Woohoo!

Getting my outline done tomorrow!!!! Exstatic! Had to share! Hopefully this first timer can take 4 hours of tattooing...we'll see! I think I can, I think I can, I think I can.....choo choo! Sorry, I'm a little crazy with excitement! Anyhoo...here is the INITIAL line drawing, my artist, Dana Helmuth, drew for my tattoo. The image will be bigger, half my back to my bra line (lower back), the one wing will reach over to my hip, the cherry blossoms will be bigger, the water a transparent blue with layered cherry blossoms, the swans feather will be a wash...not outlined like in the drawing, and the circle in the back will be traditional style japanese clouds. Also not included in the picture is the water wrapping around my other hip to encompass a lotus flower on my thigh. The top wing might wrap onto my ribs...not sure yet. WOOHOO! I had to share the design on this site, cause without it and the great people on it I would never have found Dana nor understand a little more about tattoing...thanks a bunch guys! Dana

hey dana...i know just how you feel, it is exciting to finally begin a major art project...so are the additional sittings, you wont wanna stop...lol just set your mind, you'll do great! I love the design, dont see alot of swans, at least I dont...very pretty and your choice of placement will be awesome. I like the whole wraparound effect...hopefully you'll post more pics

I bet you can handle 4 hours just fine, you will surprise yourself! However, I have NEVER had work done around my ribs, so I bet I would bawl like a baby:) I have falled asleep for tattoos before though, after a few hours, and then been startled away when it hit a sensitive spot. Ouch, not a pleasant wake up feeling:) Beautiful idea for your tattoo, I agree, I haven't seen many swans, and I love the idea, like the blowing blossoms too, very pretty! Good luck, THAT is a piece I would love to see finished:)

Good luck! I'm sure you'll handle it well. I justed wanted to say that your idea and the drawing from your artist is really beautiful. Please post some pics of the finished piece, I bet a lot of people would love to see it, I definately would.

I will most definitely be posting my finished piece. However, it will probably be awhile due to 1) how long it's going to take to do and 2) my not having so much luck finding a decent job, ie. I need more money first. When it's done, it will be up though, cause like I said before, I don't think I would have found the quality artist I did find without this website and the people who post here. Thanks for all the encouragement, I appreciate it! Every part of the image means a lot to me, more than words can explain, so it's nice to hear it's aesthetically pleasing to other people...that way I know it's not just beautiful to me based on meanings alone. Thanks again! Dana

Wow! That is going to look awesome. Good luck with it. I don't know if I could sit for 4 hours. I had trouble after 2 hours. Of course it was done on my foot and around my ankle. I didn't have problems until the last 20 minutes when she started on the ankle bone. Ouch! I enjoyed it though. Good luck again. I can't wait to see the finished piece.

I hear you on the money issue I've had my idea and possible artist for 2 months and every time I have the money something comes up or I spend it before booking the appointment (plus I'm an ink virgin and my procratination could have a part in it to). Hehee can we get progress shots?

Dana, your design AND the thought that's behind it are beautiful, thank you for sharing it with us, I can hardly wait to see the finished pics. As to the discomfort, try to think about how great it's going to look when done and that will help, make sure you get a good nights sleep the night before and be sure to eat something an hour or so before you get the work done and try to get someone to go with you that you can talk to during the work (it helps take your mind off the discomfort). Another suggestion, try not to schedule your appointment too close to 'that time of the month' as most women are considerably more sensitive at 'that' time. Best of luck and do post some photos asap. On another note, I might suggest not leaving the artwork online too long, unfortunately there are creeps out there who might steal your idea and with as much thought and research you've obviously put into it I'd hate to see someone steal your idea...Doc

Thanks Doc, I really appreciate the advice, and will be sure to try to do all of the things you mentioned. I'll have to plan the next appointment a little farther away from "that time", good to know. As far as people stealing my ideas, I'm sure there are jerks like that out there, but at least I know that there is no way that Dana (the artist doing my tattoo) would do the same tattoo over again. And if those jerks decide to steal my idea, it wouldn't look like mine because Dana wouldnt' have done it, it wouldn't mean much, like mine does, and if they did get some un-aware artist to do it, it would be like a big stamp that says "I'm a jerk and I can't think for myself". But I certainly get your drift...I won't be putting up pictures anywhere but here...I feel like I owe it to the Tattoonow bunch to show my appreciation through showing the art I got as a result of stumbling across this website! Thanks again! Dana

Dana, just stopin' in for a final sec. This is gorgeous, and you'll be able to do 4 hours standing on your head. Good luck! This will be beautiful! AL

I sort of consider the pain of a tattoo, very similar to childbirth... you sit through the pain, and bear it, because you KNOW that at the end of it, you are going to have this beautiful THING that is a part of you forever. Wow, that was sappy. Moving on now.... I agree about he tattoo "stealing" thing.... heck, i have had people approach me, and point at one of my pieces and say "ooh! that is exactly what I want! who is your artist!"... and I am thinking to myself.. "Exactly?"... er... no. I spent forever drawing that.. don't even think about it... And, i HAVE seen people bring pictures into the shop, pictures that they have printed from online of someone elses tattoo, and ASKED for a duplicate. I mean, this is someones custom piece, that means something to them, and here is someone copying it. I wonder how many artists WILL do that? (without changing it at all.. just outright copying it.. hm)

It's my hope that no artist who is worth going to will copy, line for line, someone else's custom piece. Maybe I'm just naive. Also, there are tons of people in this world, no idea is truly original, I don't want people to even THINK of getting the same tattoo as me, but even if I never posted it on the web, someone somewhere would either have a similar idea OR would steal mine in some way. So I guess I'm inclined to enjoy it on my body and ignore the dickheads that can't think for themselves. And in terms of the pain or discomfort or whatever you want to call it...obviously I'm very excited about having my tattoo as a part of my body, but I'm also looking forward to the experience of getting it tattooed on my body. I'm not saying I'm going to enjoy every second, but I'm a firm believer that one finds meaning through suffering. Granted this is on the small scale of what that thought usually is in reference to, but I think it still applies. So yeah, that's my thought on that! Dana

I just cannot WAIT to see it sweetie!!!

just loose thoughts...the pain thing, i've been having work done on my back over the last 3 months...first 2 appts were 4 hours each, this most recent one was only 3...but my ribs and lower back are done and he's beginning the climb up my back. i wasnt sure i'd be able to handle that length of time either seeing as my previous exp was all small, less than an hour. i'm a poor conversationalist...its easier for me to sorta *blank out* separating my brain from whats going on under my skin...enter the zone...lol. The only problem with that is when i'm asked a question about color or future work...i'm like huh? totally lost and indecisive. I do wish i could knit or crochet, giving my hands something to do is a good distraction...i resorted to tying and untying knots in a string...so my tattoo artist thinks i'm odd, i cant help it... you'll figure out what works for you... and yeah, you'll have a beautiful piece of art afterwards...it last forever and well worth the discomforts

Cant wait to see the finished tattoo, Im a sucker for bird tattoos. I have one from Dana myself...

looks cool, can't wait to see it all finished

Dana, believe me, you're more than welcome to any help/suggestions I have and it sure looks like you're getting some good posts on this, which is great to see. I love your attitude about anyone who might try to steal your design and you are, of course, right. Well stated and kudos to you, young lady. Damn, if only more people put as much thought and research into their Tattoo as you have I know MY life would be a lot easier and even more fun than it usually is. I too am really looking forward to seeing this one when complete...Doc

Thanks again to everyone who posted! I really appreciated the encouragement and compliments...helped me get through the day! Well I'm off, and the next time I'm on here again I'll have a tattoo (or at least the start of one!!)! Dana

I got my outline done!!!! Well, pretty much done, what's left is very minor...and it only took 3 hours instead of 4! The parts over my kidney's hurt like hell, but it was totally worth it, even with it not being colored in yet it's beautiful! Better than I even thought it would be! Now, I'm just trying to take good care of it and find a way that's comfortable to sleep and sit with half my back, hips, and thigh tattooed...not very easy. Anyhoo, I'll get some pictures up of the progress so far when it heals a little more. Again, it's just the outline, so it's still going to look a whole hell of a lot different with color and shading! There you go people....a post to show that life goes on even through crazy controversial forum discussions. Dana

i hope you find a comfortable sleeping position.. hopefully its also not bad for your back and you don't get stuck in it. It reminds me of my first tattoos.. after my shoulder blades were done, I couldn't sleep on my back for TWO YEARS... I guess my body "remembered" the pain and didn't want to do that again. LOL...

Can't wait to see it sweetie!!

Random nitpicky question about caring for my tattoo (which I know someone is going to say to read the back posts, and I should know better by now, but I just don't remember reading about this)....anyhoo, i was told to wash and put the a&d on 4 to 5 times a day, is 3 times alright? I know, sounds stupid, I just want everything to work out ok and it's really not too easy to do it properly by myself and my husband is at work (god I wish I had a job). ANYway, thanks. Dana

hurry up and put up pics!! i'd like to see how the outline wraps and lies...it amazes me how artists not only come up with custom art based on a clients thought but then they make it fit!! whooo-hoooo, cant wait to see it

Well, before everyone up and leaves, I would still like to thank those of you who have been around for a while cause I've learned alot and the advice I got on here (from everyone, not just professional tattoo artists) was very helpful and encouraging. ANYway, here are some shots of the lotus on my thigh and the water/cherry blossoms running down my hip. The lighter cherry blossoms and water lines are that way on purpose because in the end they will have a transparent nature. Anything that is not darkly outlined will be underwater. Might not be the best pictures, but you get the idea. I couldn't take a picture of my swan yet....not that flexible. When my hubby gets a chance I'll get him to take a picture of my back for me. Thanks again guys, it might just be the outline, but I love it already. Dana

The water will also go past the lotus and taper off farther down my thigh, just didn't get to that part of the outline yet. Dana

Wait till you see the Color Dana! You'll love it even more! Congratulations Looks great!

Those are some lucky be sheets.... to have that good of a tattoo on them.... What?.... Did you think I was going to say something else? =P

....I swear it's the keyboard doing the typing!....*and that should be 'bed' for you english majors out there.*

Pics look awesome, cant wait to see the bird. Its funny, I look at a lot of tattoos and can usually tell body parts with just a little hint, but those self inflicted photos are taken from a unique angle, funny the things you notice sometimes...

Ok, so here is the outline of the swan on my back. Overall, I love the way it looks so far, but after looking at this picture (cause it's kind of hard to really study something on your back) I'm realizing that the head/face of the swan doesn't look like the original drawing...and I like the way it looks in the initial drawing he sent me better than the outline that is now on my back (ACK!). Is it possible for him to make the head look like the initial drawing more or am I stuck with it like it is? I still think it looks nice this way, but I liked the sleekness of the first drawing, and the beak doesn't seem to be as long as is should be. Do you all see the differences? There is a circle behind the swan's head, that is very very lightly traced and that will be filled in with black/grey clouds...so I'm thinking it's possible, but I don't know. Let me know what you think. Dana

oh, and one more thing...more of the floating cherry blossom petals will be added later around the circle....just didn't get to it.

While the rest of it does look good, I notice what you said about the swans head and you're of course right, it is a bit 'stubby' and doesn't have the flow of the original. But, depending on whether it has a black or wash outline, I'd think it could be 'repaired', especially if you're willing to have the swans beak black or at least dark wash when completed ( Google searching it DOES show some with black beaks) so that shouldn't be a problem. The lotus are great, by the way, and I really like the way it 'fits' the area. I shouldn't think Dana would have any qualms about fixing the beak as otherwise, it's got the potential to be one fine looking piece and I'm looking forward to see it in color. Keep us posted with the progress...Doc

hey dana, i meant to post on your other pics but got lost...its lovely, very soft and serene...i esp like how the lotus drifts on your thigh...maybe its my angle or something but are you only doing one thigh/hip area or both?? either way, its unique and quite beautiful...i cant wait to see the colors...thanks for sharing ps i get more work on my back tuesday...your pics are making me eager...whooo-hooo..lol

Doc, Do you think it would be possible to fix the beak in a dark orange? The type of swan I'm going for is a mute swan...and they have orange beaks...I know it's weird but it's important to me that the swan actually has a orange beak. I'm not sure what a dark wash means...that's why I'm asking. Thanks again for your advice and compliments! Melissa, Thanks for the compliments! Yeah, the water and lotus are only on one hip, the swans one wing come slightly over to the other hip but you can't really tell in these pictures. Yeah, the "self-inflicted pictures"(like Gabe said) really make it kind of confusing as to where on my body the tattoo is. Have fun getting tattooed on Tuesday...if you don't mind I'd love to see the work you're getting done! If you don't want to put it online feel free to e-mail me! Dana

What I meant by black or dark wash is whether the outline was done in black or a reduced (lighter) shade which is called 'washes' therefore not truly black, if that makes it clearer? If it was 'wash' there may be a chance to fix it but if not, I don't think a dark orange will hide the original outline as it isn't possible to successfully hide dark with light, if you can follow what I'm trying to explain? To 'fix' it properly a 'new' outline would be needed to get the desired shape, on the outside of the present outline which will, of course, have the present outline inside that and if it isn't 'dark enough' you would end up with a double line which, again, if the original is 'dark' would make it difficult at best to conceal without having a beak within a beak, if you follow my meaning, although some creative shading might well 'help' conceal the 'original'. Hopefully that makes what I said clearer and you are more than welcome for any advice I might be able to offer and the compliments are sincere, I love seeing well executed work and again, your tattoo has the potential to be a beautiful piece...Doc

hey dana..i so suck at the whole puter thing, couldnt figure out photobucket so the best i could do was myspace, i think that'll work...nothing fancy but i sorta like the slideshow to show the tattoo progression...my first go with custom work and i'm very pleased feel free to harrass me about the tribals..lol...yanno i'm old and some of my ink is *dated* 1990s... hopefully, the lower one is updated for now and the top one will either be covered or incorporated into the rest of the backpiece and of course, anyones welcome to look and dare i say...comment? http://www.myspace.com/bibimazoon

Okay...first of all...I have seen a good of ammount of Dana Helmuths work and drawing style (in person). He is DEEPLY immersed in all aspects of art and tattooing, so Im sure there is a reason he ventrued from the original drawing just a bit. I do want to remind you, a custom tattoo artist like Dana is going to respect your opinions on what you want, but at the same time he is going to take hold of it and do with it as he sees fit. That way his work isnt comprimised for your wants. In other words, he may veer from the original drawing for certain reasons you may not be familar with. Second....... there are different types of swans, and once again, Im sure he tattooed it on you like that FOR A REASON. Unless, you were jumping all over the place like a fish and he made some moves he had to adjust, which I highly doubt. Third.........no, I really dont think Dana will customize the original outline. He may however, if you ask him and he sees fit to do so. I say just ask him about it, he is a really cool guy and will have no problem explaining to you why its done a little different. And last but not least, the back is a large area, so when you stretch the beak stretches as well. So while the picture you took may not look a whole lot like the original, he probably took into consideration your skins movement. Its one hell of a tattoo though. Wait till it gets completed....then people will be all over it. Dana is one of the best japanese guys out there......period.

Apocalypse Now, I couldn't agree with you more. I realized after thinking about this and talking with my husband that I've overreacted a bit. This is my first tattoo and I didn't take into account when I saw the picture the angle of the picture and the elasticity of my skin...when I move the swan looks different. So yeah...silly me. Dana is wonderful, and I have full confidence in his artistic abilities! It took me a long time to find someone who's art I loved, and as soon as I saw his work and spoke with him I knew he was it! I think I just got a little freaked out for a moment. I want him to do what he does and change it according to his own style and what he thinks will look best, otherwise I wouldn't have gone to him. I also have just realized I was judging an outline...the total piece will look a lot different with shading and all. I'm just impatient! ANYhoo, I'm really not worried anymore....lapse of judgement. And no I was not jumping around like a fish...I held my own :) Thanks a lot for your response, I really appreciate it. Dana

Melissa, Your tattoo is beautiful...I love seeing it in progress! I've noticed that the tattoos that I enjoy the most really flow well with the body and cover more than one plane...your artist did a great job with that! It's beautiful and will look even better when it's done! Are you getting more done after the larger flower in the middle? Dana

Yeah, you'll be very happy with your tattoo when its done. Dana tattoos birds very good!

So here's another picture to prove that I did learn something! It looks different depending on the angle and how the skin is stretched. Something so simple escaped me! I love learning new things!

Yes, it does look different/better in that 'position' and I should have noticed in the earlier pic. You'd be somewhat amazed at how different that tattoo would look if you 'twist' in different positions or say, bend over and touch your toes (the swan will 'grow'). On this pic the beak looks fine and again, I should have thought about THAT in the earlier pic, although it still doesn't look like you were in any 'unusual' position when that was shot. Glad to see it wasn't an 'error' and I must say, I was rather surprized to think Dana had made that booboo, as I've seen other work by Dana and thought it very good (and I have an 'eye' for detail, proportioning, etc., better than most- 'it ain't bragging if you can back it up', I can and have) Again, I'm really looking forward to seeing this progress...Doc

Wasnt DocJohn the guy who had been in this busness for 40+, but yet was going to suggest getting that outline redone? Anyway....no petty beefs in here. Like I say, Dana Helmuth is more than qualified to do whatever he feels. Im glad I could be of assistance. BTW, when its done....if you go back and get all the nessacary touchups....its gonna be a real nice tattoo for a long, long time. Congrats on choosing the right guy. peace