Critique Request Tattoo design for my daughter

Arnaud Van Tilburgh · Sep 20, 2010

I already started a tread some time ago about a scroll design that would fix a tattoo of my youngest daughter.
We could not find someone that could cover-up the little horse like my daughter wanted it, until recently.
We drove some hundred kilometres to visit different tattooists and found a famous one.
The first contacts with this tattooist I was not there. I gave some information to my daughter as she wanted a cover up with some scrolls, like she see me doing for engraving.
So she took some photos and Ronâ€™s book about advanced scroll design to the tattooist.
A week later my daughter and I we went looking for the design that was made. You probably can guess my emotions when looking at the scroll design, ready to be tattooed.

So I was convinced I had to make the design. Of course I donâ€™t know much about tattoo, and sure the tattooist can work real detailed. On the other hand a tattoo is on a curved living surface, so the tattooist gave me some tips.
It would take me to much words to explain, but I have been working on a new design for my daughter. And as a design mistake on metal one can throw it away and start all over, this design has to be good before the tattooist starts.
So please give me some feedback on this one.

The tattoo to be cover uped

The cover up design of the tattooist

My design

My design how it could look like when tattooed

arnaud

Willem Parel · Sep 20, 2010

I like your design much better than the design from the tatooist Arnaud.
I think yours will cover the horse better and your design is much more beautyful about style.

Ray Cover · Sep 20, 2010

looks a hell of a lot better than the horse and its original. Very unique compared tot eh mass produced flash art that everyone seems to be getting now days

DKanger · Sep 20, 2010

Arnaud,
I know nothing about tatoos. What happens to the parts of the horse that are not covered up by the new tatoo? It appears that will be so in several areas.

Arnaud Van Tilburgh · Sep 20, 2010

DKanger said:
Arnaud,
I know nothing about tatoos. What happens to the parts of the horse that are not covered up by the new tatoo? It appears that will be so in several areas.

My design covers more on the horse than the design of the tattooist. The parts that are not covered will be tattooed with some skin colour (white)

arnaud

pilkguns · Sep 20, 2010

My opinion?, while your scroll nice, and would make an ideal engraving, it will not look well on the skin.

This is such a permanent and personal thing. I think a lot of thought should go into this. Really, you have very little to cover up, since the horse is just an outline. I think I would work much harder to get a design that covers the horse but not oeverpowers the rest of the body. If she already does not like the horse, what will happen in a few years and she deos'nt like a huge scroll on her arm?

Jane · Sep 20, 2010

Great thoughts Scott!

Cloudy · Sep 20, 2010

I really like the design for an engraving!

tonytigerhk45 · Sep 20, 2010

Your design is good for engraving, but his is good for tattooing. Tattooing fine lines like that start bleeding into each other and usually get muddy looking.

Arnaud Van Tilburgh · Sep 20, 2010

Scott, I understand your point of view. Covering the horse only would take less space. But my daughter want more than just the cover up.
She want scrolls that make a one picture combining “Jofra designs”. She is 27, so who am I to tell here not to do that.
And if the horse would have looked like a horse she never would have want a cover up on it.
You have to be honest, the horse don’t even look like a pony.
So my question was not is one should have a tattoo or not, it was only about the design I made. And you could be right as it is not possible to tattoo this design properly.
But that will be the next thing to find out. The tattooist however works really detailed.

So if the design is tattoo able or not, I don’t know, the tattooist can always give a first try on my arm.

Arnaud Van Tilburgh · Sep 20, 2010

Tony, you could be right, that is why we were looking for the best Tattooist we can get. He may give it a try first on my arm to find out if she is able.
Of course the way I made the design could not be shadowed the same way as I designed it, but is the tattooist is honest she will tell me what can an what can not.

arnaud

griff silver · Sep 20, 2010

at some point i intend to git an arm band tattoo of my scrolls, problem is I dont like my scrolls yet, yours however look great, as far as how it will tattoo they sell fake skin for experamental ideas and for learning to give tats. best of luck to you!

Marrinan · Sep 20, 2010

Arnaud, Covering a tattoo with flesh color looks terrible in my opinion. If the tattooist is an artist and matches flesh tones perfectly-one day in the sun and the whole thing is a blotch. There are several gifted tattooist that frequent the forum and they may chime in as well. The horse is I think not supposed to be a horse but "my little pony" and it is very much like the artists my little pony illustrations. I don't think it was intended to be a life like horse in the first place. Fred

Arnaud Van Tilburgh · Sep 20, 2010

Dacota, I understand you donâ€™t like tattoo.
Scroll however is something the Maori used for tattoo also, not only for engraving only;

arnaud

Arnaud Van Tilburgh · Sep 20, 2010

BTW, yes we probably all once made designing for the rest of our lives, and did they all hold till now?
I have a beautiful daughter, a huge tattoo or not wonâ€™t change that. But if she likes lot of tattoos, I have no problem with it.

And may I underscore, my question was only about the design, not if one should have a tattoo.

arnaud

TyG · Sep 20, 2010

Your design looks great, the reason the Tattoist's scrolls do not taper as much as an engraving design is because the ink does set wider in the skin as the tattoo ages. I think you can get a good result with your design if you widen the backbone and leaf junctions a little to allow the Tattooist enough space to shade without it becoming a black splotch (Australian for unsightly mark). I'd have a crack at it. Did a Ron Smith design on my own leg and it turned out OK.

pilkguns · Sep 20, 2010

If a horse or equine is what she wanted and still wants.... looks like to me that this could be worked on to get it more horsey looking... and keep that.

Dave London · Sep 20, 2010

Humm
How about lazer removal of the horse. Then a new tatoo ?

Arnaud Van Tilburgh · Sep 20, 2010

It seems to me, only I can read my own reply’s. IT IS NOT whether my daughter should have a tattoo.
Just would like to know if my design has no errors.

arnaud

Arnaud Van Tilburgh · Sep 20, 2010

Tyg, thank you for your support. We have been searching for the best tattooist this time, Tattoo Bertje is phenomenal over here.

But we will found out if he can do it this detailed.

Arnaud

Critique Request Tattoo design for my daughter

~ Elite 1000 Member ~

~ Elite 1000 Member ~

~ Elite 1000 Member ~

~ Elite 1000 Member ~

~ Elite 1000 Member ~

~ Elite 1000 Member ~

Elite Cafe Member

~ Elite 1000 Member ~

Elite Cafe Member

~ Elite 1000 Member ~

~ Elite 1000 Member ~

Elite Cafe Member

~ Elite 1000 Member ~

~ Elite 1000 Member ~

~ Elite 1000 Member ~

Elite Cafe Member

~ Elite 1000 Member ~

~ Elite 1000 Member ~

~ Elite 1000 Member ~

~ Elite 1000 Member ~

Sponsors