Need your help locating a snake tattoo design...

[AK907]

I have been searching for a long time for a decent snake tattoo design. Every snake tattoo design I can find is extremely fake/cartoonish. They all have that same lame look to them and 90% of them are cobras or have fangs. I HATE this look! The few "realistic" snakes turn out quite bad and are always disproportionate. Does anyone have any decent realistic snake tattoo designs, preferably ball/carpet python, although I am open to different species, just no cobra/fanged snakes. Something that would go well wrapped around a person's calf. I'd like to incorporate this with a realistic skull and maybe some wilted roses.

Another design I am interested in is a realistic snake skeleton tattoo instead of the snake mentioned above. These are also hard to come by and the majority of them are very poorly done. Even better would be a 3D tattoo, similar to how a lot of quality tarantula tats are done these days.

I know I want something to this effect, it is just very hard finding anything close to what I'm looking for. If I can at least find something close I can alter it as needed.

Any help would be appreciated. Thanks!

[Atherosdragon]

Tattoo artists don't like being told what to do most of the time you tell them what you want bring in photos of your snakes then they will draw you a few samples after your deposit(if they even make you do a deposit on sketches) and pick the ones you like best

[AK907]

Tattoo artists don't like being told what to do most of the time you tell them what you want bring in photos of your snakes then they will draw you a few samples after your deposit(if they even make you do a deposit on sketches) and pick the ones you like best

Thanks, but not really the response I am after. Not to be rude, but I am not new to tattoos. I have quite a few actually and I know how the process works. No tattooist I've been to has ever complained when either my wife or myself brought in ideas and tattoos we drew ourselves to have them tattoo on us. In fact, I think it helps greatly so they know exactly what we want. The tattooist can then alter it how WE see fit, because it will be going on OUR bodies. Not every tattoo has to be free handed from scratch and only what the artists wants to tattoo. In short, if they want to make money, they will tattoo me how I want to be tattooed. If not there are many other tattooists.

I am just looking for non-traditional, realistic snake and/or snake skeleton designs so I will have a starting point to work with since I can't free hand draw for crap. Most tattooists aren't going to know the difference between snakes and I don't want to waste their time trying to explain to them I'm not after a typical cobra tattoo with brown and black ball python markings. I know there is bound to be sketches that fit this description, I am simply not looking in the right place to find them.

[Jessica Loesch]

My advice would be to find a picture you like. Something you could get tattooed. Maybe even try positioning your snake it the position you want and snap a shot - if possible.

If you are good at sketching, you can even find a picture and then revamp it to your liking. This is how I have designed most of my tattoos, and this may not be what you want to do. But like you said, there really isn't a great deal of tattoos out there.

I have found that BME.com was a good place to look.

[Denial]

I have a picture of a ball python tattoo out of a tat magazine I will try to scan it and post it on here. Its the best snake tattoo Ive ever seen. The most realistic one anyways

[sho220]

I always thought these would be cool as tattoos...

[sho220]

This would be cool but I'm not sure it would translate to a good tattoo...

[Family Jewels]

Tattoo artists will not usually tell you they can improve on your idea.
"With all due respect", if you take some design IDEAS to a good shop (read reviews, ask around), and ask them what they can do with it, you will see the reason they are called tattoo ARTISTS and not tattoo tracers. Your shop might never have told you they HATE copying other peoples work, but they do. Every single good artist does. Ask one, and be blunt, and you will see.
On another note, ask to see the artists folder of tattoos they have done. You want to look at "photorealistic" designs, so you know you're being worled on by someone who can translate a pattern morph to your skin correctly, without an eraser!!

[TheSnakeEye]

My advice would be to find a picture you like. Something you could get tattooed. Maybe even try positioning your snake it the position you want and snap a shot - if possible.

If you are good at sketching, you can even find a picture and then revamp it to your liking. This is how I have designed most of my tattoos, and this may not be what you want to do. But like you said, there really isn't a great deal of tattoos out there.

I have found that BME.com was a good place to look.

This! If you don't find a design you like, get a picture and have him/her try to redraw it.

[AtlasStrike]

I've had friends or my brother draw all the initial sketches for my tattoo designs, and then I sit down with an artist whose style fits with my vision for the sketch and we polish the design. Artists know far better than anyone else what they are capable of an what translates well to ink. You have to respect that. Why would you want generic body art anyway? It is way better to be a piece of art than to be a walking copyright infringement.