Want design tips about getting a tattoo? Look to super model Heidi Klum to inspire you. She got a love tatt of her husband Seal’s name tattooed on her arm, but even though it was trendy to get at the time she got it, a decade later it will still look cool. How did she decide what to get inked and where? We’ll tell you…
Celebrity tattoos are all the rage in Hollywood, and no celeb has their finger more on the pulse of what is fashionable than Project Runway host Heidi Klum. The mother of four might be getting older, but her love tattoo of her husband Seal‘s name on her arm — like her — will surely age in a way that looks beautiful.
When considering what type of tattoo to get, there are a few things to keep in mind if you want the ink to look just as chic now as it does 10, 20, 30, 40, and 50 years from now. The first consideration is placement. The second consideration is style. The third consideration is theme (meaning, if you have other artwork or plan to have more tattoo work done in years to come that you have to make a decision about your overall appearance goals as a thematic tattoo style).
When considering placement of a tattoo, Heidi Klum chose wisely. Whether she gains weight or not as she ages, the Seal tattoo on her forearm should never stretch in a way that gets stretch marks or would distort the tatt considerably. Because the ink runs up the inside of her forearm, her arm tattoo is also not overwhelmingly obvious. If people don’t know she has it, she can easily hide it or make it less obvious by paying attention to her body posture. She can also cover it with a long sleeve evening gown, sweater, jacket, or blouse should she be attending a function someplace where the tattoo look is out. Heidi took the time to
When choosing the style of a tattoo, obviously the best ones will have personal meaning for you. But aside from what they may (or may not) represent, people who take the time to carefully consider the aesthetic design elements they want included in their tattoo work as well as who does the art always, ALWAYS come out with cooler looking tatts.
When figuring out the style of any tattoo, remembering that you are the person who has to wear the artwork on your skin for all eternity. For that reason alone, never let anyone else select your tattoo for you. While you or well-meaning friends and family might pick out a particular design in a tattoo flash book they think looks cool, getting a tattoo impulsively seldom turns out well. Take the time to draw your concept, then be willing to pay to have a local artist sketch it. Once they do, take the art home and really look at it. Live with the though of it for a while before you do it… and by all means, make sure the design perspectives can be adjusted for your body curves (an art trick good tattoo artists know how to do). Remember, what looks great on paper never looks the same once you apply it to the curves on your body. Make the design style (including color) match your figure and the tone of your skin.
And before you forget… pick a theme. If your favorite tattoos feature a hodgepodge or haphazard look where tattoos are gotten impulsively and placed without a plan, start saving money now because there will (most likely) be a need for some coverup work in your future. A successful tattoo theme might include a full sleeve in black and white or a back piece that is colorful and grows out around a central design. An all-American classic tattoo theme is timeless chic, while an assortment of Asian inspired tattoos look contemporary without ever being dated. If you love cartoons at the age of 18, you might not think that kiddie colored line drawing looks very mature to reveal at that class reunion beach party when you are thirty. Barbwire and tribal arm band tattoo victims all struggle to figure out ways to cover their tatts as well (unless they are proud to be confused with 80s hair band members, strippers, or street walkers). People who tattoo their kids names on themselves never go wrong; tattooing the name or face of a romantic interest who you don’t fully know, love, or trust provides a wonderful excuse to have to stay in that relationship way too wrong. Crappy Chinese character tattoos are always a roll of the dice to get. If you can’t read the language, don’t let someone else who most likely can’t read or write it tattoo the symbol on you.
And don’t think you are safe tattooing a date or some other cute thing on yourself. Eva Longoria tattooed her wedding day roman numerals on the inside of her wrist and then got divorced. Pam Anderson tattooed Tommy (for her husband Tommy Lee) around her wedding ring finger. While Pamela was able to have the words changed from Tommy to Mommy, Eva still has to cover her tattoo up with heavy pancake makeup. Miley Cyrus is guilty of unplanned tattoos looking random. Even Angelina Jolie fell victim to the tattoo cover up trend. And by all means, if you are having some words scrolled on you, make sure they get the spelling right, too. [Hayden Panettiere screwed up her ribcage tattoo with a spelling error. OOPS!]
Bottom line, if you want to get a classy tattoo like the one Heidi Klum got to commemorate her love for her handsome and utterly devoted husband Seal, it is going to take some time to research, plan, and get from a reputable tattoo artist. Or, you could always just run down to the local tattoo parlor, have them scroll on some bad dolphin or cat ankle tattoo, a cheesy arm band, and while you’re there you could have them scroll on some random person’s name (or two).