Tattoos

[rector]

She who must be obeyed and is going on her second Frances with me in May wants to know where she can get Camino type tattoo, before she gets her pension in September.

 

[jmcarp]

While I personally am opposed to "body art," I suppose she could take a photo of whatever Camino-related symbol she likes to the tattoo parlor and the artist could easily replicate it.

 

[alexwalker]

Use one of these as an example, perhaps:

https://www.facebook.com/CaminoTattoos

 

[rector]

Thanks alex and JM But she would like to get it while on the way and wantas to know where. She has never done it before and neither have I and I would have questions arround walking with fresh a fresh tatoo as well as blisters, though I think she has something discreet in mind, though the pictures are brilliant

 

[shefollowsshells]

Yikes, I would vet anyone who did art work on my body....I'd never chose them just due to their location.
I would have to give that some better thought if I were her....she will be sweating and lots of friction due to pack and clothes etc...it just does not sound like the best time to do it.
I would encourage her to get the art AFTER she is done for several reasons......

 

[november_moon]

If she wants to get the tattoo in conjunction with walking the Camino, I would suggest getting it upon arrival in Santiago rather than en route. The care of new tattoos is important and if they aren't cared for properly, they can become infected and cause lots of discomfort. If you develop scars from improper care, then the tattoo can be permanently damaged. Tattoos are uncomfortable at first anyway, even under the best circumstances. The fact that she wants a discrete tattoo implies that it will be something that is covered by normal clothing - this means she will have to deal with clothing rubbing on the tattoo, and even with a bandage, this could be problematic. If the tattoo is someplace like a her shoulder where her backpack would rub, then it would be very painful. A tattoo on the inner forearm would probably be less of an issue if she got it en route because it would be easier to bandage and keep clothing from rubbing against the new tattoo.

 

[bokormen91]

Different tattoo artists specialize in different things. I like tattoos Which is not to say that I like all tattoos

In my opinion, the best way is to look at the work people have done before. Most places I've been to, will display portfolio's of the work that their tattoo artists have done, and different people often specialize/do more of a certain style. My advice to "she who must be obeyed" is that she needs to think of

• where she wants it (very visible, sometimes visible, mainly hidden)
• size and placement (there are plenty of examples of people that have tattoos that are badly aligned against bone/muscle, these never "age" as well as those that are placed better)
  
• colour options (some people have allergic reactions to the dyes)
  
• style (tribal, Japanese, black & white, traditional etc)
  
• pain tolerance (hurts more on thinner skin, areas close to bone, though I find the sound the worst - it's like being in a dentist chair with the drill going for hours)
  
• recovery time. Many tattoos that could have been brilliant, have been destroyed by people not looking after them in the 1st 10-15 days, if you don't look after it and get "scarbumps" they will always be there and affect the look. Avoid chafing, unclean water, sun exposure and use a recommended moisturiser

I have a scallop shell on my right foot. Not to everyone's liking, but I love it. The tattooing itself took about 2 hours, as it's shaded in black and white, it meant that some parts had to be gone over more than once. I visited a lot of places, looked at their previous work, it ended up being a choice between 2 people. I'd brought in some picture of black and white tattoos that I liked, along with several pictures of scallop shells that I liked. I then asked both to make me a drawing of the tattoo, and I chose the one that I liked best. She should take her time, as it will hopefully be something she'll look at with fondness for years to come

 

[rector]

Thanks folks you have just put her off I think she just wants to look forward to her pesion and the portuguese next year though I havent told her we are doing it yet

 

[november_moon]

Different tattoo artists specialize in different things.

Yes, this is an excellent point. An artist's style may or may not jive with your vision about how you want your tattoo to look. It's permanent, so this is important. On the other hand, as a symbol of a journey, having the tattoo done in conjunction with the journey may be more important to a person than the style or content of the tattoo. It is just a matter of priorities.

 

[StuartM]

Different tattoo artists specialize in different things. I like tattoos Which is not to say that I like all tattoos

In my opinion, the best way is to look at the work people have done before. Most places I've been to, will display portfolio's of the work that their tattoo artists have done, and different people often specialize/do more of a certain style. My advice to "she who must be obeyed" is that she needs to think of

• where she wants it (very visible, sometimes visible, mainly hidden)
• size and placement (there are plenty of examples of people that have tattoos that are badly aligned against bone/muscle, these never "age" as well as those that are placed better)
  
• colour options (some people have allergic reactions to the dyes)
  
• style (tribal, Japanese, black & white, traditional etc)
  
• pain tolerance (hurts more on thinner skin, areas close to bone, though I find the sound the worst - it's like being in a dentist chair with the drill going for hours)
  
• recovery time. Many tattoos that could have been brilliant, have been destroyed by people not looking after them in the 1st 10-15 days, if you don't look after it and get "scarbumps" they will always be there and affect the look. Avoid chafing, unclean water, sun exposure and use a recommended moisturiser

I have a scallop shell on my right foot. Not to everyone's liking, but I love it. The tattooing itself took about 2 hours, as it's shaded in black and white, it meant that some parts had to be gone over more than once. I visited a lot of places, looked at their previous work, it ended up being a choice between 2 people. I'd brought in some picture of black and white tattoos that I liked, along with several pictures of scallop shells that I liked. I then asked both to make me a drawing of the tattoo, and I chose the one that I liked best. She should take her time, as it will hopefully be something she'll look at with fondness for years to come

Very good advice. Definitely ask to see portfolios. I always think a wall of "stock" designs that you can pick is a bad sign.

Do research into the different styles. The woman who did mine specialised in Japanese and it took a long time to find someone who did specialise rather than would just give it a go. Talk to the artist, get feedback. If they are excited about doing it then you should be excited too. If it is a shoulder shrug and a grunted "yeah" then find someone else.

Pain... I found having my collar/shoulder bones done was the most annoying due to the vibration. "Dentist" is a great description. Inner part of my bicep hurt like hell, the rest of my arm was more of an irritation, like being scratched for hours at a time. When you hit the first hour or two the endorphines kick in. I sat for eight hours, as you get tired the pain gets worse.

Something else to remember is how tired you will be after a big piece. It is surprisingly exhausting, feels like getting the flu afterwards. My artist said it's because it's triggering such a reaction from the immune system, don't know if there is any science to it but I was wiped out. Don't count on doing much in the evening after getting a piece done.

But above all... be proud of your ink!!!! Tattoos are not taboo any more! It's the ultimate in a piece of art, it can never be bought or sold and it exists only as long as you exist.

 

[Travellingman]

Good thread here:
http://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/threads/post-camino-tattoo.2610/

 

[wendelart]

I had my camino-tattoo done along the route, in Fisterre. I'm very pleased with the result, the tattoo still looks smooth and perfect.
But this is my 10th tattoo, so I have a lot of experience getting tattoo's and knew exactly what to expect. Number 1 till 9 are done by tattoo artists I know and trust, but I just felt my camino tattoo should be done on the camino. It was a risk, I know, but everything turned out alright. But if this is your first tattoo, I stronly recommend not to get it on the camino! I knew how my body would react, know how I can handle pain and discomfort, and this was not even my first camino. If you don't know how you will react to the pain (I got very nausseated from my first tattoo and needed to lie down, the pain literally made me sick) and you're in an environment you're not familiar with, perhaps already very tired from walking or having pain at other places, like blisters.... better don't do it. If you have more tattoo's already and feel fine on your camino: go for it. It's the most special tattoo I have, and getting it at the end of my camino was a very special experience

There was something else I had to consider before getting this tattoo: a new tattoo needs to be taken very well care off and NEEDS TO BE OUT OF THE SUN FOR AT LEAST 6 WEEKS!!!! Since my tattoo is on my lower arm, close to my wrist, that seemed impossible on the sunny camino in the middle of the summer. It meant I had to walk around in the heat with long sleeves. Luckily for me, the end of my camino was very rainy. I had rainrainrain for a week and had to wear pullover and raincoat. 3 days after I got my tattoo and was already passed Muxia, the sun came through and it got too warm for the raincoat. My solution: I've taken an old sock and cut the foot off. I've been wearing that old sock around my arm for weeks, while people kept asking if my arm was wounded.

My tattoo artist is Rolo Tattoo's, you'll find him at the end of the village Finisterre, along the official camino in a fork of the road. On the way to the lighthouse on your left hand, close to the old medieval church. He could only speak Spanish, but was very patient and understanding. I had learned the Spanish words for white, black, outline and shade and could with that exactly explain what I wanted. I would certainly recomend him, his shop was hygienic and professional. I know there's a tattoo-artist in Santiago too but I don't have experience with them, nor heard anything about them form anyone else.

I've posted a photo of my camino tattoo here, taken just 5 mins after the tattoo was done, so it still looks raw and red. I've designed this one myself, and carried the design around for weeks during my camino, looking at it while walking to decide if I really wanted this.

 

[november_moon]

wendelart - Very nice tattoo. I really like what you chose.

 

[wendelart]

ahw, thanx I did not just choose it though, I designed it myself (please don't just copy my design)

 

[november_moon]

I did not just choose it though, I designed it myself (please don't just copy my design)

Wouldn't even dream of it. I would never copy someone else's art. And I didn't mean to imply that you used someone else's work either - just that I liked what you chose for your design. I'm sorry for the misunderstanding. I just wanted to compliment your tattoo.