My Final Tattoo Designs 

Its taken me so long to finally get to the end! 

As you can see iv continued with the idea of framing the main image with the more decorative aspects of my clients ideas. Using the Lilly's Apple Blossom, Swallows, Roses all in a combination with shading and textures.

What do you think ? 

Here is some of the feedback from Leo ( my client) 

" Wowsers ( his words not mine)  i think its perfect! .. "

" now i need to decide where i want it. with this design it looks like a certain point so i would have to have one in two certain points. Like me Back ! it would fit perfectly on each shoulder blade."

" The both look like they are meant to be a pair, even though they both are different. My family will love this! I am so happy Lauren chose to use the sacredheart as the main imagery! the theory behind it and the actual imagery is so perfect for what i want. This will be my most important tattoo amongst them all ! .. They are sacred to me!'

Lauren has done such a good job at keeping me informed in ideas and showing me visual ideas instead of me trying to imagine them. Although Lauren has put colour in there after i said i didn't want colour, it has slightly changed my mind. i like the slight glow of the yellow Lilly's and the light blue in Marys head dress. So i might have to re think the colour situation !!!'

I am happy with the result. But happy isn't good enough for me. I think i  can do a lot better ! 

But i think I'm lacking in editing ability on photoshop.Which is holding me back from my final visual idea to come alive. 

It has been a long process but i have enjoyed every set of the way.

And i wish to get a project like this again soon.

The Sacred Heart 

Being the artists behind Leo's tattoo i know it is important to stick to his brief. But i am going to abuse the fact that hes told me to use my own artistic direction.

Iv come across several Religious imagery and iv fallen in love with the sacred heart !

The Sacred Heart (also known as Sacred Heart of Jesus) is one of the most famous religious devotions to Jesus' physical heart as the representation of His divine love for Humanity

I thought this as a theme would tie in perfectly! He told me how close he is to his family and wanted symbols incorporated to be devoted to them. well doing that and using the sacred heart imagery he is celebrating jesus' divine love for humanity. without Humanity Leo and his family wouldn't exist.

Here are just some of the paintings and illustrations of this amazing theme.

Both Jesus and Mary have been painted adoring their sacred heart. I believe everyone should be doing the same! 

Here is just a few stages of my own development into the sacred heart.

 With this sketch I'm concentrating on the beams of light that can bee seen coming of the sacred heart. 

just a quick sketch putting everything together.

Not so happy about this one. It doesn't to be a whole, looks a bit jagged.

But what i do like is the gesture of the figure with his hands out and the swallows flying away. it gives the impressions that he is signaling them away. Creates a Connection between the figure and the birds., which is missing from the other design aspects.

And at this point i have chosen not to show Leo as i am taking an artist judgement into thinking he will Love it ! and keeping it away from him to give him a little surprise at the end.

New inspiration for my Client.

Whilst watching a programme called LA ink. I came across an amazing tattoo that i thought my client could really appreciate. These portraits were done by the famous Kat Von D. shes well known for her outstanding black and grey portraits like the ones above. thought the design process for my client iv found it hard to settle down on a specific theme for the tattoo. Leo my client was able to give me tones of images to work with and ideas to spring off. but putting them together in a way that they will gel, has been hard. I've tied putting everything into one sketch but then looking at it and being confused at what the design is trying to say. Everything just looked bundled on top of each other. This tattoo needs a story and a meaning, but still needs to link with my clients brief. 

i showed Leo these tattoos above as a test to see what he may think of them. He had really positive feedback from them, saying he likes the shading detail and the realistic qualities it had. but he mainly liked the idea of having a frame around the sketch like the first one above. he said he liked how it has framed the main aspect of the tattoo but the frame itself still had so many decorative qualities to it. the one at the bottom he particularly likes the way the roses have been positions to form a stopping point of the portraits and adds that different contrast against the smooth skin shading. 

This might be a way of moving forward with the design to help gel my design aspects together. 

we soon shall see. 

keep a look out for the results.

After The recent changes in ideas here are just a few of the sketches iv done so far.

These first two, i concentrated on the idea of a frame. Something that would frame my main piece and hold it in together. They are both Slightly curved upwards to create the cupping effect of the frame. so something would easily sit on top of it.

I am very happy with how just these two sketches have come out like, that i am planning to use these element in my final sketch.

Client feedback: I love the progression from just ideas, i specifically like the direction lauren is taking this, and i particually like the content. i know i told lauren tones of ideas but lauren's has selected them well! its not too much, but its still decorative without being barbie like.

This ne above ive incorporated both of the previous designs just because i loved them that much ! 

i like the tonal differences but as a tattoo it would look unfinished and boring! 

so looks good on paper but im not too sure what leo would think of it.

Extending ideas. Connecting the elements together

Just a quick painted version just to flare things up a bit. 

First meeting with my client Leo

Meet my client Leo.

Interests’:

‘Getting inked’, Sketching, Football, Fashion, Going on holiday, Festivals, Music, Family, Art, Galleries.

Main reasons for getting tattooed:

“ For me getting a tattoo is like note taking. Once I had a piece done its like I’ve now stepped into a new chapter.”

First glance ideas:

He is very close to his grandparents and would like to have something done for them. He doesn’t want names or faces in his design but representations of what remind him of them.

From what Leo tells me they are very keen gardeners and love having fresh flowers in the house.

So I suggested maybe picking same of their favorite flowers and getting them incorporated into the design?

Sample ideas: apple blossom, lily’s (nans favorites) roses etc.

Main aspect of the design:

Leo loves his tattoos and has many on him already. Several of them have Christian imagery like Mother Mary, doves, cherubs, and the theme of going to heaven. So he would like to carry on his theme into his new piece. But this time he wants to take the imagery from the ‘Immaculate conception’.

Leo isn’t religious but is interested in faith and the painting from the bible.

Other aspects of the design :

-Clouds and soft blending is a must according to leo, beacause NO colour is allowed. Just shading and strong signiture lines.

-Flowers to represent his grandparents

-Immaculate conception- for the females in his life.

-Churbs and doves to define the space within the clouds.

Leo does his own sketches and is interested in illustration and other art forms, so he has trust in my capabilities and my designs. He wants me to incorporate his ideas amongst my own. He knows I know what he wants but he wants me to add that little bit more. He chose me to do this because he wants my artwork on his body; he already has his own artwork and wants my piece to be apart of his illustrated body.

 

Sketches for tattoo client- 'prayer and roses, something decrative' Clients words

Thinking of a composition that has different elements in different positions is hard. I am constantly thinking of what it would look like on the skin.
My client wanted a certain amount of faith and christian symbolism in a modern twist. Trying to link that theme with nature, flowers and fantasy is hard. They can look random and unnecessary. They need to combine and work off each other.

The main inspiration was The famous David Beckham's sleeve. David is famously know for his artwork. His style being one of the first to be seen. Its features clouds, christian teachings, cherubs, and verses that relate to his family. personal teachings.

This style of clouds has set off a trend for many young people today. A perfect setting for all things imaginary, it also looks amazing to fill gaps and join together aspects of tattoo design to create one big piece. Its commonly used on sleeves and other big pieces.

I used the rays to add some depth into the piece, otherwise i think its flat and too samey.

Client Feedback: ' It's great! i love the clouds and rays, the piece so far is perfect. i want this to be a big piece. I want more of this !!

carrying on the theme of fantsay i would love to see some cherubs and some lillys in there somewhere. use your imagenary and create a scene full of swallows, lillys maybe some script.'

Tattoo Clients Iinspiration For a Tattoo

Roses

Swallows

 

Other inspirations come fro David Beckham tattoo's. Christian symbolism, cherubs, the cross. He wants this to be a decorative piece so lots of cherry blossom and Lilly's, all well known flowers in the history of tattoo's.

Kat Von D

An icon to all females that have tattoos!

In this interview with kat she talks about her amazing tattoo shop called LA ink.
talking about the challenges that can happen in a studio with different artists and different talents.
Kat is a highly attractive woman. She talks about the idea of body art being an art form, and that women today are changing the perceptions of women with body art. Because its more common for women to have tattoo's and these women today are proving those people women can still be attractive in their unique art.
I think this runs throughout the tattoo world. People turn their nose up at people that have body art, as if they aren't serious, and are just rebels of society. But this is all starting to change! Tattoo's are more common and kids are growing up with tattoo's around them and appreciating them more, than people that were brought up without the knowledge of what a tattoo is and its purpose.