A couple months ago I had the pleasure (and the honor) of designing a tattoo for a former colleague and friend. He requested a pair of roses in a Medieval woodcut style and provided a reference picture, but aside from that I was given freedom to embellish as I chose.
It is always a special feeling to get to draw something that will be displayed on a person’s body and carried around the world on them, so I particularly enjoyed this. I am not a tattoo artist, but I always try to make the art with the idea that it’s going to be applied by a needle on someone’s skin. So I’ve tried to keep the design bold and iconic, to survive blurring, and to be a shape that will conform well to the front of someone’s bicep, where it was intended to go.
The payoff, of course, was getting to see the ultimate result.
All credit to the actual tattoo artist who applied the design, and many thanks to my friend for commissioning me.
Anyone interested in commissioning a tattoo design of their own is welcome to drop me an email or submit a quote request.
