Can you tell what it is yet?

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Ever since I was little I joked about getting my birthmarks numbered–that I was one big connect-the-dots tattoo that made a “me”.

This tattoo is part of “The Stalking and Murdering of a Childhood Giraffe Project” (full explanation of the art project is HERE.) It’s an extremely visible invisible tattoo and Dave C. Wallin (Tattoo Culture, Williamsburg, NY – more) did an AMAZING job considering how small the numbers had to be. Pretty sure I’m not the first person in the universe to come up with this idea (ROO: Nope, you may have been the first though!), but I’ve yet to see another connect-the-dots tattoo.

The design was based on a really geometric giraffe drawing I once saw (if anyone can find the name of the original artist I would be super appreciative!), but I modified it to have spots and be even more box-like. I love this tattoo so much.. which makes it hard to walk down the street without staring at my own calf.

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If you’re wondering what the scrapes on her leg are from, she fell off a step tool and caught it on a printing press on the way down. Bless.

DivX download link for BME members: Extreme2 or Full members

Photos by dollomite and many thanks to Brandon for the red-hot tip!

75 thoughts on “Can you tell what it is yet?”

  4. Max Brand – If you check her updated photos they’re doing just brilliant.

    And besides, there’s a story that goes along with it which is just as important. Don’t be a killjoy 🙂

  5. Max Brand – If you check her updated photos they’re doing just brilliant.

    And besides, there’s a story that goes along with it which is just as important. Don’t be a killjoy 🙂

  6. Max Brand – If you check her updated photos they’re doing just brilliant.

    And besides, there’s a story that goes along with it which is just as important. Don’t be a killjoy 🙂

  7. you know, the idea is cute and all but the tattoo on its own is hideous. interesting? maybe. but in the long run, i don’t know about it. also, hasn’t this been posted here before?

  8. you know, the idea is cute and all but the tattoo on its own is hideous. interesting? maybe. but in the long run, i don’t know about it. also, hasn’t this been posted here before?

  9. you know, the idea is cute and all but the tattoo on its own is hideous. interesting? maybe. but in the long run, i don’t know about it. also, hasn’t this been posted here before?

  16. i’ve always joked about connecting the dots with all my freckles/tiny birth marks before, so i like the idea
    but i don’t see these birth marks that she’s talking about… i’m confused. are there 60+ “birth marks” underneath each little black dot that the ink emphasized?? i know this sounds totally dumb, but i’m trying to figure it out. cool concept though

  17. i’ve always joked about connecting the dots with all my freckles/tiny birth marks before, so i like the idea
    but i don’t see these birth marks that she’s talking about… i’m confused. are there 60+ “birth marks” underneath each little black dot that the ink emphasized?? i know this sounds totally dumb, but i’m trying to figure it out. cool concept though

  18. i’ve always joked about connecting the dots with all my freckles/tiny birth marks before, so i like the idea
    but i don’t see these birth marks that she’s talking about… i’m confused. are there 60+ “birth marks” underneath each little black dot that the ink emphasized?? i know this sounds totally dumb, but i’m trying to figure it out. cool concept though

  25. its a cool concept on the other hand its sad there are 2 numbers on 1 dot with some but then again maybe that was the only solution

    i wonder from who the song is

  26. its a cool concept on the other hand its sad there are 2 numbers on 1 dot with some but then again maybe that was the only solution

    i wonder from who the song is

  27. its a cool concept on the other hand its sad there are 2 numbers on 1 dot with some but then again maybe that was the only solution

    i wonder from who the song is

  37. Its a nice idea and it will remain to be seen how it ages. Be fair RooRaaah, you know it hasn’t been long enough to see how they will really hold. The true test of how a tattoo ages (unless it is done incredibly poorly and goes to shit right away during the healing) occurs over decades and will depend on long term care as well as intial competency of application.

    Max doesn’t know they will blob and you don’t know they will be fine. I hope it holds fine and is well cared for because it is pretty cool.

  38. Its a nice idea and it will remain to be seen how it ages. Be fair RooRaaah, you know it hasn’t been long enough to see how they will really hold. The true test of how a tattoo ages (unless it is done incredibly poorly and goes to shit right away during the healing) occurs over decades and will depend on long term care as well as intial competency of application.

    Max doesn’t know they will blob and you don’t know they will be fine. I hope it holds fine and is well cared for because it is pretty cool.

  39. Its a nice idea and it will remain to be seen how it ages. Be fair RooRaaah, you know it hasn’t been long enough to see how they will really hold. The true test of how a tattoo ages (unless it is done incredibly poorly and goes to shit right away during the healing) occurs over decades and will depend on long term care as well as intial competency of application.

    Max doesn’t know they will blob and you don’t know they will be fine. I hope it holds fine and is well cared for because it is pretty cool.

  40. super awesome!
    The back tracking on some of the double numbers confuzes my little brain lol but nun the less my stupid-ness aside awesome!
    hahah

  41. super awesome!
    The back tracking on some of the double numbers confuzes my little brain lol but nun the less my stupid-ness aside awesome!
    hahah

  42. super awesome!
    The back tracking on some of the double numbers confuzes my little brain lol but nun the less my stupid-ness aside awesome!
    hahah

  43. she is young….and when she is 35 (7 years from now) she will still be pretty young, and I can easily say that by then most of the numbers will not be legible….look at the close up picture in the video….the numbers are super tiny….sorry to be a party pooper…..but I don’t comment without thinkin about it first….well, usually…haha

  44. she is young….and when she is 35 (7 years from now) she will still be pretty young, and I can easily say that by then most of the numbers will not be legible….look at the close up picture in the video….the numbers are super tiny….sorry to be a party pooper…..but I don’t comment without thinkin about it first….well, usually…haha

  45. she is young….and when she is 35 (7 years from now) she will still be pretty young, and I can easily say that by then most of the numbers will not be legible….look at the close up picture in the video….the numbers are super tiny….sorry to be a party pooper…..but I don’t comment without thinkin about it first….well, usually…haha

  49. I cautiously disagree Max, not only because you can’t be certain unless you are a future seeing witch but also because I have seen WWII tattoos with equally or smaller numbering and lettering hold up well. Sure, there will likely be some unavoidable degradation as her skin ages but if she takes proper care of it, it can last. The onus is on her now to care for her skin and hope for the best since it does seem the tattoo was executed with reasonable technical skill.

    If you want to play odds then yes, this tattoo probably has worse odds than others due to the size of the numbers but nothing is certain

  50. I cautiously disagree Max, not only because you can’t be certain unless you are a future seeing witch but also because I have seen WWII tattoos with equally or smaller numbering and lettering hold up well. Sure, there will likely be some unavoidable degradation as her skin ages but if she takes proper care of it, it can last. The onus is on her now to care for her skin and hope for the best since it does seem the tattoo was executed with reasonable technical skill.

    If you want to play odds then yes, this tattoo probably has worse odds than others due to the size of the numbers but nothing is certain

  51. I cautiously disagree Max, not only because you can’t be certain unless you are a future seeing witch but also because I have seen WWII tattoos with equally or smaller numbering and lettering hold up well. Sure, there will likely be some unavoidable degradation as her skin ages but if she takes proper care of it, it can last. The onus is on her now to care for her skin and hope for the best since it does seem the tattoo was executed with reasonable technical skill.

    If you want to play odds then yes, this tattoo probably has worse odds than others due to the size of the numbers but nothing is certain

  67. I am going to echo what someone else has already said, but hasn’t this been posted before? I swear I have seen it before. It was recently posted on a board I posted on, and even then I thought I saw it before, and could have sworn it was on here.

    Nonetheless, cute tattoo/girl.

  68. I am going to echo what someone else has already said, but hasn’t this been posted before? I swear I have seen it before. It was recently posted on a board I posted on, and even then I thought I saw it before, and could have sworn it was on here.

    Nonetheless, cute tattoo/girl.

  69. I am going to echo what someone else has already said, but hasn’t this been posted before? I swear I have seen it before. It was recently posted on a board I posted on, and even then I thought I saw it before, and could have sworn it was on here.

    Nonetheless, cute tattoo/girl.

  70. haha i do this with my freckles all the time, i dig it totally, but i cant stand leg tattoos, as a leg man, i like looking at them unobstructed :p

    good luck!

  71. haha i do this with my freckles all the time, i dig it totally, but i cant stand leg tattoos, as a leg man, i like looking at them unobstructed :p

    good luck!

  72. haha i do this with my freckles all the time, i dig it totally, but i cant stand leg tattoos, as a leg man, i like looking at them unobstructed :p

    good luck!

  73. good call Squig….at least it will be easy to cover….and I totally respect your response Lizardman….we are all experienced, but obviously no two peoples experiences are the same….

  74. good call Squig….at least it will be easy to cover….and I totally respect your response Lizardman….we are all experienced, but obviously no two peoples experiences are the same….

  75. good call Squig….at least it will be easy to cover….and I totally respect your response Lizardman….we are all experienced, but obviously no two peoples experiences are the same….

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