Design My Tattoo

Big Nasty

Anyone here any good in laying out a tattoo using provided images? I don't have photoshop or would have a go myself.

Many thanks!

Esoteric_

Not being smart or anything, but would you not get an idea of what you want, pick the artist you want and get them to do it, since they're going to be tattooing it and all?

jenizzle

Yo!

Herself above is right - any artist would thrive on the opportunity to design something for you. If you find an artist that would suit the style you're after, go in and have a chat with them with the images you've picked out, and they could have a go at putting it all together for you, perhaps adding their own input to improve on what you've given them.

Failing that, you can get GIMP and have a go at using that yerself

Big Nasty

Thanks lads,

I don't think I explained myself properly. I want to get a rough idea of what it would look like before I go to an artist. I don't think it's fair to ask a professional to do the artwork then turn around and say, no thanks you're alright bud!

Maybe I should just ask someone I know who's handy with photoshop to bang together a rough draft but I thought I would ask fellow ink fans here first!

Corkbah

if you have an old laptop photoshop CS2 is available from adobe for free ... links are in bargain alerts and photo section of boards.

NOTE: Wont work with new laptops/computers

Marty McFly

MCMLXXV wrote: »

Thanks lads,

I don't think I explained myself properly. I want to get a rough idea of what it would look like before I go to an artist. I don't think it's fair to ask a professional to do the artwork then turn around and say, no thanks you're alright bud!

Maybe I should just ask someone I know who's handy with photoshop to bang together a rough draft but I thought I would ask fellow ink fans here first!

Well yeh see no shop will just draw yeh up something without a deposit firstly becasuse of that exact reason. Im sure at this stage you have an idea what you roughly want in your head. So your best bet is to research artists and find one who you think will do your idea justice then go for a consoltation and work with them on what you want, they will be able to help you more than most in terms of what will work or wont work as a tattoo.

If you can give people an idea of what you want done they might be able to suggest suitable artists or at least point yeh in the right direction of talented artists.


Motors related maybe?

Dermighty

MCMLXXV wrote: »

Anyone here any good in laying out a tattoo using provided images? I don't have photoshop or would have a go myself.

Many thanks!

You're basically asking someone to do for free what you would be paying a tattoo artist to do.

Use Google or Facebook, find a studio and an artist that has the type of style you are looking for (ie: colour, black and white, photorealistic) and pay them a deposit to draw you a concept of your tattoo.

Providing a tattoo artist with a portfolio of photos is another way to do it and it's how I designed my tattoo. The tattoo is a composite of a bunch of images I provided.

Put some work into the research, that makes it more personal. You don't have to be able to draw at all to come up with an idea.

Esoteric_

Dermighty wrote: »

You're basically asking someone to do for free what you would be paying a tattoo artist to do.

Use Google or Facebook, find a studio and an artist that has the type of style you are looking for (ie: colour, black and white, photorealistic) and pay them a deposit to draw you a concept of your tattoo.

Providing a tattoo artist with a portfolio of photos is another way to do it and it's how I designed my tattoo. The tattoo is a composite of a bunch of images I provided.

Put some work into the research, that makes it more personal. You don't have to be able to draw at all to come up with an idea.

Just to point out, even getting somebody who isn't a tattoo artist to do it would generally cost money as it's graphic design and takes some time and effort.

Try Gimp or Pixlr or even ask a mate who's good at drawing to draw something up for you.

Big Nasty

Dermighty wrote: »

Providing a tattoo artist with a portfolio of photos is another way to do it and it's how I designed my tattoo. The tattoo is a composite of a bunch of images I provided.

That's exactly what I meant - I have the images ready and I'm just looking to throw them together to see how they look before I go to an artist. There wouldn't be any 'graphic design' involved or anything. I would do it myself but I don't have photoshop and it would prolly take me about ten hours to do what someone else could do in ten minutes.

If anyone can help, cool, if not no worries.

Marty McFly

MCMLXXV wrote: »

That's exactly what I meant - I have the images ready and I'm just looking to throw them together to see how they look before I go to an artist. There wouldn't be any 'graphic design' involved or anything. I would do it myself but I don't have photoshop and it would prolly take me about ten hours to do what someone else could do in ten minutes.

If anyone can help, cool, if not no worries.

Seriously your best bet is to just go to an artist that you like with the photos that you have and explain your idea, just throwing them together in a way that you want wont necessarily work in the tattoo they will be able to work with you on this and help the idea evolve to find something your happy with.

Dermighty

MCMLXXV wrote: »

That's exactly what I meant - I have the images ready and I'm just looking to throw them together to see how they look before I go to an artist.

That's what the artist is for.

Artists like to have some basis for a tattoo, so don't show up and say "I want a sleeve, get started please!" but having a bunch of pictures is as far as you can go without drawing up something yourself. So just go find an artist and give them the images and tell them what you want and don't want (ie: I don't want flowers but I do want other stuff if you get my drift.

Big Nasty

Ah lads,

I know I'll have to go to an artist eventually I just wanted to get a rough idea of what I had in my mind would look like and thought someone here could help!

Anyhow here's an EXTREMELY rough idea:

im invisible

well... i do like the tyre tracks idea...

Big Nasty

im invisible wrote: »

well... i do like the tyre tracks idea...

It's going to be a band on my arm, about three inches thick. The tyre tracks are supposed to be joined and not quite as thick with the emblems in between. Obviously the emblems need to be centred and spaced correctly but you get the idea.

In case anyone is wondering I'm a Muscle Car enthusiast and that's what the emblems are.

Marty McFly

MCMLXXV wrote: »

It's going to be a band on my arm, about three inches thick. The tyre tracks are supposed to be joined and not quite as thick with the emblems in between. Obviously the emblems need to be centred and spaced correctly but you get the idea.

In case anyone is wondering I'm a Muscle Car enthusiast and that's what the emblems are.

Well I knew it was going to be motor related :pac:

That could work as a tattoo, I assume you would want the emblems done in colour?

Big Nasty

Marty McFly wrote: »

Well I knew it was going to be motor related :pac:

That could work as a tattoo, I assume you would want the emblems done in colour?

I was going to but when I did the above it looked cat in colour. All the rest of my tattoos are shaded anyhow.

Marty McFly

MCMLXXV wrote: »

I was going to but when I did the above it looked cat in colour. All the rest of my tattoos are shaded anyhow.

I dont know I think it could look good in full colour imo, instead of having the tyre marks in black though maybe have them as colour bands say blue, red or a mix of colours then them emblems in colour aswell and it could look well, make it pop as they say. I have blck and grey and coloured tattoos no harm in mixing and matching certain styles suit certain tattoos.

There are artists out there who do amazing work with colours that could really make that stand out.

Hellrazer

Op---Those emblems are going to have to be big in order for the outlines to look ok.

Honest opinion.I dont think its going to work as a tattoo.

The tyres tracks are going to look crap in a few months time-theyre too closely spaced together.

If it was me Id leave them out altogether and get an armband made up of just the emblems.

Just my opinion though.

Big Nasty

Hellrazer wrote: »

Op---Those emblems are going to have to be big in order for the outlines to look ok.

Honest opinion.I dont think its going to work as a tattoo.

The tyres tracks are going to look crap in a few months time-theyre too closely spaced together.

If it was me Id leave them out altogether and get an armband made up of just the emblems.

Just my opinion though.

The tyre tracks shown are just something I found online and don't have to be the finished article at all. The main focus of the job will be the emblems but I want a border on the band and thought tyre tracks would be perfect, just not as thick as I have shown.

Thanks for the PM too.

bubblebery

Sorry to sound harsh, but there is no way that is going to work as a 3 inch band around your arm. Never ! Stop wasting your time and choose an artist that you respect, and can afford. Then call into their studio for a proper consultation. Having lived in the USA for years I have knowledge of their muscle car scene, if you want a tribute to that then find an artist and ask them to come up with THEIR idea...there is a reason they are the artist and your not, so let them do their job and you do yours, which is supplying the inspiration and the skin.

bubblebery

I know the images on this tattoo are different, but I think something like this, with or without color, incorporating the stuff that is important to you would look really cool as a half sleeve...

http://www.lurvely.com/photo/2690926752/v8_Sleeve_Tattoo/

bodice ripper

You shouldn't really be working out the layout, however rough it may be. Tattoo artists do this for a living, and will do a better job, end of. Unless you are a professional illustrator.

bodice ripper

Also, even a stellar tattoo artist can only be as good as the source material. At this size, evenif it doesn't blur with time, you will be forever showing it to people up really close and eplaining it. Defeats the purpose really.

If you like muscle cars, why would you opt for tyre tracks? Some muscle cars are masterpieces of stylish design.

I'd go for the actual car. It will be a much better tattoo. I know these things. That's why i am Erin "always right" Kirk.

Big Nasty

bubblebery wrote: »

I know the images on this tattoo are different, but I think something like this, with or without color, incorporating the stuff that is important to you would look really cool as a half sleeve...

http://www.lurvely.com/photo/2690926752/v8_Sleeve_Tattoo/

Saw that before and love it but it's a bit too much for me plus I don't want to copy someone else tattoo.

Looking at this again after all the advice above I agree that this ain't gonna work. The tyre tracks will end up merging together and there is too much detail in the emblems for the size I'm talking about. Looking more closely at the space available between another tattoo and the crook of my elbow there's probably not much more than two inches of space available. I'm not looking for a car tatt as I want a band so the suggestion of a two inch tyre track might be a better option.

Keep the ideas coming though folks!

Star Lord

What about a tyre tread with a fade into/back out of a checkered flag?

Big Nasty

DamoElDiablo wrote: »

What about a tyre tread with a fade into/back out of a checkered flag?

Checkered flag was suggested to me recently too. Wanna stay away from that as I plan on getting a flame / checkered flag tattoo from my wrist up next.

Marty McFly

Thats not a lot of space to work with really, how about maybe an engine block centred on the arm then on either side of the block have say maybe for example a Ford Flag on one side and Dodge on the other. , it wouldnt work as a complete band but could probably squeeze it into that space.

bubblebery

MCMLXXV wrote: »

Saw that before and love it but it's a bit too much for me plus I don't want to copy someone else tattoo.

I would never suggest coping someones tattoo, it was meant for inspiration and nothing more.

Big Nasty

So after a bit of thought and digesting the advice on here I'm gonna go with a tyre track band. BF Goodrich tyres are synonymous with the Muscle Car scene and I found a thread from one of their performance tyres that should look really cool. Also has a little flame going through it which I think will add to the look. Opinions?



Oh yeah, after putting a ruler to the area it will be two inches max so the original idea was never gonna work! :eek: