Yeah, I think thats what i'll do. I mean i'm really proud of my ink, love it!! and certainly not ashamed of it, but i know some people can be kinda picky about what makes a good costume. And people tend to have quite high standards hahaha. Its nice to see that so many people are okay with it! And thanks to everyone for all the lovely comments!

And if im honest... i dont think i could cover it if i tried... its so bright.. and im so pale.. it would just look atrocious! haha

I wanna say go for it too! I've seen some cosplayers with tattoos and maybe like Sillabub said they've picked characters that "work" with the tattoos or things like this, but it looks totally awesome! (For example a Sol Badguy with tattoos and I saw an I-don't-know-who badass girl character with wicked cool tattoos)!

I like to see how people do costumes differently too (Personal touches and so on), so I think tattoos add to this Go for it!

I think its all about what your comfortable with. I'm going to get the outline done for my half sleeve in 2 weeks time and whilst I don't cosplay revealing characters usually at all, my 2 October Expo characters are both women (shock horror) and they will both be showing shoulder. I'm going to see how it works to cover it up, I'm certainly going to try but thats just me. If I saw anyone with tatts that were very visable and bright, I certainly wouldn't think any less of them at all, after all cosplay is about fun and what your comfortable with. If anyone had ever criticised somebody about it I'd be rather apalled.

I have two tattoos, one on my right and one on my left arm.

Now I am doing Aika from SoA (See sig) and well....I need to cover them up as she isnt the tattoo kinda girl and it will look rather strange.

One of them is like bright pink, with brown and green (cherry blossom vine) and the other is a cross (just black) so I need to cover them over for oct.

Am just trying to find ways of doing it, and the cheapst way possible.

O.0 Gorgeous!

I have a big tattoo on my side too and one on my thigh but I don't let it bother me when I am choosing cosplays. In my opinion it is about how you feel in that cosplay not so much as whether your tattoos are on show or not. =)

Even if people do have an opinion that it doesn't go with the cosplay, they should be looking at at outfit and how well you look in it. Tattoos are just that lil extra something ;p If someone hasn't got something nice to say about it then screw them! You'll be at a cosplay event cosplaying not a tattoo con =)

Your ink is awesome hun and you should show it off even if it doesnt exactly go with the cosplay! Show it off lovely!! <3

Can I ask how people would feel about any sort of anime character with a nose ring because I still get alot of comments on my ring. I know there are simple things as 'put in a stud' but nose rings are a pain to put back in and also I always lose studs, waste of money really... Does facial rings bother anyone? Of course not extreme facial pircings...

I totally agree with Bambi!. I have only my two arm pieces of ink but i dont instantly go for cosplay that covers them up. I definately say go for it and who wouldn't want to see beautifull ink like that!! ^^

I've been planning on getting quite a large tat up my back, and tbh I would most defiantly put some effort into concealing it when I cosplayed....I mean
I wouldn't really care what anyone else said, but it would probably piss me off, because it wouldn't be accurate for the character XD


I mean I have a pendant that I actually NEVER take off, I love it so much, the same wth my rings and bracelets. I have a lot of bling which I feels defines me and noone sees me without it....but I take it all off cosplay....and it feels weiiiiiird.....but stilll must be done.

But this is just me XD

I personally have 3 tattoos and will bound to be getting more (I have a half sleeve in the planning stages) and I haven't really covered them up..ever. Luckily for me when I have cosplayed Ariel for instance, my tattoos get covered up by the costume, so I've been safe.

But when I cosplayed Yuna in her wedding gown my out stretched phoenix wings across my shoulder blades were on show all the time, but I felt they kind of went with the costume due to the fact that she gets saved by Valefor who is infact a phoenix! So yeah...

I think for the sake for like disney characters, it might be worth covering the tattoos up if the costume doesn't do that naturally because let's face it.. it's disney and kids who attend events don't want to see their favourite princess/hero with a tattoo on show. BUT saying that, before I could get cheapish clear bars for my snake bite piercings, I had to my normal bars in, so cosplaying Ariel with snake bites was abit annoying for me personally, but after a while I forgot they were there, and i think loads of people looked past them to the point where they weren't noticed.

But other than that, I would say leave the tattoos where they are, most people will look past them and shouldn't criticise you for having them on show, because they're a normal thing to have now and are apart of you as a person.

I think its just personal opinion. You're bound to get people who might have to make a comment but generally its not a big issue. I will admit that feel a bit funny if my tattoos show slightly but its not like I can do anything about it. Plus, most of my cosplays cover up where they are anyways. Having almost ten makes hiding them a lil awkward! >.<

Tattoos are a part of you so people should accept them just like they would a non-tattooed cosplayer

that's basically what I was getting at! XD!

Great minds ;D hehe

Haha yeah!

But back onto the subject, I think it's good to hear that so many people have similiar thoughts and opinions on the subject of tattoos and cosplay. It's really encouraging, especially for those who do really worry that they will be criticised upon for having them on show.

It's def up to the person! At least for me it depends on who I'm cosplay as and what I'm wearing. Same with piercings. When I cosplayed Sailor Venus I took out my industrial bar and both rooks, since it made me feel the whole "does not compute thing", and I'm gonna try and coverup my tattoo next year when I do Sailor Star Fighter. (got two f-holes on my tummy! ^^) But yeah, totally depends on whatand who!

Live and let live I say! I mean if your gonna ask my opinion on it I would say where costuming is concend its sometimes really depressing when you see a great cosplay! well made! looks great! but there is a huge arm/leg/belly tattoo that the character dosent have. but again its all down to personal choice ect ect its not my right to point that out nor would I if it was XD the person is having a rad time anyways!

but my being a cosplayer is one of the main reasons I probably wont get a tattoo. That and I rarely meet someone who is still happy with theirs 15 years later. I guess its the worry I would regret it XD