Memorial Tattoos

   

 

          Memorial tattoos seek to honor and respect either an individual who has passed on or a significant event that deserves to be eternally remembered. These are extremely personal tattoos, but they’re also a source of pride for the owners. If you have a loved one that you want to honor or you want to memorialize an event, then a memorial tattoo could be the perfect tattoo design to get. These designs often have the dates of the events and will usually include any people who were involved in them. If you don’t want to get a heavily detailed memorial tattoo or you just want to keep it small, then simply putting the name of the event and the dates when it occurred will work as well.

    A great idea for memorial tattoos honoring an individual is to think of all of the things they loved during their lifetimes. If they loved to write or draw, incorporate some images that show that. If they were very family oriented, then maybe add in portraits of more family members. How your memorial tattoo is designed is heavily dependent on who you are and who they were. A more common way to commemorate a loved one is receiving a portrait tattoo of that individual. The portrait can also include the name of the deceased and the dates of their birth and/or death. The dates are often placed on a banner, adding an element of significance. Some people have a tough time choosing an appropriate portrait to use, but the most important thing is to use one that you have always liked looking at and that gives you the best memories of that person. 
    Angel wings are commonly used as a part of a memorial tattoo to signify the descent of the loved one’s soul into Heaven. The wings can be attached to a heart or other symbol, or they can just be located right outside of the person’s name. Dates of birth and death are often included in these tattoos to memorialize the spectrum of the loved one’s life and are sometimes, but not always accompanied by the name or relationship that was shared.
    Some people like to get tattoos of their loved ones’ handwriting as memorial tattoos. This is simply done by taking a piece of paper that they wrote on, giving it to your artist, and having them trace it onto your skin. This adds a more personal feel to the memorial tattoo and you can be sure that your design is unique. These are often tricky, though, since you want to get very meaningful words in your memorial tattoo.
    There are plenty of ways to design your memorial tattoo, but the key to it is to add in images that mean the most to you. For example, if you are getting a memorial tattoo for your mother, it’s up to you whether you include hearts, wings, religious designs, or anything else. Don’t feel compelled to add these things in simply because you’ve seen them in other tattoo designs. In fact, people are often happier when they take the time to come up with as unique a design as possible that would mean the most to the person being memorialized.

What Does Artistic Freedom Means?

     How much freedom do you usually let an artist have when working on your skin? A lot of people get increasingly confused and concerned when they hear that the artist requires "full artistic freedom".  Artistic freedom means that you give the artist a general direction of what you're wanting, general idea, sizing and placement. If you tell them where you want it at, the artist will know the dimensions what to design for. It is more related to allowing the artist to have creative choices over the design, color and layout. Even with artistic freedom, your artist isn't going to design a chest piece if if you let them know that you want it on your forearm. 

       Many people expect tattoo artists to make all their design dreams come true, without offering any input. But that's just not how the process works. It's important to have an idea of what you want for a tattoo and where you want it and describe it. From there, it'll be easier for them to create something from scratch — using your ideas as a guideline. Tattoo artists love it when clients let them be expressive and exercise their artistic talents by creating a one of a kind piece. As an artist, creativity comes from their souls. They are often challenged within the industry to make sure clients have a buy in to the design as it is going on them forever. A vast majority of tattoo artists don't want to do something they are not proud of just for the paycheck, they want to create a piece of art they are proud to put their name and business on and something that client can be proud to show off. 

        When it comes to creative freedom, artists still look for what makes their clients tick. Artists take your ideas and design and add their own creative spin to it. So if you want something truly unique, let them know you want them to include their own flair. This is, after all, a type of collaboration. Transparency is key which leads to clients feeling more comfortable with releasing control to the artist and letting them express their artistic talents through the art of tattooing. Everyone wants the experience to bring joy, to be heard, and to walk away with confidence. Trust the process and journey you're about to embark on with your artist and have fun.  

To Tip Or Not

     

    Tipping a tattoo artist should be factored into the overall cost of your tattoo. Although giving your artist a tip is not required, it is a service, and much like any other service, tipping is encouraged, appreciated and important to the tattoo industry. How much should you tip your tattoo artist? There are differing opinions about what constitutes a good tip and a bad one. Tipping rules can be a bit complicated and usually involve factors like how long did it take for your tattoo to be complete, where it was placed, etc. 

    Many people don’t realize the costs associated with being a tattoo artist. Even though tattoo costs may seem high, tattoo artists rarely take home all of what you pay them. Tattoo artists in shops are paying 40-50% of every tattoo to the shop for commission and their overhead. They are also buying tubes, needles, and other supplies at their own expense. Tips, on the other hand, go directly to the artist and they keep 100% of the tip money that you give them. 

    Deciding how much to tip a tattoo artist is really up to you and not all artists agree on this point. A tip is a tip and tattoo artists appreciate anything. You can always follow the Golden Rule of tipping 20% of whatever your tattoo price was if you’re not sure. Tipping a tattoo artist is recommended after the tattoo is complete. This can be as soon as your artist wraps up your tattoo and before you pay, or after you pay at the shop counter. 

    For larger tattoos such as sleeves or backpieces that require multiple sessions, you may be wondering whether you should tip a tattoo artist after each session or after the tattoo is fully complete. The general consensus is that while not a requirement by any means, tipping after each tattoo session is appreciated since large-scale tattoos can take months or even years to complete.  Cash is definitely the preferred method of tipping a tattoo artist, but some clients choose to bring their tattoo artists small gifts in place of or in addition to a tattoo tip. If you are planning to bring your tattoo artist a gift, you should still provide a cash tip in addition to the gift if you’re able. 

    You can show the appreciation for a good work in many different ways as well! For example, if  you like the work your tattoo artist did, then take a picture of it (possibly the shop as well) and share it on your social media and tag the artist and the shop. This way you can provide excellent exposure for the artists and their shop, and attract new clients. So, if you love your new tattoo, then let everybody know and post the pictures on Instagram, Facebook, and other social media. This will not only attract new people but also boost the tattoo shop’s name on the search engines. The exposure they can receive from only one post can be incredible.

Tattoo Sizing

  

       If you’re considering getting a tattoo, size matters. Have you heard different sizing terms but have no idea what they mean or how that will look? Understanding and differentiating between various tattoos sizes will help you better comprehend what you are getting. Tattoo size matters for the design of your body art. If you’re looking for an intricate and detailed piece, you most likely will not want to get it super small. Details will get lost, and the intricacy of the design will be muddled. If you are considering something like a portrait, getting at least a medium-size tattoo of 6 or more inches  will usually be recommended.  If you want a simple tattoo, small sizes are perfectly suitable. If you are looking for something on your ankle, knuckles, or wrists, for example, consider a simple object or lettering.

   Tattoos are measured in square inches. To determine your tattoo size, simply multiply the height of your tattoo with the width at the longest points. If you already have an area in mind, measure your body’s location that you want the tattoo. Map out a rectangle on your skin and measure how tall and wide it is. Now you know how large the design needs to be, and you can begin searching for designs that would look good at that size. Another good way to determine the size of a tattoo if you don't have a way to measure it is to use everyday object as a size comparison. 

     Using words like small, medium, large is very vague because not all people see those as the same size measurements as you may see them. Another term that many people use often is "palm sized". While your palm may be 4 inches, another person's could be 6 inches or more. Giving your artist/studio your height and weight doesn't help with determining how much surface area will be covered as every person's body is different and in that case they can't provide you with an accurate quote for time as well as pricing.  Deciding what size you want your tattoo will help you choose where on your body you want it, and vice versa. If you know that you want a tattoo across your entire chest, it’s pointless to look at small tattoo designs. Look for something large and detailed that can cover your surface area and look fantastic. 

    So, as you can see, choosing the correct size for your tattoo is just as important as the design itself. There are many factors to consider when deciding on the size, including placement, design, time, and cost. The best thing you can do before getting a tattoo is to measure it out on your body and then review with your tattoo artist to see what they think would be best. Although the decision is ultimately up to you, it is nice to have input from a professional.