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Gallery Themes : Skin:tattoo

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navigation symbol Skin: tattoo
navigation symbol What is it like being a tattoo artist?
navigation symbol Who gets tattooed and who doesn't?
navigation symbol Can you describe doing Bryn's tattoo?
navigation symbol How does it feel to be tattooed?
navigation symbol How did you decide on this tattoo?
navigation symbol Can you describe your finished tattoo?
navigation symbol Find out more about the skin:tattoo project
 
 
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  How does it feel to be tattooed?

Bryn in the studio
© Christian de Sousa 2000
How does it feel to be tattoed? graphic
Listen to Bryn's recording

"The actual feeling to start off with, I think as soon as the gun starts there's an initial (sharp gasp). It's the sound of the gun initially and it's sort of like "oh, this is gonna hurt". With all my tattoos, the initial touch of the skin, I know that I do flinch, it's sort of like "woah".

After the tattoo's done there's a buzz, it leaves me with a buzz that I've achieved it, you know. I achieved that, I got through it. It's like not giving in and thinking "no, I've got to ask him to stop because it's too painful".

Every tattoo I've got does mean something to me. Many times I actually sit and look at my tattoos and I go back to the time when I had the tattoo done and it brings back memories of what I was doing at that point in my life and why I had them done. It's like a living diary you know. I can't lose it, its there. It's me.

It's not like a piercing, a piercing you can take out, piercings close up. Tattoos, they're there, you know, they're not easy to get rid of - and if you do want to get rid of them it costs you a lot of money.

A lot of people will look at somebody if they've got a lot of tattoos, they will look and think "Oh no, stay away from him - he could be trouble, he could be a hard lad, into fighting", or whatever. But they don't actually know what you are underneath, they don't know the reasons for why you're tattooed."

Bryn How does it feel to be tattoed?
Listen to Bryn's recording (we apologise - this link is not yet in place)
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