So I’m getting my first tattoo on November 11th.
This is what I’m getting this http://www.hollow-hill.com/sabina/images/everything-was-beautiful.jpg on the outside of my bicep, along with three letters on my ribs.
I went to four different shops and they all told me the same thing, that if I were to get the tattoo, they would have to fill in the letters. Also, one shop wanted to charge up to 300, although the one I found wants to charge 100, which still seems kind of high.
I guess my question is, what’s a good price? And are they correct in telling me that I must get it with the letters filled in?
Another thing that perturbs me, is that the guy at the shop I chose was awfully pushy. He kept telling me he wanted to do some shading and work on it to make it look like a real gravestone. However I want it to remain as close as possible to the source material, and I’m already disappointed that I’ll have to fill in the letters. But he just kept pushing to make it something different. Should I worry about this?
Also, when I told him about the letters, he didn’t even ask what the letters were, what size I wanted them, or the font, and said it’d be 30 extra and that he’d see me again on November 11th. Now I have no idea what he thinks I want them to look like.
I don’t know. The guy, while really pushy, generally did seem to have my best interests in mind, should I be worried?
Thanks for the info in advance.
EDIT: Never mind about the price being too high, I mean that doesn’t matter, I’m just confused about the wide range I guess. Is the fact that I found it for 100 bad?
His “pushiness” is an artist trying to give you a better tattoo. I think he’s completely right, it would look a looot better.
And well, about the letters… How big are you getting it? Because making really small, thin lines like that, and still make it work.. It’s not easy. They could easily fade away, become a bit uneven, etc.
My artist usually says that letters have to be about 1cm to look good, and I think that sounds about right with letters like that.
Listen to the artist. Have him draw something up before you get it done, and see what you think!
Just because something has meaning and looks good on paper, doesn’t mean it will look good as a tattoo…
Well, I can understand that, but it’s not his artwork I’m looking to get, it’s the artwork of another person. This picture is from the novel Slaughterhouse Five, and it is a common literary tattoo, I’ve seen it before so I know it can be done and done well just the way it is.
But like I said, that doesn’t really concern me; I’m willing to compromise and from what you’ve said he’s right in filling in the letters, which is what I expected, but thanks for the conformation.
And well, about the letters… How big are you getting it? Because making really small, thin lines like that, and still make it work.. It’s not easy. They could easily fade away, become a bit uneven, etc.
My artist usually says that letters have to be about 1cm to look good, and I think that sounds about right with letters like that.
Listen to the artist. Have him draw something up before you get it done, and see what you think!
Just because something has meaning and looks good on paper, doesn’t mean it will look good as a tattoo…
Pox- You hit it on the head! People want to have stuff thrown onto them like the tattoo artist is some sort of photocopier. The fact of the matter is that when you go and show off your tat and and doesn’t look the very best it could and you tell everyone about your artist- that’s HIS name (or hers, whatever, you get the point).
Listen and trust your artist. If you don’t, find a new one. The truth is that a good artist will know the best way to make this look ON YOUR BODY as opposed to on paper.
Since this thread, I did call up my artist and tell him if he had time to draw up what he wants to do and what I want, so I can come in and compare them. I feel like I should at least see what he wants to do. Upon reflection, I do want something cool, and he does know more than me about ink, so yeah we’ll see.
My thing is, the image was drawn by Kurt Vonnegut. It’s his work. I want his work, I guess this thread has brought up the question that I have, shouldn’t the artist respect what you want? Because isn’t it yours? Who cares about their artwork? If it looks crappy to others, but YOU like it, and it’s what YOU want, isn’t that all that matters?
I’m not trying to argue, I don’t know very much about this and I’ll be the first to admit that. I just wanna discuss it ya know? I guess I think, shouldn’t tattoo artist first try to transcribe art, instead of primarily trying to create it?
Well, yes and no.
Tattoo artists are just that… artists.
And as you may or may not know, artists in general are…. different people 🙂
Why would you want to spend your time doing something else, when you could just as well be spending it doing something new and uniquely yours?
As someone said in another similarly minded thread, the problem with you wanting that exact tat is that the artist who puts it on you is putting his name and reputation behind it. This picture is, in my not so humble opinion, an ugly picture. It looks like it’s drawn by someone with very little artistic ability.
So if you want your artist to recreate that in a tat, I will see that tat and think “oh my god, what horrible tattoo artist did that crap!?”
Do you understand me? You love that image and all the power in the world to you if you want it on your body, but it’s very understandable that a real artist would not want to put his name on it… people will always automatically assume he’s crap.
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