Your overall look as a tattooed person

[therockingchairyears]

I never really wanted to be one of those people who had just random tattoos over my body, but I also am not the sort who is looking for full sleeves or a body suit or anything, so its tough

I like to place my tattoos in places where I can show them if I want to, and cover them when I want to as well. If/when I get more I'll have to think about placement a lot because I do want them to look planned.

[knucklehead211]

I started out with just one piece on my left arm. Now it's a shoulder to elbow half sleeve, so what do I do? Start a calf sleeve...on my right calf! :rolleyes: symmetry never was something I worried about anyways, and I'm sure once I have the suit it won't matter!

[purplelace]

I did have an idea for inner right thigh, but thinking of something want done on back of left thigh, which would make would have planned for back of right thigh not work. It would mean am not in balance, so will probably be shifting things around a bit.

Ah the joys of OCD and tattoos...

[Christina Marshall]

I started off just wanting the one on my wrist, but didn't like having the opposite wrist plain. Now I have six; one on each wrist, one on each ribcage, and one on each thigh. I very much like symmetry with my tattoos, but (apart from the wrist ones), I like to keep my tattoos hidden. I don't suspect I shall get many more after I complete my left thigh, just because of wanting to keep them hidden beneath an everyday dress.

[Synesthesia]

I've known I wanted to be moderately/heavily tattooed ever since I first learned what tattoos were as a little kid, but I don't know exactly when I'm going to stop. I'm still a pretty blank canvas for the most part. I like most styles of tattoos so I'm thinking I'll get at least one of different things, I'm still planning where and how everything is going together. For instance, right now I have some illustrative type stuff on one of my lower legs, and I'm trying to figure out what I might want to get on that knee: if I want to continue with illustrative or do something else entirely different. I know I'm getting at least one armful of traditional tattoos, not sure what I want to do with the other arm so I'm leaving it blank until I figure it out.

[six times seven]

yea. I'm a mess.

I wish I was cool enough to have planned everything out. I'll be a pretty interesting mash up after I get to whatever level of coverage I wish to stop at? (never)

I always dig others' esthetics though, and respect it thoroughly.

[Beans]

So, I've always wanted tattoos but waited so long because life got in the way. Now, that I've had my outline done for my left arm 3/4 sleeve, my first tattoo, something I've wanted for 20+ years. (I'm 43) I've become unhappy or itchy? :( I look down and my right arm just looks so...Plain/weird to me. I'm feeling the need to fill up the other arm with something equally as beautiful. Which leads me to a new thought. How fully tattooed do I want to become and I'm kind of freaking myself out. Maybe fairly heavily? Though, I haven't discussed this with the Hubby. I think I'd like to do both legs after my arms. I guess I'm leaning to a balanced look.

[xcom]

@Beans, I actually like the "unevenness" of my art work. It makes me unique to others. So don't look it as a bad thing but as something different. :D

[Beans]

:confused: So both arms, a chest piece and the back too. HA, I dont think I wanna stop at the arms. I really NEED something to at least balance my lower arm. Im thinking peonies

[Uncle Baron]

Yeh mines a right old mush mash of styles and quality! I'm lucky in that apart from the word destroy on my arm both my sleeves are good. I was about to get destroy covered by the lovely Lucy Pryor at in2u in London about 15 years ago...when Alex binnie stepped in and wouldn't allow it saying you shouldn't cover tats and that there a history of your life. I have a lot of stupid tattoo's that I got for stupid reasons or to commemorate acts I commited but as the great man Alex binnie said there a map to the history of your life. Even tho I'm pretty sure Alex can't stand me haha... I used to be that kid who would come in the shop off my nut and talk non stop ;)

[Suiren]

I can say a little more about this now. So far all of my tattoos have a similar style, meaning they are all rather minimalistic silhouette tattoos with just black ink.

The reason for this is also because I worry about the tattoos harmonizing with each other. I don't think I could bear a watercolor style tattoo next to something old school for example ;).

I have shyed away from colors so far because I wear a wide variety of colors and styles....all black one day and then florals and pink the next day. I do want something with color but I am thinking long and hard about what colors will match most looks.

I also want colors that harmonize with my skin color ^^ which is probably a weird thing to consider?

But I can go on and on about these things. They need to be perfect for me. I'm the type of person that if I wear mismatched colors or outfits, my day is ruined hahaha...I can not even handle wearing mismatched lounge clothing at home. I will change into something else...

And I do know I will always try to balance out how many tattoos I have where...I am planning it like an architect.

I did a fairly good job with my piercings. I was able to fit 5 on my face in one area ( nose, mouth ) and it still looks balanced...imho :D

[ItchinforInk]

^ I think being really careful with planning your tattoos will end up making your overall look that much better. I've been seeing a lot of girls with really well planned out sleeves and other individual tattoos and it makes their overall look that much sexier.

[Abellve]

@Suiren more power too you for getting tattooed *your* way. Funny, to me it makes perfect sense to consider your skin tone. Tattoo ink/pigments not only show up against your skin but through it...I tend not to think of how it works with clothes as it's a part of you and to my own eye reads as neutral...even if that's just a social pass. not unlike wearing jeans -- they read as neutral, not blue. You can wear things with blue jeans that you'd never wear with blue twill for example.

- - - Updated - - -

To the overall topic -- I get what I get. Currently a seemingly random smattering of traditional tattoos, eventually almost full coverage. Right now my sleeves, neck, chest and part of my leg are done. Saving my other leg and torso for larger work. I haven't been tattooed in a while but it's time to start knocking out the big stuff.

[Suiren]

@Abellve

Yeah I guess you are right that tattoos are more neutral and a part of yourself when wearing an outfit. I would probably just have to get used to having it on my body.

[Abellve]

@Suiren I get it though. That's the beauty of the different approaches people have, not just to tattoos but how they approach their own appearance as a whole. I do think it's important not to compromise what works with the body for the sake of what works with clothes but beyond that, why not factor it in.

[UglyButProud]

I've come full circle with my feelings on aesthetics, placements and overall look...

When I started 30 years ago, I never had the thought of being completely covered and therefore, didn't have any plan other than WHO to get tattooed by. Once I started travelling to the artists I admired, a lot more thought went into what/where and how it would all work together. At one point I made "tattoo map" of my body. I took a roll of 3ft wide printer paper (used in BIG factory print shops), laid down on it and had someone trace me. I roughly sketched in the work I already had and then put the general idea and name of artist on the spots I wanted to get covered. That "map' hung on the back of my closet door for a few years and I got about 60% of the work I had hoped for (I had an entire body suit mapped out-HA!). At the time I really believed that the total coverage look was the right way and everybody who didn't think in those terms and got random work all over them was an idiot with no planning skills.

A bunch of shit changed in my life and I put my map on hold for awhile....which turned out to be A LONG WHILE. Over that last couple years or so leading up to me diving back into this, my attitude towards total coverage has changed somewhat. Now I find looking at people with many tattoos not all tied together and the not-tattooed skin in between them, pretty cool. I still completely appreciate the well planned, total coverage stuff too but I no longer have a "tattoo map" and just plan on getting what I want, when I want and if the mood strikes me, get it all tied together in the end.

Overall though, I've never worried about my "look" and how others perceived me. I may have be more aware back when tattooing was not "normal", but now-a-days, lots of neck/hands/face/feet tattoos make me look average..... or at least normal.

Edited April 27, 2015 by UglyButProud
typo

[Northsider]

For 10 or so years, I was the guy who DID only get one tattoo, a small piece on my right deltoid that's covered when wearing a t-shirt. I almost forgot that I had it sometimes, especially in the colder weather.

Then, over a year ago I started thinking of adding another tattoo, which thankfully lead me here. After much lurking, "adding another tattoo" became "a sleeve and chest panel." Already I'm feeling a little angsty about the huge imbalance between right and left. I'm already 99% sure that I want to match it up with another sleeve/chest panel, probably starting in the fall.

Even at this early stage, I've taken to daydreaming about body suits.

[Suiren]

@Suiren I get it though. That's the beauty of the different approaches people have, not just to tattoos but how they approach their own appearance as a whole. I do think it's important not to compromise what works with the body for the sake of what works with clothes but beyond that, why not factor it in.

Yeah I hope I can find something that works for both. Flattering to the body and works with my overall style :)

[21stNow]

I have a couple of "mini-looks" that I am going for. I want the view from the left side of my body to be the "sweet" tattoos (flowers, butterflies, stars, etc.) and the view from the right side of my body to be the "sassy" tattoos (pin-ups and other sexy stuff). My front and my back views won't necessarily have a theme, but I don't want tattoos to be totally different from each other in one glance.

[Suiren]

I have a couple of "mini-looks" that I am going for. I want the view from the left side of my body to be the "sweet" tattoos (flowers, butterflies, stars, etc.) and the view from the right side of my body to be the "sassy" tattoos (pin-ups and other sexy stuff). My front and my back views won't necessarily have a theme, but I don't want tattoos to be totally different from each other in one glance.

That's original! Never heard of such a plan! I have thought about how differently themed tattoos will match however. So far most is occult/ pagan.

[iowagirl]

I can say a little more about this now. So far all of my tattoos have a similar style, meaning they are all rather minimalistic silhouette tattoos with just black ink.

The reason for this is also because I worry about the tattoos harmonizing with each other. I don't think I could bear a watercolor style tattoo next to something old school for example ;).

I have shyed away from colors so far because I wear a wide variety of colors and styles....all black one day and then florals and pink the next day. I do want something with color but I am thinking long and hard about what colors will match most looks.

I also want colors that harmonize with my skin color ^^ which is probably a weird thing to consider?

But I can go on and on about these things. They need to be perfect for me. I'm the type of person that if I wear mismatched colors or outfits, my day is ruined hahaha...I can not even handle wearing mismatched lounge clothing at home. I will change into something else...

And I do know I will always try to balance out how many tattoos I have where...I am planning it like an architect.

I did a fairly good job with my piercings. I was able to fit 5 on my face in one area ( nose, mouth ) and it still looks balanced...imho :D

I think about color on my skin too. And now that I have quite a bit on my arms, I feel fussy when I'm trying to find a shirt that will show the work...I don't want something w/pattern and I don't want anything w/colors that don't go w/the colors in my tattoos.

My issue now is trying to figure out how to mesh things that I like...I want to add some traditional..but yet for some reason I'm wanting a mermaid too. Trying to find places for things and have them harmonize together is hard.

[pidjones]

I think about color on my skin too. And now that I have quite a bit on my arms, I feel fussy when I'm trying to find a shirt that will show the work...I don't want something w/pattern and I don't want anything w/colors that don't go w/the colors in my tattoos.

My issue now is trying to figure out how to mesh things that I like...I want to add some traditional..but yet for some reason I'm wanting a mermaid too. Trying to find places for things and have them harmonize together is hard.

I don't really think about coordinating ink and clothing. I tend to make sure clothing is somewhat coordinated (no pink shirt with green slacks). All that normally shows unless I wear an A shirt or muscle shirt is my B&G forearm faked line (I wanted the cameo of my wife to show below short sleeves, but it is probably best that she doesn't - would distract my students).

But, a mermaid? I've seen lots of traditional-looking mermaids! Go for it!

[Breakme]

I think about color on my skin too. And now that I have quite a bit on my arms, I feel fussy when I'm trying to find a shirt that will show the work...I don't want something w/pattern and I don't want anything w/colors that don't go w/the colors in my tattoos.

My issue now is trying to figure out how to mesh things that I like...I want to add some traditional..but yet for some reason I'm wanting a mermaid too. Trying to find places for things and have them harmonize together is hard.

I have pretty much every colour on my arms, including a big bright orange fox down the length of my outer forearm surrounded by many coloured fruits. I was quite worried that my clothes would clash with my arms as my wardrobe consists mainly of prints and florals in purple, pink and green, and I don't have any orange clothing at all, infact I hate the colour (except for my tattoo of course) ;-)

I thought I was going to have to buy a lot of pieces in black and white and started to stress myself out. In the end, I just kept wearing my printed pieces as they are too beautiful not to, and over summer just gone I lost count of the number of people who came up to me to comment how much they loved my tattoos while I was out and about. Not one person said to me that they didn't match my clothes. Infact, last weekend at dinner the waitress commented that my tattoos matched my top, which I had not planned at all.

Just wear what you want and what makes you feel good. You could always try wearing a print that doesn't match and see how you get on. You might be surprised.

[Suiren]

I think about color on my skin too. And now that I have quite a bit on my arms, I feel fussy when I'm trying to find a shirt that will show the work...I don't want something w/pattern and I don't want anything w/colors that don't go w/the colors in my tattoos.

My issue now is trying to figure out how to mesh things that I like...I want to add some traditional..but yet for some reason I'm wanting a mermaid too. Trying to find places for things and have them harmonize together is hard.

I think maybe when one has a whole lot of colors and different styles it becomes easier matching clothing that if there are just 2 colors to coordinate :).

I think with clothing there are lots of possibilities for colored tattoos though. I can see it work with all neutral and opposite colors, as well with like colors...like the purple of the tattoo matches the florals of the dress etc.

Today I wore light pink and light blue and tbh my black tattoos aren't the best match for this color scheme...but in the end I prefer the tattoos over matching every little thing.

Plus I think when all is well coordinated, one detail that isn't can even be a great eye catcher, as in make a look edgy or special in a way ;). Like wearing spikes with pearls and black and white lace.

[OutOfIdeas]

Before reading this thread I had never even considered whether my or anyone elses tattoos match their clothing. Turns out the tattoo that is level with the bottom of my shirt sleeve clashes with the blue shirt I'm wearing right now.