Design my tattoo!? :)

[Jiraden]

Hello all,

I'm looking to get a tattoo of a phoenix, that starts on or around my shoulder area, comes down my chest, and onto my side, however, I don't have any artistic friends, I don't have an ounce of artistic blood in my own veins, and I'm not finding anything on the internet that would work with what I want. I'm extremely picky, and if I get something inked on my body, I want it to be just right. It's gotta be a manly bird, flames, talons, etc - not a girly phoenix with the cockatail/peacock plumes everywhere. If there are any bored, artsy people on here that know of a good design, have any input or design ideas, or would like to design something yourself, please, feel free to post away. I really would love this tattoo but will not do it until I find that design that's "just right"!

[Deleted]

If you want to do it right (and you should) then let the tattoo artists himself design it.
Yes this means you might look for a while and yes it will cost more. Should be worth it though and once you found a tattoo artist you like you'll end up with a really good tattoo.

[Duilliath]

See above.

Additionally, if you really want them to do a proper job to -your- liking, research their work in advance so you know their style is what you're looking for and possibly draw them a rough sketch of what you have in mind.

They're tattooists, not mind readers.

[orderschvank]

the problem is.. you want a bird.. to span across a pretty big chunk of your body.. so when im thinking about this i would have no idea how to just have a phoenix appear in all 3 places without it just ending up looking stupid.

one reason is that if you want the phoenix to have its wings spread out.. AND go from shoulder down to like above the hip.. its wings would have to be massive and end up looking stupid on you.

if the wings are tucked in that would be simpler but probably look stupid too

your not being specific at all, just sayin "not a girly phoenix" does not help in the least

do you want to look angelic, scary, heroic, sad, mad, energetic, etc

do you ONLY want just the bird?? or do you want stuff with it.. how do you want it to form across your body, idk what you look like. you could be fat or skinny or muscular. tall or short??

[Austilias]

Might I ask what the significance of the tattoo would be? Some theme about phoenixes and rebirth, perhaps? The prospect of an eternal life for a deceased loved one? Or will it be something meaningless and 'badass' that you will look back on in 10/20 years time and consider yourself a dumbass for getting?

[Jiraden]

the problem is.. you want a bird.. to span across a pretty big chunk of your body.. so when im thinking about this i would have no idea how to just have a phoenix appear in all 3 places without it just ending up looking stupid.

one reason is that if you want the phoenix to have its wings spread out.. AND go from shoulder down to like above the hip.. its wings would have to be massive and end up looking stupid on you.

if the wings are tucked in that would be simpler but probably look stupid too

It's not as farfetched as it sounds if you do a google search on phoenix tattoo's, there are many variations/shapes/sizes that look good, and fit, just nothing I've seen that has really made my eyes pop out of my head.

your not being specific at all, just sayin "not a girly phoenix" does not help in the least

do you want to look angelic, scary, heroic, sad, mad, energetic, etc

I apologize for lack of specifics =/ I want it to look heroic, confident, inspirational.

do you ONLY want just the bird?? or do you want stuff with it.. how do you want it to form across your body, idk what you look like. you could be fat or skinny or muscular. tall or short??

Yes I want just the bird, however, I would not be opposed to the bird having props, possibly clutching a weapon in it's talons, etc. I am 6'1 185 lbs, with the thin-muscular type build. Not sure if that helps you. I don't really have an "IT HAS TO FIT THIS WAY" requirement, other than I want a tee-shirt to be able to cover it, as to not interefere with any future job endeavors.

---------- Post added 2012-04-05 at 10:45 AM ----------

Might I ask what the significance of the tattoo would be? Some theme about phoenixes and rebirth, perhaps? The prospect of an eternal life for a deceased loved one? Or will it be something meaningless and 'badass' that you will look back on in 10/20 years time and consider yourself a dumbass for getting?

You sure may. I have been making some major lifestyle changes over the course of the past 1.5 years. Recovered from some significant life-altering events, and have been ever-striving to improve myself. I don't want to go into specifics there, because I've conquered them, but I feel it's important to remember them and be thankful to be the person they've shaped today. The bird would represent my rebirth and triumph, "rising from the ashes" type of deal.

[Deleted]

Tattoo artist here.

There are probably quite a few people who could whip up a design for you here, but it's generally a bad idea to have people who don't know you and can't see how your body looks do a design for you. This is what your tattoo artist is for.

Unless you're dead set on a certain design, let your artist work it out for you. You want to make sure that the final tattoo has the right flow on your body and this is best done by someone who has a trained eye - and it's especially important with a piece as large as you describe, not to mention that phoenix birds often have long, flowing features that will look ridiculous if done wrong. Getting and maintaining a tattoo should be a memorable process and halfhearted work by people who can kinda-sorta draw just won't cut it. This is something that will be in your skin permanently - wouldn't you prefer that it's done by someone who does it well enough to make a living off of it?

1: Find out what kind of style you want. Color, tribal, b/w, biomech, cartoony?
2: Find an artist that works with your style and have a look at their portfolio and check out their studio to see if it's up to your standards.
3: If you like what you see, have a talk with them. They're not going to bite if you ask them questions about how they'd solve a certain project. If you don't like the answer, repeat step 2. Don't feel obliged to get work by someone just because you've asked questions, and don't be afraid to walk away if you're not totally convinced.
4: Explain what you want, but take their advice seriously - they give it for a reason.
5: Get ready to shell out some money. Good tattoos requires a lot of preparation and time, and they're certainly not free.
6: Enjoy your new tattoo.

[Jiraden]

Thank you Manbeartruck! Your post was extremely informative, and you've even laid out the process for me, which I was, until now, completely unfamiliar with. You are a tattoo artist huh? Don't suppose you reside in the Central PA area!? lol

[Deleted]

Currently living in Rome, Italy, so we're not exactly neighbors
Anyway, you're welcome.

So, for some reason I did a bit of sniffing around for you - mostly because I hate people getting bad tattoos, hah.

Anyway, what I found was there seems to be a lack of awesome artists in the PA area. I did, however, find a few things - first this dude, Scott Carlin, who definitely know's whats up. It seems he mostly works in biomech stuff, so question is if is up for doing a bird. He works out of Lansdale near Philadelphia. Website

Then there's this other guy, Shane O'Neill, and he is clearly my recommendation between the two. Only trouble is, he is in Delaware, so you'd be in for a bit of a drive, but it's totally worth it for this kind of work. His gallery is mostly portraits, but anyone who works with this level of portraits and color will definitely be able to bring your phoenix to life. Go with a friend who can drive on the way back because you'll be tired after a long session. You'll also have to go more than once because you don't finish such a big, intricate piece in one session.

Of course, use who you feel comfortable with, but be careful of people who only show you work that has neither depth or life - they'll always show your their best and if it doesn't wow you right away, you should walk away.