I'm looking to get a tattoo of Athena in the near future but I'd like it to be based off of a historical piece (statue or painted/plaster image) that's accurate. Are there any specific pieces anyone can think of?
In terms of ancient texts, the physical appearance of Athena wasn't usually described, although she is often called 'bright-eyed/gleaming eyed' in the Odyssey.
If you search Athena and ancient Greek vase painting you'll see she usually appears as a woman in a long dress with a helmet (wearing it or holding it), a spear and shield, and often wearing the aegis in ancient Greek art. You could potentially base your design off one of these images.
One of the most famous depictions of Athena is the Athena Parthenos statue. The original no longer exists but there are many reproductions (ancient and modern) based very closely on the description given by the ancient historian Pausanias (Book 1, 24.5-7), as well as images of the statue that appeared on ancient coins and gems etc. This could also potentially be a good image to use. Hope this helps!