Elegant, classy and dark/bleak

Autumn Falls

Ace Harding, P.I.
Jul 9, 2001
719
0
16
40
Denton, TX
www.flickr.com
Greets all-

I've never posted here but I have read here often. Let me introduce myself first. I am a sixteen year old male (soon to be seventeen in late September) who lives in Northern Virginia in the USA. Other then that I am a huge fan of progressive music and my three favorite bands are Dream Theater, Pain of Salvation and Opeth. Other then that I am an aspiring musician and my instrument is the guitar. I plan on attending Berklee School of Music after I graduate from high school and then on making intelligent music. Well anyways.. the question is...

I know all of you are very smart people but that doesn't matter for this really... I am looking to get a tattoo with my bestfriend (who already has one and is going to be getting a backpiece this summer... his parents are very cool and he's an amazing guy who I love as my best friend). I'm just curious about what to get as this would be a huge decision. I don't want a person or an animal I would like something that was maybe a symbol. Yet I can't think of anything... I want it to be elegant too. Now this is all just fancy as it would be my mother's decision not mine but she got one two years ago and I don't think she would mind to much if I laid on the begging and told her I wanted to get it with Britton. Some of you may be opposed to this and I'm fine with that... maybe I should be too. It's just if I could find the right thing to decorate my body I would without a doubt use it. Well hope I didn't come off sounding like a fool and thanks for any input.

Brandon

P.S. My friend who is also my age I think has the best idea for a tattoo he wants to get. It would be a devil and an angel on the back both pulling a chain that stretched around to the front where there would be a man being pulled both ways. Very nice.
 
Heheheh, welcome to the forum.

Well, I'll be the first detractor in terms of difference of opinion, I think a tattoo might seem a lot less cool at 40 than at 16 - but I don't want to insult your youthful intelligence, you've been told all this stuff a thousand times already. In that spirit, though, I'd be careful to stick to something more sort of vague and/or generic - well, that's not a very good way of saying it... what I mean is, get something timeless, something that's not going to go out of your favour, ever. Start with something not too big and blatant, then if you like it you can always get more tattoos, right?

As for symbols, there's lost of ancient symbols and Celtic runes and stuff that make nice tattoos - I know a few people with Celtic runes tattoed on their arms. It all depends on who you are, where you came from, and what you revere, I guess.

P.S. I always said if I was going to get a tattoo I would get a bar code tattooed on my ass with the words "Made In Canada" written under it. Heh.
 
I'll sound the others, but I also agree that care should be taken in the choice. A tattoo is permanent, so it should not be a fad decision, but something you stongly believe in, thus lessening the chance that you'll grow to hate it.
Although I have no tattoo's, if I wanted to get one, it would most definately be an eagle. I don't think it would offend too many people. Once you start tattooing yourself with the "darker-side" symbols, people will "assume" things about you. I know this shouldn't matter - be yourself. But just realize the consequences, and if you could care less what other people think of you, then the sky is the limit. I just hate people who stereotype others based on appearance, but it happens all the time.
 
I think it your choice, and as long as u know its 4 life, and u still want it go 4 it. U can get some really kewl designs which are just kinda not really runes but really cool shapes :) a bit like flames. They look really good. Or get a Goerge Clooney 1 like in From Dusk Till Dawn cos those ones are also cool
 
Well, being someone who has tattoos (and I plan on getting more), it doesn't really matter whether or not someone else will appreciate my decision to tattoo myself. Any body modification (or anything that's not the status quo for that matter) will illicit some kind of reaction from the general public. As far as I'm concerned, people can think whatever the hell they want about me and if their opinion is based solely on my physical appearance, so be it.
Basically, you should get something that you think you will always like. If you have a favorite artist or style of art, start looking there. You can also try to draw something yourself or if you come across a really good artist, you can describe what it is you want and they should work with you to try to draw something for you. Don't get anything you don't feel good about getting (and don't get anyone's name!!)
You should try do consider a few things about your tattoo: whether you want color or black and gray, where you want it, how big you want it to be, if you want it to be in a place that is visible to other people. You can always check out magazines to see different styles of tattooing. Remember to research the artist and make sure they specialize in the style you want (some tattooists are better at color work, while others like doing detailed black and gray work). In addition to seeing their portfolio (which usually only features the tattoo right when it was finished), you should also see how their tattoos look after they have healed. Make sure that the ink didn't fall out or bleed (i.e. the lines are blurry), and that there is not scar tissue (which can happen when an artist drills too deeply).
And one other thing, be prepared for pain because it will hurt:heh:! But it's the best pain you will ever feel and I promise you, you'll get more....
 
The only advice I can give you is to get it somewhere where you could wear a t-shirt and not have it show. Despite some pretty good advances from employers discriminating against even somewhat extreme body modification, a lot of people don't like to see tattoos. I don't know why, it's a fantastic and rare medium, each is permanent and unique, and carries with it the experiences and meanings it is due. So go for it, but choose wisely (as the Fisher King said..) it's not fun regretting something you can't really take back.

But if you do end up regretting it, just think. It could have been a sex-change.
 
Originally posted by winter-frost
Does anyone in Opeth have tattoes besides Martin Mendez?

Yeah, I took 'em all to be tattooed one time they were in the UK. I used to share a house with a tattooist, so...

Mikael had a tribal band, so did Peter (differnt designs), I can't remember what DeFalafel had, but Anders had a South American stylee bird.

I got my dick pierced instead :)

Lee B
 
Ha, this is amazing. One of my friends not long ago got the Opeth "O" tattoed on his shoulder-blade. Looks awesome I might add.

I'm getting 2 tattooes for my 18th bday which is in a month. On my left shoulder I'm getting "life" and on the right shoulder I'm getting "death" ... done in Japanese Calligraphy (Kanji).

This follows the idea of getting something vague and something symbolic. I've thought it through and have come to the conclusion that I'm pretty sure I won't regret it when I'm 40.

Good luck with choosing yours.
 
That's no tattoo, that's a body painting. Or someone did find a tattoist who can split an atom with a needle...