Friday 16 April 2010

Inkasaurus Rex

After nearly a decade of wanting a Camarasaurus skull tattooed on my back, I have one. I spent about two and a half hours in the chair yesterday (getting about halfway through Rachel Carson's "The Silent Spring" in the process) in order to get this beauty:


I am indebted to the wonderful Darek at Ouch! Tattoo, who does the most amazing black and grey designs. He dubbed my Metasequoia cone a "freaky freaky tattoo" when he did it a year ago, and was equally nonplussed about doing a dinosaur skull (but I think he really enjoyed doing it). I would strongly advise anyone in London looking for a palaeo-tattoo to check out his work and take along some ideas to him.

I'm now all wrapped up in cling-film (just because of where the tattoo is - I was advised to do this for a few days so it doesn't get rubbed by the waistband of my trousers) and wondering if this could help me lose a bit of weight too!

Needless to say, something like that hurts like a bastard to be done as the bone is so close to the skin, and although I don't understand the superficial nerves of the back it's always fascinating to see where the human body thinks the pain sensation is coming from!

9 comments:

  1. I won't ask why a tatoo as I'm prbably too old to understand, but why Camarasaurus. I looked it up on wiki and it doesn't seem particulary exciting, but then T-REX or a raptor would seem rather common I suppose. I've always liked Ankylosaur's.

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  2. Because I adore sauropods and out of all of them I think the Camarasaurus skull is the most beautiful. I haven't seen many sauropod tattoos, but the internet is littered with theropod and ceratopsian ones.

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  3. Great ink! I do a weekly feature on my blog called "Tattoo Tuesdays," I was wondering if I could feature your tattoo and your blog this coming week? I'm also featuring a tattoo from one of the administrator's at Art Evolved on Tuesday. I think it would make a cool post. Here's a link to last week's:

    http://dinosauriart.blogspot.com/2010/04/tattoo-tuesday.html

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  4. Awesome tattoo, Julia. Next time you get one, may I recommend Emla cream (spelling?). When I get IVs, I smear it my arm two hours beforehand and cover it with a Tegaderm patch. Two hours later, all the nerve endings are dead to the world for several hours, and I don't feel a thing when the tube goes in.

    Something to consider!

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  5. Brilliant work! Have you told Carl Zimmer about it?

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  6. Chris, I'm going to get on to Carl Zimmer asap! He's already got my footprints, so he needs my skull!

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  7. T-Rexy, I would be honoured to be part of your Tattoo Tuesday! Are you aware that this isn't my only palaeo-tattoo? I have the Ardley narrow-gauge sauropod tracks on my foot and a Metasequoia glyptostroboides cone on my wrist?

    Zach, as a general rule we get advised not to use any anaesthetic cream as it alters the skin slightly so a tattoo could be distorted. One of the other tattooists had ordered an anaesthetic cream though to test out on himself to see how it works, and I guess if it's pretty good then they'll be using it themselves. I wouldn't hesitate to have some if I was having a piercing though!

    And Neil, yes I am a rockstar!!! :-)

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