Itching to get your next ink but don’t exactly know how to come up with a tattoo idea? Well, here is a tattoo gallery resource with over 30,000 tattoo designs that can help you find the perfect tattoo that suits your preferences.
Where to get ideas for tattoos
Dubbed the top-rated tattoo gallery website by World Tattoo Association, Miami Ink Tattoo Designs offers over 30,000 tattoo designs classified into 60 different categories, including abstract, animal, angel, armband, and Asian tattoos, among many others. The website’s ink collection also includes 165 professional tattoo font styles like Angel Tears, Billy Angel, Black Label, New Rocker, League of Ages, and more.
Accessible on any device, Miami Ink Tattoo Designs allows its members to pin their favorite designs to view later. The website also comes with tattoo designer software, which members can use to see how a tattoo design would look on a certain part of the body.
In addition to tattoo designs and font styles, Miami Ink Tattoo Designs also gives its members access to various tattoo-related videos and features an exclusive tattoo library, where users can buy eBooks and audiobooks about various tattoo topics, including infection prevention and tattoo meanings, among many others.
How to come up with tattoo ideas
Whether you’re a tattoo shop owner, tattoo artist, or a person looking for your first-ever tattoo design, anyone can be a member of Miami Ink Tattoo Designs, which helps its subscribers come up with ink ideas. Monthly membership costs $24.97, but new members are entitled to a $15 discount on their first month.
Members can cancel their membership at any time. However, users who opt to cancel their membership should do so 3-5 days before the renewal date to avoid the subscription from renewing. If you’re not satisfied with your membership, simply contact Miami Ink Tattoo Designs within 30 days for a full refund, no questions asked.
How do I come up with an original tattoo idea?
Coming up with original tattoo ideas is a long creative process that requires a lot of patience. If you’ve been trying to come up with an original meaningful tattoo idea for quite some time now without any success, then this step-by-step guide by Ink-Match – an online database of the best tattoo artists in the United States – may help you.
Step 1: Ask yourself why you want a tattoo
Determine the main reason why you want a tattoo. People have different purposes for getting ink. Whether you are commemorating a special moment, honoring a loved one, or simply want to experience going under the needle, all reasons are valid. Asking yourself why you want to get a tattoo is an excellent place to start your tattoo brainstorming, as your answer will dictate so many factors about your dream original tattoo.
Step 2: Determine which area of skin you want the tattoo
The location of your desired tattoo will affect its size, so it’s important, right on the get-go, to know where you want the tattoo to be put on. There are certain body parts that take ink differently, and as people who already have tattoos know, there are particular body parts that hurt more when being inked on.
Body parts that have more nerve endings may be more painful to tattoo. These include the spine, ribs, fingers, and legs. On the other hand, the least painful body parts to get a tattoo on include the abdomen, forearms, and outer thighs.
Step 3: Make a list of your favorite things
Each of us has favorite quotes, phrases, or song lyrics that have personal meaning to us. Writing them down can help you come up with a great tattoo idea. Aside from texts, you can also save your most-loved images, icons, or symbols, as they can inspire the look and style of your dream tattoo.
Step 4: Look through tattoo portfolios
You can get tattoo inspiration by browsing through a tattoo artist’s previous works. Tattoo artists have different specialties, so looking through their portfolios will help you cement the original tattoo idea you want to pursue.
Step 5: Choose a style
To draw inspiration that is more specific, finalize the style of your original tattoo idea. It’s ideal that you have already decided on the tattoo style you want before coming to a tattoo artist. Since there are a lot of styles to choose from, many people can’t decide on just one style. In such cases, most tattoo artists simply incorporate different tattoo styles into one piece of body art.
The top seven tattoo styles according to Ink-Match are Realism, Japanese, Lettering, Geometric, traditional, watercolor, and New School.
Step 6: Gather some more inspiration
If you’re done with steps 1 to 5, and you still haven’t come up with unique tattoo ideas, don’t stress out. Be patient and gather more inspiration. One great way to do this is to look through different kinds of images on the Internet and save those that you find interesting and appealing on a Pinterest board.
If you prefer a more traditional way, keep a notebook with you and jot down every idea that comes to your mind any time of the day. If you have time, you can also try drawing your own ideas to have a more visual look at how will they come together.
Step 7: Include your personality
A tattoo is a form of self-expression so keep in mind that the various ideas you have for an original ink should be in line with your personality. A permanent tattoo will stay with you for life, so coming up with an original tattoo idea based on your personality will result in a tattoo design that’s unique to you. Do not try to adapt to someone’s wishes, because getting a tattoo that is personal to you increases the chances that you’ll be happy with the tattoo in the long run.
Step 8: Bring it all together
Look through the previous steps again and ultimately decide on what original tattoo idea you want to bring to life with the help of a tattoo artist.