Cool Man Tattoos

Sunday, April 28, 2013

Some Good Points For A Woman To Consider Prior To Getting Her First Tattoo

Getting a tattoo can seems like a whole lot of fun, particularly when you're out with some pals and one of them you her brand new, hot butterfly tattoo on her shoulder. It's exciting to think about all the possibilities, and what getting a tattoo would tell to the world about you. After all, it's pretty typical nowadays and it wouldn't be that much of a big thing, would it? Well, before taking the plunge and getting inked, take a bit of time to think about it thoroughly. It's been said that a minimum of one third of people that get a tattoo regrets it. Before you become one of those people, it would be smart to consider a few things carefully.

The first concern to ask yourself is do you truly want something on your body that will exist for life. Of course you know that it's a long-term thing, but it's so easy to be scooped in the enjoyment of something new and fun. Consider your main reason for wanting to do it at this specific time in your life. Is it out of character or have you thought about getting a tattoo for a long time. Is something happening in your life at the moment that might trigger you to do something you might not otherwise do? Have you had any peer pressure to sway your judgement? If it is your idea and you're certain that it's what you want, go ahead.

Once you have decided that there will be a tattoo in your future, think carefully when choosing where on your body it will be placed. If you are very young and think that a tattoo on your stomach is a good idea, consider the fact that as you get older you might not want to call attention to that area of your body. Your skin may sag or stretch over time, causing the tattoo to look different. The tattoo could also fade or look blurry over time. You should also be mindful of the fact that there may be certain times in your life that you might not want your tattoo to show. Too many people have gone through the painful process of getting a tattoo removed before a wedding, a job interview, or some other occasion.Think about the situations that might come about where you would not want a tattoo, and make your decision with that in mind. You will have to live with the consequences either way.

The last thing you should think thoroughly about prior to getting inked is the design of your tattoo. The most obvious red flag would be to get tattooed with the name of your current boyfriend. I might be impossible to imagine life without him right now, but things might be different in a year or two. In the same line of thought, you don't want to chance the possibility of having your permanent tattoo remind you of an uncomfortable breakup. Whatever design you are considering for you tattoo, think seriously about how you will like it when you are fifty or even seventy. The meaning of a particular design might actually speak to you now, however you may feel differently about it in the future. Similar to the design your picked for your tattoo, think carefully about it's colors. Dynamic and bright colors maybe appear like an excellent idea now, but down line you might wish you had gotten something a little more subdued.

Choosing A Tattoo Design

People had been using marks on their body to represent number of things. At early times, peoples used these marks to denote their loyalty to the tribe they belong and for many other reasons. But now, tattooing is the reflection of one's personality. Tattooing is gaining popularity and becoming more accepted in the society. As a result, people are getting out in a rush to get permanent ink on their body with the first "idea" that comes to their mind. But, don't forget the fact that a tattoo design is forever, and you have to consider a few hints before making a permanent mark on your body that reflects your personality.

Choosing a tattoo design is a tough process. You have to keep in mind that the tattoo design you choose is forever, and the removal is very expensive. You have to be happy whenever you see that design on your body. So, think wisely before choosing the tattoo design, and don't forget to consider, where to put that tattoo.

Tips to choose your tattoo design:

No names - Try not to etch names of your loved one's in your body. You may not have the same feelings and attachment to that person after 10 or 20 years.

Think back - Think back 20 years and you then feel that you didn't need a tattoo, then don't get tattoo now. There is a chance that you may regret getting it after 20 years.

Stop following trends - Trends are subjected to change at any time. If you find something trendy at one point of your life, may not be so after 10 or 20 years.

Think forward - The tattoo design on your body may not look the same when you are old and wrinkled.

Choose tattoo designs that represent your personality. Consider your hobbies, career, talents, etc.

If you are choosing tattoo designs for appearance and trend, try to get traditional designs like stars, flowers, animals, and angels which never go out of trend.

Choose an artist who has a good experience in tattooing.

Asian characters are a good choice, if you like meanings in the design.

If you love a design too much which doesn't have an inner meaning, go get it. Even if it's Mickey mouse or Donald duck.

If you think of removing the tattoo before it's done, try to avoid multicolored tattoo designs. Colored inks are very hard to remove and require multiple treatments, more pain and more money. Black ink is the easiest to remove. Yellow is nearly impossible and green is very difficult to remove. So, go with black if you wish to remove it in future.

If you feel a bad impression on the design or the artist, don't go through with it.

Face, hand and feet require more time to heal properly and need more touch-ups. It will be more costly too.

Try temporary tattooing before going for the permanent.

Pain factor:

The most common question asked by the people before tattooing is "where does it hurt the most?". But there is no particular rule for this matter. According to the opinions of various people, I had listed some ideas:

Least painful areas;

Men - arm, back, buttocks

Women - abdomen, thigh, buttocks, shoulder Most painful areas;

Men - spine, chest, abdomen

Women - ankle, ribcage, spine

You can do research on finding the perfect tattoo design for you. There are many tattoo related magazines and number of pictures available on internet. Whatever design you get tattooed on your body, the impression of other people will be depended on it. So, if you like to make a good image in people's eyes, get a design that suits your personality.

Getting Into the Tattoo Artist Business

The tattoo industry is becoming more popular than ever. So many people want to get tattoos on one or more parts of their body. They are all rushing to tattoo parlors, hoping to get some real cool design to show off to their friends. In fact, the number of people who want tattoos is significantly growing and there are an insufficient amount of tattoo artists out there to accommodate them all. For this reason, many people are breaking into the business and want to learn how to become tattoo artists. However, there are qualifications to becoming one and ways for meeting those qualifications.

The most important qualification is artistic ability. Drawing tattoos is still drawing. Just like when you draw a picture, you want it to look credible, if you are trying to sell it. With tattoos, it is even more difficult because you are using a needle and people are your canvas. If it looks terrible, it is a lot more difficult to just erase it and start all over. If you are artistic, then it is a bit simpler. Instead, you just need to learn how to make tattoos and draw on people.

There are many ways to learn how to draw tattoos. You can take classes, read books, or learn from an experienced professional. Then, you put together a portfolio of your own original designs to show to potential employers. The better and more professional they look, the better your chances of gaining employment.

Afterwards, it is time to seek an internship with an experienced tattoo artist. Some may pay a little bit, but others probably will not. Still, it is very important to do an internship because this is where you will gain vital experience in the art of tattooing. This includes both the business side as well as the artistic side.

To seek an internship, the best thing you can do is go from parlor to parlor and ask for one, but bring your portfolio with you. Some may be short-term and others may be long-term but, either way, the experience will be crucial. It may even be a good idea to intern at more than one place just to get the perspective of more than one experienced tattoo artist. Of course, if you have a friend in the business, do not hesitate to ask for help. Their experience and mentoring can be very helpful.

You will need your own equipment to start, so find the least expensive equipment you can and start practicing. Many tattoo artists usually practice on oranges and other fruits. Once you are ready to start practicing on people, look for friends to do this with. They will be more likely to help you out, especially since you will be doing it for free, at first. But, even for free, you will be gaining that much needed experience, plus you will have more examples for your portfolio. Furthermore, if they really like your work, they will give you referrals.

In summary, choosing to become a tattoo artist is a career choice, and just like any other career choice, you have to follow a certain path to break into that career and reach your personal goals. Doing this will help set you on the right path to becoming a successful tattoo artist.

Create Your Own Henna Tattoos

Create Temporary Henna Tattoos at Home

Temporary henna tattoos have been used for centuries. As a natural and safe product, it's a great hands on activity for creative kids and young adults. You can purchase henna tattoo paste that's already made, but with the proper ingredients and steps, you can create your own temporary henna tattoos at home.

Henna Tattoo Paste Ingredients

Many of the ingredients to create your own temporary henna tattoo can be found in your local grocery store. You will need a sour acidic liquid such as lime or lemon juice, red wine, or tea. To make the paste thicker, you will need honey, sugar, syrup, fructose, or any other sticky and sweet substance.

You can look at your local specialty stores to see if they carry any of these ingredients or you can purchase them online. You'll need are 100% pure, pre-sifted body art powder. Look for dark brownish-green colors. It does lose potency over time, so when the powder has lightened and turned brown, the stain won't look as good. You may need to sift the cheaper powder for body art. Store any leftover henna powder in the freezer and it will stay potent for at least a year.

You also need an essential oil that contains terpinols, such as tea tree oil, lavender, clove bud, or any oil that's safe for the skin.

To mix the ingredients for the tattoo paste you'll need a non-metal mixing bowl and chopsticks or a spoon for stirring. You'll also need plastic wrap or a lid for the bowl and plastic bags or carrot bags.

How to Make Henna Tattoo Paste

The first step is to measure out the powder into mixing bowl. For body art, only use a teaspoon for a few small designs. For ten to fifty designs, you want to use several tablespoons. You can use freeze any leftover henna tattoo paste for a few months, so don't worry if you make too much.

The second step is to add your sour liquid while stirring. It should be a consistency between toothpaste and pudding. You want the paste to hold on the spoon and barely drips. Add the liquid slowly and only a small amount at a time so the paste doesn't get too runny. Make sure you break up any lumps that form.

After adding the liquid, add your sugar or other sticky substance. Add it slowly, like the liquid, until you get a nice, stringy texture. It'll be perfect if you can draw it out into long lines without it breaking apart. If you want to add the sugar before you add the liquid, or both at the same time, you can experiment and see what works best for you.

Once you've added the liquid and the sugar, add your essential oils. If you have sensitive skin, use lavender oil or skip this step. Only add 1-3 drops per tablespoon of the henna tattoo paste. You can use any oil that's safe for your skin, but only ones with terpinols will darken the henna. At this step, your henna tattoo paste should be thick and smooth.

When you finish mixing, cover the bowl with foil, plastic wrap, or a lid. It needs anywhere from 4 to 24 hours to release it's dyes, so set it in a warm place and wait. Make sure to check the henna tattoo paste every few hours. When you start to see a brown crust on the top, it's almost finished. If you start to see puddles or drops of dye, it's at or passing the peak of use. If your henna tattoo paste becomes dark brown throughout, it's probably degraded and won't stain well. Timing takes practice, heat and low pH speed up the process. Try leaving it on a warm coffee pot if you need it faster. Put it outside on a cold night to slow it down.

You can use or store your tattoo paste once it's ready. Store it in a seal-able bag and freeze it, or you can use it immediately. If it seems too thick, thin it before freezing it. For body art, you may want to strain it to make sure there are no lumps.

To use it, just put it into a carrot bag with the tip cut off and squeeze slowly while you draw on your design.

Popular Henna Tattoo Designs:

There are many traditional temporary tattoo designs, such as flowers, suns, and other intricate designs. The beauty of them is there are no stencils. You can create any design you like. They can be as small or as large as you'd like.

It isn't recommended to do temporary henna tattoos on children under the age of 6 because the process is quite long and they don't sit well through the process. The tattoo paste takes at least 6-8 hours to set. Many just wear it to bed and take off the dried paste in the morning. The temporary tattoo will last anywhere from one to three weeks.

No matter if you choose to buy the already made henna tattoo paste or choose to make it yourself, it's a beautiful way to express your creativity on yourself or on your friends and family. Whatever design you choose, everyone will love your temporary henna tattoo.

Interesting Facts About Swallow Tattoos

History of Swallow Tattoos

The swallow tattoo is said to be the representation of sailing capability for seafarers several centuries ago. Tattoos were displayed on the upper bodies of sailors who completed 5,000 nautical miles of voyage or more on rough seas. The most experienced mariner had the most number of tattoos. These were the experienced voyagers who have traveled all around the globe, and to have this tattoo represented the emblem of eminence. Likewise, swallows helped in finding directions during those early times. When navigators saw these birds, it meant that the ship was near the shore. It was an indication that the journey has been completed successfully and the sturdy sea travelers were finally home. The myth was that swallows were responsible for bringing the souls of sailors who died while in the midst of an expedition to heaven. As a result, swallows were treated with utmost esteem and confidence.

Should You Get One?

The swallow tattoo has emerged once more as a popular design for men and women in these modern times. Apart from the significance mentioned above, this tattoo has several other meanings such as the following:

The tattoo stands for a homecoming and sense of pride in your origins and people.
It meant faithfulness and true love. This bird will only have one mate for an entire lifetime so two swallow tattoos represented true love. The person gets this tattoo as a sign of commitment to loved ones, next of kin or very intimate acquaintances. In some Middle East countries, the tattoo was the beginning of a new affection.
The swallow tattoo means the triumph over an impediment or enduring an adversity in life.
It is also a symbol for having been incarcerated and gaining liberty. In short, you can see a lot of former convicts with this particular tattoo.
Finally, the tattoo epitomizes power. Strong and fierce fighters (such as boxers) had swallows stamped on their backs. In England and Australia, the tattoos were a sign of so-called fast fists.

Designs of Modern Swallow Tattoos

The conventional tattoo of a swallow imitates the variety and meaning of the skin design that the seafarers of early years sported. The original patterns were plain, understated and done in black or subdued colors. However, the modern-day swallow tattoos have more style and made up of multiple shades. People opt for these skin emblems for a variety of reasons. In fact, a number of movie stars like Johnny Depp and Christina Applegate love these tattoos. The meaning of sporting this tattoo has evolved during the past hundreds of years. It is related to well-being, prosperity, loyalty, and the difficulties of long-distance treks. Yet, it still has some relevance to the early maritime tattoos which were the preferences of mariners.