My First Tattoo design ?

[ORMom2Four]

I need to have a tattoo designed. I'm a total newbie when it comes to tattoos, so any help appreciated!

What I want is this. I have a small wreath that was placed on the door of our delivery room when I gave birth to our stillborn son. It signified that there was grief in the room. I want to have that drawn, and then have my son's footprints in the middle of the wreath. Maybe have his name somewhere too?

How do I go about finding someone to do this for me?

Thanks so much for any help!

 

[Eeyore'sthebest]

I would find a good tattoo artist in your area. Go in with your thoughts, the wreath (or a picture of it) and ask them to sketch something out for you. They should be able to do it. If you don't like what they do then you can always find someone else or ask them to re-work it.

And I'm sorry to hear about your son.

 

[Nie0214]

I agree with Eeyore.

Find a tattoo artist (hopefully you can see a few of their designs online), tell them what you want. Bring any pictures that may help with a concept. Any artist who is worth getting tattoo'd by will be able to sketch something for you (they'll probably ask for a $50 deposit).

You'll be able to see the design, tell them where you want some changes, discuss coloring, etc. Before getting it tattoo'd they will make it into a "stencil" that transfers on your body so you can see just how it will look.

I'm sorry for your loss, and I hope you find someone who can do your tattoo justice.

 

[ORMom2Four]

Thanks for the tips. Do all tattoo artists design too? I'm going to have to start looking around for someone!

 

[HunnyPots]

Take your time and find a great artist! Talk to people you see who have really good tattoos and ask them about their artist. It's worth a little research to find the right one. So many tattoo shops have popped up around here in the last couple of years and, while some are very good, some are very very bad and you don't want to risk it - especially with a design as important as this one.

 

[Nie0214]

The good artists will sketch, I would recommend you to someone I know here, but it's on the other side of the country.

 

[zippitydoo]

The most important thing for you to do is your research, research, research. Go to various shops, look at their portfolio, talk to them. Most tattoo artists should be able to draw anything you want.

 

[MinnieMe87]

The most important thing for you to do is your research, research, research. Go to various shops, look at their portfolio, talk to them. Most tattoo artists should be able to draw anything you want.

I agree with this! Look at all pictures of their work that they have available. See if you like it. If you don't like their style, don't go to them. Chances are, their style won't change just for your tattoo. Ex: One tattoo artist in our town does more sketchy things. Tattoos look more like cartoonish versus photographic things. My style is to look more realistic, so I passed on having her do my tattoo. Best of luck to you in finding someone to get this done for you. Make sure to post pictures when you get it done!

Oh, and I'm so very sorry for the loss of your son.

 

[ArelysAdriana]

I'm so very sorry to hear about the loss of your son. Getting a tattoo is such a wonderful way of coping from the loss of someone you love (at least that is my opinion, mine helped me immensely)

Whoever you chose to do the tattoo typically also does the design. There is no need to have something already drawn up (unless you want to.) My biggest advice is shop around as much as you can and see every possible artists' portfolio. Ask tons of questions and check out the shop to make sure it's super clean. When you finally find the artist, make sure they draw your tattoo for you ahead of time and if there is anything you don't like about it, definitely don't be afraid to speak up and ask him/her to tweak it to your specifications. After they put the stencil on triple check that sucker to make sure it's not crooked/misspelled/uneven/etc.


I'm not too sure where about Oregon you live, but I hope these links help a bit:

http://www.oregonink.net/artists.html

http://www.everytattoo.com/oregon.shtml

http://www.americantattooshops.com/Tattoo_Shops_in_Oregon/Oregon_Tattoo.html


And some pretty good shops I found in Oregon:

http://www.adornbodyart.com/

http://www.1928tattoo.com/

http://a51tats.com/


Also, there is a site called inkednation.com that is a great, free resource for people looking for an artist. It is like the tattooed community's version of myspace.

I wish you the best in your quest for a great artist & I hope you get a gorgeous tattoo in honor of your son