I've often turned up a nose at the current trend towards tattoos, mainly because the majority of them are so horribly BAD. Hamhanded ink by tattooists who can't use a line finer than 1/8 inch. Cliches like tribals (unless you're of Maori ancestry, of course), script lettering on the torso that looks like poetic grocery lists (for some reason, quite popular for young women right now) etc. Basically, if it's up on the tattoo parlor's example wall, it's probably not a bad idea to stop and think first.
And for Dog's Sake, if you have any text in a tattoo, RUN SPELL CHECK FIRST.
Having said that, there's some really awesome tattooing out there, IF you take the time to find a tattooist who really knows their craft and if you choose art that is exceptional and unique.
One thing art-wise that I've always admired is the Pre-Raphaelites. Basically, post-Romantic visual arts from the late 19th century. Especially the use of vine and tree motifs. I've seen tattoos using the same motifs that are quite beautiful (including on some folks here in the fora, if memory serves). I have several illustrated vintage books from that era with lots of that kind of imagery, and I used a lot of that as a basis for jewelry-making when I was into that about 20 or so years ago.
Basically, don't restrict yourself to just looking at "tattoo art" to decide what you want. Expand your search, and you can come up with something truly distinctive.
