Okay, so I finally decided to take the plunge and get that GSP tattoo I’ve been thinking about for ages. You know, a German Shorthaired Pointer, because, well, I’m obsessed with my dog, Gunner.
First things first, I spent like, a week just scrolling through Instagram. I was looking at different artists, different styles, everything. I knew I wanted something realistic, but not too realistic, you know? Something with a bit of character.
Finding the Artist
I finally found this artist, Sarah, who had done a bunch of amazing animal portraits. Her line work was super clean, and the shading on some of her pieces was just insane. I messaged her, sent a bunch of pictures of Gunner (probably too many, haha), and we set up a consultation.
The Design Process
- Consultation: We met up at her shop, which was super chill and had a great vibe. We talked about size, placement (I decided on my upper arm), and the overall feel I was going for. I showed her even more pictures of Gunner (seriously, I have a problem).
- Sketching: Sarah took all my rambling and photo spam and somehow turned it into this awesome sketch. She captured Gunner’s goofy grin perfectly. We tweaked a few tiny things, like the angle of his ear, and then it was perfect.
Tattoo Day!
I was so nervous! I’d gotten small tattoos before, but nothing this big or detailed. Sarah was super cool, though. She walked me through everything, showed me the sterilized needles, and made sure I was comfortable.
The actual tattooing process took about four hours, with a couple of short breaks. It wasn’t painful, exactly, more like a… scratchy, burning sensation? The outlining was the most intense, but the shading was actually kind of relaxing. I’m not gonna lie, there were a few moments where I was clenching my teeth, but it was totally worth it.
Aftercare
Sarah gave me super detailed aftercare instructions. I had to keep it wrapped for a few hours, then wash it gently with unscented soap and apply this special tattoo balm. The first few days, it was a little red and swollen, but that’s totally normal. It itched like crazy during the healing process, but I resisted the urge to scratch!
The Result!
It’s been about two weeks now, and it’s almost fully healed. I am absolutely in LOVE with it. It’s even better than I imagined. Sarah totally nailed it. It looks just like my goofy, lovable Gunner, and I can’t stop showing it off. If I ever get to show it, I will.
