Correcting and Refining Fantasy-Style Tattoos
What seems to be the problem with this fantasy-style tattoo?
There's so much going on here —all the patterns of dark and light — that it's hard to simplify the scene adequately in order to enable the radiance of the field shine through.
The solution to this problem
Since the brilliant yellows and yellowish-greens are so important here, work them out first. Yellow is a pretty easy color to intensify or lighten as you develop the tattoo.
The First Step
In a complicated tattoo like this, a preliminary sketch is no doubt, especially important. You need to establish the horizon and the shape formed by the spreading branches, and suggest the way the foreground seems to rush back to a point on the horizon behind the trunk. You should begin simplifying right away, so the number one step here is to leave the sky white. All the yellows and greens will warm it up eventually. Finally, lay in all the sunlit spaces with a solid layer of new tattoo ink.
The Second Step
Once the yellow ink has dried, it's time to start building up the greens. Mix new layer of near transparent tattoo ink with solid ultramarine ink, and then darken it with Payne’s gray. By using varying amounts of these three pigments, you can generate several harmonizing shades. Begin inking with an intermediate shade, laying down the fairly bright greens, and then using a deeper mixture. The goal here is to develop the moderately dark areas found mostly in the foreground.
The Third Step
When values matter as much as they do here, you should put in the darkest values before you've added a lot of gradations to the lighter ones. This way, you can judge how the light and intermediate values change when they're put next to the darkest ones, and then adjust them accordingly. The trunk goes down first, then the darkest masses of leaves.
The leaf masses have a lively, irregular quality. To get this look, use a technique known as tattoo overlay. Load your needle with lots of white pigment, and then drag its side over the skin. The crisp, clean white ink gives the feel of the light sky, and immediately establishes the lightest value —important when you’re working with so much bright yellow and dark green.
The solution to this problem
Since the brilliant yellows and yellowish-greens are so important here, work them out first. Yellow is a pretty easy color to intensify or lighten as you develop the tattoo.
The First Step
In a complicated tattoo like this, a preliminary sketch is no doubt, especially important. You need to establish the horizon and the shape formed by the spreading branches, and suggest the way the foreground seems to rush back to a point on the horizon behind the trunk. You should begin simplifying right away, so the number one step here is to leave the sky white. All the yellows and greens will warm it up eventually. Finally, lay in all the sunlit spaces with a solid layer of new tattoo ink.
The Second Step
Once the yellow ink has dried, it's time to start building up the greens. Mix new layer of near transparent tattoo ink with solid ultramarine ink, and then darken it with Payne’s gray. By using varying amounts of these three pigments, you can generate several harmonizing shades. Begin inking with an intermediate shade, laying down the fairly bright greens, and then using a deeper mixture. The goal here is to develop the moderately dark areas found mostly in the foreground.
The Third Step
When values matter as much as they do here, you should put in the darkest values before you've added a lot of gradations to the lighter ones. This way, you can judge how the light and intermediate values change when they're put next to the darkest ones, and then adjust them accordingly. The trunk goes down first, then the darkest masses of leaves.
The leaf masses have a lively, irregular quality. To get this look, use a technique known as tattoo overlay. Load your needle with lots of white pigment, and then drag its side over the skin. The crisp, clean white ink gives the feel of the light sky, and immediately establishes the lightest value —important when you’re working with so much bright yellow and dark green.
Suggestions for you to Practice:
It's not hard to find an appealing backlit scene— sit under any shady tree looking through its branches into the sunlight. But before you set up your tattoo equipment, make sure you've chosen a subject that will help you master the points we've covered here.
You'll be learning how to balance extreme contrasts created by deep shadows and dazzling sunshine. Composition isn't an issue, so just choose a simple tree with a clean silhouette that is set against a fairly uncomplicated background. Most important, the tree's crown should be fairly solid, without a lot of sky showing through its leaves and branches.
Start with the sunlit area in the background. Experiment with controlling the strong yellows, then go on and build up your greens. Try to minimize texture and detail. Most important, don't pay too much attention to the sky; indicate it by adding some white ink. For now, just concentrate on your yellows and greens.
Rendering Delicate Leaves and Branches with Strong Color
The problem with this tattoo
The colors that dominate this fantasy style tattoo are strong, yet the trees themselves are delicate. If color overpowers the structure of the trees, tattoos like the one above won't look appealing at all.
Correcting the Issue
Analyze the masses formed by the three dominant colors and lay them down working from cool to warm tones. Don't make the masses too heavy or you'll lose the design’s delicacy.
The First Step
Keep the drawing simple, concentrating on the way the branches grow and the overall areas of color. Begin with the coolest color, green. It's going to tend to recede into the background when the yellows and reds are added, so put it down first. This will make it much easier to evaluate how each subsequent color affects it.
The Second Step
After the greens are dry, begin building up the yellows. Don't just look for the obvious yellow areas; analyze how yellow permeates the entire image. As you work, don't be afraid to put the yellow down right over the green. This freedom will keep your tattooing style looser, and it will also add warmth to the cool green passages that you cover.
The Third Step
Even though the red leaves in the reference photo contain plenty of texture, concentrate on flat color first. Work with a shade a little lighter than you think you'll need —it can be easy to underestimate the power of red. Before you begin texturing the leaves, put down the trunk and major branches of the tree.
The Fourth Step
When you evaluate a tattoo like this in its final stages, you can see how many shades of red may be necessary to suggest the delicate texture of the leaves. As you build up texture, work from light to dark. Load your needle with a moderate amount of ink, and then apply it on the area of skin to be branded. Don't drag it across the skin or put on the ink too heavily. A light, irregular pierce is most effective in getting across the feeling of lots of little leaves.
The deepest reds that you finally add give structure to the leaf masses, and suggest the play of light and dark on their surface. If, in the end, your fantasy tattoo design still looks too heavy, examine the way you've treated the trunks and branches.
In a tree like the maple shown here, lots of little twigs and branches are obvious in the fall. Even though they're not very prominent in a fantasy style scene like this, by adding them you can enhance the feeling of how an autumn tree actually looks. To render them, use opaque paint and a dry ink technique, concentrating on those closest to you.
Correcting the Issue
Analyze the masses formed by the three dominant colors and lay them down working from cool to warm tones. Don't make the masses too heavy or you'll lose the design’s delicacy.
The First Step
Keep the drawing simple, concentrating on the way the branches grow and the overall areas of color. Begin with the coolest color, green. It's going to tend to recede into the background when the yellows and reds are added, so put it down first. This will make it much easier to evaluate how each subsequent color affects it.
The Second Step
After the greens are dry, begin building up the yellows. Don't just look for the obvious yellow areas; analyze how yellow permeates the entire image. As you work, don't be afraid to put the yellow down right over the green. This freedom will keep your tattooing style looser, and it will also add warmth to the cool green passages that you cover.
The Third Step
Even though the red leaves in the reference photo contain plenty of texture, concentrate on flat color first. Work with a shade a little lighter than you think you'll need —it can be easy to underestimate the power of red. Before you begin texturing the leaves, put down the trunk and major branches of the tree.
The Fourth Step
When you evaluate a tattoo like this in its final stages, you can see how many shades of red may be necessary to suggest the delicate texture of the leaves. As you build up texture, work from light to dark. Load your needle with a moderate amount of ink, and then apply it on the area of skin to be branded. Don't drag it across the skin or put on the ink too heavily. A light, irregular pierce is most effective in getting across the feeling of lots of little leaves.
The deepest reds that you finally add give structure to the leaf masses, and suggest the play of light and dark on their surface. If, in the end, your fantasy tattoo design still looks too heavy, examine the way you've treated the trunks and branches.
In a tree like the maple shown here, lots of little twigs and branches are obvious in the fall. Even though they're not very prominent in a fantasy style scene like this, by adding them you can enhance the feeling of how an autumn tree actually looks. To render them, use opaque paint and a dry ink technique, concentrating on those closest to you.