My Tattoo Tour

Hello everyone! This is the last post I'll be squeezing in before heading off to Portugal on Wednesday, and it's actually one I've been meaning to do for a while. I got my first tattoo at 18, and 8 years later my body is starting to fill up with a pieces of 'artwork' that I've collected from around 10 different tattoo artists so far. I thought I'd share some photos and who I got the tattoos from, along with a few questions I commonly get asked. It was so hard to photograph every single one of these individually without it being a total photo spam, and I hope I haven't missed any out! I was initially planning on posting them in chronological order, but that's too much of a maze for me to get my head around haha. So we shall start from the feet and work our way up.

Anchor and diamond done at Hepcat Tattoo - when I was 20 and can't even remember the name of the guy who did them. Off to a great start!

Lighthouse and ship by Stephen Kelly at Forevermore Tattoo Parlour, Glasgow

Bees by Billy Hay at Bath Street Tattoo Collective, Glasgow

Dexter by Danielle Rose (currently travelling)

 Tin Man by Neil Dransfield at Oddfellows Tattoo Collective, Leeds.

Pocket watch and lillies by Stephen Kelly at Forevermore Tattoo Parlour, Glasgow

Hot air balloon by Rizza Boo at Bath Street Tattoo Collective, Glasgow

I am in no way an expert when it comes to tattoos, I've made my fair share of mistakes! A big question I get asked is do I regret any of them, and the answer is no. A couple I regret from being young and not researching the artist properly first, then being a bit disappointed in the quality of their work (with their hands not being as steady on those fine lines as I hoped they would) but I never regret the actual content of the tattoo its self. Another question I often get asked is 'what does that symbolise?' and for me, each tattoo reminds me of a time in my life - representing a person, place, or time that I've wanted to document along the way. Each one tells a story for me, and sometimes that story is as simple as I have a jammy dodger biscuit tattooed on my arm because I REALLY love biscuits. Deep, huh? But it still means a lot to me. For this reason I'd be respectful and hesitant in asking someone what their tattoo means, especially if you don't really know them. It's perhaps similar to asking someone how they got a certain scar. You're asking a deeply personal question and unless you know that individual really well, they might feel very uncomfortable and awkward in giving you the answer.

Swallows by Stephen Kelly at Forevermore Tattoo Parlour, Glasgow

Teapot & cup, and lifebuoy by Stephen Kelly at Forevermore Tattoo Parlour, Glasgow

Umbrella & thunder by Billy Hay at Bath Street Tattoo Collective, Glasgow

Balloon animal, match and wishbone by Darryl Mullen at Irezumi Tattoo, Glasgow 

Horse shoe by Ria Barrenechea at Forevermore Tattoo Parlour, Glasgow

Lucky cat By Rachel Baldwin at Bold As Brass, Liverpool

Tropical heart and Totoro by Darryl Mullen at Irezumi Tattoo, Glasgow

Lady hand by Billy Hay at Bath Street Tattoo Collective, Glasgow

Origami crane by Harry Morgan (currently travelling)

Bubble butt by Darryl Mullen at Irezumi Tattoo, Glasgow

Mermaid theme half sleeve and motorbike by Stephen Kelly at Forevermore Tattoo Parlour, Glasgow

Death Before Decaf by Keely Rutherford at Jolie Rouge, London

Treehouse by Darryl Mullen at Irezumi Tattoo, Glasgow

Loveheart locket and key by Laura Kennedy at Timeless Tattoo, Glasgow (my first tattoo!)

Scissors by Stephen Kelly at Forevermore Tattoo Parlour, Glasgow

Some other common questions I get asked about my tattoos are how many do you have, how much money have you spent on them, and were they sore? The answer to that is I have no idea, I have no idea, and yes they hurt! But I am a massive wimp when it comes to pain, so if I can sit through all of these tattoos... then anyone can. I'd actually rather get tattooed over pierced any day! I'd also rather get tattooed than have a jag at the dentists. Told you, I'm a big wimp. Most of the tattoo artists I have been to charge an average of £85 per hour, with most sittings for each tattoo lasting anywhere between 2-5 hours. I haven't attempted to add all of mine up yet and I don't think I will. A good tattoo ain't cheap, and a cheap tattoo ain't good. If I can give one piece of advice, it would be to really research your artist before you go under the needle. If their price is cheap and too good to be true, then it probably is! Home tattooing is also a big no no. There is so much to be taken into consideration in terms of hygiene, and a tattoo studio is the only place that you should be going for a tattoo. That's not me trying to preach or being a tattoo snob - it's just common sense, and you are putting yourself at risk of hepatitis B, hepatitis C and HIV by getting tattooed in someones home.

I was asked a couple of questions on twitter too, mostly about where I get my ideas from and how I decide to put what where, so that they all look cohesive together. Honest answer? I make this up as I go along! Placement on my legs and body are the easiest, as there's so much space so I can spread them out as I fancy. My arms however, have become a bit of a puzzle piece. I didn't start tattooing them with having two full sleeves in mind, so it's really just a case of filling up the gaps, and relying on the artists advice on wether my ideas would work in each space. I have two spaces left on one of my arm, so at this point the size and shape of the space will partially dictate what goes in there. Hoping to fill these gaps when I come back from holiday! Which brings me onto another question I was asked about long term aftercare. It's just a case of looking after your skin in general and keeping it nice and moisturised. Avoiding too much sun exposure and using a higher factor on your tattoos is also a good idea, as the sun can fade them over time. I learned this the hard way after being somewhat addicted to sunbeds in my late teens, so I ended up getting the swallows on my chest touched up at 22 because the red had faded so much.

Once my arm is completely full, I'm not quite sure what my future plans are for other tattoos. I gather ideas along the way which as I mentioned before, are inspired by people, places, life events... and any other things I stumble across that ignite the fire in my belly enough to make me want to put a mark on my body for life. I follow a lot of artists on instagram who's work I admire and that I would love to get tattooed by one day. So if I had an idea for a tattoo and I thought that their style/work would be the best for what I had in mind, that's when I would get in touch with them and see about booking in. I love chatting about tattoos and discovering new artists, so if you ever want to blether then just drop me a message on twitter or instagram (@hellorogue) or leave a comment below and I'll get back to you.

I understand that tattoos aren't for everyone. Some people like to admire from a far and others are waiting to feel truly inspired about an idea before they take the plunge. How do you feel about tattoos? I hope you enjoyed my tattoo story, and as always I would love to hear yours.