cajun_tiger

i like the black and shading ones but the plain black are real sweet too

seagizmo

Probably going to start and almighty war, but I think tattos are pretty private thing, even though I have a few, you can't see them, even when I am wearing a T-shirt.

It's weird, I suppose having tattos myself, but I hate seeing other people tattoed on their arms, necks, hands..etc. I somehow thing that's it's a little too much?

Don't mean to offend, just personal preference and a slow day at the office

SG

cajun_tiger

no i agree, mine is only on display when i really realy want to show it off(not very often) plus my style in fashion keeps it covered nicely

ether

Its like we don't want them to be put on public display, but we're proud of them.

FIRE

I've recently decided that im going to get a tattoo. I've taken a long time to decide, 9 years so it's not half arsed. My whole problem was what to get, nothing has ever really appealed to me, and i've always been someone who believes that a tattoo should have a story behind it. And i didnt have one.

Then I found a design i had done in college about 7/8 years ago and it reminded me of a time shortly before i 'quit' college. And thats what I have decided to get. It's gonna remind me of a period that I never want to go back to and remind me how i've changed from THAT person to who i am.

I too agree about it being a personal thing and not wanting to show them off, but it's personal afterall. But if everyone covered up then no-one would be reminded how good they can look.

I'd be happy if someone can recommend a studio. My brother and sister have about 15 tattoos between them but the studios they used have gone, and not all were done in Dublin.

Hope to be INKED soon.

ven0m

Got my first one 4 years ago - now I've got 12...... apart from the fact they're addicitive mine are like permanent reminders of things for myself..... or else pre-planned amusement for the coroner down the line, where he/she'll be able to read my like a book LMAO or else have a bastard of a time filling in the "distinguishing marks" part of the report - where tattoos must be listed & described - LMAO


::: ven0mous :::

seagizmo

ven0m wrote:

... or else pre-planned amusement for the coroner down the line, where he/she'll be able to read my like a book LMAO or else have a bastard of a time filling in the "distinguishing marks" part of the report - where tattoos must be listed & described - LMAO
::: ven0mous :::

Never thought about that, that's actually quite a funny thought

SG

It wasn't me!

Heh. I'll still be pissing people off even after I'm dead! I have none due to age but I'm constantly doodling tatto designs and updating them, but there are a few designs I keep coming back to to elaborate on. I'll probably get a few of them tattooed on when I'm older.

Silent Grape

visual diary of important events etc in my life, my first one, 'love conquers all', having overcome depression and suicidal tenencies to some extent, second one is an image which represents my realtionship with my ex boyfriend, my third one, a phrase on my wrist which means 'hope', represents me finally being at peace and knowing no matter how crap it gets, it will always get better again

Skellington

got one due to drunken stupidity , but i get more fond it as time goes on...
the rest mark great times in my life and mystar is for reasons i dont wanna share.

trotter_inc

I got mine coz I like celtic designs and I suppose I just wanted to be a little different

Blub2k4

Trotter, am very interested in Celtic and have one myself, any chance you could post a pic of your tat? Not to copy you understand, just to have a gander and possibly get some ideas for the sleeve I want done.

crash n byrne

Got my first about 11,12 years ago was a stupid shamrock, have long since had it covered. Didnt get it for any reason really just had a few quid n decided to get it done. Even though it was crap i was completely hooked, and have been steadily gettin tattooed ever since. have about 80% of my left arm sleeved now and a variety of others scattered about my body.

butterfly

FIRE wrote:

It's gonna remind me of a period that I never want to go back to and remind me how i've changed from THAT person to who i am.
.

man.. crazy. that's just put into some sort of form exactly why i got my first one, cos i never really could..
thanks for that!

Reku

Got my first one done when I was 18, had been waiting about 4 years to get it done as my parents would never help me get a tatoo, they were just thankful that it's high up on the arm so even a short sleeved T-shirt hides it. I got it done in Sacred Art by Karen (the guy who was supposed to do it was sick), she did a fine job and made sure I knew all the after care details and such.
Then got my second one ~ 2 years later of the blade of the opposite shoulder. I went back to the same place but only noticed on the day of the appointment that it seemed to have changed name and management, not nearly as good as Sacred Art was. Got them to do some minor touch-ups on the first one, fill in a few small gaps in the ink, but the number of gaps that were in the one they did was rather disappointing and the bandaging was just clingfilm & vaseline(talk about cutting corners to save money) with no care as to whether I remembered anything about how to take care of it afterwards. They also kept making gay jokes and talking about gay smut while one was doing my tattoo, the other standing about for a chat, asking if I'd do Robbie Williams and such (I'm male)! NMaybe I was just misfortunate as regards the staff on the day but no chance in hell of me going back there!
Currently trying to get around to getting the next 3 done and the 2nd one touched-up to get rid of the gaps, currently thinking I might try the place in St. Stephen's Green Shopping Centre, any oppinions on that place from people?

They're all custom designs I came up with myself, they're just kind of reminders of who I am and of life's lessons.

marlena

http://www.net-model.com/UserImages/92004/9142004171824-25212b.JPG

Evilution

Because I was young and stupid. Exactly how stupid? I got two done, one after another, one on one shoulder and the other on the other shoulder. Made sleeping difficult for about a week. I seriously regret getting them done.

rOBeRt frETt

Got my first tattoo when I was Sixteen in 'the mint'........told the girl there I was 18 when she asked, It was a scorpion- got it on my right shoulder, why?- wait for it!!......coz scorpio is my star sign- did I mention I was 16!!, got another one later on when I was 22, an extract from the book of kells- the most beautiful celtic art record ever guilded!!- its called 'celtic dog' and as with all those designs of yore you have to look for a long time thru all the embelisments before you can actually see a dogs head - Irish wolfhound, the first tattoo cost me tenner in 1993, the second cost me 300, my next and final one (only 3, none visible thru a t-shirt) will leonardo di vinci's 'pentagonal man', thats right the sketch of the naked dude in a circle, de vinci was the first to draw this image that represents mans symetery, we are, like a lot of things in nature symetrical, we are attracted to things symetrical, we build things with symertery - the more symetrical you are the more beautiful you will be percieved by others - so everything that started as a cell that splits, or a snowflake, or the pryimads of egypt - we love it!!, so take a look at your symetery, anything you have one of is placed in the centre of your body and is in itself devisible by two (nose, mouth, penis, belly button). de vinci copped this while staring at a fern leaf and derived that god is a mathmatician, my symetery is ok- but I'm gonna get the tattoo-just in case!!

ether

Interesting point there. Tattoo sounds good, where did you say you were gonna get it done(body area)? Da Vinci was a genius, imagine having the blueprints for a helicopter or any flying object in Renaissance days, that was probably the last thing on most peoples minds. Are you thinking of getting it done in red, that would like nice I think,although black would do.

ven0m

rOBeRt frETt wrote:

............will leonardo di vinci's 'pentagonal man', thats right the sketch of the naked dude in a circle, de vinci was the first to draw this image that represents mans symetery, we are, like a lot of things in nature symetrical, we are attracted to things symetrical, we build things with symertery - the more symetrical you are the more beautiful you will be percieved by others - so everything that started as a cell that splits, or a snowflake, or the pryimads of egypt - we love it!!, so take a look at your symetery, anything you have one of is placed in the centre of your body and is in itself devisible by two (nose, mouth, penis, belly button). de vinci copped this while staring at a fern leaf and derived that god is a mathmatician, my symetery is ok- but I'm gonna get the tattoo-just in case!!

Let me guess - you recently discovered the Da Vinci code, think it's all real & wanna be "hip" - LOL......


::: ven0mous :::

rOBeRt frETt

I'm gonna get it on my back in black ink and blue for the text
-and no Ven0m I never read that ****e book but I know where your comin' from!! - actually I began to read about leonardo when my kid brother was told that he might be a genius because he wrote backwards(sentences and words), the 'school inspector' was the first to notice (my brother was 5, I was 9) and he said he wrote just like this guy called leonardo da vinci.

Jesus that book just sounds so crap though- maybe we should start a new thread about how implauseable and nothing to do with da vinci it is - I know its fiction and supossed to be a good yard but if I hear any more about it from people going -" yeah wow the bible has all these predictions in it when you apply this code to it and it can tell what has happened in the last 2 thousands years and blah,blah,blah " - yeah so does war and peace and LOTR and "ettel the adrvark goes quantity surveying" in fact if you apply the da vinci code to "my little goat" - it tells you who shot JFK- but you have to hold it upside down!! thats why bush was so engrossed that moring of sept 11 - "what. we're under attack, sez here that we're supossed to be attacked next year"

jack shictt

farohar wrote:

Got my first one done when I was 18, had been waiting about 4 years to get it done as my parents would never help me get a tatoo, they were just thankful that it's high up on the arm so even a short sleeved T-shirt hides it. I got it done in Sacred Art by Karen (the guy who was supposed to do it was sick), she did a fine job and made sure I knew all the after care details and such.
Then got my second one ~ 2 years later of the blade of the opposite shoulder. I went back to the same place but only noticed on the day of the appointment that it seemed to have changed name and management, not nearly as good as Sacred Art was. Got them to do some minor touch-ups on the first one, fill in a few small gaps in the ink, but the number of gaps that were in the one they did was rather disappointing and the bandaging was just clingfilm & vaseline(talk about cutting corners to save money) with no care as to whether I remembered anything about how to take care of it afterwards. They also kept making gay jokes and talking about gay smut while one was doing my tattoo, the other standing about for a chat, asking if I'd do Robbie Williams and such (I'm male)! NMaybe I was just misfortunate as regards the staff on the day but no chance in hell of me going back there!
Currently trying to get around to getting the next 3 done and the 2nd one touched-up to get rid of the gaps, currently thinking I might try the place in St. Stephen's Green Shopping Centre, any oppinions on that place from people?


They're all custom designs I came up with myself, they're just kind of reminders of who I am and of life's lessons.

**********Maybee you were in a gay tattoo palour.

Hellrazer

Thats it Jack Shictt---1 month ban for being an idiot.
Richie

ether

Nice one Hellrazer, spoiling my thread tut!

ether

I'm saying thanks Hellrazer btw, jack schitt does talk ****

tSubh Dearg

I got my tattoo done when I was 19. It's a custom design that involves my name with a flower, it's hard to explain. But it's nice as my friend drew it for me (I can't draw) and it'll always remind me of him and the summer I got it done.

I'm thinking about getting another one done but I've yet to find a design that appeals to me. I've asked a couple of arty friends to sketch some designs for me so we'll see.

cartman

the main reason why any one gets a tattoo is becuase it means something to them duh!

memphis

I was 19 when I got my tattoo done. I guess it was to mark the transition from childhood to adult hood, plus I liked dragon tattoo's. Its a personal thing really.

Am hoping to get a custom tattoo, but I'm crap to draw, might ask an arty friend of mine to design it for me. I know in my mind what I want just can't draw it.

ether

Kinda like myself, I'd like to get a samurai tattoo, have an idea what I'd like just couldn't draw it.

larryone

rOBeRt frETt wrote:

Got my first tattoo when I was Sixteen in 'the mint'........told the girl there I was 18 when she asked, It was a scorpion- got it on my right shoulder, why?- wait for it!!......coz scorpio is my star sign- did I mention I was 16!!, got another one later on when I was 22, an extract from the book of kells- the most beautiful celtic art record ever guilded!!- its called 'celtic dog' and as with all those designs of yore you have to look for a long time thru all the embelisments before you can actually see a dogs head - Irish wolfhound, the first tattoo cost me tenner in 1993, the second cost me 300, my next and final one (only 3, none visible thru a t-shirt) will leonardo di vinci's 'pentagonal man', thats right the sketch of the naked dude in a circle, de vinci was the first to draw this image that represents mans symetery, we are, like a lot of things in nature symetrical, we are attracted to things symetrical, we build things with symertery - the more symetrical you are the more beautiful you will be percieved by others - so everything that started as a cell that splits, or a snowflake, or the pryimads of egypt - we love it!!, so take a look at your symetery, anything you have one of is placed in the centre of your body and is in itself devisible by two (nose, mouth, penis, belly button). de vinci copped this while staring at a fern leaf and derived that god is a mathmatician, my symetery is ok- but I'm gonna get the tattoo-just in case!!

Could you send me an image of the irish wolfhound tatoo.... i've been considering getting a wolfhound on my back for the last few months.....
are all your tatoos symmetrical??
meatabstract at gmail dot com

Ali Cat

I got my tattoos because I don't like what I see when I look in the mirror, when I look at myself. It makes me unhappy to be in my skin. So I got my first one (all of them are stars, all over my body) done on my foot and it made me happy every time I looked down, still does. I got more then and they made me more confident about showing my body, to others or myself, and now no matter how I feel about the rest of me, I know that I'll always have something beautiful on me, when the world sees me or I see myself. They'll always be there to make me happy, and will never leave.

Cheesey I know but it's true.