joakim urma

Hello Paul and welcome to LST!
I recommend you to not make the design yourself or have anyone draw it for you. Instead, look at a lot of tattoos until you get a sense of what kind of styles you enjoy. I don't know where you are located but chances are there's at least a couple of tattoo shops close by. Go check those out, look at the artists portfolios and hopefully you'll find an artist that inspires you and who's work is good enough so that you will trust her/him to draw a tattoo based on your idea.
To get you started you can browse the blog where I post tattoos that inspires me:
UGLY FREEDOM
I also whole heartedly recommend you to read at leas part of this thread:
http://www.lastsparrowtattoo.com/forum/general-tattoo-discussion/2396-what-makes-good-tattoo.html
The info and opinions inside will help you while looking at tattoos, to determine the "quality" for lack of a better word.
I always suggest people who are new to tattooing to get their first tattoos on a part of their body that's often covered by clothes. So you can chose when you want to show your tattoo and slowly get used to the thought of permanently changing the look of your body. Also, speaking from personal experience, if you keep getting tattooed your taste and ideas about tattoos will evolve a lot. Even if your first tattoo turns out to be super good, chances are that in a few years you'll be happy that you saved the more visible body parts for better work.
Long winded message, anyhow.
I wish you good luck and have fun getting your first tattoo(s)!

The other week I found myself talking to this guy who was collecting cans and bottles on the street (to get the refund) about my tattoos. He just walked up and asked what I paid for them. I was so surprised so I told him some number close to what it might have been (I'm not really counting this..) and he was so shocked. He later told me that he wanted to get the names of his father, mother and sisters tattooed on his arm and asked me if 50 euro would be a good price for this. I told him Yes. We talked in length about why someone would get tattooed and spend all this money. He confessed he wanted to get gold chains around his neck, "like in America, rappers!" He also described a friend of his who "lived like a pig" but drove a BMW.
Just some hours later I was sitting on a bench with a friend when a bunch of drunk girls, a bit younger than me, walked by. One of the girls stopped like she had hit a glass wall and exclaimed "Are those tattoos! I love them!", while pointing at my legs. She proceeded to touch my tattoos and grab hold of my legs, lifting them and twisting them to see better. I have never had a stranger do this to me before so I was too surprised to tell her not to. After a while one of her, slightly less drunk, friends grabbed hold of her shoulders and guided her away from me. The whole encounter was strange.

It's been true summer for a week now in Stockholm and I've been in t-shirt and shorts most of the time. I am starting to grow tired of talking about tattoos with people with no tattoos/really bad tattoos. I think during this time I have talked about tattoos with most people that I work with, many of my friends (that I do really love by the way) and a few random folks. And I don't see the point… or rather, it gets very tiring. Maybe because many people don't know jack about tattooing, only from what they have seen on tv and they ask you the most rude and stupid questions. And then proceed to show you some horrible work on "a buddy" by making you browse this persons instagram feed.
Normally I am a very polite and patient guy but after a week of this.. I don't really think I care about talking tattoos with people who are not deeply into it. I feel like an elitist for saying this but, I guess right now, that's me. I think one of the problems has to do with how tattooing became a mainstream and "cool" thing. Much like skateboarding right about that time when Adidas and Nike decided there was money to be made. Skateboarders used to be the weird smelly kids, the outcasts of the school. It used to be something the general public had no understanding for. I wrote this to a friend recently who thought that my skateboarding hobby was cool
"I don't think skateboarding is so cool, obectivly speaking. Same with tattoos. Or, I don't want it to be cool and hyped and a lot of attention and money into it. I prefer when things are underground, wierd/repulsive to the general public and only cool to the people involved and active. Outsiders and tourists destroy everything genuine (especially as soon as money is involved) It's cultural gentrification."
/End of angry rant. Back to trying to be a nice person and talk reasonable and in a friendly tone to people who wants to talk tattoos with me. Shit, I did not get these to be a conversation piece. One of the rudest things that I've had to respond to in a number of occasions is about the cost of tattoos.. like "Woow, dude that's a lot of money on your legs right there!". Few people would talk about the cost of the paintings on the walls of a friends place the first time they get invited over for dinner, am I right?
ps. I am a really nice guy in real life

I work as a care giver at a group home for people with downs syndrome and similar handicaps. One of the inhabitants has a father who must be close to 80 years of age. EVERY time he comes to visit and I am there to greet him he will comment on my tattoos. Every. Time. He is probably senile and not aware of this.
Last time was different though.. he usually opens up with saying "those are hard to get rid of..", like it is a question. I usually just say Yes, and smile at him. Then he asks me if it hurts, I tell him Not anymore, and smile some more. But this time he also said that he had tried (to get tattooed), on his hand, but that it had faded over time. And then he told me that (my tattoos) where prydsamma, which is a swedish word that translates to "something thats proper and enhances the beauty of a thing/someone".
I was flattered for the first time. I didn't know that he liked my tattoos, just that he would always comment on them.

Many people have seen this all ready I guess. By Jondix, 11 days ago. Had such a great time. Stayed at the shop past midnight, talking and eating after the session.
Everybody should get something from him. Super good heart, attitude and knowledge of tattooing and art.
Wrathful offering of the five senses by Jonas Nyberg from last year.

Many people have seen this all ready I guess. By Jondix, 11 days ago. Had such a great time. Stayed at the shop past midnight, talking and eating after the session.
Everybody should get something from him. Super good heart, attitude and knowledge of tattooing and art.
Wrathful offering of the five senses by Jonas Nyberg from last year.

Dude. That wrathful offering is killer. So is the Jondix work too, but you knew that already. Very cool stuff.
- - - Updated - - -
Got this super-cool little moth from @cltattooing . It was a nice change of pace from the large-work I've got going on right now.
Pumped on this little guy!
https://www.instagram.com/p/BEC8O07DEkE/?taken-by=handoftheforge

@Lance I'll elaborate on the story a bit, it was a fun trip after all.
I show up at the shop around 12. Like I said, I came expecting the worst, but I wanted to exceed the expectation and knock this thing out in one day. Johan shows me the drawing, and in my head all I can hear is Gob from Arrested Development, "I've made a huge mistake." So much hair and little lines, fuck me. So we spend the next 45 minutes or so with general setup and talking about placement as I reconsider my goals for the day after seeing all those lines.
All laid out, I assume the position. He starts low at the hip and works the way up in sections. The hip bone made my body vibrate, and the nerves radiated at certain times where I swear he put a line down my shaft, or up higher it felt like he ran over my nipple. Nothing worse than expected though. Nothing that made me break out in an instant cold sweat like when my lower back got hit. Just general "this sucks." so I was able to make it. @hogg recommended a focused breathing technique, and pretend to blow out candles from far away, well I blew out the equivalent of a forest fire over the course of the day. My lips were chapped and my throat was dry.
Anyhow, after almost 4 hours of lines, I was again reassessing goals for the day. This was about the point when I was feeling the worst. I was almost ready to call it a day, but I was actually looking forward to pretending to be tough in front of @ironchef, so I pushed on.
Johan and I had to be realistic about what was left, and what we thought we could finish that day. We opted for coloring the low hanging fruit; the horns, the belly, and the fire. Especially because we couldn't settle on body/hair colors.
So after the first strip of fire, Johan can tell I'm close to the end and I might not make it. He offers some vasocaine spray. At first I'm a little reluctant, but after some time to consider it, I take him up on the offer. He assures me that for most people, it takes away ~50% of the pain. Well goddamn if it didn't work for me. At this point, ironchef shows up, and who knows what he thought of meeting me as I'm able to hold a conversation getting my ribs worked on. A second wind combined with relief from the spray, I felt really good at this point.
We all talked and had a good time while Johan wrapped things up, and ironchef and I took obligatory nude pics together. I was out of the shop around 8 and on my way home for a shower and very restless sleep.

Many people have seen this all ready I guess. By Jondix, 11 days ago. Had such a great time. Stayed at the shop past midnight, talking and eating after the session.
Everybody should get something from him. Super good heart, attitude and knowledge of tattooing and art.
Wrathful offering of the five senses by Jonas Nyberg from last year.

Many people have seen this all ready I guess. By Jondix, 11 days ago. Had such a great time. Stayed at the shop past midnight, talking and eating after the session.
Everybody should get something from him. Super good heart, attitude and knowledge of tattooing and art.
Wrathful offering of the five senses by Jonas Nyberg from last year.

Many people have seen this all ready I guess. By Jondix, 11 days ago. Had such a great time. Stayed at the shop past midnight, talking and eating after the session.
Everybody should get something from him. Super good heart, attitude and knowledge of tattooing and art.
Wrathful offering of the five senses by Jonas Nyberg from last year.

Many people have seen this all ready I guess. By Jondix, 11 days ago. Had such a great time. Stayed at the shop past midnight, talking and eating after the session.
Everybody should get something from him. Super good heart, attitude and knowledge of tattooing and art.
Wrathful offering of the five senses by Jonas Nyberg from last year.

Many people have seen this all ready I guess. By Jondix, 11 days ago. Had such a great time. Stayed at the shop past midnight, talking and eating after the session.
Everybody should get something from him. Super good heart, attitude and knowledge of tattooing and art.
Wrathful offering of the five senses by Jonas Nyberg from last year.

Many people have seen this all ready I guess. By Jondix, 11 days ago. Had such a great time. Stayed at the shop past midnight, talking and eating after the session.
Everybody should get something from him. Super good heart, attitude and knowledge of tattooing and art.
Wrathful offering of the five senses by Jonas Nyberg from last year.

Many people have seen this all ready I guess. By Jondix, 11 days ago. Had such a great time. Stayed at the shop past midnight, talking and eating after the session.
Everybody should get something from him. Super good heart, attitude and knowledge of tattooing and art.
Wrathful offering of the five senses by Jonas Nyberg from last year.

Just got this reimagining of a Rock of Ages by Aaron Hodges at Spider Murphy's. Stolen from his instagram:

Many people have seen this all ready I guess. By Jondix, 11 days ago. Had such a great time. Stayed at the shop past midnight, talking and eating after the session.
Everybody should get something from him. Super good heart, attitude and knowledge of tattooing and art.
Wrathful offering of the five senses by Jonas Nyberg from last year.

Many people have seen this all ready I guess. By Jondix, 11 days ago. Had such a great time. Stayed at the shop past midnight, talking and eating after the session.
Everybody should get something from him. Super good heart, attitude and knowledge of tattooing and art.
Wrathful offering of the five senses by Jonas Nyberg from last year.

Many people have seen this all ready I guess. By Jondix, 11 days ago. Had such a great time. Stayed at the shop past midnight, talking and eating after the session.
Everybody should get something from him. Super good heart, attitude and knowledge of tattooing and art.
Wrathful offering of the five senses by Jonas Nyberg from last year.

BAM

I got a 3 hour Samoan tatau all the way around my knee this past weekend. The knee cap, the sides, the ditch... all of it. As I walked back to my convention booth, a lady stopped me to look at it. My knee looked like a bloody watermelon. She actually said, "Did you feel it?" I said, "What?" She replied, "I know some tattoos hurt, but could you even feel this kind of tattoo?" I told her that it felt like they were trying to cut my leg off... and hobbled away.
Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk

Many people have seen this all ready I guess. By Jondix, 11 days ago. Had such a great time. Stayed at the shop past midnight, talking and eating after the session.
Everybody should get something from him. Super good heart, attitude and knowledge of tattooing and art.
Wrathful offering of the five senses by Jonas Nyberg from last year.

Many people have seen this all ready I guess. By Jondix, 11 days ago. Had such a great time. Stayed at the shop past midnight, talking and eating after the session.
Everybody should get something from him. Super good heart, attitude and knowledge of tattooing and art.
Wrathful offering of the five senses by Jonas Nyberg from last year.

Many people have seen this all ready I guess. By Jondix, 11 days ago. Had such a great time. Stayed at the shop past midnight, talking and eating after the session.
Everybody should get something from him. Super good heart, attitude and knowledge of tattooing and art.
Wrathful offering of the five senses by Jonas Nyberg from last year.

Many people have seen this all ready I guess. By Jondix, 11 days ago. Had such a great time. Stayed at the shop past midnight, talking and eating after the session.
Everybody should get something from him. Super good heart, attitude and knowledge of tattooing and art.
Wrathful offering of the five senses by Jonas Nyberg from last year.