Tattoos

Ankle Tattoos

Ankle Tattoos
by Ines Chulina

Tattoos were once thought to only be for big and burly men. They’d have an image tattooed onto their forearm and often it would symbolize a major event or a special person within their lives.

Tattoos have changed a great deal since then but the general idea of placing a mark on your body in a permanent way is still very appealing to many people today.

A discreet place for a tattoo is on the ankle. Ankle tattoos are one of the most popular types of tattoos. Most ankle tattoos are small and the design can reflect a part of the personality of the person who has it.

Some common designs in ankle tattoos are a tribal symbol, a floral arrangement or an initial. An ankle tattoo can be small enough that it isn’t noticeable unless the person is very close. Many professional women choose this type of tattoo because it isn’t overbearing and at the same time it allows them to carry something personal on their bodies always.

Once you have decided on a design and coloring for your ankle tattoos you’ll want to visit a reputable establishment that does tattoos. Looking through the yellow pages is one route but if you know anyone who has a tattoo you should ask them about their experience. Quite often they’ll be happy to share with you and they may recommend a place for you to visit.

After deciding on a tattoo parlor you’ll want to discuss with the artist your concept. If you come there without a design in mind they will be able to show you a range of images that you can choose from. Most people prefer a smaller design for ankle tattoos and if the artist feels that yours is too large, they will work with you to bring it down to a scale that is more appropriate.

At this time they will also explain the procedure involved with receiving ankle tattoos. It does involve the use of needles and therefore most people find eating a light meal about an hour before their appointment preferable. This helps to keep the blood sugar levels up and if you are even a bit uncomfortable around needles this can be very important.

It’s very important to care for your ankle tattoos. Tattoos can become infected without proper care and this can occur on any part of your body.

When you first receive your ankle tattoos you’ll be given a list of instructions to follow. This includes the proper way to clean and care for the tattoo.

Avoiding sunlight is important within the first few days after your tattoo. This means you’ll want to keep your ankle covered if you spend a significant amount of time outside. This also helps to keep the colors of the tattoo vibrant for years to come.

Salt water or chlorinated water is also not advisable for an ankle tattoo. Therefore you’re wise to stay out of any pools or hot tub in the days immediately following your tattooing. The chemicals can alter the look of ankle tattoos and lead to bleeding of the colors. This means that the color will be altered and for anyone who has recently received a tattoo that can be disappointing.

Ankle tattoos are a fun way to try a tattoo. They are also a great way to express your individuality and unique sense of style.

About the Author
Tattoo Resources and Information around it

Looking for sources for free tattoo ideas and designs?

Sources for Free Tattoo Ideas and Tattoo Design Ideas
by Sam Smith

Have you been wanting to get a tattoo but don’t have an exact idea or not sure what you want? Tattoos are so popular and there are so many ideas but many of us feel stuck at times on the exact tattoo we want to get. For me I often feel stuck when I think of how permanent a tattoo is. I see a lot of cool designs that I like at the time but when I start thinking about the having it permanently done I start to change my mind and look for something else. Others have the idea or rough plan of what they want but they can’t find any good source material or flash that matches what they want. Some of our customers state that they have spent months looking for a certain tattoo design. They look through all of the flash sites and etc. but still can not find what they are looking for. This is a huge problem, you end up wasting a lot of time and feeling frustrated. However there are some simple ways around this problem. 1. First you should always pull ideas for tattoos from things that you like or are into. Don’t go and get a tattoo just because you saw someone with one and you thought he or she was cool. A tattoo will be with you forever and so it should be something from you not from outside. Along these lines don’t do the stupid thing of going out to get a tattoo with a friend and be pressured into getting the same thing he or she gets just because you don’t want to look stupid. Tattoos are permanent and therefore should state something about you and what you love. Therefore if you spend time just thinking about the things you like and things that you identify yourself with you are likely to come up with some great ideas. For example for me I love being outdoor and nature and so I like star tattoos a lot and nature themes. I also like a lot of the native American and traditional Japanese designs. My wife is from Japan and she has this plan of getting a Cherry tree branch full of cherry blossoms across her back. These are very significant images for the Japanese. They symbolizes the new year and new life or even r enewal of life. So as you can see your tattoo should be something you identify with. 2. Once you have some rough ideas it is typically time to go online and look for some images. Now lets take the Cherry blossom for example. Some place you could look for a tattoo would be clip art. You can search using Google’s image search feature or go to Microsoft online clipart gallery. Either place you can find either a clip art drawn piece or actual source photos. Both will lead you to some good source materials that will help in the design stage. 3. Next you want to take you source materials (photos or clip art) and show them to a tattoo artists. You might also try some initial sketches if you are artistically inclined. Even something with simple line art or pigeon scratches can tell you tattoo artists a lot about what you are looking for. So take everything you got and show it to your tattoo artist and then let them design the tattoo for you. Remember the more accurate and detailed you can be with your description the more happy you are going to be with the results and the whole process will be much easier. 4. Most tattoo artists will then provide you with an actual design shaded in and with color and the line art of the design. If you are getting this done online then you can take that to your local tattoo parlor and find some one to do the actual tattoo for you. Often you can also ask for referrals from the original tattoo artists. Typically they can do the work themselves if you live within driving range. If you take these steps into consideration and actually do a little bit of homework and find your source materials and provide lots of details about what you are looking for then you are sure to get the design of your dreams.

About the Author
Unique custom design done by professional tattoo artists or view other tattoo articles for great ideas on custom tattoo designs

Choosing new Tattoo

Choosing Your New Tattoo
by Liz Brodie

Considering that for most people a tattoo is something that will stay with them for life, many put surprisingly little thought into it. Modern inks and techniques mean that tattoo art is limited only by your imagination within a few small boundaries.

After being certain that you actually want a tattoo and will still do so in 10, 20, 30+ years time when it’s a little faded and your lifestyle has in all probability changed, the first thing to do is to choose a venue and artist. With the increased popularity of body art, from piercings and body jewellery to tattoos, almost every town now has at least one practising artist or studio. However, using a studio just because it’s local can be a very bad move.

The first thing to look for when checking out a potential artist or studio is examples of previous work. Far too many studios are covered with ‘flash art’ (coloured line drawings of available designs on sheets of paper) yet have no examples of actual work they have done. As a general rule keep very clear of these. Any artist worth visiting should be proud of the work done and at the very least will have a photo album containing pictures of previous tattoos. If the studio in question hasn’t then it’s generally advisable to move on to another that has, unless you have seen examples of their work on others and are 100% sure of its quality. Once you are happy that the artist in question is capable the next step is to choose a design.

Again, most studios are covered in ‘Flash Art’. If you see something on the wall or in a book that you simply must have then this is fine. However, any competent artist will be more than able and willing to use any design for your tattoo, be it their own or one that you bring in to them. If a studio or artist is unable to do this you again need to question their ability and if you really want this person to mark your skin for life. A good tattoo should not just look good but also mean something to the wearer. Often the only way to achieve this is to supply the image you want, not to pick something out of the studios books because that’s all there is. Spend some time discussing your requirements before hand and if necessary come back another day to get the actual work done – the worse thing you can do is to rush such an important decision.

When you are choosing your design a couple of points are worth bearing in mind. In theory, with a good artist, your tattoo is only limited by your imagination or that of the artist. However, certain colours and styles lend themselves far more to a good tattoo than others. Due to its very nature a tattoo will fade and ’spread’ a little with age, which is especially true of bright colours such as yellow and especially white, although modern inks tend to be far superior to many of those used in the past. Even so age, and especially exposure to sunlight, will cause colours to fade and in some cases vanish, especially bright colours. The other consideration is outline. A good tattoo will benefit hugely from a strong outline for a couple of reasons – not only will a strong outline cause the tattoo to stand out from the skin and be crisp and clear, it will also resist the ravages of time far better. A tattoo with a strong outline will usually look much better 20 years down the road than a thin outline with a single needle or none at all. It’s an important consideration when deciding on a design that many overlook. Try to pick a design that will lend itself well to a stronger outline in the images.

Another point to consider when selecting an artist is which styles they specialise in. For example, if you fancy a large, body covering, traditional Japanese design ensure that the artist in question has performed these before and has an interest in the subject. Likewise if you want a portrait of a celeb or family member, ensure that the artist enjoys doing portraits and has skill in that area. These days many tattoo artists will specialise in certain styles and it is well worth travelling to get to an artist that is among the best in the field you want. A few hours spent reading the various tattoo periodicals available can quickly help to identify such people.

Finally remember that you really do get what you pay for. Considering that a tattoo will stay with you for the rest of your life, do not skimp on the price to the detriment of quality. A decent artist may well charge more but the difference in quality can be huge. Rather than rushing off to get a mediocre tattoo, save a little more and pay for something that is good quality that you will be happy with.

About the Author
Elizabeth Brodie is the owner of Hot-Jewellery a UK site specialising in quality body jewellery for most common piercings.