How to Choose a Tattoo you Will be Proud of for Life

You want a tattoo but you aren't sure where you want it? Maybe you are unsure of exactly what design you want. Either way you will be on your way to making a concrete decision for yourself once you've read this tattoo article. Simply follow these steps and apply that good ole gut instinct.

WHAT ARE YOU SURE ABOUT?

Your first step is to ask yourself what you are sure about. You essentially have four options:

Option #1:
You know what kind of design you want, but you don't know where on your body you want it. In this case, scroll down to the "Choosing a Tattoo Location" section of this article.

Option #2:
You know where you want the design located on your body, but you don't know what kind of design you want. In this case, scroll down to the "Choosing a Design to Fit the Location" section of this article.

Option #3:
You know both which design you want and where on your body you want it. In this case, you have no reason to be reading this article. Go to your local parlor and get that tattoo!

Option #4:
You don't know what kind of design you want and you don't know where on your body you want it. I suggest you do some brainstorming and check out some tattoo sites online. Once you have come to your decision, get back to me. I will design it for you.

CHOOSING A TATTOO LOCATION

Ask yourself this: "What is the general shape of my design?"

You need to visualize exactly what it is that you want in this design. Here, you will think like an artist. Imagine your body as an abstract campus, with your tattoo design being the artwork on the campus.

Your goal is to find an area on your body that will best fit the overall "shape" of the design. To do this, you must keep the composition of your design simple. Since the detail within the design will be tight and complex, you need to stick with basic shapes as the foundation of your design.

Think of your tattoo as a beautiful flower garden, filled with many different sized and colored flowers. Notice how the garden as a whole has an overall shape. Whether it be a peanut-shape, triangle, oval, or square, it's sole purpse is to enclose its complex inner goods.

"What the Hell do flower gardens have to do with my tattoo design?"

Let's use an actual tattoo design as an example for those of you who can't handle the above metaphor:

Skulls. A skull has an overall circular shape to it. Piece of cake. This thing can go anywhere, but your best bet is to stick it somewhere that would reinforce its shape. I recommend the shoulder blade. See how it works?

How about a sword? A sword tattoo will clearly be longer than it is wide. Something like this has a lanky, narrow rectangle as its compositional shape. Sounds like the forearms or calves to me.

Now that you see the general formula you will have a much better idea of where on your body you want your tattoo.

Let's break it down to three simple steps:

1. Visualize your design.

2. Break it down to its simplest shape.

3. Find an area on your body where this shape fits best. Trust your eye and use your own judgement. Remember: this is YOUR tattoo, not theirs.

CHOOSING A DESIGN TO FIT THE LOCATION

In order to choose a design to fit the location, you must think about yourself. Isolate yourself and keep a calm, relaxed mindset. While you are in this state of mind, start to think of all the things you love in life. Think of your passions, beliefs, and attractions. Let your brain go wild. Don't try to control it.

Once you've landed on some options, you need to visualize their shape. This ability will come with practice, so keep at it.

Simply apply the steps above to choose a good location for your tattoo. If you have a certain design that you want on a certain part of your body, but you think it might look weird there, then let me know. I will use my creativity to make it work. This thing is on you forever, let's make it perfect.

WRAPPING UP

Now you have some basic skills in choosing art to fit a compositional space. It will take time and patience to see the perfect design in your head. My advice to you is to take it slow. There's no rush. However, if you wait too long, you may develop a fear of getting the tattoo. You'll find the balance.


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About the Author

Ty Lombardi
Ty@RottenToons.com
www.RottenToons.com

Ty Lombardi is a custom illustrator working with tattoos, t-shirt designs, and cartoon logos. Check out his work at: www.RottenToons.com