So as of two days ago I got my first tattoo. I found an artist I really liked and decided to pick a design based on his portfolio. I sent in a request to his assistant, and almost immediately after getting a response back I realized I didn’t include all the details that I wanted, so I asked if I could send more of what I wanted and they said yeah. But when I got there for my appointment and saw the design I could tell that the artist probably never saw my second draft. So I tried to compromise, asked for a few minor detail changes here and there and went for it. I think seeing the stencil on gave me a high of “wow this looks badass” so I wasn’t thinking clearly about what was missing. Don’t get me wrong, the tattoo still looks amazing, but I keep getting a pit in my stomach when I think about the things I wanted that aren’t there.
The tattoo I got is a dead cowplant from the Sims. Some details are different in ways that I don’t mind, but other details are so far from what I wanted that I can’t stop thinking about it. I know that tattoo regret is a common feeling, but my regret stems more from the fact that I didn’t feel comfortable enough to push for the changes I know would have made me happier in the long run. There are several things wrong with it, but right now my biggest regret is that the design feels a little too big for me, going from my shoulder to a few inches below my elbow. (I would have preferred for the design to fit in between them but I didn’t think about it at the time)
I am not blaming the artist for any of this. While I think his interpretation of the references were a bit off, it was my job to be clear about what I wanted, and to tell him outright what it was I wanted on my body. I also didn’t think about how his style would look with my personal preferences, and now I’m going nuts with the thoughts of “should’ve/could’ve/would’ve.” I’m probably gonna go back and forth with how I feel about this design for a long time. Once the healing is done I think the best I’m gonna get is “this looks cool, sucks that it looks a bit off but it is what it is.”
All this to say that I should have thought more about the design in the planning phase, and then when I saw the design in person I shouldn’t have been so worried about changing details at the last minute. To anyone looking to get a tattoo for the first time, do not be afraid to ask for revisions. Even if you don’t think of the changes until the stencil is put on, as long as you haven’t started then you have time to say something.
TL;DR: Didn’t think things through and agree to a tattoo design that I wasn’t fully happy with, now I’m stuck with it.
Comments
It took me so long to feel comfortable with telling tattoo artists that I didn’t like the design. Probably 3 or 4 tattoos in before I felt comfortable saying something. But at the end of the day, this is going to be on your body for forever, absolutely speak up.
That being said, tattoo regret is 100% a thing and you have to give it a few weeks before you’ll start liking/loving it. Just because it’s not what your body looked like before and your brain takes a while to get used to it. Give it time 🙂
All this text and no pictures.
Slap a sick ass panther over it
No regerts, now.
You should have rescheduled, then gotten what you wanted at a later date.
I haven’t talked to a single person with multiple tattoos who doesn’t have some version of this story:
>“Yeah…i’m not the happiest with this one, I probably should have said something sooner. I might have someone fix it someday, but it’s not too bad”
That being said, sometimes you come to love the imperfections more than you ever would have appreciated the original vision. It’s a part of your story now; I find it’s best to embrace “bad” tattoos. Nobody else is looking closely enough to notice, especially as more of your body fills up. Just be diligent and speak up for yourself going forward, you can learn from the experience.
I rushed into getting my first, and wish i would have refined the design and placement a bit more, but I can work with it. A great artist can also help you incorporate or tweak the design to further mesh with your overall look (:
“Should’ve/could’ve/would’ve”
I love you.
Food for thought: the fact the tattoo doesn’t fit perfectly between your shoulder and elbow is not at all a bad thing long term! Right now you’re thinking of aesthetics, but honestly, most ink looks a little off when it fits perfectly in one area. Forced maybe? When they just flow with the actual design I think they’re much cooler! That’s just a personal thing I’ve noticed but here’s one that’s true for every human- that part of your body is going to change shape and size throughout your life! More importantly, it’ll eventually start to sag. With this design, it’s going to be freakin’ awesome no matter how much you age!