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.

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.

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.

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.

As other have said, take some time to plan and definitely consult with your artist or even seek out those whose work you admire. If you are into nautical themes and traditional style work, the history of modern tattooing is deeply rooted in that imagery. Check out classic stuff by the forefathers like Cap Coleman, Paul Rogers, Bert Grimm and Sailor Jerry (to name a few).
As an old guy...my advice would be "pace not race". You have a damn nice start, but if you enjoy getting tattooed, what's the hurry? Use your travels to the advantage of getting work by people you admire around the globe!

As other have said, take some time to plan and definitely consult with your artist or even seek out those whose work you admire. If you are into nautical themes and traditional style work, the history of modern tattooing is deeply rooted in that imagery. Check out classic stuff by the forefathers like Cap Coleman, Paul Rogers, Bert Grimm and Sailor Jerry (to name a few).
As an old guy...my advice would be "pace not race". You have a damn nice start, but if you enjoy getting tattooed, what's the hurry? Use your travels to the advantage of getting work by people you admire around the globe!

As other have said, take some time to plan and definitely consult with your artist or even seek out those whose work you admire. If you are into nautical themes and traditional style work, the history of modern tattooing is deeply rooted in that imagery. Check out classic stuff by the forefathers like Cap Coleman, Paul Rogers, Bert Grimm and Sailor Jerry (to name a few).
As an old guy...my advice would be "pace not race". You have a damn nice start, but if you enjoy getting tattooed, what's the hurry? Use your travels to the advantage of getting work by people you admire around the globe!

No more easy spots left....
JR Tubbs - inner arm, elbow to pit in May
Nick Colella - chest eagle in June
Mario Desa - Lower leg/ankle in June
Smith Street crew - possibly later in the summer

No more easy spots left....
JR Tubbs - inner arm, elbow to pit in May
Nick Colella - chest eagle in June
Mario Desa - Lower leg/ankle in June
Smith Street crew - possibly later in the summer

No more easy spots left....
JR Tubbs - inner arm, elbow to pit in May
Nick Colella - chest eagle in June
Mario Desa - Lower leg/ankle in June
Smith Street crew - possibly later in the summer

No more easy spots left....
JR Tubbs - inner arm, elbow to pit in May
Nick Colella - chest eagle in June
Mario Desa - Lower leg/ankle in June
Smith Street crew - possibly later in the summer

No more easy spots left....
JR Tubbs - inner arm, elbow to pit in May
Nick Colella - chest eagle in June
Mario Desa - Lower leg/ankle in June
Smith Street crew - possibly later in the summer

No more easy spots left....
JR Tubbs - inner arm, elbow to pit in May
Nick Colella - chest eagle in June
Mario Desa - Lower leg/ankle in June
Smith Street crew - possibly later in the summer