I'm currently only 17 but on my 18th birthday later this winter I plan on getting a tattoo. I've been thinking about it for a few months already and if it still sounds like a good idea when my birthday comes around, I'm doing it. The reason I want to wait so long (besides the fact that in my state you have to be 18 to get one) is so its not a spur of the moment idea and so I wont regret my choice. Anyway what would be average price on a tattoo about the size of a hand on my upper arm? Is there no "average price" and it depends on the artist? Also how long would a tattoo that size generally take? And finally, I hate to ask this, but does it really hurt as bad as some say? A lot of questions I know thanks in advance.

And if your curious about what I want to get put on my arm I'm hoping to get a roman soldier with the abbreviation "SPQR" underneath...pretty basic, I havent decided if I want color or not.

Shop around for prices. Depending on where you are changes prices (I live by the beach so I know tattoos cost a bit more). Remember: You get what you pay for. I'm thinking probably like ~$200 (most likely higher). They could probably do it in one sessions, two if you need coloring and whatnot. Pain tolerance is different from person to person, and each place on the body is different. My brother has a couple tattoos (half sleeve, chest piece, underside of forearm, left side and top of the foot). He said everything was fine except the foot.

Get a tattoo that means absolutely nothing to you.

Don't get anything that represents a cause, don't get religious tattoos and don't get a tattoo with a quote, or some words. Why? Because things change, people change, and what is important to you right now may not be so important to you after 10 years.

I suppose SPQR is better than the Napoleonic "Valeur et discipline".

I must ask, how does the Roman senate and the people they claim to represent relate to you in any way? Or is it just the romanticism that takes your fancy?

I honestly never understood why people would go out of their way to pay to have themselves scarred and ink injected into their flesh. Then there is the constant yearly maintenance of the tattoo to keep it looking good. Oh well, just one of those things I guess.

Though given your age I wouldn't get a tattoo just yet. You probably still have some growing left to do which could distort the tat over the next few years to come, and if it gets too distorted you would have to get it removed (which can be a very long process) then added back again. I'd honestly wait till you're about 25 years of age before doing something like this. But it's ultimately up to you what you want to do and when you want to do it. That's just my two cents.

In my limited experience, in the UK tattoos tend to cost about a pound for every minute it takes. Size isn't necessarily a good indicator of how long something will take - intricacy and colouring is what takes time, and therefore costs money. What style do you want the roman soldier to be drawn in? A cartoon-y picture would take a lot less time than a more accurately rendered image. I wouldn't be surprised if the tattoo you've described cost 100 dollars or even much more.

In terms of pain, it depends on your pain threshold in general, and on which part of the body you get tattoo'd. It's generally agreed that your upper arm is one of the least painful places to get done, but that doesn't mean it wont hurt. Usually when people ask how it feels I say "It feels like being stabbed hundreds of times a second with a small needle" - I know that seems obvious, but if you actually think about how that might feel you'll be closer to imagining it. It's not thoroughly unbearable though, I'm sure there are worse feelings - you'll block it out as the process continues and it'll feel worth it when you're done. It might be a bit irritable for a few days, and depending on your self control it'll be hard to resist scratching and picking at it, but once the tattoo artist has actually finished you'll be so relieved that any (mild) pain you do feel in the next few days wont matter.

If you don't mind me asking/commenting; a declaration of allegiance to Rome seems a little impersonal? Are you sure that's the right design? What are your reasons for going with it? Presumably deeper than just that you think the Roman Legion was cool?


Also, as I type this up there are no replies to this thread, but I don't doubt that before long it'll be full of people telling you that:

A] Tattoos are a bad idea and all look stupid/trampy.
B] You'll definitely never get a job.
C] You'll definitely regret it when you're older because it will no longer mean anything to you.
D] You'll definitely regret it when you're older because it will have faded/stretched.
E] You should wait x number of months/years after you've chosen a design before you get it done.

Ignore all those people.

Are you a wizard?

EDIT: Have you considered a black-light tattoo? The ink only shows up under UV lights and looks awesome...

Yes he is, you should trust him, wizards know about these things. :nod:

It really depends on the studio you go to. And you really don't want to go to one that seems to cheap or uncommunicative. Prices over here for that size are usually at around ~100€, so it will probably be around that in the US, too.
The level of pain depends entirely on the person, and the place of the tattoo. The upper arm was the least painful for me though, and the hand one hurt like the stinging blazes of Tartarus.

It doesnt. Thats why I'm getting it because like the dude above you said, "Get a tattoo that means nothing to you." Also bear in mind my idea is open to change, all I know is I want something to do with Roman soldiers and the SPQR is thrown on the bottom because almost every numbskull knows that SPQR is something Roman so hopefully I wont have to explain what my tattoo is to everyone

I was thinking of getting either a normal Roman soldier or a skelaton Roman soldier. How does the Roman soldier relate to me, you may ask. Well, I consider America almost a second Rome (whether thats good or bad) and I've been planning to enlist in the Army right after high school...get the picture? And if I dont get into the Army for whatever reason it'll still be a cool tattoo that isnt too hardcoe and I wont regret it.

Edit: Also I'm very Italian, like, my great grandmother is an Italian Immigrant (not sure where in Italy). So I guess Rome could relate to me that way too, never thought of that.

Flawless logic.

I like tattoos but I'll probably never get one because I don't want to piss myself off ten years down the line when my views change. Maybe when removal surgery/technology gets better.

Nix the soldier - go for either the Roman Eagle or just the SPQR bracketed by laurels.

This http://www.coloringpages7.com/Images/cartoon-coloring-pages/asterix-coloring-pages/asterix-roman-soldier-coloring-pages-7-com.gif I found would look pretty cool as well. Asterix made my childhood.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b2pSt2gACrc

You might want to research Roman history a bit more then if you think America and Rome are similar. I really wouldn't get something that means nothing, if you get something that means something now and when you get older you don't feel the same way, surely it's better to have a sign of something you used to believe in, as opposed to something you never believed in.

I've not got any tattoos myself, but its purely a financial reason, I've had the same ideas for about 5 years now.

Actually you listed some valid (if slightly exaggerated) points/concerns that should be weighed before doing it. I say ignore your last sentence.

:blink:

Can you please explain this more thoroughly? I'm not following your logic.

Well first off, let me say I've also deeply considered getting a tattoo and was actually on the verge of getting one when I went with one of my friends but decided not to for the exact reason Exorince stated. Whatever I got then might make sense, but tattoos are permanent (unless you laser them off, but still leave a scar) so it should be something that looks good and nothing more. I actually wanted a tribal design that started on the shoulder then extended onto the chest and arms or something similar.

Anyway, prices can vary but to the parlors I went to, it's around $100-$300 or so for a relatively simple tattoo such as yours. My Dad had a really simple one done (his initials and my Moms initials) and it cost somewhere in that range though it was relatively small.

Oh and, color looks better and doesn't hurt as much as the designing because the needle they use is different, plus it starts to get numb after a while. Good luck, and think very very hard before doing this!

Yeah, your probably right about the soldier, sometimes people can turn out weird when tattooed. I was also considering just having a Roman tower shield and a gladius leaning up against eachother with a roman soldier's helmet sitting off to the side. It's hard to explain with words, I would have to draw it and show you

Which gives me another question, do most artists take special requests? Like could I walk in with a drawing of what I want and they'll do it for me? Or is it a book of preset designs that I choose from?

A good artist will be able to draw something up.


And for Holy Assassin, what makes you think something you think looks good now will look good then? Your own reasoning makes that a pretty silly thing to do. I'd still stick with having something that means something.

Generally, artists charge by the hour, and charge more for color.



2-4 hours, depending on detail



Depends on your pain tolerance but the upper arm isn't bad.

Most artists do this, yes. My Dad designed his own tattoo and had the artist copy it. There is also a book to choose from though. You might want to visit the parlor you go to before you actually get the tattoo. The people there are very friendly and understanding because they know tattoos are permanent so people like to take their time. If it's a half good establishment they'll be happy to help with any and all of your inquiries. A word of advice though, don't cheap out on this, it's not worth it.

You should get a Roman slave tattoo on the foot.

Nah.....

General rules I would follow if getting a tattoo.

1. It should mean something to you, something important. Its apart of you since your mending it into your skin,
2. If you have an office job or some kind of thing where people look down on tattoos, get it somewhere that can be easily covered up like the upper shoulders or something.
3. Think abou what that tatto will look like when your old. If you somehow have grandkids, what will they say?

Go somewhere well known, and with good reputation. You don't want some smhuck ruining your skin with scribbles or a bad line.Yes most artists take requests, some may ask what you want, and they'll draw it out for you and say something like this? but if you want it a specific way, find a picture.

The pain something to clench over, its very uncomfortable but notihng agonizing. You would get used to the pain after a few minutes or so, then it just becomes annoying. My friend's upper arm tattoo took about 3 hours or so. He had a bible quote, christ hands, stairway to heaven, etc. This was a full upper arm tattoo that could be the beginning of a sleeve.

I'm going to have to look into the Army's policy on tattoos before I get it. I think they are fine with them on the upper arm because you can cover it up, but yeah, my dad has sleeve tattoos on both arms and a few on his leg and one on the back of his neck. Most of them are vikings and norse figures but there are a few...questionable designs from his band days that have made it nearly impossible for him to find a decent job.

Well ... I guess my best advice is make sure you're absolutely ready to have this done. I'd been planning on getting several tattoos since the age of around 14. I had the money saved up when I turned 18 last year, but never actually booked the appointment, because it never really felt like the right time, even though I'd been anticipating it for around 4 years.

And this is as standard, but you're going to be stuck with this for the rest of your life; getting it removed is more hassle than it's worth, and cover-ups can sometimes be done well ... but I've seen some nasty ones, too. So make sure it's something you want, though if you've been planning it, that shouldn't really be a problem at all. =) Tattoos can be funny things; designs go in and out of style, or even too much in style (I don't think I can count the number of tribal tattoos I've seen around here). it's a safer bet to get something that you want, means something to you, and will always mean something to you than anything else.

Make sure it's done well; it's all too tempting to go for the absolute lowest price, but depending on what you want, it might not always bode to well. Things like the needle going in too deep, causing that horrible bleeding effect, and lines being badly drawn, not straight, jitterry ... again, you're going to be branded with this for the rest of your life, so get it done well. xD my dad went to a local parlour, paid ￡120 for a tattoo that would otherwise cost maybe ￡180 - ￡160 ... this was around two years ago. Six months later, the ink was already faded, as though he'd had it twenty years, like his other tattoos.

And again, standard, but if you go through with it, don't drink before getting it done. I had a friend who attempted that. ?_? then again ... drunken piercings are a whole other ball game ... xD

NuclearWonderland's avatar would make for a half decent tat



just saying :biggrin: