Forearm tattoo with a shaded red rose above black script lettering and large ornate letters, in a traditional style.

Rose and lettering on a forearm

Traditional · Forearm · Mixed · Photo

A red rose with grey shading sits at the top of the forearm, above large outlined ornate letters and a line of black script reading part of the phrase the root of all evil. The linework is clean and the rose is shaded in red and grey, while the lettering is filled with grey and black tones. The forearm fills the frame against a plain grey and clear plastic background.

Traditional Lettering Forearm Rose Lettering Script Quote

Find an artist for this

Take it to an artist as a reference. A good artist will make it yours rather than copy someone else's tattoo.

A story inspired by this tattoo · fiction

Dear Marcus,

Keep reading

I found your old biscuit tin under the stairs when I was clearing out Mum's place, the one with the faded tartan lid and a single shilling wrapped in tissue inside. Mum never trusted banks, and she never trusted the vicar either, though she would quote him at anyone who asked her for a loan. Money is the root of all evil, she'd say, and then she'd lend the money anyway and never once charge interest.

Enclosed is the cutting from the climber that grew against the coal bunker. You'll remember it, the dark red one that wouldn't flower for years and then flowered all at once the summer Dad went into hospital. I've potted it up in a bucket of her compost. Keep it out of the frost and don't let the cat near it, because she still thinks it's hers.

The reunion is on the twelfth in the church hall, though I doubt Gary Pike will be sober enough to recognise anyone. Mrs Hadley is coming, which means someone will bring up the school fund again, the one that went missing in 1987. I expect you'll tell them it was the root of all evil. I'll tell them it was Gary.

Come and get the rose. Take the tin if you want it, but leave the shilling where it is. It's the only honest thing Mum ever kept.

Love, Carol