In memory of my Mom, my next tattoo is going to be a cardinal perched on a branch with “Love you forever” carved into it. I found the perfect artist to do it and have an appointment on February 6th. During my consult, I learned that the size and detail I’m looking for will take 6-8 hours. I want to have the branch go along with the curve of my hip/onto my side, and have the cardinal up my side. I’m trying to prepare myself with research, so I’d appreciate any stories/information you guys can share. The more details the better!
Specific things I’m curious about: my artist said that because of the way needles bounce off the bones, it’ll probably add an extra hour of tattoo time. Does that affect the level of detail or saturation that can be accomplished? I know that it is one of the more painful places to get a tattoo so I’d love to get it over with in one sitting if possible (my artist only schedules one tattoo a day, so we’ll have the time if I can handle it). Is that a bad idea? Do you get used to the pain or is it horrible the whole time? Are there particular parts that hurt more than others?
Thanks in advance!
Erick Holguin of Ink & Dagger
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Erick Holguin Tattoo Portfolio – Ink & Dagger Tattoo | Roswell, Georgia (404)373-6655
I want it to be realistic as far as details and depth, but with bright colors and contrast.
ETA: And it’s just going to be the bird and branch without a background.
Don’t stress about doing it in one session. You don’t get used to it (maybe with upper arms etc or high pain tolerance), it gets worse. A lot of people aren’t able to sit for more than 3-4hrs on ribs, perfectly normal. The skin is fairly thin so you feel it in your bones, and not everyone can take that pain for a long amount of time.
But don’t worry about it. You picked a great artist, and even if you do 8hrs at once, you’ll probably need one more session of 1-2hrs to tighten things up.
Pain is individual and you might sit like a champ, but if it’s too painful, just let him know! Sleep well, eat well, bring snacks etc, take breaks if you need to.
The bouncing of bones shouldn’t change the level of saturation or quality, the reason it takes longer is because they need to use more time to make sure it all looks right. Just judging by what he’s told you I can tell he’s very experienced, and that’s a great sign.
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