Fathers: how bad did I screw up?

[Pompom]

Mornin'. I am itching with embarrassment and would appreciate some input from fathers or parents in general maybe.

 

A friend of mine, who also happens to be a serious crush, has asked me to design a tattoo for him of a lion guarding a mermaid. We agreed to sketch together next time we hang out, but last night I got bored.

But then, when I was almost done, I remembered:

HE is a Leo! And there's only 3 women it makes sense for him to feel protective of because they're either trouble makers, or helpless... His ex wife, his ex girlfriend, and his... baby daughter... I ruled out the first two for wrong sign and no reason to care enough anymore to get a tattoo, praying to God I was wrong about the third, showed him the pic anyway and hoped I was once again reading too much into stuff, as I always do: my head goes round and round and round with theories and analysis, so at some point I stopped listening to it. So he was like "The idea is that I'm the lion and the mermaid is my daughter"...

 

I dunno, I feel utterly awkward. The thing is, I drew the mermaid with huge bare tits and delicately caressing the lion's paw, like, semi-erotic, and now I'm worried he can't "unsee" my accidental misinterpretation of what was supposed to be a father-daughter thing.

I haven't known him long, he's crazy about me, but this is still awkward, how bad is this? His silence (we were chatting on FB) worries me. I mean he often just stops responding, so it might be nothing, but he didn't even say "It looks great, but" but went straight to the point and then, nothing... So how easily do dads get offended and pedo-traumatized by something like this? Honest to God, I thought it was just a random pair of creatures. I do kind of blame him for part of it because when you think mermaid, you think sexy, right? He shoulda said something...

 

This be it: http://666kb.com/i/c8uoa9yrets87xfju.png

 

EDIT: Yay he's laughing

Edited November 10, 2012 by Pompom

[Gunny376]

I'm stupid ~ crazy protective of my daughter ~ she's my Baby Girl and I don't care if she lives to 190 years old? She's STILL and always will be my Baby Girl ~ and First Born. I don't get into her business, give her un-soliciated advice, tell her how to live her life. To be honest? I don't really care in so long as she's happy and leading a happy productive life. I don't get into her personal life etc and she's got a most excellent husband (I raised her that way! )

 

Some lesson took, others didn't. I give her a lot of lattitude and longitude to live her life as she sees fit ~ to make her own decisions, choices, etc. Daddy doesn't get too involved with any and all of that.

 

But IF you ever lay a hand on her? God pity your azz! I won't! I'll be on your azz like a pack of hungry ~ half starved pit bulls on a sick three legged, half blind, deaf cat? You lay a hand on her? You'll need to trun yourself into the law and PRAY to God they lock your happy azz up and keep you locked up? Not just because you broke the law? Because your going to need some serious police protection from me! :eek: :eek: :eek: To quote John Wayne ~ "I don't have any problems killing what needs killing!" To quote a 75 year friend of mine who raised his GD as his own and some punk of a SOB laid his hand on her? "I can still pull a trigger!"

 

I'm not really into "tat's" even though I'm a career Marine. Especially not women that I'm involved with? I DO on the other hand really and seriously admire some of the artwork. (The one you drew is most definitely some of the better work I've seen! ~ and let there be no doubt in my military ind or otherwise that it is art!)

 

I wouldn't sweat it too much. In human communication there is "imply" and "infer" ~ you simply inferred differently than he may have being implying what he wanted. Its own him IMO?

 

Reduce the size of the breast, make it more of a protective embrace, the mermaid more like the Walt Disney little mermaid with a look of innocence, perhaps even with a depliction of a child, (I love Disney movies! "YEA THAT'S RIGHT RECRUIT! ME THE MARINE DRILL INSTRUCTOR!) {Mrs Gunny KNOWS I'm really a softy ~ especially when it comes to kido's!}

 

The lion is PERFECT ~ but for some reason I'm thinking of the sleeping lion or the defeated lion (Sorry I just got off a twelve hour grave yard shift ~ I'm tool jig happy). Its English ~ a statue outside a library. The "Sleeping Lion" or the "Defeated Lion" or even the "Crying Lion" Anyway its at rest?

 

I'm thinking along the lines of a sleeping lion ~ or at rest lion embracing a young, cherished, vulnerable infant female mermaid child. (I feel so artist!)

[january2011]

As someone who has worked in the creative arena, I can tell you that if you don't get briefed properly then the product is unlikely to fit - unless you know your client extremely well and can almost read their mind. And even then, the first draft rarely resembles the final draft.

 

As Gunny376 wrote, I wouldn't sweat it too much. You didn't know, so no harm no foul.

 

If you want to invest some time editing the picture so that it's less sexualised, do that. Just tell him that after your talk, you had more thoughts about the picture and want to show him an updated version. Then get his thoughts on that one. You don't have to justify what you changed and why you changed it unless he asks you. Just say that you think this new version might be a better fit for what he wants.

[amaysngrace]

I don't have advice but just want to say that I admire your talent.

[Lois]

It could easily be reworked by having her long hair forward, covering her breasts ... and perhaps they could be reduced a tad in size.

 

I too, admire your talent.

[Pompom]

Thanks all, your replies lifted the awkward right off me We started over last night and he laughed his butt off showing the fist version to his mom.

[mammasita]

Amazing drawing!

 

Having not fully read everything said other than your initial post, the mermaid could easily be adjusted to look more child like.

[Pompom]

A second draft is in the works http://666kb.com/i/c8vu1vcozghsvp1q2.jpg

[Mme. Chaucer]

You are very talented! No harm done, either!

[sweetkiwi]

awesome work!!

[Lois]

The second draft is amazing! Great work.

[Pompom]

Thank you all Here's the progress as it is now, needs some improvements, but he's already loving it: http://666kb.com/i/c8w8thsjvxr5amby2.jpg

[Mme. Chaucer]

Thank you all Here's the progress as it is now, needs some improvements, but he's already loving it: http://666kb.com/i/c8w8thsjvxr5amby2.jpg

 

I'm glad you gave the lion a kindly expression, since he's supposed to represent the father -

[GorillaTheater]

You are amazingly talented.

 

But if the lion is supposed to be a dad protecting his daughter, maybe he should look a little less ... friendly.

[mambonumber5]

Lol I don't think this is a big deal at all - at least I'd laugh too. It's a honest mistake (and a good story to tell later)

Although, I have to admit, the tattoo looks a little too similar to the creepy Miley Cirus father/daughter images

 

Miley Knows Best | Vanity Fair

 

And now I'm all confused ;)

[mambonumber5]

Thank you all Here's the progress as it is now, needs some improvements, but he's already loving it: http://666kb.com/i/c8w8thsjvxr5amby2.jpg

 

Looks great, impressive drawing.

Now, not to open a whole new can of worms, but is it possible that the pendullum has swung back a smidge too far in an innocence direction? The mermaid looks incredibly innocent and helpless. It is certainly fitting right now when the daughter is a kid, but since this is a tattoo, does he really want to overemphasize his dauther's helplessness now vis-a-vis the badass girl/woman she'll be one day? When she might not *need* protection, but he'd protect her anyway, etc.?

[Pompom]

Well, she'll always be daddy's little girl I guess But there still is work to be done on it anyway, for example it would be more dynamic to have the lion's face turn a bit sideways, and I need to prolong her upper body and correct the cross-eyed look.

As for his expression, the dad explicitely asked for "nice" because he's just that cute Seeing him again today, he called me from work and we talked like 37 minutes (me just listening), I hope this is going where I hope it is going...

[YorickBrown]

I'm stupid ~ crazy protective of my daughter ~ she's my Baby Girl and I don't care if she lives to 190 years old? She's STILL and always will be my Baby Girl ~ and First Born. I don't get into her business, give her un-soliciated advice, tell her how to live her life. To be honest? I don't really care in so long as she's happy and leading a happy productive life. I don't get into her personal life etc and she's got a most excellent husband (I raised her that way! )

 

Some lesson took, others didn't. I give her a lot of lattitude and longitude to live her life as she sees fit ~ to make her own decisions, choices, etc. Daddy doesn't get too involved with any and all of that.

 

But IF you ever lay a hand on her? God pity your azz! I won't! I'll be on your azz like a pack of hungry ~ half starved pit bulls on a sick three legged, half blind, deaf cat? You lay a hand on her? You'll need to trun yourself into the law and PRAY to God they lock your happy azz up and keep you locked up? Not just because you broke the law? Because your going to need some serious police protection from me! :eek: :eek: :eek: To quote John Wayne ~ "I don't have any problems killing what needs killing!" To quote a 75 year friend of mine who raised his GD as his own and some punk of a SOB laid his hand on her? "I can still pull a trigger!"

 

 

Gunny sir, your reply post just wants me to shake your hand and salute you sir. I'm no Marine, much less any type of soldier but I know what your motto Semper Fi means -- if you can be ever faithful to country and your comrades, your brothers-in-arms to the death...what more to blood right? Especially to one's children I truly feel the same way...REALLY (its really making me sick right now)...which is what is making me posts these threads: WtF | Robbed and Who the Father in the hope that somebody here will understand....and I dunno...perhaps...MAKE me understand why all this is happening. I think it's YOU Gunny...I'm sorry sir, I screwed up. Majorly. It was stupid of me. I offer no excuse. I violated one of your Marines' dictums "Leave No Man Behind". I did...but honestly, I didnt know I left a baby behind.

 

My ex (and her whole clan) is already "married" now to some "strong man" there (dunno if they tricked him or not) but I have a very strong, even sickening feeling that the child she bore is mine Gunny....and its a baby girl. I can't let it go...I just "can't". Like I said, I'm no "soldier", and they probably wont be concerned with me and the "laws" here in my country do not really favor paternity rights anyways especially when the influential and wealthy are involved (so Im screwed), but if it turns out (God-forbid) that its really my daughter, my first-born --and "they" somehow conspired to keep her away from me...I might just turn "Law Abiding Citizen" on them all. I don't like going to "war", but war is better than bad peace. Right now I have no peace of mind. I'm sure you, probably more than everyone around here, understand what it feels like where family is involved. I really hope you can advice me Gunny. Getting the paternity test and getting a positive result on fatherhood seems "chaotic" even "dangerous"....so Im really thinking about it hard, coz once its done, I may not be able to control what happens next.

 

To Pompom: I'm sorry for "tresspassing" on your original post on the tattoo stuff...just some of my thoughts on it: 1) what's the size? and where is it going to be placed? 2) will it be clear enough "who" the lion & mermaid represent to anyone who sees it? Maybe you can make both the lion and mermaid's face, like the actual faces of your clients' much like a portrait (like they do in some CGI movies stills?) 3) Uhmm....I don't see how a lion can be protective of a mermaid (I know lions hate the water and swimming. Tigers would be better)...unless...its the Merlion (but its really just a mythical fish)...are you guys in Singapore?

[Pompom]

To Pompom: I'm sorry for "tresspassing" on your original post on the tattoo stuff...just some of my thoughts on it: 1) what's the size? and where is it going to be placed? 2) will it be clear enough "who" the lion & mermaid represent to anyone who sees it? Maybe you can make both the lion and mermaid's face, like the actual faces of your clients' much like a portrait (like they do in some CGI movies stills?) 3) Uhmm....I don't see how a lion can be protective of a mermaid (I know lions hate the water and swimming. Tigers would be better)...unless...its the Merlion (but its really just a mythical fish)...are you guys in Singapore?

 

1) around a normal sheet of paper, A4, on the side of his belly.

 

2) that's not important; the creatures represent their respective horoscope signs.

 

3) see 2

 

We're in Israel, why? What about Singapore?

[YorickBrown]

1) around a normal sheet of paper, A4, on the side of his belly.

 

2) that's not important; the creatures represent their respective horoscope signs.

 

3) see 2

 

We're in Israel, why? What about Singapore?

 

Well,the Merlion (its a lion that is kinda like a mermaid) so I thought who better to protect a mermaid...erm, forget it, I was thinking "logically" not horoscope signs (sorry)...and the Merlion is the national symbol of Singapore.

 

Uhmmm...now that we've got that cleared (Horoscope/Zodiac Astrology symbol, I presume)...so Dad's a Leo (Lion, clear enough)...and the daughter is a....(Im sorry...) Pisces?!? <--coz the symbol for this is a Fish. Or is she an Aquarius (that would be the Water-Bearer) ...(Again sorry!) If you did some "artistic liberty/interpretation" on it...I guess either one could be a "mermaid"...Im just saying...sorry!...Please don't hand me over to the Mossad

[Pompom]

Please don't hand me over to the Mossad

 

I'll let it slide for now

Didn't know about that Merlion, thanks for the info. Actually I think she's an aquarius. Making her a mermaid was his idea, though now he seems to be unsure whether or not to get the tattoo at all. Oh well, he can still frame and hang it.

http://666kb.com/i/c99e7pgaz1hg6mgoq.jpg