Tisca Hi

With regards to the pain thing – yes it will hurt all tattoos do.

How much is subjective to the area you are tattooing and your own personal pain threshhold.

If I had to say a minimum I would say closest is equivilant to being scratched by a cat.

At worst teeth clenching and a bit of eye wiping (but hey I have a body of god – Budda! so prob felt it less :D)

But seriously the worst – well you may squeeze a couple of tears – but to be honest I have never met anybody as yet who couldnt handle the pain.

Also it tends to numb out a little after 30-60 mins because your body starts to get pumped on adrenaline and endorphins.

You wont be laughing but I dont think you will be screaming either 😉

As for the design – you are right there are so many different options. I would work through the list and then decide what is most suitable;

Why a star?

Do I want this in another 70 years?

Does my star have any personal or spiritual significance eg star of david or a star with a eye of asgoth (unblinking eye) etc or is it just because I like the fashion of it.

What is your preference black n shade or bright colours?

Do you want the star to be the main focus of the tattoo or for it to be linked into another tattoo – as an example a shooting star that extends from the finger of a wizard (the wizard could come later).

Sorry I am been broad but helps to really sit down and think about these things before you committ.

I have done a tour of the states and seen around 50 or so different artists in 9 states so if you let me know where you are heading I will try and hook you up with websites of the better (in my opinion anyhow) artists of where I have been. Might save you time and booking hassle.

Good luck with the tattoo and let us know how you get on.

Matthew

No probs!

A couple of shops that caught my eye whilst I was in Orlando were;

http://www.ascensiontattoo.com/ant_home.html – these guys do some great ink. I especially liked their portrait work.

Also http://www.inkredibleink.com/Artist.htm – These tend to do more New Wave and trad flash work but again might reach yopur personal tastes.

There are plenty of artists in and around the area but a hell of a lot of scratch pits as well – one place let their damn dog take a piss in the ‘sterile’ area and didn’t even move the dog or clean up with bleach. *Shudder*

My advice is get booked prior to visiting as they get booked up pretty quickly – I couldnt be fit in for mine so ended up in San Francisco Zombie Tattoos – which I would also recommend. I got my lion of Judah done there and very reasonably priced.

Also bear in mind that Orlando is a tourist area and the cost of tattoos reflects that – might find it a bit higher than other cities – although I found Miami the most expensive – damn their prices were ridiculous in some shops.

Take Care

Matthew