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From Simple To Intricate, These People Share 40 Interesting First Tattoo Ideas
Interview With ArtistYour first tattoo is just like your first love - it’s either the worst choice of your life or the sweetest thing you could’ve hoped for. Nevertheless, it’s a thing you’ll remember for the rest of your days - one etched into your heart and the other inked onto your skin. But, of course, there’s one difference. If with love, you don’t really get to choose who you fall for, then with a tattoo, it’s always your own decision. So, if you are ready to fall in love with your first tattoo, we’ve gathered a list full of prime choices for your ink.
As a tattooed person myself, I can tell you this much - if you fall for a specific, seemingly meaningless design, the connotation to it will come later on. And vice versa for sure! If you have a meaningful idea but no particular way of expressing it, then give doodling a shot. Or, if you are desperately bad at putting your thoughts into shapes and lines, then talk to your tattoo artist, and you’ll come up with a tattoo design together. Either way, some of the ink examples that we’ve featured below might catch your eye, and then you can put your meaning or your drawing ideas into the composition to make it your own.
To make sure that your first tattoo is a happy kind of love, not only have we gathered design suggestions for you to choose from, but we have also talked to Nicoletta Trifiro. She’s a professional tattooist whose works reflect the old-school tattoo style, based in London and Italy. You can see her gorgeous works on her Instagram page, and maybe she’ll be the one that’ll give you your first ink. See what kind of advice she gave to tattoo first-timers below!
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Man Tattooed His Daughter’s Last Drawing Before She Passed Away
Tattooed Some New Brows On A Client With Alopecia
Spilled Coffee
To make your decision about whether your first tattoo should be a meaningful one or just a cute design, we’ve asked Nicoletta’s opinion on the matter. She told us that, “Usually, on the first tattoo, it is much more common to get a meaningful one - something for yourself or to be done together with friends or family. But this trend is changing quickly, and I have tattooed many people for the first one with something they just like because they like my work.” She also added that “I guess nowadays people are much more informed and passionate about the tattoo industry than before.” I think that it’s the internet to be thankful for that - whole lotta articles and ideas to read and to choose from!
Paper Plane
Tattoo Under UV
Some Patchwork
Nicoletta has also confirmed our guess about the designs people choose most often for their first ink. And no, it isn’t usually a dragon covering half of your body or your ex’s name on your chest, but rather “little symbols or a quote”. Nothing that requires a considerable commitment, but rather some cherished memorabilia or daily inspiration.
Finally Got The Tattoo I’ve Always Wanted!
Decided To Get My First Tattoo On My 23rd! Thanks Ty! (Kindhand Tattoo/Menomonie)
First Tattoo! Clarinet Designed By My Father And Done By Pascal Guimond At Sinister Skin In Port Moody BC
Purely out of curiosity, we asked about Nicoletta’s, as a professional tattoo artist, pet peeves from a tattoo design perspective, to which she replied, “I normally refuse to ink something downloaded from the internet, which is some other artist’s work.” But what to do if you’ve already fallen in love with the design? Well, then Nicoletta advises to “modify it to make it custom and unique.” See, there’s always a way! Besides feeling strongly about stuff downloaded from the internet, she refuses to ink something even remotely suggestive or related to disrespectful ideologies.
Blue Birds
Teach A Man To Fish... Then Tattoo His Leg
Dinosaur Family
Lastly, she kindly shared her advice to every tattoo first-timer and emphasized the importance of talking to your tattoo artist before actually going under the needle. “Ask as many questions as you need to make you feel confident about it and comfortable with the process - there are no stupid questions or requests.” She also added that she’s always open to listening to people’s stories, which helps give sense to a tattoo design that’s being created. So there you have it - trust in your chosen tattooist, don’t forget to speak to them openly about your wishes, and you’ll be fine!
Thank you, Nicoletta, for sharing your insights with us, and if you’ve missed it before - here’s her Instagram profile and her stunning tattoo designs! Oh, and best of luck in this year’s The Great British Tattoo Show!
Siblings Tattoo
Scar Cover-Up
An Elephant
A Minimalist Bracelet
My First Major Tattoo! It’s My Pup Bentley, Who Has Been The Best Part Of My Life. By Brandon Thurston At Bloodmoon Gallery, NC
Studio Ghibli
Small Branch
Vines
A Collar Bone Snake
A Hedgehog
A Small Painting. Les Coquelicots (Monet) By La Fragile At White Whale Tattoo Society (Padua, Italy)
Calvin And Hobbes
Autumn Leaves
Love Yourself
A Galaxy
My Latest Tattoo, Winnie The Pooh And Friends By Ashley June At 522 Tattoo Just North Of Seattle
The Simpsons
A Seal
A Snowflake
Tiny Book
Pine Trees
A Dragonfly
My First Tattoo Had To Be A Sentimental One, My Moms Favorite Saying To Me In Her Hand Writing! Done By Elekktra At Beneath The Surface In Las Vegas, Nevada
Flower Ring
Got My Very First Star Wars Tattoo. One Of The Most Memorable Scenes
My First Tattoo. Creation Of Adam
A Rabbit
Scar Coverup
It’s not really a scar cover up but more like a scar transformation 😃
Cherry Blossoms
Love For Travel
A Dandelion
Quote From Your Favorite Character
A Sloth
A Poppy
Pixel Art
An Equation
A Fish
My First Tattoo
Your Favorite Pokemon!
A Bracelet
Northern Lights
A Violin
The Last Airbender. Thought You Guys Might Like My New Tattoo
Our Little Sock Thief, Done By Mr. Heggie At Deadslowco, Brighton
Abstract Art
Minimalist Flowers
The Moon
Moth Design
A Black Lotus
A Small Whale
This is amazingly adorable! Also...Hitchhikers Guide vibes anyone? Lol
Notes Of A Song
Maple Leaf
Atom Tattoo
Monkey D. Luffy
Minimalist Nature (My First Tattoo)
The Starry Night
My Shoulder Kronks By Peter Ferguson At Funhouse Tattoo (Vancouver, B.C.)
A Slice Of Pizza
First Tattoo Finally. Odin And His Two Ravens. By Merv Heiner
Smoke
Paw Prints
Combination Of Styles
A Lemon Branch
A Bouque
Your Favorite Dessert
Tripping Tattoo
Bert And Ernie
Cheetah, Inspired By Untamed By Glennon Doyle, Ink By Danny Pennie Of Ink & Anvil, Cambridge, On
Got My First Tattoo This Week, A Simple Reminder That Means A Lot To Me
Your Favorite Tweet
Crystal Moon
City Skyline
Waves
Smiley Face
Paper Plane Foot Tattoo
Wedding Rings
An Airplane
Soundwave
A Panda
Sunflower Tattoo By Dawn At Sweet Needles Tattoo In SLC, UT!
The Ying Yang
Magnolia
A Semicolon
Smile
Feather
A Clock
Your Cats
My First Time Getting A Tattoo, A Cowboy Cactus. Done By Mike Stout At Top Boy Tattoo, Brighton
Tiny Cat
Two Faces
My Dad Hates My Tattoos
A Rose
Stylized Portrait Of My Dog. First Tattoo By Vanessa Monday Of White Rabbit In NYC
A Willow Tree
I Went On A Date Today, He Proudly Showed Me This Tattoo
A Diamond Heart
Stars And A Planet
An Elephant
Mercury’s Wings (Talaria) By Barış At Barış Polat Tattoo Studio In Ankara, Turkey
Coordinates
Planets
Nautilus
The Avengers
An Astronaut. Tattoo By Miles Kanne, At Tech Noir In Victoria, Bc.
Aku Aku. My First Tattoo. Done By The Talented Gabbievasquez At Rocknrolltattoo Glasgow, Scotland
A Red Balloon
A Jellyfish
A Rubiks Cube
Smiley
Arrows
A Trident
Owl
A Ghost
A Cactus
A Pair Of Glasses
Orchids
Your Own Zodiac Sign
The Infinity Symbol
A Seashell
A Heartbeat
A Manga Panel
Stars
A Heart
A Sailboat
A Coffee Cup
My Freshly Poked Shards Of Narsil Tattoo
A Gramophone
A Staircase
Hello Kitty
Golden Gate Bridge
Knitting Tattoo
A Turtle
Drawing Compass
Palm Tree
A Starfish
Chemical Formulas
A Favorite Number
I have to bring back an old joke: Whats nine plus ten?
Lion
A Butterfly
A Crown
A Birth Year
A Sand Clock
Chef's Knife
Geometry In Nature By Kenny Belling @ Chapter One Tattoo, San Diego
The Circle Of Fifths
Thunder
Succulents
Mountain Range
A Lighthouse
The Deathly Hallows
YES!! I’m so doing this one day! The Deathly Hallows is cool
Bone Anatomy
Eye Of The Pyramid
Pair Of Dice
Off-Duty Grim Reaper
The Roman Numerals
Game Of Thrones House Crest
Runners High
Something Spicy
Red Lambda
A Brain
Horseshoe
Galaxy In A Skull Done By Carson Ellen At Blue Horseshoe In VA Beach
Lock & Key
La La Land
The Velvet Underground Banana
Mom
Dad
Shoe Laces
Anime Eyes
Symmetrical Tattoo
A Merry-Go-Round
We Can Do It!
My Husband’s Newest Tattoo
A Matching Or Aligning Tattoo
I found the scrapbook my late mom gave me, and I’m getting a tattoo of the inscription in her handwriting: “Enjoy the memories. I love you, Mom.”
im getting this smile ona hidden part of my body whe i get older: :]
I found the scrapbook my late mom gave me, and I’m getting a tattoo of the inscription in her handwriting: “Enjoy the memories. I love you, Mom.”
im getting this smile ona hidden part of my body whe i get older: :]