So, I’ve been following Ryan Garcia for a while now. Kid’s got flashy hands, you know? But what also caught my eye were his tattoos. Especially that lion he’s got. It just screams power, courage… all that stuff you associate with a fighter.
Anyway, I got this itch. Thought maybe I’d get something similar. Not a direct copy, mind you. That’s not really my style. But definitely inspired by his vibe. Took me a while to actually decide to go for it. Getting ink is a big deal, right? Permanent stuff.
First thing I did was dive deep into looking at his tattoos again. Mostly the lion on his shoulder/chest area. Tried to figure out what I liked about it. It wasn’t just the lion itself, but the way it was done. Strong lines, good shading.
Then came the hard part: finding the right artist. Man, that took some digging. Looked through tons of portfolios online. I wanted someone who was really good with animals, specifically big cats, and had that bold style. Didn’t want some cartoonish thing. I probably spent a good few weeks just searching, emailing folks, checking out local shops.
Finally found this artist whose work just clicked. Felt right. We chatted a bit, I showed them some pics of Garcia’s lion, and some other lion tattoos I liked. Made it clear I wanted something inspired by, not a replica. We talked about placement too – decided on my shoulder, kinda mirroring where Garcia has his, but positioned a bit differently.
- We agreed on the basic concept: a realistic but powerful lion head.
- Focus on the eyes – wanted them intense.
- Specific shading style we discussed.
The artist sketched something up. We tweaked it a bit over a couple of messages. Took a little back and forth, but that’s normal. You gotta make sure it’s perfect before it goes on your skin forever.
Appointment day came. Honestly, I was a bit nervous. It’s been a while since my last tattoo. The process itself? Well, it hurt. No way around that, especially on the shoulder blade area. But the artist was cool, we chatted, listened to some music. Took a few hours.
When it was done and all cleaned up… wow. Totally worth it. It looks sick. It’s got that fierce look I wanted, reminds me of that fighter’s spirit, you know? That ‘shock the world’ kinda attitude Garcia talks about. It’s my own thing, but it definitely carries that inspiration.
Healing it up now, following all the aftercare steps religiously. Gotta protect the investment! Every time I catch a glimpse of it, feels good. Feels like I actually went through with something I’d been thinking about for ages. It’s not just a picture; it’s the whole process, the decision, finding the artist, getting it done. That’s what makes it meaningful, I guess.
