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Hello everyone! I’m new to the forum as well as tattoos. I’ve had a mind to get one since August 2008, when I got a henna tattoo I really liked. I decided that if I still wanted it in a year, I could get it. Obviously a year has come and gone, and within that time I’ve figured out how I want to change the original to make it original and have come up with many, many other tattoo ideas. I think I have somewhere around 14, and not a single one on my body! I’m more than willing to share them all, if someone is interested, but I’ll spare you for the moment. Anyway, my question has to do script/text tattoos. Many of the tattoos I want are quotes, text, phrases, etc. Some of them aren’t too big a deal, as they’re relatively short. However some of them are lengthy, which I’m really good at (you’ll believe me by the end of this question)! What to do/where to put a lengthy text tattoo? They can’t be too small or they’re illegible, and I’d like all of my tattoos to be sound enough that they’re still discernible later in life. My biggest problems are:
1. A portion of the music to “Kde Domav Muj,” which is the Czech national anthem. I want to include the staff, with notes, and lyrics underneath. The only good place I can think of for this is my forearm, but I’m a “classy” girl, aka my dad would FREAK out if I couldn’t cover them up on important occasions. I’m 22, been married 3 years, and he’ll freak out, but that’s ok, I love him. Anyway, it would probably be at least two inches long.
2. All text, saying “I held you every second of your life.” I’d really like this somewhere like my lower abdomen, is it too long? Or workable? I don’t have enough experience to say, that’s why I’m asking.
With the belly in mind, is this a tattoo I should put off until I’m finished having kids? I’d hate to screw it up when I get pregnant
3. I have two poems, about my mother and father, that are lengthy, just like everything else I do. I don’t have a clue what to do with those except try to come up with better tributes than that, but I LIKE my poems. 🙁
4. A quote by Andre Gide that I love, ““Be faithful to that which exists nowhere but in yourself- and thus make yourself indispensable.” Again, a lot of text, but I’m a reader and a writer, and I relate to the world through words better than any other way, so it’s entirely representative of me to have words on my body. They just take up so much space!
5. I have many, many shorter quotes. Some are one word, some are several. Apart from the difficulties posed by length, what are good places, in your opinion, for text tattoos? Where do you have yours, if any?
Also, with the thought in my mind that I will have multiple tattoos, and I already have multiple ideas, how do I decide where to put the first one? I’m worried I’ll put something that could have gone somewhere else in a spot that I’ll later want for something ill-suited for anywhere but a particular spot.
Last but not least, my brother and I are getting older, we can both get tattoos now, and he’s held off because of my father too. I told my brother over Christmas that when we have the money and occasion, we should go get a brother/sister tattoo. Either something that is brother/sister related or something personal to us. I’ll certainly be talking to him more about this, I’m just wondering what other people have done in similar situations. I’m hoping he can come up with an image, because all I can come up with are words. I’ve thought maybe the kanji for “Big sister” and “Little brother,” except…we’re not Japanese. I know a LOT of people disagree with me on this point, but I think it’s silly for me to have cultural tattoos that have nothing to do with my history. But that’s just me. And I like the idea. So again, just asking for thoughts and experiences. I hope SOMEONE has read through this whole thing and is getting a kick out of answering my questions.
Thanks everyone!
Chelsey 🙂
Hey Chelsey,
Were you planning on getting all those text tattoos? I’ve got two text tatts and I think I plan on stopping there, as much as I’d love to get more quotes, I don’t want to become a book.
The problem with having too much writing is that it looks like someone’s gone crazy with a Sharpie and scribbled all over you (in my opinion anyway).
However, it is your body and your choice.
I’ve seen quite a long quote tattooed down someone’s ribs before, it’s a pretty big canvas there and the right artist can really make it look artistic.
Hi
The way to plan it is simple – if you need to cover up and still want to wear ball gowns without tattoos showing the following would have to be removed from potential canvas;
Anything from the elbow down (incl hands and wrists)
Upper middle of the back and neck
Face/head
From the knee down to ankle.
Collar bones.
You might get away with ones on the feet as these can be covered with shoes.
Of course it varies according to how conscientious you are about the matter.
That leaves your upper arms bicep and tricep
The ribs
The breasts (depending on whether you like open cut or not)
Thighs
Side panels of back below shoulder blades.
Lower spine.
Buttocks.
As for placement you can actually sketch out placement with a water soluble marker pen on your body to get an idea but yes you would need at least an inch of skin spacing for each tattoo so they do not blur into one another.
A size 10 or more is sufficent on text although bigger is better.
The ribs and thighs are often good places for lengthy script as is the back.
I would keep the arms for tattoos that involve drawings or drawings + script (personal taste thing only).
As for your brother is there a certain thing that you both share that can be symbolised in one picture? My friend and his sister have a passion for birds so both have a swallow in their fave colours.
Take Care
Matthew
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