My favorites are the simple black and white birds and reeds.. I am partial to any kind of silhouette or stencil style. They all look real to me, they just also all look very recently done. I've seen some incredible work IRL, but of course it fades. I saw a woman one day who had arctic animals all over her arms and chest, full sleeves. They were stunning though I did wonder why someone 20 or under which she looked in Australia would have devoted their body to arctic animals.. I complimented her but didn't ask why because that always seems nosy with a stranger. Looking at these I WANT ONE or something..
Just a word of caution: If you get an anchor tattoo, be prepared for random strangers to come up to you asking if you are/have been in the Navy, and then getting all irate when they find out that you have not and treating you like you haven't earned the right to have a nautical-themed tattoo. (TSQ, I don't recall you ever mentioning military service, so I'm assuming you haven't. If I'm wrong, feel free to correct me as harshly as you feel necessary.) This happens to me occasionally over my Kommander tattoo. The only reason it doesn't happen frequently is because most Naval Officers aren't arrogant enough to get their rank insignia tattooed on and most veterans apparently have the inductive reasoning abilities to determine that I've never served. When I am called on it, pointing out that my family has a long history with the Navy apparently isn't enough to justify my use of such imagery. Most of the veterans I know and meet are decent people, but the few that aren't seem to try their damnedest not to be.
Yeah...that seems utterly ridiculous to me. Nautical tattoos are hugely popular...practically mainstream.
Damn ... that settles it ... if I can get a tattoo that's close to those (I'm thinking specifically of 11, 29, & 49), such as either this: or this: Then I'm so doing it.
Those were my favorites as well. I think the top picture would work best, both in subject and composition.
A fun article on the myth of the recent mainstreaming of tattooing from the BBC this morning: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-25330947
Fascinating, and not surprised to be honest. People like to form a us and them thing to huge degrees. Tattoos is only one example. Also, you are now revealed as a time traveler with the top of your head visible in the 1933 clip there! Say hello to The Doctor from me.
Tattooing has been around almost as long as humans have. They serve various purposes, and go in and out of fashion. While I wouldn't say tattoos are mainstream in current western culture, they probably are seen as more acceptable now than in recent decades. As globalization increases, people in general become at least tolerant of people who are different. While the perception that tattoos are for criminals, bikers, and sailors is still present, most people probably realize that they aren't exclusive to those three groups and a wide variety of different kinds of people have tattoos.
They are mainstream in Australia where according to one article I read 1 in 7 people have one. They certainly aren't considered alternative in any way here now.
Actually, I don't know why i haven't thought about this before, but interestingly in Japan tattoos are quite taboo and associated with organized crime still. It has been changing, but it's still taboo to the degree that upon hearing of my plans to get a tattoo my sister who lives Japan recommended not getting one until I'd visited Japan and been to an onsen spring bath, simply because the vast majority do not allow people in who have tattoos.
I always had a feeling that you were in the Swedish Yakuza. That Stockholm, man, I hear it's a crazy place.
Yeah I might actually not get one if it would have a different association in a country I might live in one day. I think I need to do some research now..
Some really great ones here! I have a single memorial tattoo on the inside of my left wrist (the arm closest to my heart). I am considering another inside my right wrist, but it will be cheerier. I find that I have gone from thinking them "not for me" to thinking that I need more. Lots more! (Maybe a knitting one; a la MaCloudt!)