Can a Tartan be Tattooed Well?

[Riverkilt]

Wondering if anyone's had success with having their tartan tattooed on - or is that just too difficult for the artform?

Not sure that "surface" art could replicate the look of woven cloth. I know the tartan imprints I've seen on t-shirts and logos seem to "lack" something.

If this is more off topic, sorry, happy to have it moved there.

Ron

[MacHummel]

I all depends on the artist that does your work i know my tattooist that does my work is awesome A friend of mine got tattooed his family tartan(Sinclair) as a argyll sock. So it can be done .

[Tattoo Bradley]

Being as fond as I am of my Henderson tartan, I've inquired and investigated on this over the years. To put it simply: no. Of course, ANYTHING can be tattooed. But, the problem is, even if you had some celebrity level super-tattooist do it, it's NOT going to hold up over the years. It's going to smear and look, well, down right awful. The argyll pattern sounds possible, at least more so than actual tartan. But, I really think unless the "sett" or whatever it's referred to when argyll would have to be quite large for it to hold up over time.

Actually Patrick (Burley FIsh) and I had this very discussion while he tattooed me. We both shared similar thoughts on it.

[neo71665]

Not being an artist myself but hanging around parlors and having a real good friend as an tattoo artist we have had the exact same disscussion and came up with the same exact thoughts.

Being as fond as I am of my Henderson tartan, I've inquired and investigated on this over the years. To put it simply: no. Of course, ANYTHING can be tattooed. But, the problem is, even if you had some celebrity level super-tattooist do it, it's NOT going to hold up over the years. It's going to smear and look, well, down right awful. The argyll pattern sounds possible, at least more so than actual tartan. But, I really think unless the "sett" or whatever it's referred to when argyll would have to be quite large for it to hold up over time.

Actually Patrick (Burley FIsh) and I had this very discussion while he tattooed me. We both shared similar thoughts on it.

[Riverkilt]

At my age I'm not much worried about fading...

The tattooed tartan hose idea sure would save some money on kilt hose!

Ron

[Tattoo Bradley]

At my age I'm not much worried about fading...

The tattooed tartan hose idea sure would save some money on kilt hose!

Ron

Well, I guess that's always true. It's not so much "fading" as it's "blurring." But, none-the-less...

I do believe it can look good, just not for more than a few years.

What exactly are you thinking about getting?

[Southern Breeze]

So, are you planning on a permanent kilt? There's a pic somewhere on the forum of a highlander tattoed on a members arm. The tartan on the kilt looks pretty good.