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All of the latest Mists of Pandaria newsWorld of WarCrafts: Warcraft tattoos
by Anne Stickney 
Feb 24th 2011 at 3:00PM
World of WarCrafts spotlights art and creativity by WoW players, including fan art, cooking, comics, cosplay, music, fan fiction and more. Sample the whole spectrum on our Arts and Crafts in WoW page.
Tattoos can be fun, if painful. Sometimes they act as reminders of special times in our lives; sometimes they are odes to people or things that we love. I have a couple myself, though none Warcraft-inspired as of yet. I keep thinking about that Horde symbol, though ...
Today on World of WarCrafts, we've got a few updates to our Warcraft tattoo gallery and a few words from Eldomon of <Skull marks the Treasure> from the Darkmoon Faire server (EU-H). Check out the gallery below for the new additions as well as tattoos from times past, and follow us after the break for more!
Why a Warcraft tattoo?
What makes a person pick up a Warcraft tattoo? "I've been working on a book about Warcraft from a literary and sociological study point, and during that study, I wound up writing a chapter on the way it structures both factions just like sports teams. This has really gone to a new level in Cataclysm, where the themes of loyalty, honour and so on are bound in with the factions. So I thought, why not treat your faction just like a football team," Eldomon explained.
"People get tattoos of their football team to show the exact same type of dedication and loyalty to their teams. Perhaps it's down to Garrosh. Something about him just inspires the characters in the game, so what's not to love?" he said. So was this Eldomon's first tattoo? "The tattoo itself was my first, certainly not my last (I doubt I'll get another Warcraft one though -- one's enough!), and I already have ideas for a second," he said.
"Given how people had talked before about them being painful, I was amazed how much it wasn't. It was mildly annoying
and scratchy to get, but I've had dental work that was more painful," he admits. "If that's the only reason people have to not get one, definitely reconsider and go for it!"Reader Fie went with something a little larger and a little more ornate. This black dragon covers the length of Fie's back and then some! "Not much of a story behind it, other than being a fan of Twincruiser's artwork," Fie said.
Twincruiser is better known as Michel Koiter, one of the Sons of the Storm. Michel passed away in March of 2004, but his memory lives on in game at the Shrine of the Fallen Warrior located in the Northern Barrens. His artwork has also been preserved on the Sons of the Storm website, including the piece of artwork used for Fie's tattoo. You can read more about Michel Koiter on the Sons of the Storm website, as well as take a look at the gorgeous illustrations he produced in his gallery.
Whether they were procured on a whim or for sentimental reasons, tattoos are a constant source of eye-catching art. Do you have a piece of Warcraft ink? Send it in -- we'd love to add it to our gallery!
World of WarCrafts spotlights art and creativity by WoW players, including arts and crafts, fan art, WoW-themed recipes, comics, cosplay, music and fan fiction. Show us how you express yourself by emailing anne@wowinsider.com with your not-for-profit, WoW-inspired creations. Filed under: World of WarCrafts
Reader Comments (Page 2 of 3)
Zahira Feb 24th 2011 4:33PM
Some people get tattoos of peoples names, some people get tazmanian devils, tribal, or dragons designs, a portrait of their long lost loved one, and some people get a symbol found in a video game, weather or not they regret the tattoo is largely based on how they view it. The popularity of the game in the future has little to no bearing on it, but rather what their time playing the game meant to them.
If you are not tattooed you may never understand what it is to truly wear your heart on your sleeve for the world to see. Most tattoos represent things we love, and while loves can change most tattooed people look back at the things they used to love with fond memories and as such do not regret their tattoos no matter how stupid you think it is. To the tattooed person it's not about what you think, and your opinion doesn't matter (not trying to be mean just being honest), it's all about what we think, and how we feel about the images on our bodies. I do not care if you like the coffin with wings on my bicep, nor do I care if you like the giant pink beaver on my left leg, they are there for me to love not you. The coffin is part of a halloween themed sleeve, I love halloween. The beaver is a joke shared with a friend (who is a tattoo artist), and I laugh every time I look at my giant pink beaver (you just laughed too didn't you?). The point is, everyone gets tattooed for different reasons and different loves, and regret is for people who can't look at their past with fond memories,don't ever do anything you would be ashamed of and you'll never regret anything.
And before you even ask when I'm 90 it wont matter what they look like as I imagine I wont look so great myself so who will really care what my ink will look like then?
AngrySlob Feb 24th 2011 4:36PM
There are some really nice tattoos here but there are also some terrible ones quality wise. Be sure to check out your artists work first!
Maribel Feb 24th 2011 5:08PM
Ugh, no kidding. That second spirit of redemption has one arm shorter than the other. For that matter, I think the first one does, too - there's certainly something funky going on with perspective on its forearms.
Saeadame Feb 24th 2011 5:25PM
I just went and looked at the SoR one, and yeah it looks odd. I'm pretty sure her arms are forward from her body, palms facing out, but the proportions look weird.
MusedMoose Feb 24th 2011 6:23PM
Wholly agreed, especially after looking through the gallery. Most of them are good, but there are some that just look poorly done. All tattoo artists are definitely not created equal; I went with the guy who did mine after seeing that he'd done a lot of good linework tattoos, so it worked out well.
I think the best ones in the gallery are the Alliance-logo stamp (looks very clean and got the color perfect) and the Horde logo metal-under-skin thing, the last one.
Zahira Feb 24th 2011 4:38PM
oh and get your head out of the 1950's, people do not get tattooed by reputable tattoo shops when the are drunk, in fact one of the signs our shop reads "We will not tattoo anyone under the influence of drugs or alcohol" and we stand by it, we'd rather not have your money then get sued when you wake up with your girlfriends name on your face/neck/penis.
Saeadame Feb 24th 2011 5:19PM
I'd love to get a tattoo, but I'm planning on going to teach English in Japan and I hear if you have it in a visible place you can be denied apartment leases or entry to certain restaurants (because most of the people in Japan with tattoos are celebrities, who can call ahead to the restaurant, or Yakusa members...). The obvious solve for that would be to get it somewhere no one can see it, but I'm not sure if there's a point to getting a tattoo no one but me or people I date can see.
Not sure if I'd get a WoW tattoo though, although it might be cool to pick something more ambiguously fantasy, but from WoW.
Swifteye Feb 25th 2011 4:56AM
In my experience, a good place for a tattoo is the meaty part of the calf just a couple inches below the knee... there's a lot of surface area there (so you can fit a lot of detail in if you want), the meaty parts don't hurt to tattoo as much as the bony parts and, most importantly, a tattoo in that area is equally easy to hide with long pants AND show off with shorts (or just by hiking up your long pant leg and without baring anything obscene).
Just a thought. ^_^
Yangli Feb 24th 2011 5:50PM
That first Horde symbol in the gallery looks really weird. In fact, some of the tats are badly done... others however are great. I especially like the last two (Alliance stamp and Horde sleeve).
I have a tattoo myself, however it's been made from a photo reference (a bird on my shoulderblade). Personally I find it kinda awkward to have something on my body that was drawn by someone else... And I don't want anything I drew myself, because I know that I usually dislike my own pictures after some time.
Hmm, but, a very tiny Horde symbol hidden somewhere is kinda tempting...
Irish Feb 24th 2011 6:00PM
Skin is overrated!
Marsten Feb 25th 2011 3:32AM
Hey chaps.
Real pleased to hear you like my tat.
I'll be getting it touched up in the next few weeks now that it's fully healed. Although it's looking a lot better now that it's mostly recovered, there's still a few lines around the edges I'm wanting to sharpen up, and hopefully give the reds a more shiny metallic look to them.
I know that at some point in the future I'll think "Wow, how tragically unhip to still have that", just like you would if you got a band name or something (Hell, my dad still regrets his Pantera tattoo), but I think loosewiring phrased it best, it's a way to preserve something and carry what were once good times with you.
I'll be sure to keep you updated with it.
~Eldomon
restodr00d Feb 24th 2011 7:33PM
I want a Horde Symbol! :D For The Horde!
rich.zero Feb 24th 2011 9:49PM
Hey. I love tattoos. I have plenty of tattoos. Would I get a WoW tattoo? Sure. But for the love of the light please, a) get a good design, and no I don't just mean pulling the horde GIF off a website and blowing it up in MS Paint. If you have a crappy blurry design to begin with, then the best inker in the world won't help you. Which brings me to b) get a good inker. This will be on your body forever. Take an extra 5 mins (or day or week or month) to find an inker with the chops. See his previous work. Compare it with stuff you've seen online, IRL and his competitors.
And for reference, the ones pictured above aren't fantastic. Just sayin'
jacksworth Feb 24th 2011 9:49PM
this is just sad
Tokkar Feb 25th 2011 1:11AM
I have a tattoo. It's a symbol not from a video game, but from a rock group of quite a number of years ago that has faded into complete obscurity in today's day and age.
I see many people posting that it is a stupid, sad idea to get a tattoo of something having to do with a video game.
You know what? I like my tattoo. Few people know what it is these days, but they think it looks cool.
That's going to be the same with the Horde tattoo. WoW may fade in a few years' time, but the symbol still looks cool.
That's why people get a Horde symbol. Seriously...the Alliance lion is too tame for a tattoo, and the Lordaeron symbol is a weird letter "L" - so yeah, for tatts? Horde or Undercity because they have the look.
The game will eventually die, but the symbol will still look awesome.
ISA Feb 25th 2011 4:51AM
Yawn. More horde tattoos. And most look like they were drawn from memory with a Sharpie. The Lordaeron "L" is a pretty cool design and has a college like insignia look to it. I wonder if there's a mage fan out there with the Dalaran Eye for a tattoo.
Both the horde "U" shape and the blue alliance lion look best as tiny tattoos. Honestly, the horde symbol is too simple to made as a giant-ass sleeve tattoo, and ends up looking tacky, or as I said before, filled in with markers.
I actually love gamer tattoos, but something about getting branded with a symbol from a game that will eventually die off just strikes me as something you'll regret years later, after the fad, and after you can't even play online anymore. Especially if it's a very large tattoo. It reminds me of this lady who has a (very nicely done) full back tattoo of Twilight's characters. Cool now, but 10 years, I'd wish I hadn't dedicated a large space of my body to an image of a fad.
Moghar Feb 25th 2011 6:06AM
Getting a tattoo shows dedication to the game? Come on. A guild leader, who spends hours every week organizing everything, while keeping an eye on everything is much more dedicated than a juvenile fool, who thinks it's cool to have tattoos.
Raginghobo Feb 28th 2011 7:43PM
Painting everyone with tattoos with you juvenile fool brush only makes you look like an ignorant one.
Gadgetron Feb 25th 2011 4:49PM
out of the lot there were only 2 good quality tattoos there. Do people just not research / review portfolios / interview artists prior to getting a tattoo?
Zahira Feb 25th 2011 4:58PM
My other comment on here was about the poor quality of some of the tattoos, the line work on the one that is the title picture is horrid.