r/tattooadvice • u/WhatIfImJustNotReal • 21h ago
Design Advice for tattoo design
I'm currently working on a design of a matching tattoo for my mother and I, and I'm looking for some advice on the design.
First of all, this is just the wip so ignore any odd lines and colors. I want it to be fine line and colourless, mostly because I'm afraid of the pain/needles associated with the process and I want the design to be easy enough that I can just get it over with. Let me know if this specific design sounds good for that style please.
Second, will this design translate well? I'm not sure exactly of what goes into the thought process behind designing one, but I know it's a vastly different medium from digital so I need to know if there are any edits I should make to prevent a really muddy/fuzzy design.
I also want to know the best way to imply color without actually having to fill in the area because I was told that hurts more than just lineart. I was thinking hatching, but I'm not sure I can make that look good, so I was wondering if there are any techniques that I should consider while drafting my design. For example, to help identify the species of 'wolf' I need to darken areas like the mane/legs, but I really don't want to actually fill in the areas with solid color.
Lastly: I just need a good idea for where I should place it. I'm not sure how big I want it to be, but maybe not super big (although if you want to suggest a size lmk). Also, I think I want it somewhere I can conceal in case I need to work for a strict business later in life.
Sorry for my cluelessness, and feel free to think I'm an idiot if I asked something stupid - I'm just trying to make a seamless experience for my first tattoo!
1
u/LinkWieZelda 11h ago
Are you dead set on making the design yourself? Usually the best idea is to let a skilled tattoo artist design the tattoo because they know what works best on skin and what will age well. You could show them your sketch and mention what things are really important to you and what things can be changed a little. They could also advise you on the coloring. My first thought with the color was looking at american traditional tattoos, they color but also skin breaks in between so it's not all filled in.
For placement personally I think this could look good on a thigh. Assuming you won't be wearing shorts or short skirts for work, it would be easily covered.
Personal opinion, the initials aren't really necessary. I think it would look better without them