Tattoo design

That's the design I've more or less decided on for my first piece. It's gonna be on my back most likely (unless anyone can suggest a better place for it).

Around the outside are flames, inside is a sunny scene with amanita mushrooms and mountains in the background.

The kanji is Ai, "harmony".

Of course, it isn't coloured yet, but ya can imagine the basics - blue sky, red & white mushrooms, green grass, yellow & orange flames. The circle will most likely stay as an outline, unless my tattooist can come up with some funky border like celtic knotwork.

Thoughts?

 

Gonna be big for your first tattoo!? I just got my first the other day and I had it placed on the backside of my hip. You may want to place the tattoo in the dead center of your back so that you can build around it. That would be super cool. It looks nice. I would have it drawn up a lot neater first unless that's what you want. Just my opinion. Good luck, let's see some pics when done. When are you getting it?

 

i think it looks hot. i kinda regret my first tattoo cuz i dont really like it anymore but it was a blue and black spider with a web. but i really really like yours

 

It's kinda busy. Does the kanji really need to be in the scene? And the flames could be turned into flower petals (since that's what i keep thinking it is)
But that's just my opinion.
I wanted a busy tattoo too and this tattoo artist talked me out of it. I was bummed but I'm happy that someone was honest with me instead of milking me of my money.
But do what you got to do.

 

I agree with moondoggie. The design does seem a bit crammed together. unless you get it about the size of a saucer then it's not going to look right and many of the colors will bleed together. My tattoo I just got done is basically a rainbow and the green has already faded slightly into the yellow, so you have to be very carefully when picking a lot of color and trying to make it size correctly. Definitely go as big as you can, comfortably. And make sure that you talk to your tattoo artist and ask if it's do-able. But be careful and good luck. Tattoo's are fun as hell as I just began to realize. Once you get one it's easy as fuck to get another and another.

 

Ditto the go big or go simpler comments. Trust a tattooist to redraw the design for you because they have an eye for what looks good as a tattoo. What looks good on paper doesn't always look good on skin.

Also, I think the flames need to be reworked. They look like flower petal and the perspective is off a bit. Its a good design, but it needs some polishing.

 

Thanks guys it'll be done as soon as I have money and time, both of which I lack at the moment..

The flames do need some work (I suck at drawing, but that's why you get an artist to do it for you).. converting them into petals ain't an option, I'm not keen. It will be big(ish), about 5-6 inches across.

As for the kanji.. yeah, it doesn't really fit. I'll design a second one around it

 

My thoughts. idk. id say more realistic fire, at first i thought it was like a flower, i would make the mountans bigger, and realistic with snow at the top or what ever, make the mushrooms cartoon like, or like different colors. id make the sky like purple and blue or orangish like a sunset.

just what i saw.

 

make the flames into flower petals, i think that would be baller

 

i like the idea of turning the flames into flower petals because it kinda clashes together with the peaceful nature scene going on and then having fire around it which is destructive and harsh just kinda goes against eachother unless thats what you were going for that is

 

I like the clash. While flowers are pretty and more commonly recognized in a circle (since that is the only reason we are shooting for petals), the crudeness of the flame engulfing the meadow is a pretty "baller" itself.

 

^^ exactly. Not a huge fan of flowers, and IMO the lotus-flower is sorta overdone as a tat (no offence to anyone that's got one).

So yeah, it's flames, but my drawing skills suck

 

Yeah flames are lame. Make it into a lotus flower or something nice and peaceful. Flames are super tacky!

 

Nah, lotus flowers are too... hippie-ish. Fuck flowers, seriously.

Unless someone patents the scratch-n-sniff tattoo, then maybe.

 

even though the flower petals would be cool too, i like the flame idea. You have to have a balance in the world. Flame eats nature so nature can be reborn. Rad idea man.

 

haha, that's a good explanation.. though it's not why I put the flames there, I just thought they looked cool

 

Well flames are better for males I guess, and Raven is a guy so it all works out?

 

Yeah, I figured it was as simple as you liking flames, but I figured that it could be interpreted that way.

Still, I'm sure it's going to look really cool. I just feel for you because I'm sure it's going to be pricey

 

Hah, indeed.. gonna be pulling a few double shifts to afford this one

 

I'd say go for it! Everyone has their opinion of what they like, but you're the one that's going to have it on you body for the rest of your life. It's nice to see what other people think though. There have been some good suggestions here. If you're comfortable with the design, but not your drawing skills, just have the tattoo artist fix the imperfections for you.

Good luck. I have 6 tattoos and I drew 5 of them, they each have a special meaning to me. For me, it was much better than picking something out of a book because they each represent something that I've gone through in my life.

Post some pics when you get it done if you can. I would love to see it with color.