{"id":464,"date":"2012-07-19T14:24:30","date_gmt":"2012-07-19T14:24:30","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.thisbloglife.com\/?p=464"},"modified":"2026-01-08T20:11:55","modified_gmt":"2026-01-08T20:11:55","slug":"tattoo-design","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thatkeith.com\/articles\/tattoo-design\/","title":{"rendered":"Tattoo design"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Would I get a tattoo?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

I don\u2019t have a specific thing in mind, but the concept is an interesting one: can I come up with a design that I\u2019d like to apply to my body? Something that I can\u2019t change, at least not at all easily? That\u2019s a tough one… as a designer I\u2019m used to thinking and rethinking graphics, revising things that start to feel tired or dated. For this, I will clearly need to do some careful planning ahead.<\/p>\n\n\n

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The history of tattoos is as strange as it is universal. They have been made in practically every culture around the world; they\u2019re native to almost everywhere, if you go back far enough. Ancient Celts were known to tattoo their faces and bodies, something to do with protection from evil spirits and to help in battles. There are curious parallels between Celtic and Maori body art designs. (And clear differences too, before anyone\u2019s Fortean mystery radar kicks in.) Romans used tattooing for more practical, authoritarian ends, including marking slaves with \u201ctax paid\u201d when exported, and identifying soldiers on the hand to make deserters easier to find.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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