The Allure of Mandala Tattoo Designs

Mandalas have long been revered as intricate symbols of spirituality, balance, and harmony. Originating from ancient Hindu and Buddhist traditions, the term “mandala” means “circle” in Sanskrit, but these designs often transcend simple circular patterns to encompass a deeper, universal meaning. In recent years, mandalas have gained immense popularity in the world of tattoo art, captivating individuals with their aesthetic appeal and profound symbolism.

What Makes Mandalas Unique in Tattoo Art?

Mandalas are characterized by their intricate, symmetrical patterns that radiate outward from a central point. This design represents the interconnectedness of life and the universe, making it a perfect choice for those seeking tattoos with deeper significance. Each mandala is unique, often customized to reflect personal beliefs, spiritual journeys, or cultural heritage.

The versatility of mandala tattoo designs is another reason for their popularity. They can be adapted to fit various placements on the body, from small, delicate wrist tattoos to large, elaborate back pieces. Additionally, mandalas pair beautifully with other elements, such as flowers, animals, or geometric shapes, allowing for highly personalized creations.

Symbolism and Meaning Behind Mandala Tattoos

Mandalas hold different meanings depending on cultural and individual perspectives. Traditionally, they symbolize spiritual enlightenment, unity, and wholeness. For many, getting a mandala tattoo serves as a reminder to stay grounded and centered in life. Others may choose these designs for their aesthetic symmetry, which exudes a sense of order and tranquility.

Tips for Choosing the Perfect Mandala Tattoo

1. Research Symbolism: Understand the meaning behind the patterns and how they align with your personal journey.
2. Choose the Right Artist: Look for a tattoo artist skilled in intricate, detailed work to ensure the design’s precision.
3. Consider Placement: Mandalas look stunning on areas like the forearm, thigh, or back, where the design can be fully appreciated.

Incorporating mandalas into tattoo art is more than a trend—it’s a timeless way to express individuality and connect with deeper spiritual meanings. Whether you’re drawn to their beauty or their symbolism, mandalas make a meaningful addition to any tattoo collection.

The artists at Electric Eye Tattoo perform many mandala tattoos and can help you choose the right one for you. Send us a message today!

Amazing New Tattoo Techniques in 2022

Getting tattooed has thankfully become extremely common and lost it’s stigma that only criminals and bikers get them. Personally we have tattooed everyone from police to soccer moms. It is a very personal decision, and it should be. you are marking your body for the rest of your life. Not only have they even become acceptable in business environments, the technology has kept up with the times. New tattoo ideas, styles, and techniques are showing up everywhere, every day. 

Way Better Ink

Have you come accross an old tattoo that probably started off black but now looks green? Well, there are now so many companies producing ink using higher grade ingredients that stand the test of time better and reduce damage to the skin. 

Glow In The Dark Tattoos

Something we used to talk about when we were children, “dude I want a tattoo that glows in the dark!” Well, they don’t ACTUALLY glow in the dark. But there is ink that reacts to UV light. Commonly called Black Light Ink, these tattoos are free of phosphorous and safe for the person receiving the tattoo. 

Disappearing Tattoos

Personally, we have not used diappearing ink, but it exists. This ink is designed to disolve naturally over time. It comes with pro’s and cons. If you dont want to commit to a tattoo forever, you’re in luck. However, there is no guarantee that it will fade evenly and may take several years to completely dissolve. 

Healthy Tattoos

Again, not ink that we have personally used. But certain manufacturers create inks that react for people with diabetes, kidney disease, and other health complications that may affect their healing. These biomarkers should not be used to keep track of things like blood sugar, but they might be helpful to have. 

New Tattoo Ideas

There are so many new styles of tattoos and ways of applying them that you are no longer stuck getting old flash off the walls of your local tattoo shop. 

Watercolor Tattoos

This is common design that has increased in popularity in recent years and the artists who do them have learned to make them seem more like real water color. All colors from neons to pastels now have a place in taking a more traditional piece and turning into a brilliant work of art. 

Dot Work Tattoos

Also called stippling, these tattoos are performed by using different quantities of dots to form the tattoo. They can be done one dot at a time or by using a tehnique called whip shading. 

Whip shading is performed at a much slower speed and with a much smaller liner needle to create depth and dimension when shading your tattoo. It is a very elegant look that works great in pieces like flowers and more delicate designs. 

Which New Tattoo Technique Is Right For You?

Ultimately that is your decision. Consult with a tattoo artist about different things you have in mind and discuss these different styles. You are making a permanent decision to body art and you shouldn’t take is lightly. The artists at Electric Eye Tattoo would love to help you decide on your next piece or your very first piece. So call us or send us a message today. 

Lets Talk Flowers

Oh yes, we know you love your flowers. Flower tattoos are one of the most popular tattoos. Right up there with skulls and scripts. So many people want them, and equally don’t know which flowers they want. Yes, some may have personal and private meanings to you such as a birth flower. But each flower has a different meaning, so let us learn ya something to help you decide which ones you want to get. 

The Rose

One of the most popular flowers in real life, and the most iconic flower tattoo you will see. They are styled in so many ways we could do an article simply about rose tattoos and nothing else. Roses imply desire and passion in life, but different colors have different meanings. 

• Coral Rose – the color of friendship
• White Rose – new beginnings
• Pink Rose – grace and happiness

There are other meanings as well. For instance, a skull with a rose can symbolize death or loss. A dagger with a rose can symbolize a desire for perfection. So you can think about the meaning of each rose before you permanently mark yourself with one. 

The Lotus

A Buddhist symbol of spiritual awakening, the lotus also has deep meanings of fortune and peace. There are different meanings in real life that connotate from where it grows. And as with roses, can have different meanings depending on the color. 

The Orchid

This flower has different meanings in different cultures. An orchid in Japan does not have the same meaning as an orchid in China. The way this flower looks gives meaning to itself. It is frail looking, but does not seem to fall. It is beauty and strength combined. There are several different real life orchids too, so before you get one make sure you know which one you want and the meaning you want it to portray for you. 

The Chrysanthemum

In Japanese culture this flower is very regal, majestic, and powerful. You would notice it as the Imperial Seal of Japan. The name quite literally means “The Golden Flower”. Unlike the rose, it’s colors and pairings have different meanings entirely. Pairing a skull with a chrysanthemum is a symbol of new life and protection. Pair it with a snake and it is a symbol of good health. 

The Cherry Blossom

Also seen in Japanese culture, this delicate little flower means fleeting beauty, as they do not last forever. And that alone does not need a long desciption. It is a very straight forward flower with a straight forward meaning. 

The Sunflower

Sundlowers are beautiful and represent the heavenly body. Dating back to the Inca’s, the sunflower was a symbol of creation. Moreover, it represents beauty, loyalty, and longevity. It’s warmth represets the replenishment brought on by the sun and heat. 

The Lily

This beautiful flower is a perfect representation of long lasting friendships and aprtnerships. Ancient meanings draw back to fertility with the Greek’s, including birth and motherhood. It is the only flower with parallel meanings across every culture. 

Still Not Sure What Flower Tattoo You Want?

That’s OK. You can still stop by the shop and talk with us. We will be happy to design you a flower tattoo in any style you can think of so that you get the exact piece you want. Call or come by Electric Eye Tattoo today and lets get you a whole bouquet!

Preparing For A Tattoo

Proper Tattoo Placement

Ah, the tattoo. Once a sign of rebellion, deviance, and defiance, it is now highly regarded as a form of self expression and memory. In fact, nearly 50% of the population has at least one tattoo. In the last two weeks I alone gave several people their first tattoos. Everyone from kids celebrating their 18th birthdays to 60+ year olds.

That’s a lot of people looking to wear their art and their history on them. So while the excitement to get a tattoo is growing rapidly, tattoo regret is a very real thing. So it is very important that you choose the right place for a tattoo, and there are things to consider when doing so.

Where Do You Have The Space?

Smaller tattoos should generally be put on smaller areas of the body. Think wrist, ankle, behind the ear, etc. It is much easier to place a smaller tattoo than a larger one. And tattoo placement in the right location will save you later when you are planning a larger one.

Fit It To Your Body

Shape is important. Does it flow along your body? If you are wanting to get lines of script, these work great along your forearms, but its not something I would suggest on your shoulder. Round shapes, ovals, etc. work very well on shoulders, chest, and back. Consider whether your piece wraps around or not. Really visualize how this piece is going to look on different parts of your body.

Is It For You?

If people can see your ink, they are going to ask about it. So consider whether or not you want the world to be able to see it. If it is a piece in memory of someone, you’re likely going to want to be able to see it. Stand in front of your mirror and get ideas. Consider how it might affect your job as well. Because even in 2022 your boss might have a stick up their ass about showing tattoos.

How Much Is It Going To Hurt?

Tattoo pain is a necessary evil. There is no escaping it. But some places hurt more than others. So while it may seem like a great idea to get that tattoo you have been wanting to commemorate your trip to the beach, you might find yourself very uncomfortbale in the process. Bonier parts of the body hurt more than fleshier ones, so keep that in mind.

Is It Going To Age Well?

With the growing number of images on Instagram, Google, Pinterest, and other social media platforms, I get a lot of requests for tattoos that either are not possible to execute, or would look like hell in a year. The smaller the tattoo is, the less detail it can have and still look good. The closer lines are together, the more they will blend into each other over time. There is a reason that you see 30 year old Sailor Jerry tattoos that still look fresh. Because they are simple designs that are built to last.

That should not deter you from getting a cooler neo-traditional, new school, or realism design. Just consider how long it will last. If you have the right artist to pull it off, they may be able to help you collaborate on a design that will age well.

We Good Now?

So now that you have all the direction on proper tattoo placement, come see us at Electric Eye Tattoo so we can stick it on you. Send a message, call, or come by the shop for a consultation and we’ll get you on the books.

How To Plan A Sleeve

“Bro, how much for a sleeve?”, “Well, I’m thinkin I wanna get a whole sleeve, ya know?” These and similar questions can be the bane of an artist’s existence. So let me lay some knowledge on you about how to strategically plan a tattoo sleeve. So that you may better understand the commitment, time, and money it is going to take to accomplish. Because if you actually sit and think about it, it can be overwhelming to comprehend. And let’s be honest, most people really don’t know what they want to begin with.

Full Sleeve Or Half Sleeve?

There are two obvious points here.

1. A half sleeve runs either shoulder to elbow, or elbow to wrist.
2. A half sleeve is going to be significantly cheaper than a full sleeve.

What you really need to consider is your budget both time and money, and what your lifestyle will allow. Becuase yes, even now there are employers and family members who will judge you based on your tattoos and whether or not they show. Fucking stupid, I know.

Cohesive Sleeves

A cohesive sleeve is where you have one concept and the entire piece seems to run together as one big tattoo. There is still a lot of planning and design to do, and you are not going to get it all in one day. But it is much different than your other option which is an eclectic sleeve.

Eclectic Sleeves

These sleeve tattoos consist of many different elements that kind of just go where they fit. Now, each piece should be carefully designed and selected for each part of your arm, but it is still going to leave negative space. Negative space are those parts of your arm where there are no tattoos. You can either fill this space with a background design, black it out, or just leave it blank. It is really just up to personal taste. These are nifty looking sleeves and give the aesthetic that you have more tattoos than someone with a cohesive sleeve.

Pick Your Artist

Most people don’t know this, but each artist has different strengths and weaknesses. Not every artist is going to specialize in Japanese, or realism, or new school, or traditional, etc. If you have a particular style of tattoo you like, find an artist that is great in that style. I know you’ve all watched way too many seasons of Ink Master and think everyone can do everything, but that is just not the real world of tattooing.

Schedule A Consultation

Holy hell I can not stress this point enough. DO NOT walk into a tattoo shop and ask how much it is for a sleeve. I will slap the ink right out of you. Violence aside, it really is best to sit down and decide where you want to start. Do you want to start with som smaller designs at your shoulder and work your way down? Are you going full sleeve or want to leave room to if you decide to do more later? Is this going to be one cohesive tattoo or many different ones? What is your budget for this?

These are all important things to consider when you plan a tattoo sleeve. And we would love to discuss them all with you. So drop us a message or come by the shop and lets get to planning!

Most Painful Places To Get Tattooed

Well, we already told you that it hurts to get tattooed. And one of the questions we get asked frequently is, “where does it hurt the most?” To which we often give you a smartass answer and say, “Texas.” However we are going to actually go over some of the most painful places to get tattooed so that you may more carefully think about the placement of your design before you decide to get it. No pain, no gain am I right?

Sternum

Oh yeah, that nice center area of your chest between your neck and abdomen. Its a tender little sucker. While designs here are definitely cool to look at once they are done, they are not for the faint of heart. If you do not have a high pain tolerance, we would recommend you stay away from this area. Granted, this is a very cool spot and trendy for symmetrical designs, you might opt for something smaller here. You’ll experience less discomfort the less time it takes to do the tattoo.

Inner Bicep

This is another touchy spot. From personal experience I can tell you that it’s not the most painful place that I’ve been tattooed, but it is for sure top 10.

Hands

Yeah, hands don’t feel good. There is no muscle tissue and relatively little fat to help ease the pain. The skin on your hands is thinner than in other areas of your body which makes the process more delicate as well. On top of the pain, hand tattoos require special care. When you get around the fingers and edges, you may notice that you lose some of the design. This means coming back for touchups, and hurting all over again.

Ribs

Anyone with a rib tattoo will let you know how much it hurt. Sitting for a long period of time getting a rib tattoo definitely earns you some bragging rights. If you can make it through this, you have the right to show it off to everyone as well like the true badass you are.

Feet

Remember what we said about hands? Well apply that to your feet. Now think about how much harder it is to hold still when that appendage is further away. Feet tattoos hurt. There is just no way around it.

Elbow/Knee Ditch

When we say “ditch” we are referring to the inside area of your elbow or the back of the knee. The skin here is thin and full of nerve endings. Tattooing here requires artists to be careful and take their time as blowouts are easier to come by the thinner the skin is. These areas also tend to swell and may bruise. You will want to apply ice packs and take ibuprofen. But you can learn about that in our aftercare instructions.

Head

First of all, you just have to be a very artistic and interesting person to want to tattoo your head in the first place. Second, Ouch! Head, neck, ears, and face are all areas close to bone, full of nerves, and don’t feel good. But if you are sporting one of these killer head tattoos, congrats. You’re a bad sum’bitch.

Now don’t let this discourage you from getting tattoos all together. Beauty is pain. It is different for tattoo virgins than the rest of us. They don’t have a basis for comparison yet. But hey, if you wanna find out, come see us at Electric Eye Tattoo and we’ll give you the painful art you’re looking for.

 

Good Tattoo Etiquette Is A Thing

 

A guide on good questions to ask and things you just should never say

As tattoo artists, we are accustomed to getting all kinds of questions. Some are really good questions, and we could see why you might ask that. Some questions make us want to slap the taste out of your mouth. But hey, we aren’t here to chastise you right away are we? No, we are here to educate. That way the next time you go into a tattoo studio, you don’t say something, well… stupid.

How Much For A Sleeve?

Man this question just pisses me off. Because this is literally like walking into a car dealership and asking, “How much for a car?” You can see how that is not a good question now, right? It depends on so many different factors. Design, placement, your own pain tolerance, and your budget. An entire sleeve is not something you just walk in and get. It takes several sessions and several hours to complete a beautiful tattoo sleeve. So don’t ask again.

A better alternative would be to look at an artists portfolio, discuss one piece you want to start with and explain that you plan on it being part of a much larger tattoo. Work on a it a little at a time. Yeah, we like that. (See? Good tattoo etiquette.)

I’m Only 17 But My Parents Will Sign A Waiver

Nope. Come back when you’re 18. Sorry kid. It ain’t that far away.

Can I Take Some Shots Or Some Pills For The Pain?

Are you serious right now? First of all, drunk and/or high people are usually pretty annoying in the first place. I know I don’t want to spend hours with the drunk version of you. Also, let’s talk about what that does to your body. Alcohol and certain pain killers thin the blood. This is going to affect your entire tattoo from beginning to end. News flash, tattoos hurt. You don’t need a substance to have the courage to get a tattoo. This is something you develop by getting tattooed.

Now, there are numbing creams out there that you can use to help ease the pain a little bit, especially if you are getting tattooed in a sensitive area. They are usually around 5% lidocaine or benzocaine and will not mess with the surface we will be tattooing on. Use those instead.

What Style Should I Get?

Do I look like a psychic to you? How am I supposed to know what you want? You know what I really hear when you ask me that? That you don’t take getting a tattoo seriously and you should come back when you do. Maybe you are inexperienced, maybe you haven’t done any research, maybe you are a tattoo virgin. All of these things are ok. But we live in an age where you can summon designs and styles at your finger tips. So look some things up, check out some portfolios, and then come back with an idea.

That’s Expensive!

Ok this is not one I personally hear a lot, but it is still common. But hey, how much did you spend at the bar last night? Or at your last dinner? And that was a one time experience. This tattoo is going to be on you forever. And it takes most of us years and years trying to perfect a craft that we never stop learning about because it is just so damn awesome! You are getting a unique, carefully crafted, piece of art that you will wear forever, in a clean and sterile environment by some of the coolest people you will ever meet. It’s worth it. Plus, we aren’t getting a recurring monthly installment from you, geez.

Do You Get It Now?

I could go on and on about good tattoo etiquette, but that is enough for this installment if you made it this far. Wanna book an appointment? Come see us at Electric Eye Tattoo or shoot a message and we’ll be more than happy to get you on the schedule.

Do Tattoos Hurt?

Vegan Tattoos And How To Get Them

There has been an increasing demand for vegan tattoos as of late. With the gaining popularity of vegan and vegetarian diets, people like to stick to their beliefs. Hey, we get it. You want to make sure that your tattoo is free of any animal cruelty, so let’s take a look at how exactly that works. 

What Is The Difference?

Obviously, as the name would suggest, you don’t want any animal products used as part of your tattoo. However the industry as a whole has already moved away from that for the most part. Glycerine, which is derived from from animal fat has been used as a stabilizer. Now tho, vegetable glycerine is much more common. Bone char, traditionally used in black pigments, has been switched to iron oxide. 

Additionally, transfer paper may contain lanolin which is derived from sheep. However most transfer paper now is thermal and certified vegan friendly. Companies like Spirit have guaranteed their products to be vegan friendly and safe. 

How Safe Is It?

Well, we have yet to find any science that backs up the safety of vegan tattoos vs. common tattoos. However, vegan tattoos are safe and are not shown to cause any more or less damage to the skin than traditional tattoos. So while we can say that vegan tattoos are safe and do not contain any harsh chemicals, we can not say that you will heal any faster. 

Where Can You Get More Information?

Just ask your artist what products they use. Any artist should know their products and be able to tell you where they came from and what is in them. There are several other resources online that can provide you more information. We suggest coming into Electric Eye Tattoo on Route 66. Hell, even this article is cruelty free.