When someone you dearly love dies, you sometimes want to keep a reminder of the good times you spent with them permanently with you. And nothing is more permanent than a tattoo. Now, before you rush off to get that tattoo, you may want to put a little bit of thought into it.Here is list of some questions to start you thinking. You will probably come up with some questions of your own.
* Do you want this tattoo to be visible to other people? For some people, a memorial tattoo is a private and personal thing, not to be shared with other people. If you put it on your butt, it will certainly be well-hidden. But is this what you want?
* Do you need this tattoo to be visible to yourself? If you usually wear long-sleeved shirts or sweaters, a discreet tattoo on the inside of your wrist might be good for you.
* How do you want to remember your loved one? The happy times? Or the sad times? Or just their essential character, for good or for ill?
Once you answer the questions above, you can start on your design. However, if you are not the artistic type, coming up with a suitable tattoo design as a memorial could be an uphill battle. It helps to know what others have done in the same situation. Here are some common motifs:* Tombstone - tombstones, in their various guises, are common in memorial tattoo art
* Name of deceased - the name of your loved one is usually placed withing the tombstone design. However, an alternative is to surround their name with a suitable border, like a border of vines.
* Symbol - instead of directly representing your loved one, you could choose a symbol which best represents them. For example, when you think of them, what comes to mind most readily? A rose? Or maybe a butterfly? Or even a golf club or fishing rod to represent some favourite shared activity or hobby?
* Portrait - some tattoo owners prefer to bear a portrait of their loved one on their body. Do note that portraits are difficult to do. You will want proof that your tattoo artist can manage it. A reasonable alternative might be a caricature. You could ask an artist to draw a caricature of your deceased loved one from a good photo. Pick a photo of your loved one with an expression you want to remember them by.
Do remember that you do not need to do everything by yourself. If you have a talented tattoo artist, then you might get his help to bring your ideas to life. If not, you could join a tattoo forum or membership site and ask for help in your design. ( By Tim Newton )