Life
11 Played Out Tattoos That Tattoo Artists Are Sick Of Drawing
I've always loved tattoos and, as a child, spent days thinking about what my first piece of ink would be. After that happened at the age of 24, I went back to the parlor for two more. But as I get older (and hopefully a little wiser), I can't help but wonder if the peace tattoo on my wrist or the script on my ribs are overplayed, tired tattoos that my tattoo artist secretly didn't want to be doing. This made me wonder what played out tattoos are tattoo artists are sick of drawing.
To find an answer, Romper spoke with the experts: Savannah Leslie of Needful Things, Inc. in Fort Myers, Florida; Amy Pruss of the Showroom Tattoo Parlour in Las Vegas, Nevada; Nicolle LaRhette of Capital City Tattoo in Concord, New Hampshire; and Howie Abrams, a former manager at Brooklyn Made Tattoo in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn. They spoke with Romper about their favorite types of tattoos (nostalgia is big with millennials, Leslie says) and new trends (younger women getting finger and hand tattoos, Pruss says). They also talked about the tattoos they'd rather not draw again.
If you're considering another piece of ink, think hard about what will best fit your personality, wants, and needs. And maybe think again if it appears on this list of tattoos that tattoo artists are actually sick of drawing.
1
Significant Other's Name
"People getting their significant others names on them is the one thing I really don't like doing," Pruss says. "I've had several people cover up a name and ask to get another name at the same time. I even had one where I covered up a name, she added a new name, and came back a year later to get that covered. When that was covered, [she] asked to add another name. I refused to do it because there would have been no more room to cover that one."
2
Watercolor Tattoos
"I do a lot of the same style, like watercolor tattoos," Pruss says. She suggests looking into new images and color combos to keep this concept fresh for your artist.
3
Flowers
"I do a lot of flower tattoos," Pruss says. "But they can be done so many different ways and there's so many different flowers I never really get tired of it."
4
Under-The-Bra Positioning
"Anyone and everyone gets these," Leslie says, "But most commonly you'll find older teens and young 20-somethings with the font lines under their bra or on their hip."
5
"Meaningful" Script Phrases
"The body isn't a piece of paper [and] I'm not a typewriter." Leslie says. "Your body has beautiful curves, edges, bends, and structure — all the things a piece of paper is lacking. You can have the most beautiful script on a piece of paper and it is your eye's main focus. With a tattoo, you're stamping type font onto a less than flat, less than straight canvas."
6
Small & Whimsical
"As trends change, you'll see women getting the daintiest, tiniest, most feminine ideas possible at the time," Leslie says. "Younger girls love simple, minuscule flowers and very whimsical, single line phrases and words of empowerment."
7
Infinity Signs
"I'm definitely sick of infinity symbols," LaRhette says. "I have currently done over 200 thus far in my career, so just imagine how many other people have that same exact typical Pinterest tattoo."
8
Feather-Themed Tattoos
"I would have to say the most common tattoos that women get would definitely be dandelions with the seeds flying off turning into feathers and feathers turning into little birds flying off," LaRhette says.
9
Cover-Ups Of Ex's Names
"[It] always amazes me how many names of ex-wives, husbands, girlfriends, and boyfriends need to be covered," Abrams says. "Those clients tend to be pretty desperate, and want you to help erase a (less than positive) period in their life. You need to be more sure when etching a mate's name into your skin, because the regret can be tremendous."
10
Religious Symbols
According to Abrams, these are some of the most common tattoos that both men and women ask for.
11
Dream Catchers
"As artists we sometimes joke that we are 'sold out' of these designs, simply because they are all too common, leaving the client with an unoriginal design that eight million other people already have," LaRhette says. "It can definitely be disappointing to see people pulling a tattoo directly off Pinterest and insisting on getting that exact tattoo done."