Getting a tat, any advice?

Alright guys, or absence thereof, here's the word. I haven't been posting in ages but that's probably because I don't have much to do with makeup, fashion or menstruation. However, I did decide some time in the distant past to get a tat and now I've got money in fist to have it done. I can't think of anywhere better to stir some information about body mod, so here's my spin.

I've wanted to get a dead tree across my back for some two years now. It's the tree of knowledge from which adam and eve ate - the fruit gave them awareness of good and evil. If the tree dies, my interpretation is that set morality ceases. I don't believe in right/wrong.
The crows were a late addition. It's not meant to be a deathly thing, it's more about karma. I believe the crows keep the balance by consuming the dead that are to be reincarnated. If they leave your body alone, you've nothing further in this world.

So here's the design

comments encouraged.

Now comes the question. I definitely want it done in one tone, sort of like a silhouette. I'm tossing up between plain black or a darker skin tone. I'm not sure if they can do tats to make your skin look a few shades darker but that's why I'm asking here.





Throw a few words out here and help me decide? General advice would be great too.

I have no idea about tattoo's but i LOVE that design. It's gorgous, sort of eerie and the meaning behind it is so interesting.
My only crit would be that it's sort of heavy on the right hand side, the lower branch, but that could look different on your body.

Gorgeous, and I LOVE LOVE LOVE the asymmetrical quality. And I ADORE the crows. I love crows---they are messengers of Hekate, my Matron Goddess.

Anyhow, onto the question at hand: I would get it done in black and gray. A good black and gray artist would ROCK this, totally! I think it would look beautiful, and age more gracefully than something in a dark skin tone. Make sure to check out artist's portfolios before getting it done, because some tattoo "artists" suck at black and gray work.

I've just found myself in a job so I can think about getting this booked at InnerVision fairly soon. I mocked a version in black and grey like you said and it looks a treat. I might ask the artist to do up a design in black/tan though, I saw one in her portfolio where the 'grey' parts were a tan colour and it gave it a real parchment feel to the shading. I've always felt my skin is too light to suit blacks and greys alone.

I'll post it when I'm done, wouldn't expect that to be for a few months though.

Whoa you go to Inner Vision... In Sydney???


That's where I got my first done and i'm getting the first session on my second one done there next Wednesday wooooop woooop!

Also, cool idea, I think black and grey would look nice.

Oooo the parchmenty idea sounds cool.

First one.
Exactly how it is.
That colour and that size.
It's absolutely perfect.

Who'd you get to do yours Tarren? Tong has a good black/grey portfolio but I love the ethics Megan has about what tats represent - 'a mediation on impermanence'. Who can you recommend?

I got done by Rhys and he'll be doing my next one also, but I love and have heard great things of Megan's work. I trust all the artists there and like all their work though.