For my 18th birthday i got a tattoo of my dads laugh on my arm, he passed 3 years ago. I have his smile and joy wherever i go now.

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image showing For my 18th birthday i got a tattoo of my dads laugh on my arm, he passed 3 years ago. I have his smile and joy wherever i go now.

foolhardy1 on February 13rd, 2018 at 14:14 UTC »

I love that you went with his laugh. Of all the ways to remember someone, that is really special.

DrakeUrSoBased on February 13rd, 2018 at 15:20 UTC »

If that was my dad it would probably just be a big fat bar. His laugh is so dumb lol. Nice tat. Cool idea.

Edit: my highest rated comment is me making fun of my dad. He'd be proud.

catsandnarwahls on February 13rd, 2018 at 16:07 UTC »

As a father and son, i love the idea.

If you hate criticism, stop here.

As a tattoo artist and shop owner, i really worry that the lines will blur together and it wont be very recognizeable. Some of the linework looks like it blew out and if that is the case, in 6 months, some of those narrow areas at the bottom and top will end up being wider. Its very easy to turn lines this close into a solid mass when healed. Also the consistency of lines from bottom to top is very different with deep solid strokes fading to very light on top in some areas. The whispy fade at the top may fade out and leave much shorter lines as well.

I hate to be a buzzkill but i want folks to be aware of things i mentioned for when they get their tattoos. These things need to be and should be explained by tattoo artists. Its why we see more heartbeats. Because the linework is more spread out and much easier to hold and read after healing. No tattoo artist should ever do this many lines, this close. Just look up some small font lettering tattoos and you will see the blur and how it becomes unreadable. Fortunately, if it does happen to THIS tattoo posted by OP, a quality artist will be able to fix it. Dont just go to your local shop. Its worth an hour or 2 drive to get a meaningful tattoo done right by a quality artist.

Also, the quote to live by when getting tattoos is, "Good tattoos arent cheap and cheap tattoos arent good". Price should never be a concern. If it is, dont get tattooed. Also, good shops want to do custom work. We want to sit and talk and want you to nitpick our drawings and find what you want. Unfortunately, this costs money if it takes a while, but when the final product is done, it is beyond worth the extra couple bucks.

Edit: ive responded to some people below with some basic advice on how to find a quality shop with quality artists. And how to approach decision making for what you want.