It was a complete spur of the moment decision although I had vastly premeditated it for so many years, what tattoo I would get to be my first. I chose the 'Cowboys From Hell' symbol from Pantera's first widely released album, a band that I had loved since I was a kid and since the death of Dimebag Darell affected me in such a terrible way, I thought it would be a fitting tribute to a metal icon and also a reminder of my teenage years that would stay with me forever.
At A Glance Author suitica Contact suitica@bme.anon When Three months ago Artist Jean-Quelle Studio Avin It Location Orpington, Kent, UK The tattoo itself is on my right forearm, not quite on my shoulder but close. It is a beautiful design and can easily be added to which is another reason why I chose to have it tattooed. My advice to anybody who wants to have future tattoos is to pick a design that can easily be worked with to fit around other pieces, especially if your dream is to eventually be the proud owner of a sleeve tattoo.
It was about two p.m. and I was incredibly bored and restless. I had been talking to my friend the day before about the different tattoos we wanted and how amazing it is as a form of expression, So I made a decision there and then to journey to the town over from me, to where a respectable tattoo parlour was. The shop is situated in Orpington, just outside of London called 'Avin It' which is where two years previous I had got my lip pierced, so it is a multi purpose body modification shop, although the tattoo artists themselves are hugely talented and professional.
Because it was late in the day I was booked in for the appointment right at the close of business which meant I had a lot of time to kill. The receptionist suggested that I got some lunch while I waited, sound advice that I would recommend to anybody before getting a tattoo to stabilise blood sugar levels and to calm the nerves. After a good meal I came back an hour early and looked through their books to see examples of previous work, which varied from tribal designs to pin-ups, cartoons, different kinds of lettering and more. I could see that I had made a good decision and eagerly anticipated my first tattoo.
I had to sign a form, to verify my age and medical history, to see if I had diabetes or any other medical problems that could endanger my tattoo experience and to protect the shop from certain legal obligations.
When the time came at last my nerves had finally settled and I was introduced to my tattoo artist, a friendly little French guy with an unpronounceable name. Despite the language barrier he soon put me at ease while he was drawing my stencil and fitting his equipment. All the needles came in packages and were sterilised and the booth looked tidy and hygienic. He told me to stand up straight so he could position the stencil correctly, something that he took a bit of time doing so it was absolutely perfect. Then he had me lie down on my side on his table that reminded me of a dentists chair.
I tensed up in anticipation even though I told myself I shouldn't . As I tried to relax he told me that he was ready to begin. He did a couple of test lines to show me what the needle was like and all in all it wasn't bad and I was not about to leave anyway after making it that far. He started off doing the outlines of the design which in all honesty did not hurt as bad as I thought they would. It was like a mild pain then a soothing relief as he stopped to wipe away the ink and the blood. Then came the shading in of the tattoo which did hurt, so much so that I had to bite my lip at times to stop from cursing. It was a huge relief when it was finally over as I don't think I could've took the same pain for much longer, which is the only reason inhibiting me from getting a larger tattoo sometime later this year. When he told me he was done I leapt up and raced over to the full length mirror and I was so happy. It looked beautiful!. All the lines were really neat and sharp but I knew as soon as the tattoo began to heal that the lines would not be as clean, but that did not really matter to me, I had my first tattoo and I was proud of myself and incredibly happy with my tattoo artist's work.
He wrapped my arm in cling film and gave me a leaflet on aftercare, which included making sure that I washed it in warm soapy water and to rinse it under a hot shower spray, then to apply a healing balm. I used a hemp balm that I bought at the shop, which worked wonders and healed my tattoo perfectly.
I am still really happy with my tattoo and would recommend the shop.