Meaning Behind Geometric Tattoos

   

    There are constantly new tattoos popping up and there is definitely a trend with geometric tattoos. Bold shapes and linear designs always make for such cool body artwork as well as they are striking and symbolic. The finely-drawn ink often utilizes a series of shapes, lines, and dots to add a modern appeal to everyday objects, animals, and overall ideas. When it comes to cracking the geometric tattoo meaning, in most cases, they were tied to spiritual and religious practices in ancient times. However, in today's world they symbolize balance, symmetry, stability, intelligence, mystery, and much more. 

    In some cultures it is believed that these tattoos, when worn on certain parts of the body can heal, restore health, and provide balance. Since there is no strict pattern for artists to follow, tattoo artists usually have creative free range to interpret geometric designs as they see fit. Contrary to a popular belief, sacred geometric tattoos are not attached to any belief system if you don't want them to be. Most tattoos of this type are complex, original designs that incorporate shapes, dots, and shading in order to come out with an intricate and interesting patterns. 

While some artists look to M.C. Escher, an early 20th Century graphic artist for inspiration, others gain inspiration from mandalas and unusual geometric designs that present themselves in nature or in other forms of artwork. No matter the design, symmetry is a large part of geometric tattoos. Majority of clients who regularly get these tattoos do so because they feel a strong personal and spiritual connection with the artwork and it’s aesthetic. In fact, some feel that people with geometric tattoos have a profound respect for shapes, designs and how their intricacies work together to make the world a unique and interesting place.

    Even though these designs are trendy for the time being, tattoo artists caution that people who desire geometric tattoos should do their homework and have a strong idea of what it is they want and why. 

Why You Don't See Your Tattoo Design Ahead

    

     In a custom tattoo shop, the artists design their clients a unique custom tattoo. This means that your tattoo is yours alone, and no one else has the same design. It also means that  our artists don't have flash sheets, or ready-prepared imagery for clients to pick off a wall or a book. Usually clients will bring our artists an idea and sometimes references, and our artists use that as an inspiration to create an entirely unique design for the client in the artist's personal style. 

      We understand that you want to be involved in every step of the process in designing your tattoo, and that you may want to see a full drawing or sketch before your appointment time and day for approval. By sitting down with an artist and going over all of the details of the tattoo and ideas, you put forth the trust in your artist and allow them  that they will create a one of a kind piece that you will be proud to show off. 

     All of our tattoo artists have appointments scheduled out, and they tattoo every day. In order to have a drawing/design ready for each client they tattoo, most often than not the drawing is done the night or a few days before the scheduled appointment. They just don't have enough time in their schedule to "pre-draw" the design/sketch for every client to approve. We will NEVER send a drawing or sketch through phone, email or allow a physical copy to leave the shop. No images can be taken of the drawing unless it is tattooed on you. No exceptions will be made. Most custom shops and artists show you the design the day of your tattoo so you don't take their artwork and get it done elsewhere.

    Generally our artists draw designs for their clients' tattoos only a couple of days before the appointment, that's because they have appointments every day, and all the drawings are done in their own personal time. So generally, your design is not available to be seen ahead of your appointment. We also have a shop policy that tattoo designs don't leave the shop. Our artists generally don't email designs to their clients or allow potential clients to bring custom designs home for contemplation. That is because clients will sometimes take custom designs done by one tattoo artist and bring them to another in the hopes of having the same piece done at a lower price point which is disrespectful to the artist, and the time and effort they put into the preparation of the design. 

Where It All Starts: Your First Tattoo

    As most things in life, getting a tattoo for the first time is a little scary. Because a tattoo is permanent in nature, most tattoos you have done are almost always irreversible, which makes the first tattoo more than a bit scary. "What if something goes wrong?" you can't help asking yourself over and over again. That is why it is strongly advised that before going in for your first tattoo, all aspects related to your decision are considered very carefully before taking the plunge and that you have selected the right artist for the job.

    For any person who is getting their first tattoo, it's a matter of great excitement and pride. They many not know it then, but once the tattoo had been marked, the urge to look at it every few hours and admire it will be there. That is why it's a good idea to choose a location in such a way that you can see it easily. More useful locations are the upper arm, wrist, and the front of your thigh and feet. 

    The attention you and your tattoo draws from people will be great especially if it's your first one. Placing your tattoo at a place that you're proud to flaunt will be beneficial. If you decide to get a tattoo on a place of your body that you're embarrassed about, it will make it for an unpleasant moments for you when people ask about your tattoo.

    The first time you get a tattoo can be quite traumatic and painful if it's not done right. You also carry the fear of the design not looking good because you don't have any prior experience with the artist. You must chose your artist very carefully after a lot of research and inspection of their work, so believe the process and put trust in your artist that they will create a work of art for you that you will be proud to show off and wear for the rest of your life. Who knows, maybe now you're planning your next several tattoos already. You may get several other tattoos after this, but the first one would always be special. 

Painful Places To Get Tattooed

                                

It's a well known fact that getting a tattoo hurts. For the most part, all of these places listed below can be extremely painful and you should definitely be aware of that before you go in to get these areas inked. A lot of the pain comes from a lack of cushion of muscle or fat within these areas, therefore causing the needles to consistently go over thin layers of skin and bone repeatedly. When it’s just skin and bones, you know it’s going to hurt. 

    The inner arm is going to really hurt. The thinness of the skin is again the culprit, and the nerves will react instantly to any tattoo needle. While some areas just throb and hurt, this feels more like a scratching burn. The hands, fingers and knuckles especially, are extremely boney and filled with ligaments. Also, because the skin on your hands is so thin, it’s going to be extremely painful. The skin over rib area is so thin with a highly sensitive area and the bones are spread out leaving areas of grooves and direct bone for the needles to graze over. You’re definitely going to need breaks during rib sessions. The elbow is not only going to hurt, but to get the ink packed in properly you’re going to be sitting at an awkward angle with your arm bending every which way. The feet are pretty manageable at first, but as the tattoo session goes on, it’s going to really start to hurt. The very tops of the feet will be the absolute worse. Needles vibrating and stabbing you in the head repeatedly is not going to be a very enjoyable experience. Though the skull is said to not be as painful as many may believe, it still is going to be an uncomfortable session.

It’s only natural to feel pain during a tattoo session, but some places are more painful than others. Pain is our body’s way of protecting us from imminent harm. Depending on your  threshold level, you may have to reconsider the tattoo placement especially if you have a low pain tolerance. If you are considering getting a tattoo on any of the locations stated above, you better be prepared to deal with pain. 

Frequently Asked Tattoo Questions

 What does a tattoo feel like?  

Many people like to refer that getting a tattoo feels like someone is scratching a hot needle across your skin or others like to compare it to a constant feeling of a cat scratch. After about 15 minutes, your adrenaline will start kicking in and help manage some of the pain, but if you’re getting a larger piece done, the pain can come in waves. 

Where is the least painful place to get a tattoo?

The answers vary, depending on the size of the tattoo and where on your body it is (smaller tattoos on fleshier parts of your body will hurt the least). This also varies person to person. Tattoos on your wrist or forearm tend to be pretty easy places to start with. Although everyone experiences pain differently, you can expect for the tattoo pain to be worse on your ribs, feet, ankles, neck, backs of your knees, or insides of your elbows. Really, anywhere that has a high level of nerve endings and not a lot of fat will hurt more.

How do you deal with tattoo pain?

Pain is the price you pay for getting a tattoo. As tempting as a numbing agent sounds, tattoo artists don’t recommend them because they affect the capillaries and therefore make it harder to deposit the ink. This also makes healing the tattoo a challenge. In general, treat the night before a tattoo like you would before a big exam: Get a good night’s sleep, eat a full breakfast, stay hydrated, and don’t show up hungover or drunk. All of these things could ultimately affect how you handle pain, even if it’s not a particularly sensitive area of the body.

How long does a tattoo take to heal?

After two weeks, your tattoo should be completely healed if you’ve properly taken care of it, as per the artists instructions, and, other than that, left it alone. If a portion of your design didn’t heal correctly or if you have some fading down the road and want to get it touched up, pay your artist a visit.