I want to explore and learn more about illustration for a purpose, I am starting to think my initial plan to make a brand of images with someone as a bit impossible in the short time period of this project, I would rather do the task as a personal project when I have the time. First I need to learn how to draw, and I need to find a purpose. I've always been interested in tattoo design, the black lines and simple forms should help me remember how to draw, I'm going to try my hand at a bit of tattoo design, now rather than going for something typical, like a rose, or a butterfly, I'm going to try an owl.
I took these images with me to my tattooist, A small shop in Chard, Somerset, owned by artist Steve Champion. He explained a few facts to me about tattoo design, like to make lines definite, make sure everything's straight, things are symmetrical (that are supposed to be) and that my lines all join up, no little holes in the outline. These tips are something I wouldn't have considered before.
I'm one for a naturally messy style, with lots of under drawings. My key weapon in art has always been scribble biro, with lines coming off here there and everywhere. It's going to prove difficult to draw in swift and concise lines. Steve also expressed that it's important to have detail, and nice line shapes but not to make things too complicated and busy. Complicated small parts get lost when transferred onto the skin. And I suppose that makes sense, the skin is always changing and getting older, the small details are not important, but the overall image.
He allowed me to use the carbon transfer machine to copy one of my images, the one he thought was best, (the simpler owl) and taught me how it picked up on carbon, such as pencil lead, or photocopy. So it was best for me to draw tattoos either as pencil line drawings, or in black ink that could be resized and photocopied. I was booked into have a small tattoo touched up, and made the most of my trip.
I have a few tattoos myself and understand the basic principles to designing them, I drew my own lotus flower, that's on the back of my neck, it started as a basic sketch and was transferred using the carbon transfer method, and had the artist shade it in to his own liking. This was the first tattoo I had ever designed, It looks okay, it's not like I can see it every day. Other tattoos that I have, are from design sheets or from the internet. I'd rather not have something that someone else has, but I was young and just picked things out of sheer fancy.
The cherry blossom I have on my wrist is my biggest regret, I see it all the time and there's no hiding it, or the fact the tattoo artist at Living Art in Plymouth, properly screwed up my arm. It's been covered over three times now by Steve in Champion tattoos and looks one hundred percent better than it did, but it proved to me that you always need to trust who's tattooing you, and to be happy with your choice of design. You might also notice I have a very little tattoo on my other arm that looks like it says Pi, it doesn't say Pi, its Arabic for mother. People ask me about my love of maths, as they assume it's a math tattoo, then when I explain, they seem a little relieved. But I'd like to keep all ambiguities away from my designs.
I feel tattoos are personal, they say something about you. I like them, in moderation but I think there is an element of taste and judgement involved. Not everyone would look suited to a tattoo, and sometimes I question peoples judgements over what they have chosen to emblazon on themselves permanently. I won't be designing any 'scary' tattoos, like skulls, snakes, swords etc they don't appeal to me.
Steve and myself have started a collaborative project, he's looking for new designs to put up in his studio. He wants to be more original but doesn't have the time himself to sit and work out new designs. He's offered me some wall space to display my work, and a cut of the profits. It will more than likely something that takes me longer than this short project to actually achieve a confident and professional set of tattoo designs but I will make a start, and I will continue to keep drawing.
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