tat's the question

September 19, 2014 3:04 PM

I have an idea for a tattoo (my first) that I would kind of like to put somewhere on my leggal region. However, I haven't seen a ton of leg tattoos that looked good to me, so I have some questions about placement.

For Reasons, it would be meaningful, but not essential, to put the tattoo somewhere on one of my legs. I have a number of visual ideas for what I'm trying to go for, but no specific design elements set in stone at all. I've also googlefound a local artist whose style seems to really jibe with what I like, but I kind of wanted to figure out this placement issue before approaching him.

my main concerns are:

--leg tattoos I've seen have tended to strike me much more often as having a "randomly plunked down" look than tattoos in other places. For whatever reason, even when the design is really nice, leg tattoos often look to me like the artist randomly chose the location with a dart. I don't know why; maybe legs have a lot going on anatomically?

--this is kind of dumb, but while I've always had body image issues my legs are the only part of my body that I truly feel are rockin'. I've had random friends compliment me on my calves completely out of the blue on multiple occasions, and my thighs are nice and muscular too (uh maybe I should have posted this anon). I'm kind of nervous to somehow "mar" the only part of my body that I actually like.

I guess I'm looking for two main things:

--relevant advice/anecdotes/ideas/postmortems about getting a tattoo somewhere on the leg region (basically defined as anywhere from waist to ankles).

--links to images of really good tattoos on said leggal region, for drawing inspiration. Note that "traditional" tattoo motifs, both Western-sailor/biker and Japanese-inspired, are strongly not to my personal taste, nor are pop/nerd-culture references or gag tattoos. I particularly like geometric designs, blackwork tattoos, clean lines, limited or carefully-chosen color, etc. I'm also a guy, if it matters.

Thanks a ton!

posted by threeants to Society & Culture (13 answers total)

Your artist, if they are an artist and not a mere needle-wrangler, will design something with your leg shape in mind, and will stamp the outline onto your leg for your approval before proceeding with the permanent part. I have a large leg tattoo and the artist who did mine had a very specific placement in mind when she created the design.

You won't be marring your gorgeous legs at all. My legs are my pride and joy and to volunteer them as a canvas for an amazing artist has been a great experience. (For what it's worth, I'm a woman, so I also contend with weird expectations about having "legs that look good in a classy dress".)

Your ankle may swell. A lot.

Lastly, I can recommend Pinterest for looking at tattoo examples, especially in the genres of art you've mentioned.
posted by theraflu at 3:11 PM on September 19, 2014 [2 favorites]

Data point: I have four tattoos, will have the fifth before the year is out (probably), and I have always let my artist choose the exact placement. All mine are on my arms; I have picked which arm, and approximately where, but left the final and exact placement to them. They have all understood anatomy much better than I do.

We did some fiddling with the stencil when I went in for my appointment before settling on the Perfect Spot for my kestrel, but we had already discussed where it was going to go, and she made the art with that in mind. If you don't feel you can trust your artist to make the piece with a particular placement in mind, then find another artist.
posted by rtha at 3:16 PM on September 19, 2014 [4 favorites]

Dots to Lines is my favorite geometric design tattoo artist bar none, and that page has several examples of art on legs. (NSFW-ish: some photos are of women's chest tattoos.)
posted by dorque at 3:25 PM on September 19, 2014 [5 favorites]

I have a very large piece on my thigh, and I let my artist decide where it should go. I'll be honest, I love that leg more than I ever did pre-tattoo. I'd recommend Pinterest for the easiest picture gathering. I just searched geometric leg tattoo and there were tons of gorgeous pieces.
posted by Nimmie Amee at 3:27 PM on September 19, 2014 [2 favorites]

So I have this tattoo on the back of my legs, to commemorate a long ride. I love love love it; but of course it kind of had to be where it is. My leg are, as yours, the one part of my body that I like. I like them even more now.

Can't really advise on particular tattoos. Get what pleases you! I will note that my artist was great, discussing with me the design of my bike and how to do a single image across both my legs, because he clearly knew much more than me about that issue - rotating them carefully to make sure they lined up properly - he didn't account that I have splayed feet and usually lean (hence the picture being a bit off-kilter), but that's on me and nbd.

Pro-tip: do not get the tattoo after a week of solid biking/running/etc. You will have a sunburn and have conditioned your legs for maximum blood flow. It will be unpleasant.

tattoo looks all patchy because this was like 1 day after getting it!
posted by Lemurrhea at 3:42 PM on September 19, 2014

1) Try a stencil yourself! You can use washable marker and tracing paper (note how you trace it so it doesn't end up backwards.) Just trace your design, wet your leg with a wet wipe, and slap it on. (Note: You can also buy tattoo stencil paper for cheap on Amazon.)

2) Tell your artist about your concerns for placement. They won't tattoo you until you're totally happy and they can place stencils on first to check how the design flows. And yes, your artist is an artist. If they blow you off about your concerns then find someone else.

2) Have you thought about your foot or ankle? (Note: foot hurts like a mofo, ankles not bad but you will get a cankle for a few days.)

3) Links time! (Often NSFW)
http://ink-its-art.tumblr.com/
http://1337tattoos.com/
http://fyeahtattoos.com/

4) Whatever you decide on, wait on it. Place it on your mirror to look at every day. If you still like it, get it. If you're on the fence, don't. Go with your gut about it and don't feel like you HAVE to get it unless it feels right.

5) It has to feel right for you and you need to be proud of it. I've straight up had people say "Why did you get those tattoos when you're so beautiful?" and I can proudly say "Because I think they make me more beautiful." So just be confident in your decision. I cried when I got my first ankle/foot tattoo because it looked so beautiful the way it flowed.

And YES I think foot and ankle tattoos look fine on dudes. (Like)

Source: very tattooed, feet tattooed, tons of plans for tattoos, tattoo obsessed, tattoos fruit as a hobby, lady. Memail me if you want any more tips.
posted by Crystalinne at 4:30 PM on September 19, 2014

My tattoo is on the outside of my right ankle. I wish I had placed it on either inside ankle instead, because then I would be able to see it more.
posted by raisingsand at 4:36 PM on September 19, 2014

Oh and I forgot about Instagram too! Search on Instagram (or Webstagram if you don't have Instagram) and there's TONS of amazing artists and tattoos!!
posted by Crystalinne at 4:36 PM on September 19, 2014

The 'random plunking' can be a factor in the design, not just placement. My sister has two calf tattoos and because they are shaped and sized to her calf they look deliberate in a way that 'round flash stuck on the top of the calf' does not (or 'stuck on the front of the thigh'). I have two thigh tattoos (on the outer thigh) and I think they look quite good because again, they work with the size and shape of my leg and the art.
posted by geek anachronism at 4:43 PM on September 19, 2014

I have this tat of a graphic Queen Anne's Lace. (It's centered on my Achilles' Tendon, I was just twisting my foot to get the pic). I like it there since the shape matches the calf-to-ankle taper, and the stem is reminiscent of a sexy stocking seam.

The stem was pretty painful on the bottom over the tendon, the top wasn't too bad.
posted by Fig at 8:10 PM on September 19, 2014

Response by poster: FOLLOWUP: I got the tattoo on my lower quad just above my knee; it's perfect and I would describe the result as both beautiful and fucking sick; A+++ would get multi-stabbed again; thanks all for your guidance
posted by threeants at 12:07 PM on August 3, 2015 [1 favorite]

Response by poster: should also note re the plunkiness concerns in the OP: my original idea was circle-ish, but I worked with a great tattoo artist (Dave Norton at Pino Brothers in Cambridge, MA if anyone's looking for an artist; highly highly recommend him on all levels based on my experience!) who redesigned it into a more oblong piece that looks perfect for the location.
posted by threeants at 12:12 PM on August 3, 2015 [1 favorite]

Congrats! Pix?
posted by rtha at 7:42 PM on August 3, 2015