Alright, let me tell you about getting this Canelo tattoo on my arm. It wasn’t exactly planned overnight, you know? I’d been thinking about getting some new ink for a bit. I really dig Canelo Álvarez, not just his boxing, but his whole vibe, that ‘No Boxing, No Life’ thing. Seemed like a cool thing to have permanently etched on me.
Finding the Right Spot
First thing, I started looking around for tattoo artists. Didn’t want just anyone poking me with needles. I scrolled through tons of Instagram profiles, checked out local shop websites. Some guys were amazing with intricate designs, others did killer black and grey portraits. I needed someone who could capture that fierce look Canelo has, maybe incorporate his logo or something. Took me a couple of weeks, back and forth, looking at portfolios until I found this artist whose style just clicked. His portraits looked solid, felt like he could handle it.
Talking Design
So, I booked a consultation. Went down to the shop, place had a good feel. Sat down with the artist, showed him some pictures of Canelo I liked – different fights, some poses. We talked about placement on my arm, figuring out the best spot. Upper arm felt right, visible when I want it to be. We tossed around ideas, maybe just his face, maybe an action shot. We settled on a pretty intense portrait, combined with his ‘CA’ logo subtly placed. He sketched something rough, and yeah, that was it. Felt good about it.
Getting It Done
Appointment day came. Gotta admit, even though I have other tattoos, there’s always that little flutter of nerves. Got to the shop, the artist was ready. He cleaned up my arm, put the stencil on. We checked it in the mirror, made sure the placement was spot on. Looked good. Then I hopped onto the chair, got comfy as I could.
Then came the buzz of the machine. That familiar sting. He started with the outline, then moved onto the shading. Gotta say, the shading is where the magic happens, but man, some spots on the arm definitely wake you up more than others. We didn’t talk a ton, just some occasional chatter about boxing, music. Mostly just let him focus. Took a few hours, with a couple of short breaks to stretch and let the skin calm down a bit.
The shading part took the longest, really getting those details in Canelo’s expression.
The Big Reveal and Healing
Finally, he wiped it all down one last time. Held up the mirror. And wow. Even red and swollen, it looked awesome. The intensity was there, looked just like we talked about. He wrapped it up tight, gave me the whole rundown on aftercare – keep it clean, use the right ointment, don’t soak it, all that jazz.
The first few days are always the slightly annoying part. Washing it carefully, putting on the goo, trying not to bump it into anything. It itched like crazy as it started to heal and peel, but you just gotta resist scratching. Took about two weeks, maybe a bit more, for it to fully settle down and peel completely.
All Healed Up
Now it’s fully healed, part of my arm. Looks sharp. The lines are clean, the shading gives it depth. Every now and then I catch a glimpse of it, and yeah, feels right. A little piece of that fighting spirit right there. Definitely happy I went through with it.
