1. What did you get/where did you get it? Pictures whoo! if you have them. My tattoo is my avatar, but if someone is reading this thread in the future when I've changed it I've posted in the tattoo thread in the Say Cheese forum. Mobius strip and three painted lady butterflies in between my shoulder blades.
2. Does the tat have a special meaning to you? If not that's cool too, I love them so I don't feel you have to have some huge meaning for everything you get as long as you like it! It's a memorial tattoo for my cousin who drowned when we were 15. I spent three years planning and thinking and finding pictures. I got the outline done on my 19th birthday, and the colour about a month later. The mobius strip symbolizes eternity and our relationship, and the butterflies stand for her, another cousin, and I. The spring she died there were painted ladies everywhere, so I have them on my back to remind me.
3. What made you get the inclination to go get one? Have you always wanted one, or did someone you know get a really awesome one that helped pushed you? I first started thinking about it when my other cousin (the reason there are three butterflies) got a similar one, a small figure eight mobius strip on her breastbone with a butterfly wing in each loop. I want more but I'm going to wait until I both have an excellent reason and a great design. Although I do want to do a full back piece incorporating the one I have right now, but I don't have that kind of money at the moment.
4. What if anything did you do to prepare? Did you bring in a picture, ask the artist to draw it themselves? Did you talk about pricing/designs before actually getting it, then went back later to have it done? I spent a long time playing with pictures in a photo editing program before I came up with something I felt good about. I brought in that rough design and talked to my artist about it. I'd never heard of him before, but I looked through his portfolio and loved his work. There was another artist there who I liked better, but she was booked for quite a few months and I had a limited time to get it done. I was a little concerned that I hadn't been careful enough in my eagerness to get it done, but I am so happy with his work. We sat down with my rough picture and we had a discussion about what was possible, what I wanted and why, sizing, pricing, time, etc. This was about a month before my appointment. I also went in another time to make sure that we were on the same page. I came in the day before to see what he had drawn, which was about a million times better than what I had brought in. The reason I checked the day before was so he would have time to change it if I didn't like it. The day of my appointment was a bit of a fiasco because he had been mugged the night before so he was really late and having a bad day, but it turns out when he's angry his tattoos end up looking better.
We did the outline in one session (about 3.5 hours), and then I came back for the colour about a month later (2.5 hours). It was expensive, but he cut me a deal because he liked that I was so passionate about it.
I wouldn't worry about everyone else getting one. So many people are so concerned with not being like the mainstream crowd, but if you don't do something that you want to do just because everyone else is doing it I think that's just as bad as not doing what you want because no one else is. My biggest advice is don't rush it. Start looking at tattoo galleries online for ideas, but notice how many of those tattoos are just average. Anyone can get a tattoo, it takes patience, money, creativity, and effort to have an amazing tattoo.
As you're looking through those galleries, write down anything that you like. Don't copy a design, but if you like a certain style of flower over another, if you like a certain kind of colouring, make a note. Figure out what elements are the ones you like best... I think it's always best to go into an artist with some good ideas.
