June 8, 2011 at 12:42 am #36763
KMFH
Participant
@kmfh

I’ve been thinking pretty hard about adding on to what I have now, which is a tree with a silhouette of my kids sharing a swing. I think I’d like to add a Koi underneath it since it symbolizes, more or less, obtaining a goal or over coming adversity.

I’ve been searching around for the meaning of the colors of the fish, and what it means in tattoo lore. The best I’ve found is this page here: http://www.buzzle.com/articles/koi-tattoo-meaning.html

I read somewhere that a black koi can stand for “father”, but here it says it stands for success after a change.

I guess I have a two part question. 1.) Any help with actual (if any) the meaning depending on the color and 2.) Would a koi, running horizontal under what I have now, look out of place? I’d have the koi wrap all the way around my arm, and would do some shading behind it to blend into the bottom part of the tree.

Here’s what I have now.

Untitled-1-2.jpg

Finished_TattooHealed.jpg

DSC06513.jpg

Thanks for opinions, and sorry for the pit shot.

June 8, 2011 at 1:01 am #104913
imperial1904
Participant
@imperial1904

I think it would look fine. If anything, you can always use your other arm. A really good artist can make it all blend together.

June 8, 2011 at 2:00 am #104916
BigZach
Participant
@bigzach

I think it would look a bit out of place, are you open to the other arm?

The other arm would place all emphasis on the koi itself, I just couldn’t see a traditional Japanese tattoo next to the ink you already have

Zach

June 8, 2011 at 2:07 am #104917
yodaddynukka
Participant
@yodaddynukka

i have bio gears on my upper arm with japanese on my lower arm, so i would go with it will be fine.

June 8, 2011 at 3:58 am #104919
Adler
Participant
@adler

Whatever you do I don’t think you should make a decision based on some internet meaning of koi and colors, etc. But personally, I don’t thik they’d go together very well.

June 8, 2011 at 9:49 am #104927
Wardy
Participant
@wardy

loving that tattoo mate.

June 8, 2011 at 4:54 pm #104945
KMFH
Participant
@kmfh

Thanks for the compliments, and input.

Right now I want to keep everything on the same arm, and apparently (this wasn’t the plan when I started the tattoo) to go to a 1/2 sleeve.

I want all my tattoos to have meaning, and I travel a lot so I like family driven work. I’d like to find something that symbolizes family that will fit under my tree to my elbow.

Hell, maybe I’m just grasping at straws looking for an excuse to get more work done.

June 10, 2011 at 11:44 am #104947
BertNaked
Participant
@bertnaked
Quote:
I read somewhere that a black koi can stand for “father”, but here it says it stands for success after a change.

Black Koi stands for ‘I’ve just covered my tribal, the best way possible’.

June 11, 2011 at 12:56 am #105033
ByStarlight
Participant
@bystarlight

I think it would look out of place horizontally because of the meanings associated with the Koi swimming up or down. But, If you were to add roots to the tree, and have the Koi swimming upwards…as if the roots turned into downward waves, I think it would blend very nicely and it would go with the hardships and struggles of being a father.

June 11, 2011 at 1:00 am #105035
ByStarlight
Participant
@bystarlight

Sorry to double post, but I just realised that you wouldnt be able to fit a good looking upward swimming Koi with the space you have in a half sleeve…you would have to make it 3/4. but IMO with the roots into waves idea….it would look sick as a 3/4 sleeve.

June 11, 2011 at 1:10 am #105037
mrwebby
Participant
@mrwebby
ByStarlight;88489 wrote:
Sorry to double post, but I just realised that you wouldnt be able to fit a good looking upward swimming Koi with the space you have in a half sleeve…you would have to make it 3/4. but IMO with the roots into waves idea….it would look sick as a 3/4 sleeve.

This is a pretty tight idea, go for a 3/4 sleeve it would give you more room to play with and wont look like its just been placed there to fill the space. Just would cost more $ for the bigger tat

June 13, 2011 at 11:58 am #105158
KMFH
Participant
@kmfh
BertNaked;88455 wrote:
Black Koi stands for ‘I’ve just covered my tribal, the best way possible’.

Ha! No tribal here, but good point.

mrwebby;88491 wrote:
This is a pretty tight idea, go for a 3/4 sleeve it would give you more room to play with and wont look like its just been placed there to fill the space. Just would cost more $ for the bigger tat

That is a cool idea. Might be a little bigger than what I’m wanting to do, and as I said I might be grasping for straws to just get more work done.

Thanks for input, everyone.

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