How to Conceptualize a Tattoo Design: Everything You Need to Know
Choosing a tattoo design has many moving parts to consider that are all interconnected with each other. You can read more about this in our “How to Start Your Tattoo Journey” blog. In this article we will try to make the process as easy and fun as possible.
Do a lot of inner soul searching aka research. I’m not saying that you need to go on a vision quest or give it too much gravitas, but you might want to think about the meaning or purpose the tattoo will serve for you. Trends come and go. Your tastes might change as well. Thinking about your key moments in your life, your interests, your aspirations, sensibilities, etc. is a good first step in designing your custom tattoo.
Again, the journey might start with picking an artist first based on her/his/their style.
Read our blog about choosing a Tattoo Artist
Think outside of the box during your soul searching. Try to draw inspiration from objects, famous people, works of literature, art, films, your hobbies. Go to a museum or a local gallery in hopes of getting inspiration that way. Or you can go personal and get inspired from those you are close to like loved ones to even your pets.
Make sketches or drawings. I know that not everyone is an artist, but it helps to get a sense of how it might look once the concept is actually created and visualized. But thinking like an artist isn’t a bad idea. Start thinking about color palettes or if you want it to be strictly black and grey. You might be more into typography. If you are then looking at different fonts, calligraphy drawings, or even graffiti might be what inspires you. Do you love nature landscape drawings? Are you drawn to animals? Maybe you like photography and portraits? Collect images off the web or take photos with your phone. Instagram and Pinterest are the closest things to having centralized databases of tattoo art, but searching for precisely what you want on these platforms is difficult and clunky.
Tattd has come up with an easier way to get your tattoo design concept and the right artist together. Tattd connects you to tattoo artists in your area who are tailored to your needs.
Through advanced search, personalization, and a database full of the most sought-after artists, Tattd is bringing an ancient industry into the 21st century. Check out the app here.