OK gc.. id really like your help with this. Tldr at botton.. but read tho please? My grandmother was just diagnosed with lung cancer a couple months back, and as you could imagine it rocked the family and really hit me hard. Shes recently lost all of her hair and my grandfather, cousin, step-dad, a good friend of mine, and i have all shaved our heads too for support. Now my grandma has been a huge part of my life.. i come from a pretty rough upbringing and my mother always struggled to support us. 4 kids in a single mother household holds many challenges, little money, and a lot of expectations from the younger ones. Me being the oldest i had to grow up fast..having a steady job since i was 16, i recently landed a job paying pretty good. Working 40+ hours a week and bringing home 350+ a week, i give 150 every week to my mom to help with anything she needs. she used to not accept it but gave up after i pretty muce snuck it into random places where she would fine it haha.. My mom is a GREAT mother.. she is still wearing clothes that ive seen her in my whole life, because every extra money she has goes to her kids and our needs or desires. My grandparents have helped us out more than i can even comprehend right now, and pretty much raised me into the man i am today, and between them and my mother id say they did a pretty damn good job. soo to the tattoo idea tl;dr starts - so my grandma has always loved butterflies and has a lot of butterfly things hanging around the house, wind chimes, sweaters, metal art pieces, etc.. so everytime i see a butterfly i am instantly reminded of her.. so that is the basis of my tattoo idea.. i want a butterfly on my forearm. If you want to sketch me out a butterfly and see how i like it you definitely can, but its not needed. I dont want it to look "gay" (for lack of a better word). Im still searching for a phrase to put underneath it.. or over it, position will get figured out.. so thats what i need help with, the phrase. I want it to be clever and kinda go with the butterfly picture or theme in some way.. like "your love will fly forever" or something like that. If you are familiar with the song or lullaby "You are my sunshine", that is the song she would always sing to me when i was younger so that is a strong memory for me also, so that could be referenced somehow. I would really appreciate anything, any suggestions on anything to add or anything in general that you think is a good idea. I will provide a picture as soon as i get it done.. im hoping to get it ASAP. Thanks GC
I reccommennd not getting just a butterfly it's hard to make that not look gay on a guy. Maybe your moms name with a butterfly sitting ontop of the last letter.
You got any other tat's? I'm not a tattoo artist, but personally I would take the idea to a tattoo artist and tell him/her some of your ideas, because a ton of tattoo's are memorial tattoo's, people who don't even have tattoo's will often get a memorial tattoo, so a tat artist would definitely have some good idea's on how to express it on your skin the way you want. I've drawn up the shittiest sketches as a general outline for what I want and my artist always turns it into something awesome. Like, do you want the butterfly to look super realistic, or drawn in a way that looks more like your grandma's butterfly decorations, these are all things that should be thought up. You'd be amazed at how clueless you can be going into a shop and the artist will turn it into something better than you yourself ever thought up. edit: be prepared to get in a couple fist fights if your easy to anger if you get it on your forearm lol. "hey man, pretty gay tat you got there" "it's for my grandma who died of cancer!! *smash face* Also you don't want it reminding you of missing your grandma all day everyday, perhaps get it in a place that's still easily visible when your at home or want to think of her, left chest-ish area perhaps to have it over your heart. Just an idea.
Maybe somthing she said to you that stuck tattoos should be personal or maybe have it say "a butterfly flaps its wing..." a reference to the theory that everything is connected "A butterfly flaps its wings causing dust from its wing to make a water buffalo sneeze stiring the heard causing a stampede...etc" kinda fitting and it could lead to a series of tattoos that follow in that theory with events in your life Sorry to hear of the loss,TAKE CARE
well shes not dead yet guys haha.. shes still goin through chemo and radiation. I kno its something that would mean a lot to her and my family. About gettin into fights over it, people know me and generally dont fuck with me.. the people who mattered would know what its for. I actually like the idea of having her name (its my grandma by the way, not my mom) with the butterfly at the end.. keep the thoughts comin
one last bump before i go to work.. like i said, id like to get this done asap. I might just go to the artist with an idea and see what he comes up with.. but id like to get some opinions from you guys.. since you arent makin any money off me haha
All im gonna say is don't get something until you really think it out. I got a full sleeve and 1 half sleeve, and I wish I didn't touch my neck, even though you can't see it when you are wearing a buttonup, still annoying when I wanna wear a v neck. Just got kinda sick of it.
I'm seeing dark clouds with the sun blazing through them incorporated into the tat somehow. I too would go with the suggestion to see what some of your local artists can come up with. Find out who the best shops are and hit em up, of course I'm sure there are plenty of talented artists here, might strike it lucky on d forums. Also, I think I have to agree, will be rather difficult to make a butterfly not look gay on a man, but don't necessarily have have the butterfly colored like a real butterfly.. Can do some shading in the clouds with black wash making the wispy shape of a butterfly, or even shading around the outline of a butterfly leaving empty un-inked skin in the form of a butterfly..Good luck on finding your perfect design.
hey, man, you shouldnt worry about wether or not people thing you are gay, you have a good reason to get inked.. althought let me say its a good sign that your grandmother likes butterflys, there a sign representing "reincarnation" (you know like the caterpiller turns into a butterfly, its like life after death) thats usually a very good thought for some one to have.
Yeah when I heard the request for a non gay looking one I immediately knew I couldn't do it. Best wishes to you and your family while going through this OP. I had something similar happen to me this year and any support people gave me was very helpful while going through it
Well, you want a colorful butterfly or in black? I recommend having it in black... with sharp edges will give it that cool look. maybe have her name under or over it or going around it. I got a tattoo for my brother who past away under a teardrop sun and heart all in black and red. Looks hot. I found something here http://tattoo.about.com/cs/tatart/l/bl071103n.htm You can get it tiny
Another cool idea would be a PORTRAIT of her, I'm getting one of my Mom ( Bless her soul) on my left bicep. Be able to see her smiling face with at glance at my arm Alot of Tat artists can make them turn out just like the photo.