Why are tattoos tacky

To find out which questionable tattoos are making the rounds at the moment, I thought I'd call the best tattoo artists from all around the UK and Ireland—Dublin, London, Manchester, Swansea, and Glasgow—and ask them what's popular in their area. Tell me about your favorite tattoo. Ryan Sean Kelly: My favorite tattoo was a very simple one. We recently ran an autism awareness day to raise money for Irish Autism Action , a really cool charity over here.

I tattooed a jigsaw piece—the autism emblem—on my sister as my little nephew, who has autism, watched on. He was super excited by the whole event, which was a real thrill for me. What about the worst tattoo you were ever asked to do? This guy who came in and got a collar rocker of the name Vanessa across his chest. About midway through I asked if Vanessa was his girlfriend or his mum, to which he replied it was his ex's name and he was getting it inked in an effort to woo her back.

If I had known I wouldn't have started, and, suffice to say, when I saw the guy about six months later he was still depressingly single. What are you getting a lot of requests for at the moment? People seem to have developed a bit of an obsession with arrows over here at the minute; I'm seeing plenty of them around, and a massive amount of people are asking for them on a weekly basis. Anything else?

Yeah, obviously working in Dublin means we're inundated with requests for shamrocks. I've probably drawn about a million by now. But the people who want them are usually foreign tourists and are always up for a bit of a laugh.

What's the coolest thing you've done lately? Tota Volpe-Landi: This cover-up for a friend of mine. It was dot-work, with masonry and Illuminati symbols and a huge moth in the middle. It was on the top of the arm in black and gray and I'm really into sacred geometry and alchemy, so I loved doing it. It took about seven hours, so a couple of sessions.

And the worst? A woman who wanted a tiny angel with pink wings on the inside of her wrist. So tacky. What are the big tattoo trends in London at the moment? Infinity symbols! Infinity symbols are the new stars. Also, the little arrows, usually on girls, and usually on their ribs. Lots of girls are coming in with a picture of the little arrow they want—always from the same website.

I normally get someone else to do those. I don't mind, but really, if you've got one tattoo that tells the world who you are, do you want an infinity symbol? Most scientists can't grasp the infinite, and the girls who come in to get these tattoos definitely can't. Wait—you don't happen to have an infinity tattoo, do you?

Pocket watches: The most common guy's tattoo pretty much throughout the UK. Photo courtesy of Tota Volpe-Landi. I don't. What sort of girls are getting the infinity tattoos? They come in big groups, all wanting the same thing. I say to them, "Why don't you get something different? What about the boys? A big thing is the pocket watch with two roses on either side. Reefs roaring with life. History, jungle adventure and long walks on the beach. Seven spots for thrill-seekers.

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How concerned are you about the island's tourism industry? You voted:. Very concerned. Somewhat concerned. Not concerned at all. Let's give our veterans more than just gratitude - they need support. Featured Columnists. On with the list:. It will be infinitely cheaper and a whole lot less embarrassing to be seen in public with. If you were to look up from the dictionary, you would probably see some idiot with the name of a child, parent, or significant other permanently branded onto their skin.

This particular form of idiot stamp is extremely common, and I mean that in both senses. The only thing worse than getting the name of a loved one as a tattoo is getting a portrait of their face done. Stop it. The subcultures that should absolutely not be commemorated with ink, however, are those with a five-year lifespan, and the post-screamo Scene Kids of the mids are probably the best example. Scene Kids were not that.

They were a consortium of dudes in their mid-twenties with layered mullets and skinny jeans making terrible synth-rock and metalcore for year-old girls.