O.T.B 2.1

Princess Peach

I would ask where they got the idea from, like I want to know if they drew it up themselves, or modified an idea they got elsewhere you know. I love seeing a really interesting tattoo that just invokes curiosity! You ever see a cool tattoo (or sometimes a weird bad one) and just think how the hell did they decide to get that?

Princess Peach

Arawn wrote: »

I've yet to come across anybody who's actually into ink that asks that question " whats the meaning behind that"

I have a genuine curiosity here too. How do you differentiate between someone "who's actually into ink" and the rest of the people?

Arawn

Princess Peach wrote: »

I have a genuine curiosity here too. How do you differentiate between someone "who's actually into ink" and the rest of the people?

people who generally have a kanji and thats it are not into tattoos

Princess Peach

Well I don't have anything like that so I am into tattoos

Pippy1976

Arawn wrote: »

people who generally have a kanji and thats it are not into tattoos

I met someone the other day who had a kanji and hadn't a bog what it was ... in fact, I think they found out it was inked upside-down. Oh lordy

Melion

My main point in this was that if you are going to get a tattoo to signify something then get something done properly. Im sorry but in my eyes 3 stars dont signify past,present and future. Shooting stars dont signify to keep going forward and never look back. They are stars, plain and simple.

Now im sure there are plenty of people who hate my tattoos but i dont try to pretend they have any meaning bar the ones i have for my daughter and my grandparents. There is no hidden meaning behind them, they are names inside other designs. Whatever happened to art for arts sake?

Pippy1976

Melion wrote: »

My main point in this was that if you are going to get a tattoo to signify something then get something done properly. Im sorry but in my eyes 3 stars dont signify past,present and future. Shooting stars dont signify to keep going forward and never look back. They are stars, plain and simple.

Now im sure there are plenty of people who hate my tattoos but i dont try to pretend they have any meaning bar the ones i have for my daughter and my grandparents. There is no hidden meaning behind them, they are names inside other designs. Whatever happened to art for arts sake?

Awesome, well said. I dread the question 'so what does THAT mean'... it's nothing, I like the design, the shapes / the lines / the shading, plain and simple.

art for art's sake. End of.

[although, if someone does get a kanji upside-down does that matter? It matters to me but if they like it then so be it, I guess... still frikkin' irritating though!! haha]

Please Kill Me

Melion wrote: »

....There is no hidden meaning behind them, they are names inside other designs. Whatever happened to art for arts sake?

Pippy1976 wrote: »

Awesome, well said. I dread the question 'so what does THAT mean'... it's nothing, I like the design, the shapes / the lines / the shading, plain and simple.

art for art's sake. End of.

Likewise. I have horror/sci-fi characters...I have Hellraiser, Freddy Kreuger, Predator, Alien, one tattoo of my skin being ripped open by chains and hooks....they don't "mean" anything, I just like them!

Pippy1976

Please Kill Me wrote: »

Likewise. I have horror/sci-fi characters...I have Hellraiser, Freddy Kreuger, Predator, Alien, one tattoo of my skin being ripped open by chains and hooks....they don't "mean" anything, I just like them!

Woohoo! This thread is starting to sound like a My Tattoo Doesn't Mean Anything But I Love It support group meeting!

Fiona

Melion wrote: »

My main point in this was that if you are going to get a tattoo to signify something then get something done properly. Im sorry but in my eyes 3 stars dont signify past,present and future. Shooting stars dont signify to keep going forward and never look back. They are stars, plain and simple.

Fair enough slate them all you want. I got them for me and I love them. Your opinion, while I will listen to it, does not really mean anything to me.

(of course though if I thought one your tattoos was crap I would just smile and say politely that's nice) I would never openly slate something that somebody put thought into and were really happy with, if you have nothing good to say then don't say anything at all.

Art is always open to interpretation so small stars might seem silly to you but not to others

Please Kill Me wrote: »

Likewise. I have horror/sci-fi characters...I have Hellraiser, Freddy Kreuger, Predator, Alien, one tattoo of my skin being ripped open by chains and hooks....they don't "mean" anything, I just like them!

See above, would not be my cup of tea at all but I am sure they are very nice.

Princess Peach

Melion wrote: »

My main point in this was that if you are going to get a tattoo to signify something then get something done properly. Im sorry but in my eyes 3 stars dont signify past,present and future. Shooting stars dont signify to keep going forward and never look back. They are stars, plain and simple.

Now im sure there are plenty of people who hate my tattoos but i dont try to pretend they have any meaning bar the ones i have for my daughter and my grandparents. There is no hidden meaning behind them, they are names inside other designs. Whatever happened to art for arts sake?

Sorry to get pedantic here, but you have just said you got tattoos for family members, so you do have tattoos with meaning and not just for art.

I think I said it above that some tattoos can be for art's sake, some for symbolic reason. Whats the harm in either?

And getting a tattoo is for yourself not for someone else. You don't like stars, and don't think anything of them when you see them on a person. But they are important if that person looks at themselves every day and remembers something from it. Just like you will always think of your family when you look at yours.

My main point here- Just cause your tattoos (addressing this to a few posters) don't have meaning, why judge people's whose tattoos do? And you also shouldn't be judging other's tattoo design choices.

Pippy1976

Princess Peach wrote: »

My main point here- Just cause your tattoos (addressing this to a few posters) don't have meaning, why judge people's whose tattoos do? And you also shouldn't be judging other's tattoo design choices.

Fair enough... but surely an upside-down kanji has no meaning for anyone? I can judge that if I want to because it's just silly - that's art for nobody's sake.

Princess Peach

Pippy1976 wrote: »

Fair enough... but surely an upside-down kanji has no meaning for anyone? I can judge that if I want to because it's just silly - that's art for nobody's sake.

That's one example, but people seem to be making very general statements about tattoos here, and some seem to be aimed at one poster's post in the I'll show you mine thread.

Pippy1976

Princess Peach wrote: »

That's one example, but people seem to be making very general statements about tattoos here, and some seem to be aimed at one poster's post in the I'll show you mine thread.

Right, well, I don't know anything about that - I'm just going on what's posted here. And, yes, people are precious about their tattoo's ... it's just the way it is.

What's good for the goose may not be good for the gander, in this case!!!

I'm just saying....

Star Lord

Melion wrote: »

Im sorry but in my eyes 3 stars dont signify past,present and future. Shooting stars dont signify to keep going forward and never look back. They are stars, plain and simple.

They may signify that to the person that got them, it may be the very reason that they got them in the first place.

There is a massive difference between getting something done and then trying to attach meaning to it, and getting something done because you want it to represent something.

I mean taking your peppa pig tattoo for example, or your thundercats one, to anyone else they may sneer at those, but to you the peppa pig one means a hell of a lot, because it represents your daughter, and you had it done for her, and the thundercats one means something too, as it's something you like, or liked in your childhood. One is a deep meaning, one is a shallower meaning, doesn't mean that they are any less valid.

My own tattoos, my dragon is simply because I've always liked dragons. My bio-mech heart is because I'm a nerd. My phoenix was gotten because I wanted something to represent coming through the serious illness that I had in the past, and coming out the other side better than before. That may sound like some LA Ink style story to you, but it doesn't make my reason for getting it less valid.

Pippy1976

where did you get yours done? here or abroad?

Star Lord

Me? All done here.

Melion

DamoElDiablo wrote: »

They may signify that to the person that got them, it may be the very reason that they got them in the first place.

There is a massive difference between getting something done and then trying to attach meaning to it, and getting something done because you want it to represent something.

I mean taking your peppa pig tattoo for example, or your thundercats one, to anyone else they may sneer at those, but to you the peppa pig one means a hell of a lot, because it represents your daughter, and you had it done for her, and the thundercats one means something too, as it's something you like, or liked in your childhood. One is a deep meaning, one is a shallower meaning, doesn't mean that they are any less valid.

My own tattoos, my dragon is simply because I've always liked dragons. My bio-mech heart is because I'm a nerd. My phoenix was gotten because I wanted something to represent coming through the serious illness that I had in the past, and coming out the other side better than before. That may sound like some LA Ink style story to you, but it doesn't make my reason for getting it less valid.

I totally agree with your first point. I know the user wasnt trying to attach meaning to the tattoos after getting them. Thats not what i was getting at. I just think that if she(or anyone else for that matter) wants to get something representing those elements then get something "proper". Like your phoenix, which everyone knows resembles rising from the ashes etc. It fits in with what you are trying to portray. Do you think a shooting star would have had that same effect? (The past and illness are behind you and you're leaving them behind). Thats the point im trying to make.

My Peppa one certainly does mean something to me, it puts a smile on my face everytime i look at it. And im sure in 15 years time Caoimhe will look at it and say how ridiculous i am, and i personally cant wait for that

I have 17 tattoos at the minute. I have Mario characters on my arm, they have no meaning, a Joe Capobianco pin-up on my calf, no meaning. I have a portrait of Jason Mewes on my thigh and im adding Kevin Smith this weekend hopefully, whats the meaning behind that? There is absolutely none, the person teaching me to tattoo wants to improve his portrait work so i let him use me as a canvas for his first attempt.

Melion

Princess Peach wrote: »

Sorry to get pedantic here, but you have just said you got tattoos for family members, so you do have tattoos with meaning and not just for art.

I think I said it above that some tattoos can be for art's sake, some for symbolic reason. Whats the harm in either?

And getting a tattoo is for yourself not for someone else. You don't like stars, and don't think anything of them when you see them on a person. But they are important if that person looks at themselves every day and remembers something from it. Just like you will always think of your family when you look at yours.

My main point here- Just cause your tattoos (addressing this to a few posters) don't have meaning, why judge people's whose tattoos do? And you also shouldn't be judging other's tattoo design choices.

There is no harm in either, absolutely none! But see my post to Damo for my feelings on these "meaningful" tattoos.

Pippy1976

Yes, you... cool, thank you. [i was just being nosey]

DamoElDiablo wrote: »

Me? All done here.

Star Lord

Melion wrote: »

I totally agree with your first point. I know the user wasnt trying to attach meaning to the tattoos after getting them. Thats not what i was getting at. I just think that if she(or anyone else for that matter) wants to get something representing those elements then get something "proper". Like your phoenix, which everyone knows resembles rising from the ashes etc. It fits in with what you are trying to portray. Do you think a shooting star would have had that same effect? (The past and illness are behind you and you're leaving them behind). Thats the point im trying to make.

It wouldn't mean anything to me, but who are we to say that they couldn't mean exactly that to someone else? Leaving the past behind you is an abstract idea, so something that will represent that will be different from person to person.

Melion wrote: »

My Peppa one certainly does mean something to me, it puts a smile on my face everytime i look at it. And im sure in 15 years time Caoimhe will look at it and say how ridiculous i am, and i personally cant wait for that

If she's ever slagging you about it, then I'm sure it'll be with a smile.

Melion wrote: »

I have 17 tattoos at the minute. I have Mario characters on my arm, they have no meaning, a Joe Capobianco pin-up on my calf, no meaning. I have a portrait of Jason Mewes on my thigh and im adding Kevin Smith this weekend hopefully, whats the meaning behind that? There is absolutely none, the person teaching me to tattoo wants to improve his portrait work so i let him use me as a canvas for his first attempt.

They may not have some kind of metaphorical meaning, but I'd say those you mentioned, the Mario characters, Jason Mewes and Kevin Smith still mean something, as their characters represent memories for you, be that you enjoyed playing the Mario games or laughing at Jay and Silent Bob, but they still mean something. The only way I'd say they have no meaning would be if you'd no idea who they were.

Please Kill Me

mrs crilly wrote: »

See above, would not be my cup of tea at all but I am sure they are very nice.

In fairness, no, not at all. They're gorey/gruesome/scary. Nothing "nice" about them at all, but then again, that's the point. I'm into horror & sci-fi, I love the blood, the gore, the scare factor and I'm trying to get that across in the tattoos. (One big one is still a W.I.P.)

On the other hand, my wife has a tattoo with wispy lines and stars and at the top, a lotus flower with two butterflies. THIS has meaning for her in that the lotus flower signifies me, and the two butterflies are our two kids. And the stars represent the changes in her life. That's her thing. Mine is mine. I'm not knocking anyone whose tattoos do or don't have meanings.

As said, some people just get tattoos for the sake of it.

ZombieBride

I've had both people with tattoos and people without them as me why I've got the ones I've got. I usually say "why not" and shrug, but for the most part there was once a reasoning behind all my tattoos even if it was as dull as "I wanted to p!ss someone off" as in the case off my first, but I don't really care why someone else has whatever they have on their skin, only if it looks cool.

Pippy1976

I'm going to shrug and say 'why not?' next time I'm asked the question. Even if they do mean something to me I couldn't be arsed going into it with randomers.

I like your style.

pips

Princess Peach

ZombieBride wrote: »

I've had both people with tattoos and people without them as me why I've got the ones I've got. I usually say "why not" and shrug, but for the most part there was once a reasoning behind all my tattoos even if it was as dull as "I wanted to p!ss someone off" as in the case off my first, but I don't really care why someone else has whatever they have on their skin, only if it looks cool.

:pac: I love it. Sounds like my kinda reason!

I want 3 new piercings but I live far away from the good studio and I'm very busy and every time I'm downtown I've either recently been drinking or heading to drink >_<

Speaking of reasons/meanings for tattoos, wouldn't you just love to know how they got this idea???

Hellrazer

Melion wrote: »

Whatever happened to art for arts sake?

Been saying that same thing for years....why does every single tattoo *have* to have a deep and meaningful reason to having it done??

These TV shows have ruined it by having a meaning to every tattoo--Id love to go to Ami/Nunez etc and say "I want a Koi in memory of my favourite goldfish that died when I was two"
They`d probably still screen it.

None of mine have a meaning other than my wifes name in (wait for it) Chinese Mandarin---I worked with a lad who was Chinese and he translated it for me and I tattooed it.

Its like every single tattoo has to have some story or its not good TV to say "I just want it for arts sake" /show over.

To anyone looking to get inked--just go for it--dont use a meaning as an excuse to get inked--if you like the design and the artists work just get it done.


I mean I want a full sleeve of slasher movie villans as my next big project--what possible meaning could I have behind that other than being slightly deranged??

Arawn

Hellrazer wrote: »

Been saying that same thing for years....why does every single tattoo *have* to have a deep and meaningful reason to having it done??

These TV shows have ruined it by having a meaning to every tattoo--Id love to go to Ami/Nunez etc and say "I want a Koi in memory of my favourite goldfish that died when I was two"
They`d probably still screen it.

None of mine have a meaning other than my wifes name in (wait for it) Chinese Mandarin---I worked with a lad who was Chinese and he translated it for me and I tattooed it.

Its like every single tattoo has to have some story or its not good TV to say "I just want it for arts sake" /show over.

To anyone looking to get inked--just go for it--dont use a meaning as an excuse to get inked--if you like the design and the artists work just get it done.


I mean I want a full sleeve of slasher movie villans as my next big project--what possible meaning could I have behind that other than being slightly deranged??

Well freddie is in memory of my uncle jim.....jason is for my aunt mary.......

Star Lord

Hellrazer wrote: »

Been saying that same thing for years....why does every single tattoo *have* to have a deep and meaningful reason to having it done??

My point is that they don't have to, but there is no harm when they do.

One of my planned tattoos is going to represent my mum, but in an obscure way that will really only mean something to me and her.

I personally think that anyone that looks down on someone else because their tattoo means something to them is something of a tattoo 'hipster', viewing others as inferior because their tattoo isn't art for the sake of art.

I'm not gonna lie here, I would be a little bit of a tattoo snob myself, in that I would think a little less of people that simply picked some flash art off the wall. If and tried to shoe-horn some meaning into the tattoo after, then that's a bit ridiculous.

If however they planned what they were going to get and the plan held some meaning to them, whether that is some simple stars/kanji or if it's a big massively elaborate piece and the plan held some meaning to them, then fair play.

ZombieBride

DamoElDiablo wrote: »

One of my planned tattoos is going to represent my mum, but in an obscure way that will really only mean something to me and her.

Two of mine are like that, only have meaning for me and the person they represent, most people wouldn't associate a jelyfish with a person, but I do.


I always laugh at the elaborate stories of empowerment/death on the tattoo shows, none of mine would make the cut, my stories are too boring but they still make cool tattoos.

Cupcake_Crisis

ZombieBride wrote: »

Two of mine are like that, only have meaning for me and the person they represent, most people wouldn't associate a jelyfish with a person, but I do.

Pretty much all of mine are like that, I know what they mean, and some of them are extremely personal, so personal in fact that when people ask about them I tend to just say 'Ah, they're just tattoo's' and save myself a few minutes.