How to Find Inspiration for Your Next Tattoo
Whether you’ve been getting inked for years or are just starting out, it can be a challenge to decide what your next tattoo should be. This is something that will be on your body forever so some thought should go into it. To help you out, we’ve put together some advice for choosing your next tattoo. Happy inking!
Table of Contents
How to Choose Your Next Tattoo
Once you’ve determined you want a tattoo—or another one—the first step is to choose a style. Do you want it in black & grey or in color? Will it be a fine line tattoo or something more involved? There are many different styles and genres, so it’s worth doing some research if you don’t know which style you want. Then, you can narrow down the proper designs that could fit with the chosen style and the correct artist to execute this piece. At First Class Tattoos, we specialize in many styles such as: fine line tattoos, water color tattoos, black & grey tattoos, and trash polka tattoos.
Tattoo Placement
Next, think about the size and placement of your tattoo. If you already have multiple tattoos a certain area, you should consider what would compliment them well. If this is only your first or second one, your options are more open. Either way, you should definitely consider these factors: will it be easily visible or not? How long or wide do you want it to be? Do I want to add more around this piece in the future? These limitations will prove helpful when it comes to choosing a design. The size and placement will also affect the session length, the detail of the design, and the level of pain as well as overall cost!
Perhaps the hardest part of getting a tattoo is choosing the actual design. Inspiration is everywhere, but everywhere can feel overwhelming. You also need to understand your phone screen, paper and other art mediums are different then skin. The way your body parts move, skin tone ETC will play in to the final design and placement. Just because something looks cool on your phone doesn’t mean it will translate the same on skin.
Here are some cool places to grab ideas to get started:
● Books, movies, and video games
Take a look at your favorites—are there any characters, symbols, or quotes that stick out to you? Or maybe a character has a tattoo that you’d like to replicate!
● Pop culture and social media
Apps like Pinterest and Instagram are full of design ideas from artists, celebrities, and pop culture enthusiasts.
● Culture and religion
If your family’s history, culture, or religion plays a large role in your life, you might consider inking a meaningful word, symbol, or image.
Fine Line Tattoo Inspirations
Fine line tattoos have recently become a popular style, especially for beginners. With less time required, fewer needles used, and minimal shading, fine line tattoos can be placed anywhere and are both practical and detailed.
There’s not much information on how fine line inking began, but its origins most likely lie in Los Angeles. This style is constantly evolving, but most fine line pieces are small and drawn using black and grey ink and focus on the delicate line work rather than shades or colors.
While fine line tattoos can be designs or drawings, many people choose to ink numbers, words, or symbols in this style. Because they are generally small and thin, they work well anywhere on the body. Just remember to keep in mind factors like if you want to add other tattoos around the
area, spots that fade easily, and spots that could be exposed to excessive sunlight, which also leads to fading.
Good Fine line tattoo inspiration can be found everywhere! From architecture to TV an artist can simplify the idea and create some delicate and unique. Read our Fine Line Tattoo Guide.
Water Color Tattoo Inspirations
When people imagine tattoos, the water color style is probably not the first thing that comes to mind. These tattoos are eye-catching and unconventional. While they don’t have a concrete starting point, they seemed to gain traction starting in 2007. Many initial water color tattoos were based off works of art, as people wanted their tattoo to mimic the feeling of paintings. Today, this trend continues, though water color is also used as an accent or background for more traditional tattoo styles.
Since color fades more quickly than black ink, the placement of water color tattoos should be somewhere that isn’t often exposed to the sun and that can be easy to care for. This will ensure the longevity of the color and design. Inspiration for a watercolor piece comes from creativity. Taking your idea and adding different colors of ink splashes makes a piece stand out.
Black & Grey Tattoo Inspirations
Black and grey tattoos stand out because they only use different shades of black ink. They’re a good choice for any level of tattoo, from novice to expert. While people speculate that they began in prisons during the 70s and 80s when inmates had limited supplies and colors, others believe they began from the Chicano culture in Los Angeles due to the fact that many classic Chicano tattoos are created using black ink.
If you’re planning to get a black & grey tattoo, make sure to arrive with a few reference photos so it’s easier for the artist to create a proper design that will keep its meaning and last on the skin.
Artists can also add color on top of black and grey tattoos later, so if you want to leave your color options open, these are a great style to choose. Most black & grey tattoos are realistic. So good inspiration would be photographs! Read our Black & Grey Tattoo Guide.
Trash Polka Tattoo Inspirations
Trash polka tattoos—and the name itself—originated from Germany and were created in 1989 by Volker Merschky and Simone Pfaff. The combination of realism and the abstract allow for a contrasting design where opposites rule the scene. While this black-and-red style took a long time to enter the conventional tattoo market, it’s now a well-known style.
Because trash polka tattoos are usually larger pieces to allow for different elements and motifs, they are often placed over a larger amount of skin. If you’re interested in a trash polka tattoo, consider where and how you want to make a statement with this bold style. Gather up some quotes, realistic images and symbols you like for inspiration.
When You Are Ready to Bring Your Idea to Life, Contact First Class Tattoos!
Now that you’ve gotten some information on how to find inspiration for your next tattoo, contact our specialists at First Class Tattoos today to ink it! We’re ready to bring your next idea to life and give you a meaningful tattoo that lasts a lifetime. Everything will be completely customized for you.
