h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Having not read most of the backlog, can I point you to this excellent entry - http://www.bbc.co.uk/h2g2/guide/A510841. It's about tattoo removal, and worth reading.
then, if you still would like to have one, I wrote an entry about tattoos for another website. If you'd like to read that I'll put a link on my user space for a while, otherwise I'll read the backlog and add anything I think is missing.

Well, the whole getting a job thing is probably worst if you get a tattoo in an obvious place. Here in Denmark it is against the law to get tattooed in the face or on the hands. Probably for that reason. I was planning on the back though, and if I end up as an astronomer I doubt I will have to worry about the tattoos. If not there are organisations that can sue the *** out of their pants for discriminating me.

Astronomer, eh? I guess we should have been asking you what the tattoo image is that you are planning, before we offered our opinions. I just assumed it would be some long-legged girly thing with the word "Mom" under it, or "Born to raise Hell" over a devil face, or "Susie" with a heart and Cupid's arrow.
Sheeesh! If I'd known you were gonna do something useful like Star-Charts all over your body I'da kept my mouth shut earlier. So where will the little dipper be?

peace
~jwf~ (now tattooing the back-o'-me-hand with the words "Denmark is a fascist tyrrany!")

Hmm, yes we are in a way becoming so democratic it´s ending in fascism But if it makes you feel any better we don´t really have any control with piercers. Here in the past week several people had sudden inflammatory wounds where they had gotten their piercings. So maybe we should have a little control.

The _little_ dipper? What excactly are you implying? Actually I was thinking something along the lines of a galaxy. I just also need to find out if the coloring can be done alright, because I want it to be a bit realistic looking.

I had my small tattoo done on my shoulder at the age of 40 after knowing for a few years exactly what I wanted. It cost £35. It expresses me and my personality, but is only for show to those I choose and I do not choose to show it to the sun in case of fading.

There was no pain, but I too have teeth filled without injections. It is coloured and I moisturise it ever day. I was smiling when I went in and still smiling when I came out of a place that could have been mistaken for a dentists surgery.

So, my points are that it's not just something for the young, it doesn't have to be expensive or so big that anyone can see, not everywhere is unclean and I'll never regret it.

I'd suggest you make a good print-out of the galaxy you want, take it around to various tattoo artists and ask them what they think about it. They're the experts on this, and if they don't think they can get it right, they'll tell you. Also, most tattoo artists keep an album of photographs of tattoos they've made - flipping through them is a good idea.

The amount of pain depends mostly on your attitude and *where* you want the tattoo - it's something to do with skin thickness I think. I have tattoos on my shoulder and upper arm, and in my opinion the upper arm hurt a lot more than the shoulder.

Good, that's where mine will be.
jwf- weak joke, sorry. I just like the phrase 'Ooh, me back.' But I can see you as a Yoda-like figure, despite not having a clue what you look like... (talk more coherently, too.)
Anyway- the scantily clad women with 'Mom' on (whose mother looks like that?!) are the evil twins of proper tattoos. Today I saw a chap with 'Glasgow Rangers' done across the back of his neck- frightful. But these execrable examples don't deter me, since I know mine will be much better, unique and tasteful. Weird, but nice.
(How do they get your design onto flesh, then? I need this one to be exactly right.)

From what I know they actually transfer it using that paper you use for food. Just like when transfering drawings on paper.

I have to admit looking at some of the tattoos people have, I can understand why many regret them. A blackwork could be interesting, perhaps a galaxy would look really good in blackwork.

Problem is, I´m sure there are numerous astronomers out there who have tattoos of galaxies.

I have just spent the afternoon talking to a woman who used to be a partner in a buiness which specialised in body piercing and tattoos.

She showed me three of her tatoos. I didn't know until she showed me her tattoos that you can have white outlines, or what are called 'photo-realistic' tattoos. (These are very fine line-drawings).

I talked with her about getting a tattoo, and she said some very interesting things.

First off, she said get a tattoo magazine (get several) and check out the different styles of tattooists. Some to tribal work, some to celtic work, some do photo-realistic, and so on and so on. She also recommended going to a tattoo fair, and then she said choose someone who wins prizes for the kind of work you want done.

Secondly she said 'be picky about who you choose - you are a tattooists dream'. 'Who me?' I said. 'Yes - you don't have any tattoos already. They don't have to work with or around other peoples work. Don't underestimate that'.

So I am off to get a tattoo magazine next time I am in a newsagents.

a blank canvas called Ben

Hmm, I don´t know what you mean about photorealistic. I have of course been buying a lot of tattoo magazines. You can even get some devoted entirely to flash. And I did plan on talking to loads of tattooists first.

*Flipping thru 'Tribal Tattoo Monthly'*

Hmmm... that Ben chick gets around don't she, eh?

Xanatic I feel I'm having three too many different conversations with you at the same time. And on more topix than one mind should be able to handle at the age you suggest you are elsewhere. Are you a class project?

Wow look at this! A black guy with the Solar System all over his body, starting with the sun at his belly button. It's kinda like one of them Elvis blackvelvet thingies from Mexico. Oh! Venus! "Kiss Mars" is a nice touch!

~jwf~ (never a )

There is an actual guy with the solar system on him?

And what was you said about the topix, didn´t quite catch that.

I had never seen a 'photo-realistic' tattoo before yesterday.

She had drawings of 3 kittens on her upper arm. You know how some people will do pencil drawings from photographs? They were like that. Very fine line drawings, very delicate.

She said if you are going for a photo-realistic tattoo, then get someone who has lots of experience with an airbrush. I think the guy who did her kittens used to airbrush designs onto motorbike tanks. Thinking about it though, airbrush work must be a dying art. All the young dudes are using computers these days.

Do I get around ~jwf~ ? A mind as open as mine is curious about a lot of different things...

a called Ben

*Topic drift here, yes, but it's Xanatic's thread and he asked*

Yes Ben that's exactly what I meant - open-minded, curious, witty, intelligent, not afraid to explore the unusual, the arcane; willing, even eager, to investigate new and unexpected territories of interest.

Sorry to be confusing to both Ben and Xanatic with my imprecise phrasing. As a rule, if you simply imagine me grinning maniacally, my words will at least seem as harmless as they are intended.

It began a few posts back when I became conscious that the three of us and Mandragora are talking in several conversations besides this one at the same time. Something Xanatic said elsewhere seemed much too mature to be the same Xanatic planning a trip,looking for nice friendly girls and designing a tattoo. He suddenly seemed to have more interests than I thought were possible in someone the age he has said to be - that's what I meant by too many topix - then I noticed Ben and Madragora and I were all talking in these same threads too!

peace
jwf - easily distracted and amused

Hmm, I am sadly quite immature.

I have seen some tattoos that looked like those pencil drawings artists do on paper. But I don´t know if it would work all that well with colors. Airbrush creates some quite amazing images. I recently discovered the artwork of Louis Royo. If you look apart form the fact his art has a lot of naked women in it, it is really great. Though you may not have to look part from it, he is one of the artists that can make a naked body be a beautiful part of the picture.

No you're not. I wouldn't talk to you if you were.
Seen any of those HR Giger tattoos? Astounding.
The one I want is quite crude, being based on a mediaeval woodcut. And somewhere local has been recommended. So there's nowt between me and it but funds and further thinking...

Hmm, yeah they´re quite amazing. However it is one of those things that everybody gets nowadays.

Getting something like a medieval(I can never spell that word) woodcut seems nice though. What meaning does the woodcut hold to you then?

It's a drawing of a female mandrake plant. Basically, a tastefully nude mediaeval type lady with leaves sprouting from her head. (There's a male one too.) The plant is supposed to have human-shaped roots, so I suppose they just got carried away and imagined it having independent existence.
I'm sure you can see the connection!

Hmm, I can remember seeing a male one, but not the female. So mandrake plants mean a lot to you then?

I got my first tattoo at the ripe old age of 43. I have two now, would have more if I had the money. My daughters (now aged 21 and 23) got me started, and I will admit that they are addictive. Both my girls have about 7 or 8 each. And they are beautiful works of art. My first was a japanese symbol meaning 'Mother' on my upper right arm. My girls had gone in to get one each, one with 'little sister' and the other with 'older sister' and I thought 'why not?' I then got a large double dragon on my right calf. The first one didn't hurt, the second one hurt like hell (but it took 2 hours to do and was very sore at the end.) I don't regret either. My next one will be the cover of Jethro Tull's album 'Broadsword and the Beast' when I get enough money. Cost? I priced the symbol in the UK - 25 pounds (I paid 50 dollars). The other was 175 bucks.


But you do need to be VERY sure of what you want and where you want it. I have seen people with some very tasteless artwork and yes, think 'what will they think of that in 20 years?' Remember that people do judge you by how you look - future job interviewers, in-laws, anything like that will be affected by your appearance. Both of my tattoos are where they are covered when wearing a longer dress or t shirt, but can I can show them off easily if I want. It's all a matter of common sense. Tribal facial tattoos look really cool, but won't when you go after that first job (or second or third for that matter) so bear that in mind. AND GO FOR IT!!!

PS, for those oldies out there, I also got my nose pierced 2 yrs ago - my husband didn't talk to me for weeks, but he got over it.