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Help with turning existing tattoos into half-sleeve.

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  • 11-11-2013 9:55pm
    #1
    kormak
    Registered Users Posts: 887 ✭✭✭


    Hi Folks,
    I was looking for some direction or ideas towards turning 3 existing tattoos on my upper arm into a tastefully done half-sleeve.
    The middle tattoo was there originally and then I had the other two done around it. Ever since they were done, I'm not really happy with their positioning, finish, etc...
    I spent time chatting to a local (and very talented) artist who I'd high hopes would come up with something to tidy them up into a cool half-sleeve, but it wasn't to be... artists block or something! :(
    Anyway, I have to try find a new artist and start over again.
    Basically I want shading over all 3 tattoos, possibly striking in diagonal waves, through the bottom tattoo to try obscure it a little and make it less obvious to read.
    sunrise/sun rays striking up through the triskel and fading out to shading
    Celtic & star designs and shading to make the whole upper arm look really busy with designs, whilst also keeping everything more symmetrical. (it irks me a bit that the bottom tattoo is longer in length than the middle one! :mad:)
    I also like the idea of negative spacing wherever possible. I would probably go 80-90% right around the arm.
    Last artist reckons I should stick with Celtic themed design throughout the half-sleeve as the existing tats are of a Celtic nature/look.
    Anyway, I would appreciate any constructive input as I'm at a bit of a loss how to tidy this all up and turn it into something that i'm 100% happy with.


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    #2
    bodice ripper
    Registered Users Posts: 4,681 ✭✭✭bodice ripper


    dotwork patterning around it maybe. its not really sleevable, to be honest. not everything needs to be a sleeve. if you do want a sleeve, i would be looking into lasering.


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    #3
    salacious crumb
    Registered Users Posts: 6,029 ✭✭✭salacious crumb


    Are you going to get the rest of the triple spiral coloured in?

    I would think some red designs (shapes, clouds, tribal style patterns) in behind the existing black script would look decent, but you'd have to get the triple spiral closed off first.


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    #4
    kormak
    Registered Users Posts: 887 ✭✭✭kormak


    salacious crumb wrote: »
    Are you going to get the rest of the triple spiral coloured in?

    I would think some red designs (shapes, clouds, tribal style patterns) in behind the existing black script would look decent, but you'd have to get the triple spiral closed off first.
    I hadn't planned to, hoping to run 1" thick red sunrays through it...
    but I'm open to all suggestions.
    I defintely like the idea of smal designs in and around the script to make them not so standoutish and make the area more busier.


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    #5
    kormak
    Registered Users Posts: 887 ✭✭✭kormak


    bodice ripper wrote: »
    dotwork patterning around it maybe. its not really sleevable, to be honest. not everything needs to be a sleeve. if you do want a sleeve, i would be looking into lasering.
    lasering is a last resort, but if several artists tell me it's unworkable then I may have to go down that route.


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    #6
    salacious crumb
    Registered Users Posts: 6,029 ✭✭✭salacious crumb


    kormak wrote: »
    I hadn't planned to, hoping to run 1" thick red sunrays through it...
    but I'm open to all suggestions.
    I defintely like the idea of smal designs in and around the script to make them not so standoutish and make the area more busier.

    Well, maybe if you have the red sun beams going through the triple spiral, these could then be extended out around it and turned into some type of geometric pattern utilising negative space etc. to fill out the rest of the area.


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    #7
    kormak
    Registered Users Posts: 887 ✭✭✭kormak


    salacious crumb wrote: »
    Well, maybe if you have the red sun beams going through the triple spiral, these could then be extended out around it and turned into some type of geometric pattern utilising negative space etc. to fill out the rest of the area.
    yeah, you see that's not a bad idea either. I was thinking of rays going in one direction towards the top of the shoulder. But rays fading out all around could work. Perhaps turning more into a skin/blood red shading (not sure what you call that skin colour reddish shading?) down towards the bottom scripts? possibly striking through the scripts? I don't really know the limitations of tattoos... can shading strike right through scripts without 'interfering' with the design?


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    #8
    salacious crumb
    Registered Users Posts: 6,029 ✭✭✭salacious crumb


    I would think so. The script is in black ink, so I reckon some red and negative space designs around it would look great.


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    #9
    jenizzle
    Hosted Moderators Posts: 6,817 ✭✭✭jenizzle


    Tbh, they're three separate tattoos now and you're just going to end up with three separate tattoos with some filler that may or may not improve it. I'd have to agree with BR and mention lasering - get the script light enough then get working on a decent sleeve to cover it if that's what you want?


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    #10
    kormak
    Registered Users Posts: 887 ✭✭✭kormak


    Yeah, fair enough. I have given lasering some thought alright. Even to lighten the bottom names and do a coverup over them. Then get them inked elsewhere.
    How many laser sessions to get rid of those scripts?! they're quite bold...


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    #11
    dodderangler
    Registered Users Posts: 9,204 ✭✭✭dodderangler


    You can turn it into a sleeve yourself. It's not un-sleevable. Anything can be turned into a sleeve.
    Question is will it all add up and match. I have a 3/4 done on my left arm and half on my right and is a mix of different trouble from Celtic to Maori, american indian and Samoan. It's what I wanted tbh. And my tatt artist knew what to do.
    It was all done by 3 artists but one was from 10 year ago nearly and another was an unfinished one which my artist had to fix and fix he did
    He has more planned for my right and he knows il like it.
    What about going to the artist who done it an ask him what idea he'd have to do it all


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    #12
    kormak
    Registered Users Posts: 887 ✭✭✭kormak


    dodderangler wrote: »
    You can turn it into a sleeve yourself. It's not un-sleevable. Anything can be turned into a sleeve.
    Question is will it all add up and match. I have a 3/4 done on my left arm and half on my right and is a mix of different trouble from Celtic to Maori, american indian and Samoan. It's what I wanted tbh. And my tatt artist knew what to do.
    It was all done by 3 artists but one was from 10 year ago nearly and another was an unfinished one which my artist had to fix and fix he did
    He has more planned for my right and he knows il like it.
    What about going to the artist who done it an ask him what idea he'd have to do it all
    Honestly, the artist who done the last work paid f*ck all attention and offered very little in the way of "expert knowledge". (what will work where, etc...)
    In hindsight, I probably should have spent time with an artist and made sure they were on the page I was, etc... instead of picking one, thinking you'll do!
    I am convinced this can be turned into something better, just not sure how to make it happen! :confused:


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    #13
    dodderangler
    Registered Users Posts: 9,204 ✭✭✭dodderangler


    Of course it can mate.
    Give an artist a rough idea of what you want done and if he's a good artist he'll know what to do with it.
    I've seen dolphins that looked like whales turned into tribal things without a cover up done.
    An artist should be able to visualise the work ahead.


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    #14
    kormak
    Registered Users Posts: 887 ✭✭✭kormak


    Cool... anyone wanna throw some artist names out there then? pref Dublin based ones.


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    #15
    dodderangler
    Registered Users Posts: 9,204 ✭✭✭dodderangler


    kormak wrote: »
    Cool... anyone wanna throw some artist names out there then? pref Dublin based ones.

    I can give ya my artists number he's cheap but not well known
    Other peeps on this know dublin in snakebite wildcat artists well


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    #16
    kormak
    Registered Users Posts: 887 ✭✭✭kormak


    dodderangler wrote: »
    I can give ya my artists number he's cheap but not well known
    Other peeps on this know dublin in snakebite wildcat artists well
    Yep, fire me on the details in a pm if you like, cheers. :)


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    #17
    bodice ripper
    Registered Users Posts: 4,681 ✭✭✭bodice ripper


    dodderangler wrote: »
    I can give ya my artists number he's cheap but not well known
    Other peeps on this know dublin in snakebite wildcat artists well



    is this person tattooing from his/your kitchen? I don't think it is permissible to be passing those numbers around on here......


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    #18
    kormak
    Registered Users Posts: 887 ✭✭✭kormak


    anyone sle have any suggestions or artist recommendations?


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    #19
    Marty McFly
    Registered Users Posts: 11,224 ✭✭✭✭Marty McFly


    kormak wrote: »
    anyone sle have any suggestions or artist recommendations?


    Dublin based ill roll out the usual names check them out on facebook portfolios etc then go in have a chat and see what they say.

    Skin City
    Snakebite
    Hydraulix Tattoo
    Wildcat
    Zulu Tattoo
    Spilled Ink
    Reinkarnated
    Inked4life


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