Art placement

As if choosing a design wasn't hard enough, now you need to decide where you want the tattoo on your body! Although tattoos are, in essence, pieces of artwork to be seen, some lifestyles are less forgiving than others when it comes to having a visible tattoo.

Stomach and Hip Tattoos

Easily hidden and lower on the pain scale than other areas, a hip/lower back/stomach tattoo is a good choice for people who only want to reveal their tattoo on their terms (No accidental revealing). However, women, take note: the lower abdomen is a prime place to get stretch marks if you plan on having children. Factor your future into your decision. Are you prone to stretch marks? Are you choosing a design that has a very symmetrical and balanced shape (ex. a circle) that would look terrible if it were stretched beyond recognition?

 

Ribcage/Sides of The Body

This area is hypersensitive to the touch and thin-skinned, so getting a tattoo here is often described as more painful. Yet for as much as it can hurt, it is a good choice for those who do not want their tattoo seen. Some artists will not do a rib tattoo if it is a first tattoo for someone. Consult with your artist first and if they still refuse, scope out a different shop.

 

Back, Shoulders, Arms and Hands

A very common first tattoo locale is the shoulder. Often known as a "sleeve", you can build upon your artwork over time to produce the effect of a "sleeve" of tattoos around and down the arm. This is expensive and time-consuming, but the effect can be quite beautiful. Forearm and hand tattoos are always visible, so they are not recommended for people in professions that hold a stigma against visible tattoos. Also, tattoos on often-used parts of the body that are readily exposed to the sun and are touched often (the fingers, for example) tend to fade more quickly. My local artist will not do hand tattoos for this reason.

Feet and Legs

tattoos on or around the ankle and foot tend to fade the quickest. The legs and feet carry your entire weight, and water often accumulates within the ankle and foot region, flushing out the color pigments of the tattoo ink. Also, women should be careful where they place a tattoo on the foot since most heels, sandals and flip-flops leave the topmost portion of the foot visible. The foot is another highly sensitive area, so some artists may be leary of putting a first tattoo on the foot. Consult with your artist.

 

Facial and Neck Tattoos

Permanent makeup is a trend gaining popularity among women. The artist can tattoo on eyeliner, lip liner and even eyebrows. Like any tattoo, these would need to be redone in 10-20 years, but they offer a more permanent solution to having to apply makeup daily. Other facial tattoos include eyelid, eyeball, inner lip and neck tattoos as well as tattoos that go on the scalp (the head must be shaved for the tattoo to be visible). The face endures the most sun damage throughout a person's life as well as being the most visible part of someone's anatomy, so they are to be thoroughly well-thought out.

 Placement can also dictate clothing you wear in order to show off your art properly, its seems a shame for a great piece like this chest placement to never be fully seen by the general public for modesty reasons.

Placement is as important as the art itself.