# Need ideas for a Canada tattoo



## Jake (29 Jul 2006)

I've been planning to get a tattoo to show the pride I have in being Canadian, but I'm less than creative when it comes to this kind of thing. The tattoo will be on my upper right arm. I would obviously like to incorporate the flag in some way but that is as far as I've gotten. Do you guys/girls have any ideas as to what I can include in it? I've asked friends and family but for the most part they got about as far as I did, so any input you could give me would be helpful.


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## the 48th regulator (29 Jul 2006)

You kidding?

Go witht he ever cool and popular tats







dileas

tess


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## couchcommander (29 Jul 2006)

Most of the men on my mom's side have just plain canadian flags on their upper arms. My brother has a maple leaf with some tribal line thing around it if you're looking for something more creative. Personally I like the plain one, but once I get home will post pics.

My cousin also has an interesting one on his calf, a roots style maple leaf with "Made in Canada" in an arc across it. 

Some ideas.


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## Trooper Hale (29 Jul 2006)

My favorite tat on a bloke back home has the Australian flag over the top of the Union Jack. Over the Australian flag is says "Made in Australia" and under the union jack "Product of Britain".
Why not something along those lines, except with your province flag instead of the Union Jack and the Canadian Flag in place of the Australian flag?
Chicks would DIG   and you could be filled with all that patriotic pride that tattoo's bring out. 
If you really want to be patriotic though why not join a political party or do something that will benefit Canada a tiny bit more then a whole bunch of ink in your arm will do?
No offence, i just dont like Tat's.


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## nullterm (29 Jul 2006)

I've thought about getting the coat of arms for my home province (Alberta, seen as my avatar).  It's something different than the usualy flag, but still looks good and has an element of patriotism to it.


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## mcchartman (29 Jul 2006)

To me, there is something strange about asking someone else for suggestions on a design that will remain on you forever (or until you are so tired of it that you'll be ready to pay muchos $$$ to have it removed). I realize you feel like proving your patriotism, but I agree with Hale when he said that a tattoo in itself won't benefit Canada in any concrete way. To me, the intelligent process is to a) find a design that you love so very much for its meaning, *AND THEN* b) decide to get it tattooed because of what it represents to you - not the contrary. As it is, you give me the feeling that you are desperately looking for something to get inked on yourself. A choice made in that state of mind may end up being a choice you will regret. Maybe this reasoning is overly simple, but I see so many people with flashes on them, it's unbelievable... and to me, getting a flash is simply getting a tattoo for the sake of having a tattoo.


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## Bruce Monkhouse (29 Jul 2006)

...and yes Para, Bruce the tattoo hater will stay out of this one. :-*


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## rogsco (29 Jul 2006)

couchcommander said:
			
		

> Most of the men on my mom's side have just plain canadian flags on their upper arms. My brother has a maple leaf with some tribal line thing around it if you're looking for something more creative.



I asked a young lady what her lower back tattoo was and she quite snottily told me it was "duh a tribal symbol". So I asked her "Really? What tribe are you?" since I didn't realize from my own experience that little white girls with lower back art had tribes.

 ;D


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## c.jacob (29 Jul 2006)

Personally. I think the Army.ca logo looks pretty decent.


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## Infantree (29 Jul 2006)

If you have seen the movie Jarhead, then i got a good idea for you. Remember when there having the scorpion fight. The Cuban guy has a tattoo on his peck showing a Cuban flag crossed into a USA flag. Why not get one like that but with the Canadian flag, and your provincial flag. Or a Canadian flag crossed with the countries flag that represents your heritage.  But the best idea that i have is get the Canadian coat of arms.


my 2 cents.


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## career_radio-checker (29 Jul 2006)

Bahhhh everyone gets the same thing. Its just the same maple leaf peeled a thousand different ways. Now if you truly want it to be original and patriotic, look for symbolism. Just for example this will be *MY* tattoo just as soon as I can afford it. Just the beaver of course. Maybe for you, you'd like a:

1. geographical map of Canada with a the flag as the filler;
2. a helmet with the maple flag as the camouflage cover (think Full Metal Jacket DVD case)
3. a loonie or twonie combined with the flag
4. World War I and II poster pictures. Good ones are out there.


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## nullterm (29 Jul 2006)

Nice beaver.

Expanding on someone else's idea, get a Canadian coin with the year you were born.  Just do a bit of research to make sure you find out what the coin looked lke when they were minted then.  Or improvise with a custom design.  It's your skin.

http://www.pcfleet.com/Coinclub/1998set.gif


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## Fishbone Jones (29 Jul 2006)

Some of us may need something a little older.


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## medic269 (29 Jul 2006)

I got a maple leaf with a muscular beaver portrayed over the maple leaf.  I had to get it custom done but its just another idea to show creativity.  Take symbols that have meaning and create something yourself.  Think about it!!!!  I spent at least 2-3 years thinking about each of mine.  Its there forever.


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## Jake (29 Jul 2006)

Thanks for the great ideas guys! I've actually been considering a tattoo for about 5 years, trying to think of one that I'll still like and will still look good in 50 years. I'm being very picky as to what my tat will be, I'm not getting one just because I think I need one.   By the way this will be my first tattoo.


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## career_radio-checker (29 Jul 2006)

scurvybob said:
			
		

> Nice beaver.
> http://www.pcfleet.com/Coinclub/1998set.gif


if only the girls got tattoos like this


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## Michael OLeary (30 Jul 2006)

One more Canadian beaver.   ;D


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## Shamrock (30 Jul 2006)

Here's one.

Take a maple leaf, and put wings out either side of it.  Then, add an inflated parachute above it.  Now, to make it even cooler, make the maple leaf white.  Here now, where did all these fists come from?

Or get a utility tat.  Blood type, mother's birthday, or a picture of yourself on your forearm so you don't need a mirror when you shave in the morning.


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## Jake (30 Jul 2006)

Ha ha ha  ;D


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## snowy (30 Jul 2006)

Hi
Red Maple leaf with guns on either sides, below, I AM CANADIAN.

Cheers
snowy.


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## gaspasser (30 Jul 2006)

My $0.02 worth.
Many of the troops returning from the Gulf War/Desert Shield-Storm, got inked with a furled Cdn flag with "for the, we fight" under it.  Maybe too you could wait until you're done your recruit training and a bit more gung-ho for that one. But it does symbolize your commitment to the "cause".
cheers, out.


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## Springroll (30 Jul 2006)

My suggestion would be to go to a top quality tat shop for a consultation. Ask the artist to design something for you. Give him some specific ideas that you would want incorporated. If you don't like something about the design when you go in to see it, then tell him/her. Most artists will make sure they create something that you will like, and that they would want "advertised" as being an original piece of theirs. 

I would also suggest you wait until after basic before you get it.

Good Luck!

edited for spelling....no coffee in the body yet...geez


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## GAP (30 Jul 2006)

Youal'  like to look cool with your brightly colored, detailed tattoo? Something the impress the girls with, look tough, etc.  Fine, go ahead. 

one little tiny point you might want to consider. Employers don't want you to display tattoos, especially military, gungho tattoos, so get them where a shortsleeve shirt can cover them. 

That detail and fine color, in twenty years will look like a blue birthmark. The lines will triple in thickness, the colors will fade. Don't believe me? go to the Legion, or talk to some senior NCO's with tat's and ask to see them. They will be able to explain them, but YOU will not see anywhere near the detail that originally went into them.


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## Bruce Monkhouse (30 Jul 2006)

Yup, I have to explain what mine is as the writing is just a mumble now.....


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## the 48th regulator (30 Jul 2006)

My Falcon, looks like a bloated chicken...

dileas

tess


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## paracowboy (30 Jul 2006)

the fact that you came on to a website filled with complete strangers asking them to tell you what you should have permanently placed on your body, tells me that you have absolutely no business getting a tattoo at this point in your life.

Forget the whole idea.


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## Jordan411 (30 Jul 2006)

I regret not bringing my digital camera to the war museum in Ottawa because I am having a hell of a time looking for WW1 and WW2 recruiting posters. Google/Yahoo has all the same ones over and over again. Anyone got a site where there are a decent number of WW1 and WW2 posters?


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## Springroll (30 Jul 2006)

I haven't had those ink issues yet, with even my oldest tat (going on 14 years now) only thing it has done is get bigger, but that is because the area it was put on expanded too.

Just wait til I am 80....lol....it will be the talk of the nursing home  ;D


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## career_radio-checker (30 Jul 2006)

What not to get...


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## Rhibwolf (30 Jul 2006)

Ive always considered getting a tat of Cape Breton Island (like this, but in green and without any of the stuff on it)
http://www.bbexpo.ca/NS/showprovregions.asp?region=76&prv=NS

If you are going to get any tats with writing on them, ensure the artist draws it out first and that you see it on the transfer paper, i.e.  no freehand.  When I was in Germany, a friend went to get a leaf done with a caption to read 100% Canadian Bacon. It was to be done on his a$$.  Well, he had to spell it out to the artist (a German, naturally) and when done, he drew a box around it.  Not knowing that the box was not part of the pic, the artist tattooed the box first, and the text ended up being too small to fit in the box.  It looked something like this"

  ________________
 |                           |
 | 100% Canadian B|acon
 |_______________|


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## North Star (30 Jul 2006)

Although I'm not a tat guy, I remember seeing one that was patriotic and kicked ass. You know that little lion that's the symbol of the Governor General's office, the one with the tongue sticking out and a Maple Leaf in its paw? It's classy, patriotic, and just damn cool.


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## Fishbone Jones (30 Jul 2006)

Jake said:
			
		

> Thanks for the great ideas guys! I've actually been considering a tattoo for about 5 years, trying to think of one that I'll still like and will still look good in 50 years. I'm being very picky as to what my tat will be, I'm not getting one just because I think I need one.   By the way this will be my first tattoo.



We're not going to let this run til you come up with an idea or decide to finally get your tattoo. Decide what you want yourself. Remember, opinions are like assholes, everyone's got one, some just stink more than others. Good luck, choose wisely and have a ball. This one is closed.


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