Do you need this tattoo to be visible to other people?

When somebody you dearly love dies, you sometimes need to keep a reminder of the nice times you spent with them permanently with you. & nothing is more permanent than a tattoo. Now, before you rush off to get that tattoo, you may need to put a tiny little bit of thought in to it.
Here is list of some questions to start you thinking. You will probably come up with some questions of your own.

• Do you need this tattoo to be visible to other people? For some people, a memorial tattoo is a private & personal thing, not to be shared with other people. In case you put it on your butt, it will certainly be well-hidden. But is this what you need?
• Do you need this tattoo to be visible to yourself? In case you usually wear long-sleeved shirts or sweaters, a discreet tattoo on the inside of your wrist might be nice for you.
• How would you like to keep in mind your beloved? The happy times? Or the mournful times? Or their essential character, for nice or for ill?

Once you reply to the questions above, you can start on your design. However, in case you are not the artistic type, coming up with an appropriate 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 beloved is usually placed within the tombstone design. However, an alternative is to surround their name with an appropriate border, like a border of vines.
• Symbol - in lieu of directly representing your beloved, 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 possibly 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 on their body. Do note that portraits are difficult to do. You will need 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 from a nice photograph. Pick a photograph of your beloved with an expression you need to keep in mind them by.

Do keep in mind that you do not need to do everything by yourself. In case you have a gifted 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 & ask for help in your design.