Hello :)
Let's skip the intro today and get right into the post. So, you know how I'm obsessed with Avenged Sevenfold? And addicted to tattoos? Well, this is what happens when those two things are combined:
Yep, I finally got my Deathbat!! I literally could not be happier with the way this turned out- Jimmy never disappoints! Everything about this is perfect (to me); it's exactly what I wanted. I thought about getting it in color, but since I couldn't decide on one, I stuck with black and gray- and I'm so glad I did.
Technically, this version of the Deathbat isn't on any of the album covers, but it's similar (almost identical) to the one Zacky Vengeance has on his chest. I liked this version more than the original just because it was different from the other Deathbat tattoos I see all over Google/ Pinterest/ Tumblr (not that there's anything wrong with the original Deathbat!). I don't think you can really see in the picture, but there are little nails holding the wings down; that's one of the reason I loved this version so much. I also like the wings on this Deathbat more than the original. Either way, I'm so glad I finally got this done!!
I wasn't planning on getting this tattoo until after the semester was over (it was supposed to be a reward for finishing the semester with a 4.0), but I went into the shop because they were looking for a front counter girl. The job ended up being full-time and it didn't work with my class schedule for next semester. I made a really impulsive decision to schedule an appoint for the next day with Jimmy to get the Deathbat on my back. I've been wanting this tattoo since August, so I guess it wasn't that impulsive/ crazy.
I got this one done on Saturday. It took almost 5 hours, and it was definitely the most intense tattoo I've gotten (both pain-wise and time-wise). The outline wasn't bad at all; I think it took about an hour. The shading took almost 4 hours. Honestly, there was never a point when I couldn't feel the needle, but some spots were more sensitive than others. The skull was by far the most painful, probably because of the crazy amount of shading around the jawline and the eyes. The pain wasn't unbearable at any point, and we did take breaks every hour or so (thank god!). I'm convinced that I have a really high pain tolerance; or maybe I'm just able to focus on other things besides the pain? Who knows. I'm not going to lie and say tattoos don't hurt. They do. It's just a different kind of pain. I don't know how to explain it... If you have tattoos, you definitely know what I'm talking about.
I'm pretty sure I've said this in one of my other tattoo-related posts, but the aftercare is the hardest part about getting a tattoo. Since this one is so big, it takes a ton of Tattoo Goo/ Aquaphor to cover the whole thing. It's totally worth it in the end, but the healing process is seriously not fun. I usually use Tattoo Goo in the morning and throughout the day, and Aquaphor at night after taking a shower, just because the Aquaphor is pretty thick (it sticks to clothes, so I hate having it on during the day).
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Anyways, enough rambling! Thank you for reading about my tattoo adventures :) I'll talk to you again very soon.
Keri <3
