Alright, let me walk you through how I ended up getting this Bray Wyatt tattoo. It wasn’t something I decided on overnight, you know. His whole vibe, the storytelling, it just hit different. Especially after he passed, man, it felt like something I wanted to carry with me, a sort of tribute I guess.
Figuring Out the Design
So, the first step was figuring out what exactly I wanted. Bray had so many cool looks and symbols. I spent a good bit of time just thinking about it.
- The Lantern: Classic, right? That creepy entrance in the dark. Definitely considered this.
- The Fiend’s Mask: Super iconic, really detailed. Looked awesome but maybe too intense for what I wanted day-to-day?
- Maybe a Quote?: He had some killer lines. “Follow the buzzards,” “Let Me In,” stuff like that.
- That Moth Logo Thing: The one from his later run, kinda mysterious.
I scrolled through a bunch of images online, just gathering ideas, seeing what other people had done, what felt right. Didn’t want a straight-up portrait, felt kinda weird for me. I kept coming back to the lantern, but wanted something… more. I landed on a mix, incorporating the lantern with maybe some abstract spooky elements, something that captured his general aura without being too literal.
Finding Someone to Do It
Next up, finding the right artist. This part’s important. You don’t want just anyone jabbing you with a needle, especially for something meaningful. I asked a couple buddies who had ink I liked. Looked up some local shops, flipped through their artists’ books – you know, the actual physical ones sometimes, and sometimes just looking at their work they post up. I needed someone who could handle darker themes, maybe some good linework but also shading that felt kinda eerie. Took me a couple of weeks, but I found this guy whose style just clicked. Felt right for a Bray piece.
I went in for a chat. Showed him my rough ideas, the pictures I’d saved. We talked it through. He got what I was going for, sketched something up combining the lantern with some smoke and that moth imagery subtly worked in. It looked killer on paper. We booked the appointment.
Getting the Ink Done
The day finally came. Walked into the shop, usual buzz of machines in the background. We confirmed the final design and placement – went for the forearm, felt like a good spot. He put the stencil on, had me check it in the mirror about five times to make sure it was perfect.
Then, the main event. That buzzing sound started up. Honestly, it wasn’t too bad. Some spots pinched more than others, closer to the bone or whatever, but mostly just felt like a constant vibration, like an electric scratch. We chatted a bit during the process, listened to some music. Took a few hours, maybe three or four? Lost track of time a bit. Focused on just getting through it. He wiped it down constantly, switching needles for lines and shading. The detail started coming together.
The Finished Piece
And then, he was done. Wiped it clean one last time. Held up the mirror. Man, it looked awesome. Better than the sketch. The shading gave it that spooky depth I wanted. The lantern looked solid, the moth hints were there. It just felt right. Captured the essence, you know?
He wrapped it up tight, gave me the whole spiel on cleaning it, putting the goo on it, keeping it out of the sun. Followed those instructions like gospel for the next couple of weeks. It itched like crazy while healing, but that’s normal. Now it’s all settled in, part of me. Every time I look at it, it’s a good reminder. A nod to one of the greats. Yeah, really happy with how this whole thing turned out.
