Memorial tattoos are something that many of us have thought about getting. Whether it’s a friend, family member, or beloved pet, they hold a special place in our heart. Tattoos are an easy way to give us visual daily reminders of them and in a way give them a bit of immortality through the art created with them in mind.
We all know that Pinterest and Instagram are full of ideas for memorial tattoos, but what makes the perfect tattoo that’s going to accomplish what you are going for and look good? Well we have a few important things to keep in mind while planning your memorial tattoos. Whether you’re looking to get a hunting memorial tattoo or a dog memorial tattoo, these tips can be applied to just about anything you are considering doing.
Tattoos to Capture the Memory of the Ones We Love
There are a few different tattoos that are not the best for memorial tattoos even though they may seem like a good idea at the moment. Portrait tattoos in a way can be a way to capture an image of someone you loved forever. However, the thing to keep in mind with them is the fact that the person you are getting a portrait of lived a lot of life. A portrait only captures one moment of all the years and lives they lived.
It’s kind of like saying you love a musician and all of their work, but only ever listening to one song for the rest of your life. Let the image you pick speak. Choose something that is going to tell a story. Many hunting memorial tattoos are of the animal they sought most often or a favorite firearm and a scene that reminds them of the place they went the most often. It tells a story of multiple memories of your time together.
Portrait tattoos are also notoriously hard to do. It’s far more common to see a healed portrait that no longer looks like what the original photo reference was. Unless you find an artist that specializes in portraits and has officially mastered the skill, the risk of having a wonky tattoo is higher. You’ll have to put in an extra effort in researching the artist before getting a portrait. If you are dead-set on getting a portrait, you’ll most likely need to be willing to travel to find a good artist. They should also only really be done in black and gray scales for the best results.
Some of the best memorial tattoos are images of something with meaning. A bird or flowers for memorial tattoos for grandma. A truck or classic car that you helped build or maintain for father memorial tattoos. Rather than getting just a simple memorial paw print tattoo from clip art, get an ink copy of your pet’s real paw, a special marking that they had, or something specific to your pet. What matters the most is that it is something that brings back good memories and reminds you of your favorite characteristics of the loved-one you are trying to commemorate.
Memorial Tattoos Don’t Have to be Names and Numbers
As tattoo artists, we see all kinds of different memorial ideas come through our shop on the daily. There are endless ways to remember someone. The most typical things we end up seeing are dates and names. However, the loved-one you are remembering was a unique being, so why not think outside the box to fully capture what you loved about them?
If you are really drawn to Roman numerals, dates, or names, consider adding something to it that is going to pay homage to the one you're doing it for. Birth flowers and birthstones are great to add to birth dates. Think of it more as remembering their lives rather than remembering their death.
One of our favorite memorial tattoos is when a client brings in a birthday card or handwritten note to get the handwriting of the person in remembrance tattooed. These are the most unique and are such a meaningful design to have. It was their actual handwriting in a message to you. You can’t get much more heartfelt than that.
Script for Memorial Tattoos
If you are leaning towards names or numbers, script tattoos are a great way to accomplish adding beauty with whatever you are having done. If there is a family name that’s been passed down the generations or a nickname that everyone called your loved one, script is the perfect way to embody what it meant and provide an artistic story behind it. There are so many different fonts and versions of script that you can capture just about any personality through it. Beautiful embellished calligraphy, sharp edged lettering like a metal band logo, and cute loopy cursive are just a few options. Here at The Aloha Monkey, we specialize in drawn script and calligraphy.
Book it Out or Walk in on a Whim
Memorial tattoos tend to be ones that people either get on a whim because they were missing someone particularly more that day or plan for months to find just the right idea. Not every shop can accommodate both, but they are out there. Here at The Aloha Monkey, we stick with tradition where walk-ins are always available but if you really want to plan it out in advance, we are more than happy to give you the best fitting experience.
If you are still unsure of what you want or what design is the best for what you are looking to do, you can always speak with one of our experienced artists. We know that these tattoos mean a lot to those that are receiving them, so we can offer ideas and help you along the way.