Okay, so I’d been kicking around the idea of getting some new ink for a while. Landed on something related to Pisces – yeah, I’m a Pisces guy, born late February. Always felt a connection to the whole water, fish, duality thing, you know? Seemed like a good fit for me.
Finding the Right Vibe
First thing, I started looking around for ideas. Didn’t want just any generic fish slapped on me. Spent a good few evenings just scrolling through images online, trying to see what other people had done. Lots of cool stuff, lots of stuff that wasn’t really my style. Saw tons of the classic two fish swimming in opposite directions, some more abstract water stuff, some constellation designs. I saved a bunch of pictures that kinda caught my eye, just to get a feel for what I liked.
I wasn’t looking for anything huge or overly complicated. Something kinda subtle but still clearly ‘Pisces’. The placement was rattling around in my head too – maybe forearm, maybe shoulder blade? Decided forearm felt right, something I could see easily.
Picking the Artist
Next step was finding someone to actually do the work. This part’s important, you don’t want to mess it up. I asked a couple of mates who had decent tattoos where they went. Got a name or two. Then I actually went down to a couple of local tattoo shops. Walked in, checked out the vibe, looked through their artist portfolios. You can tell a lot just by looking at their previous work.
Found this one place that felt pretty chill. Looked through one artist’s book – let’s call him Dave. His line work looked clean, and he had some pieces with water elements that looked pretty good. Decided he was probably the guy. Booked a consultation.
Getting the Design Down
Went in for the chat with Dave. Brought the handful of images I’d saved. Tried explaining what I was after – “Something Pisces, you know? The two fish maybe, but not too cliché? Kinda fluid, watery feel?” It felt a bit vague saying it out loud, but he got it. He wasn’t fazed.
He grabbed his tablet and started sketching right there. We bounced a few ideas back and forth. He tweaked the fish shapes, played with the flow of the water around them. Took maybe 20 minutes? Ended up with a design I really liked. It captured that duality thing, the movement, without being over the top. We figured out the exact size and placement on my forearm. Paid the deposit and booked the actual tattoo appointment.
The Session Itself
Appointment day rolled around. Honestly, wasn’t too nervous, I’ve got other tattoos. Went in, Dave was ready to go. He prepped the area, put the stencil on my arm. Showed me in the mirror, asked if the placement was spot on. Gave him the thumbs up.
Then it was just settling into the chair and letting him do his thing. The buzz of the machine started up. Yeah, it stings a bit, especially on the forearm, but it’s not unbearable. Just gotta breathe through it. We chatted a bit during the session, mostly just regular talk. Took maybe an hour and a half, two hours? Not too long for the size.
He finished up, cleaned it off. Let me have a look. Looked sharp. Exactly what we’d sketched out.
Healing It Up
He wrapped it up nice and tight, gave me the whole aftercare spiel – keep it clean, use the specific ointment he recommended, don’t soak it, don’t pick at it. Standard stuff. Went home and just followed the instructions.
- Washed it gently a couple of times a day.
- Applied that ointment really thin.
- Tried my best not to scratch when it started itching like mad (that’s the worst part).
Took maybe two weeks to fully heal up on the surface, stopped peeling and all that. Kept putting lotion on it after that just to keep the skin happy.
All Done
So yeah, that was the process. Now it’s all settled in, looks good. It feels right, having that Pisces symbol there. It’s a solid reminder of that side of myself, I guess. Turned out exactly how I pictured it, maybe even a bit better. Just part of the collection now, part of me. Pretty happy with the whole experience, honestly.
