Professional minor quibble point : it's spelled tattoo.
Now, onto the question: Placement depends on a lot of factors, but the two biggest are visibility and flow. Do you want it to be hidden in "professional attire"? do you want to always be able to see it without a mirror if you look for it, or is it enough to know you have it? You used to be against tattoos, now you're considering getting one; it might be helpful to give thought to whether you might further change your mind in the future, and get more, in which case placement matters for where the future tattoos might go.
Do you care about the lines of the tattoo flowing with the lines of your body? It's symmetrical, so maybe centered on the midline (back of neck, between shoulder blades, lower back - though I don't think it would look as good lower). If you don't care about that as much, or want it to be more visible to you, I could see it going on a shoulder blade, centered on the outer upper arm, on the side of the lower leg above the ankle, or even on the side of your hip/butt. I'd agree I don't think it works well with an abdomen placement.
While future technologies might change this, right now tattoo removal hurts waaay more and costs about 10 times as much as tattoo application. So spending a bit of time thinking about it to make sure you want it - and assume it's a permanent alteration - is a good idea.
Speaking of price, that totally varies by region. That piece done in my shop, at a reasonable size to fit whatever body part you pick, could be anywhere from 60$-100$. However, you're in California, which from all I've heard averages twice as much as around here. Bigger cities in Texas are about 1.5 times as much as our prices on average.
Another note - good theatrical makeup can cover up most tattoos fairly well, so if you're worried about hiding it for work keep that in mind if you want t oopen up more polacement options. Or just don't get jobs that care about it *grin*
Finally, the pain of the tattoo should be the last thing you worry about, honestly. For most people it's uncomfortable but not excruciating, and the more you freak out and get nervous and work yourself up before the tattoo, the more it hurts. Relax, take deep breaths, make it an empowering body-claiming experience for you, and it'll be over quickly.
That piece looks like it would take a good artist about 20-45 minutes to do depending on size. Shop around ahead of time before you get the tattoo. Ask to see the portfolio of the artist who will be doing your tattoo. Look through it and make sure they're clean, crisp lines and bright colors; it's best to take someone with you who really knows their tattoos to help you with this part, but you can totally do it on your own too. Make sure there's a nice variety of pictures showcasing their work, and that at least some of the pictures are of HEALED tattoos looking good - any asshole can make it look good walking out the door.
Take a look at the shop and the workspace; the tattoo area should be separated from the main area by a wall, and preferrably in its own room. All surfaces should be non-porous and easy to clean. Ask how they sterilize their equipment (you're looking for an autoclave that uses either chemical or steam/heat and pressure); all needles should be single use. They should open all packages in front of you, and dispose of the needles afterward in front of you. Ask whether they spore test their autoclave - this is a nice one as it's kinda an "advanced" question; shops who really care spore test monthly to make sure their autoclave is working correctly. The only reason it's okay if they don't have an autoclave is if they buy all their supplies pre-packaged and single-use. Latex gloves should be worn during the setup and procedure, and if they stop for any reason make sure the deglove and reglove. They should also have non-latyex gloves on hand for allergic customers.
Finally, customer service is just as important in this business as any other. You do not have to put up with assholes to get quality work; especially in a big city like San Fran, you should be able with a little looking to find someone who is friendly, helpful, seems excited about doing YOUR tattoo, and has a quality portfolio.
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timeasmymeasure
no subject
Date: 2007-06-26 10:54 pm (UTC)Now, onto the question: Placement depends on a lot of factors, but the two biggest are visibility and flow. Do you want it to be hidden in "professional attire"? do you want to always be able to see it without a mirror if you look for it, or is it enough to know you have it? You used to be against tattoos, now you're considering getting one; it might be helpful to give thought to whether you might further change your mind in the future, and get more, in which case placement matters for where the future tattoos might go.
Do you care about the lines of the tattoo flowing with the lines of your body? It's symmetrical, so maybe centered on the midline (back of neck, between shoulder blades, lower back - though I don't think it would look as good lower). If you don't care about that as much, or want it to be more visible to you, I could see it going on a shoulder blade, centered on the outer upper arm, on the side of the lower leg above the ankle, or even on the side of your hip/butt. I'd agree I don't think it works well with an abdomen placement.
While future technologies might change this, right now tattoo removal hurts waaay more and costs about 10 times as much as tattoo application. So spending a bit of time thinking about it to make sure you want it - and assume it's a permanent alteration - is a good idea.
Speaking of price, that totally varies by region. That piece done in my shop, at a reasonable size to fit whatever body part you pick, could be anywhere from 60$-100$. However, you're in California, which from all I've heard averages twice as much as around here. Bigger cities in Texas are about 1.5 times as much as our prices on average.
Another note - good theatrical makeup can cover up most tattoos fairly well, so if you're worried about hiding it for work keep that in mind if you want t oopen up more polacement options. Or just don't get jobs that care about it *grin*
Finally, the pain of the tattoo should be the last thing you worry about, honestly. For most people it's uncomfortable but not excruciating, and the more you freak out and get nervous and work yourself up before the tattoo, the more it hurts. Relax, take deep breaths, make it an empowering body-claiming experience for you, and it'll be over quickly.
That piece looks like it would take a good artist about 20-45 minutes to do depending on size. Shop around ahead of time before you get the tattoo. Ask to see the portfolio of the artist who will be doing your tattoo. Look through it and make sure they're clean, crisp lines and bright colors; it's best to take someone with you who really knows their tattoos to help you with this part, but you can totally do it on your own too. Make sure there's a nice variety of pictures showcasing their work, and that at least some of the pictures are of HEALED tattoos looking good - any asshole can make it look good walking out the door.
Take a look at the shop and the workspace; the tattoo area should be separated from the main area by a wall, and preferrably in its own room. All surfaces should be non-porous and easy to clean. Ask how they sterilize their equipment (you're looking for an autoclave that uses either chemical or steam/heat and pressure); all needles should be single use. They should open all packages in front of you, and dispose of the needles afterward in front of you. Ask whether they spore test their autoclave - this is a nice one as it's kinda an "advanced" question; shops who really care spore test monthly to make sure their autoclave is working correctly. The only reason it's okay if they don't have an autoclave is if they buy all their supplies pre-packaged and single-use. Latex gloves should be worn during the setup and procedure, and if they stop for any reason make sure the deglove and reglove. They should also have non-latyex gloves on hand for allergic customers.
Finally, customer service is just as important in this business as any other. You do not have to put up with assholes to get quality work; especially in a big city like San Fran, you should be able with a little looking to find someone who is friendly, helpful, seems excited about doing YOUR tattoo, and has a quality portfolio.