Getting a tattoo, wants your opinion

[Chris]

Hello chaps. I'm intending to get a leftist/marxist tattoo. Been talking to the local tattoo parlor (amazing really. 2000 people in the area, we got a tattoo parlor) about prizing and such and decided to get a tattoo, but I'm still not 100% sure what kind of motive I want. I've narrowed it down to the following:

1) Black fist in front on a Red Star.
2) Hammer & Sickle in a Red Star.
3) A red flag.

Been leaning towards option 2, although I've talked to the parlor about Option 1, which would come at about 2000 kr (200 £). I doubt I could get anything much cheaper than that at any place (my cousin has a few tattoos, and he recomended the local tattoo parlor due to price being decent and the tattooists are good).

So, your opinion?

[Tablo]

Make sure the place you are considering getting it at will actually do a good job, make sure you really really really want the tattoo you choose and will unlikely regret the decision to get it, and I would suggest something simple and somewhat small if it is your first tattoo.

[Sasha]

option 3 would take an very above average tattooist to execute well so i would advise you to you get familiar and build an bond of trust with an good one.
number 2 sounds very run of the mill, i think tattoos, even/especially political ones, should be very personal.
also, while you will probably, hopefully, always be an leftist hammers and sickles might be a bit tendency specific, most of leftists drift through tendency's in their live.

so given choice between the three i would go for number one, in which style/design is of course an whole new problem .

[El Chuncho]

Hammer and Sickle in a red star, not as easy as option 3 but it would look a lot more ''powerful'' and better.

[Sasha]

how the hell would option 3 more easy? there is always dificult shading involved in making a nice flag

[The Douche]

Flags always look best as part of a large piece, I have a flag but it's mounted onto a rifle with a bayonet, clouds of smoke around it and laurels. I'd recommend getting away from such straight forward imagery, for instance I have a red fist but it's old school style, not like a stencil and has laurels around it. Look at various tattoos of different styles, find cool shit then incorporate leftist images if that's your thing.

[praxis1966]

so given choice between the three i would go for number one, in which style/design is of course an whole new problem .

I really don't think option one would be all that difficult... The artist would just need to use white ink (which they do have) in order to create muscle lines in the palm, wrist and knuckles so as to keep it from looking too blobby. Now that I think of it, why not get the fist punching through the star instead of in front of it... Now that would be dope, IMO.

I think you're right about option two, though. Too tendency specific.

I think option 3 is actually the best one, personally, if incorporated into a larger piece... But I ain't gonna say how as I've had an idea for ages that I wanna get myself.

[Chris]

Thanks for the advise so far. And as for the fist, this was the motive me and the tattooist found:
http://i27.tinypic.com/2znvp5x.jpg

Would essentially be this, but with a larger star (as in, visible that it is a star) and everything outside the fist+star removed. Although, I'm unsure if the fist itself should be yellow or black. I've heard a black fist symbolises the Black Panthers only?


After some thinking, I agree that the hammer & sickle may be too tendency specific. One reason I considered the fist over star, is that it would essentially go with every tendency on the revolutionary left, if I switch tendency. It's extremely unlikely at this point that I'll ever abandon the revolutionary left. The reason I want to get a political tattoo, is that my politics define a lot about who I am, as well as me dedicating a lot of time to it. The fist punching through the star sounds cool, but I think it would increase price somewhat (they charge by size+detail), and I can't afford much above the price we came to (2000 kroner/200£).


And I'm sure the local tattoo parlour does a good job. I've seen my cousin's tattoo first-hand (a norse hammer, with his name in runes below), and several others who have been there.

[NoOneIsIllegal]

most of leftists drift through tendency's in their live.
I always thought about this, but still have 2 "tendency" tattoos :lol: I can always laugh them off when I become a tankie. Keyword: when

dun dun dunnnnnn

[praxis1966]

Would essentially be this, but with a larger star (as in, visible that it is a star) and everything outside the fist+star removed. Although, I'm unsure if the fist itself should be yellow or black. I've heard a black fist symbolises the Black Panthers only?

Maybe 40 years ago, but I don't think that would occur to most people today... Especially not when coupled with the red star. Even more especially if you're not black.


The fist punching through the star sounds cool, but I think it would increase price somewhat (they charge by size+detail), and I can't afford much above the price we came to (2000 kroner/200£).

Fair enough. That's too bad, though. I had this whole vision of the star tilted slightly, as if the viewer were looking at it from an angle, and the parts of of it that were torn away by the fist exposed a gold underside of the star.