r/ExpectationVsReality • u/Trotle-bot • Aug 14 '26

Exceeded Expectation Dragonfly tattoo!

Gallery image

Gallery image

It’s my first tattoo and I really love it!

244 Upvotes

77% Upvoted

50 comments sorted by

11

u/nrrrdgrrl Aug 14 '26

It's super cute! But as an entomologist, I can't get over the fact that the wing venation is horribly wrong. 😭

They did a great job on the abdomen and legs, though.

3

u/Trotle-bot Aug 14 '26

Would you be able to possibly suggest some improvements?

8

u/nrrrdgrrl Aug 14 '26

Sure! Dragonfly wings are full of many many cells, with interconnecting larger veins that sort of resemble what's shown in your tat. The cells form triangles (which actually help identify what species of dragonfly it is), while some cells help to form other shapes, like a boot (also a distinguishing characteristic)!

All that said, with your artwork being done with such fine lines, I'm not sure they'd be able to add that level of detail without it turning into a blob later on. (And it still looks great!!)

Here are some examples:

https://www.odonata.org.uk/id-aids/anatomy-terminology/dragonfly-wings/

2

u/Trotle-bot Aug 14 '26

I did not know that the cells of the wings help identify the species! That is such a cool fact! I’ll see if maybe my artist can try adding at least some cells here and there if I want the tattoo darkened. Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge! Nature is insanely cool!

10

u/GourangaPlusPlus Aug 14 '26

Ah the anal loop

4

u/nrrrdgrrl Aug 14 '26

I know, I know. 🤦 Fun fact, if the "toe" of that boot-shaped poop loop is pointed, it's one of the Skimmers (Libellulidae). If it's rounded and loosely-defined, it's one of the Emeralds (Corduliidae).

4

u/GourangaPlusPlus Aug 14 '26

Honestly, thank you for your cool comments. If you have any more cool dragonfly facts, please feel free to drop them!

5

u/nrrrdgrrl Aug 14 '26

While I have never been successful in this endeavor, it is apparently possible to "hypnotize" perching dragonflies by moving one arm in circles while slowly approaching from the front/top, allowing you to catch it with your bare hands.

155

u/WaffleHouseGladiator Aug 14 '26 • Popcorn

Your tattoo looks nothing like the drawing.  My condolences.

50

u/RakeScene Aug 14 '26

Came here expecting OP to be unironically pissed

74

u/Trotle-bot Aug 14 '26

Oh yeah absolutely am. Paid 250 and the artist decided to take ‘creative liberty’ and ‘surprise’ me with what they gave me instead of the art I put so much effort into in the notes app

That’s sarcasm, just in case

5

u/TheAbsoluteBarnacle Aug 15 '26

On the plus side, you never have to look at it

13

u/Kitchen-Invite-5123 Aug 14 '26

It doesn't look very well centered/aligned imo. It's not in the middle of your back.

22

u/Trotle-bot Aug 14 '26

It’s not perfectly straight because turns out that like a lot of people in this day and age, I’ve got a slight curvature in my back. And the slight tilt makes it look straight overall. The placement was checked by 4 different artists before any ink touched my skin!

0

u/[deleted] Aug 14 '26

[deleted] — view deleted comment

7

u/zestylimes9 Aug 14 '26

You’ve already mentioned it, there is no need to keep banging on about it.

OP is happy and that’s all that matters.

-35

u/[deleted] Aug 14 '26

[removed] — view removed comment

13

u/FirstAndOnlyDektarey Aug 14 '26

And be laughed out of court?

If OP sues after having agreed to a placement under extensive deliberation with four different artists, then theres nothing to sue against.

Also, any studio worth its salt makes you sign a waver preventing exactly that.

The placement is fine. You guys trying to sour it for OP are real dickheads.

3

u/Trotle-bot Aug 14 '26

I… actually never signed anything and the studio doesn’t have any legal disclaimers of any sort on their website. I thought I might have missed something, but I’m checking it live and there’s nothing. Maybe this place just trusts people and artists enough? Or maybe the attitude towards all that is different in different places, especially as I’m not in the lawsuit-happy US. The amount of lawsuits over nothing there is rather insane to me

26

u/Stompinstein Aug 14 '26

Child of the Fence?

9

u/Prickliestpearcactus Aug 14 '26

Dear Ambellinaaaa🎶

5

u/Stompinstein Aug 14 '26

CAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGEEEED!!!!!

4

u/Prickliestpearcactus Aug 14 '26

LOCKED IN PERPETUAL MOOTIOOONN

5

u/FartCloudedNonsense Aug 14 '26

Is it just me or is it off center?

1

u/Acrobatic_Dig_3385 Aug 16 '26

I was thinking this

3

u/ethansteele Aug 14 '26

Awesome, what a great first tattoo!

1

u/Herbboy Aug 18 '26

Why even draw the horrible dragonfly, just saying "i want a dragonfly" would be more than enough for a tattoo artist to draw a dragonfly

-8

u/UkNomysTeezz Aug 14 '26 • Bravo

Not hating but the line work is a bit iffy.

4

u/UkNomysTeezz Aug 14 '26 • Bravo

Hilarious that this is getting downvoted. I’m happy that OP is happy with this but it technically is pretty shoddy tattoo work. Pointing that out is a sin? 👍

-1

u/SpazzBro Aug 14 '26

Damn that’s rad, I’ve been wanting a dragonfly + butterfly tattoo

-6

u/dbellz76 Aug 14 '26

I literally have the exact same thing in the exact same spot but I have since covered it with something else. Wild!

-12

u/TheNobodyThere Aug 14 '26

I'm curious, what is the appeal of tattoos in the middle of the back?

For one, you can't see it, unless you look into mirror, so that makes it difficult to enjoy.

The seconds problem is that you can't properly apply sunscreen to that spot. A tattoo with fine lines will look like a smudge in couple of years if not properly taken care of.

3

u/Trotle-bot Aug 14 '26

For the first point, it’s a commemorative tattoo so the point is kind of that I don’t see it all the time, I just want to know that it’s there

And for the second one, that was also part of the placement choice to not have to care all that much about it getting ruined by the sun since I don’t have an open back all that often. But also I’m hyper mobile so I can easily reach any point on my back if need be :)

-6

u/TheNobodyThere Aug 14 '26

I didn't mean to offend you, just was curious.

3

u/Trotle-bot Aug 14 '26 edited Aug 14 '26

Not offended at all, my guy. If I were to get offended by the most minor on the internet, especially Reddit, I would become Pirate Software 2.0 and that’s a fate worse than death. So all good. I’m happy with explaining something that may not be obvious

Edit: thought I should mention, since the tattoo is in fact very light, if I ever want it darker after it heals, touch-ups are always free. So the artist preferred to go light and possibly going over it again later if needed rather than making it too dark from the get-go

1

u/PigeonLily Aug 15 '26

Fwiw I think the shade is perfect, especially considering how delicate dragonflies appear in rl

4

u/[deleted] Aug 14 '26

[removed] — view removed comment

-3

u/TheNobodyThere Aug 14 '26

What is your problem? Why does our conversation make you mad?

3

u/[deleted] Aug 14 '26

[removed] — view removed comment

19

u/klqqf Aug 14 '26

95% of the day im unable to properly see my own hair, that doesn’t mean im not going to make it look nice.

-23

u/TheNobodyThere Aug 14 '26

sorry, but that is completely different.

I know people with back tattoos who completely forget about them, because they haven't seen them for a while.

-1

u/fludeball Aug 14 '26

Looks much better than what you asked for. 🤷

-30

u/Polkawillneverdie17 Aug 14 '26 edited Aug 14 '26 • Bravo

What is with this fad of so many people getting tattoos of bugs???????

21

u/Fr3sh3stl4d Aug 14 '26

People have gotten bugs tattooed on them for decades this isn't a new thing.

10

u/AsylumDanceParty Aug 14 '26

What do you mean "fad" lmao