I want to get my first one sometime real soon, but I am just wonderin how much these things cost, and how long it takes for them to get done. Im not too worried about the pain, Ive heard your shoulder will go numb after a while, and its not bad, but it feels like sunburn after it gets done. Im lookin at getting a cross, with a Duck head in the top right, Browning symbol in the top let corner, Sailfish in the bottom left, and then a bible verse ( not the whole thing, just the Book, chapter and verse) in the last corner of the cross. I really doubt I will get more than this one.
ha... I thought that also, when I was a young Lieutenant I got the obligatory Eagle Globe and Anchor...and then a mandela on my left shoulder, and then a hammer head on my left leg and then a dive flag on my right leg, and then a underwater scene with triton on my left shoulder... And then I ran out of space an officer can get one and not have it hang out in uniform which is a party foul for us. They are addictive. Couldn't even tell you what they cost, but I can tell you to see what the artist can do. I got a bunch in Camp Lejeune because there are a number of really good ink slingers there. I got the rest in Hawaii...same reason. Good luck, do your research!
Well, I can drive to Lejune considerin its oonly bout an hour away, any reccomendations? I aint gonna put any that a shirt cant cover, so its all back and chest for me. I never have had any desire to put one on my legs, so thats out too.
Do your research on shops, ask to see their equipment and how they clean it, most shops will be happy. Cost is variable across the board, I got lucky when I moved and found an awesome shop that is only $50/hour Check their touch-up policy as well. Time to do the tat is completely dependant on the size and the artist. Last thing, make absolutely sure this is exactly what you want, make sure they have personal meaning to you. I was once a victim of dumb, inebriated tattoo. Finally got it covered up with something I really enjoy. Parting advice: prepare to lose alot of money, they are extremely addicting!
Zeke's was one of best back in the day, but any of them along 24 or 17 are going to be good. There are a ton on the way to New River that are always busy, word gets out on bad artists. I got my first from a guy named Nicky V right next to what used to be the Thunderbird...now gone, but the shop is still there. No clue if Nicky was there, but he was damn good. He did my EGA, and it was great. Head up to J'Ville and spend time going from shop to shop, ask Marines you see with good looking work where they went, they will be very glad to tell you. There was a shop I will have to ask my wife the name of the road, I suck at that. It was next to a bar that was always doing radio promo's and stuff, my wife and I stopped in and the place was awesome, kept meaning to go back for one more tat before we moved. Never got there. I get down there about every 2-3 months and still own a house in J'Ville so I will report back - hell maybe we can meet. I have a project about to kick off that all the work will be done down there, so I will be heading there in the next 30 days to do the initial kick off with my engineer. Maybe we can link up and do a ink crawl...
do your shopping around, not only by price but buy how clean some of these tat shops are. My two that I have, usually went by how big the tattoo was, one on my shoulder was about $120 about 11 years ago, and $230 for the one between my shoulder blades on my back, which isn't bad. But just do some looking around and check out there work, like anything you get what you pay for.
I spent quite a few years tattooing. My advice is; Do not choose the tattoo based on the price. If you do not have the cash to get a tattoo as big as you want, wait til you have the money. Bigger tattoos look good forever and can look as though they belong on the body, while undersized tattoos look like a stamp. Choose a clean and bright and open shop. These shops have nothing to hide. Check out the work of may artists, every artist has work that they are really good at. I was the best at black and gray work, and making it come alive. Some are great at large bold colorful work, and others at portraits. Choose a artist that you can talk to, one that is personable. One thing is for sure, the tattoo is forever, and although the artist may not remember you in ten years, you will remember the artist forever. The tattoo DOES NOT have to have a meaning. If you were to choose something random, it will always have meaning, as it will tell you where you were in life the day you got the tattoo. Listen to the artist when they tell you about aftercare!!!!!! Most important, have fun. Take a friend along and make it an experience that will last as long as the tattoo, FOREVER! If you have any questions you can PM me and I will give you my number. I will help you with anything or answer any questions you might have. Good luck with this adventure, every tattoo I have is a memory and one that I will cherish for the rest of my life.
While all of the advice in that post was excellent this advice should be where you begin for sure: Decide on the tattoo you want without regard to price. Once you know what you want then find out how much it will cost. If you decide on the $$ first you will end up with something you didn't really want but it fit into your budget. Not something you want to do with lifetime markings on your body.
I gotta go down to Lejeune some time before the end of the month for a project I am running, let me know if you want to try an link up. I also got word that my renter wants to buy my house (YAHOOOO!!!!!) so I may be down there a few times coming up. Hell, I need a tattoo to celebrate not having two house payments (crossing my fingers to ensure nothing bad happens).
Hmm, I wanna talk it over with my folks first, I mean I am old enough to do it anytime I want to, but I dont want to piss them off and just show up with one, thats not the right way to do things. If I can get everything going though, Id definetly love to meet ya to get one. You can probably sit there and laugh at me in pain haha!
Thanks, I only give this advice because these are mistakes I have experienced either myself or seen others make during my years tattooing.
I never got drunk enough to justify having someone screw up my body that much. The longer I live.... the more content I am with that fact. LOL It's pretty permanent. LOL I ask my buddies secretary the other day what that was suppose to be on her ankle. She said, well I was young and stupid and dating someone even more stupid. I tried to cover up his tatto name with another tatto... but of course it turned out like crap.
Well no names here, just my passions. I will never have a name other than my Grandparents initials on me, and i am still unsure about that, but I really want to do that for my Grandad on day, just his initials, and my grandma's rigth by my heart,
I agree 100% with this. My first, and so far, only tattoo stretches across my upper back. I had an idea what I wanted and went in and the artist fine tuned it. I went big and don't regret it. I was in the chair about 3.5 hours and it cost me $200. This was about 7 years ago now.
