So, I’d been thinking about getting some new ink for a while. Just kicking ideas around, you know? And then Kenyon Martin popped into my head. Man, I loved watching him play back in the day. That intensity, the sheer power. Plus, let’s be real, his tattoos were pretty iconic. Especially those lips on his neck. Wild stuff.
Didn’t want to copy his ink exactly, though. That felt kinda weird. But the idea stuck. K-Mart, that whole era of basketball. It meant something to me. So I started digging around, looking at pictures, game highlights, trying to figure out what felt right.
Figuring Out the Actual Design
I tossed a few ideas back and forth in my head. A silhouette? Maybe too complicated. His face? Nah, portraits are tricky, gotta find the right artist. Then I thought, keep it simple. His jersey number. Number 6. Yeah, that felt solid. Clean, meant something specific to him and his time with the Nets, but also kinda universal.
Finding the artist was the next step. Didn’t want just anyone. I looked through a bunch of portfolios online. So many styles out there. Some guys are amazing at realism, others do great traditional stuff. I needed someone with clean lines, good with bold, simple designs. Found this guy downtown, his work looked solid, really sharp number work and lettering in his book.
Getting it Done
Booked a consultation. Went in, showed him some pics of K-Mart, explained the number 6 idea, where I wanted it – forearm, pretty standard spot. He got it right away. Sketched something up, just a basic look at the font and size. We tweaked it a bit, made it a little bolder. Felt good about it.
Then came the actual appointment day. You know the drill. Sat in the chair, got the spot shaved and cleaned. He put the stencil on. Looked right in the mirror. Yep, that’s the spot, that’s the size. Gave him the nod.
The buzz started. Honestly, forearm isn’t too bad, pain-wise. More annoying than anything else after the first few minutes. Just kinda zoned out, listened to the machine. Didn’t take super long, maybe an hour or so? He wiped it down, and bam. There it was. Number 6. Looked sharp.
- Clean lines, just like I wanted.
- Good solid black fill.
- Placement felt perfect.
Healing and Living With It
Got it wrapped up, paid the man, and headed out. Then came the fun part – the aftercare. Washing it gently, putting on that ointment, trying desperately not to scratch it when it started itching like crazy a few days later. Then the peeling phase, looking all kinds of weird for a bit. Standard stuff, really.
It healed up fine, though. Took maybe two, three weeks to look totally settled. Now? Yeah, I dig it. It’s simple, but it’s got that connection to K-Mart, that era. Every time I glance at it, kinda reminds me of watching those games. No regrets. It’s just a cool piece, part of my story now, you know?
