Another filler advice request

[SlowMoe 0]

I'm having a hard time coming up with ideas for this. I wish I'd have put more thought into the placement of these tattoos, but it is what is and I'm at the point where I think adding any more to my arm will make or break the finished product.

The guys that have been tattooing me aren't very helpful, and I would like to get some ideas before I go any further.

One concern is the spaces around the cross. Should I fill them in with tattoos or just use filler here? Or a combination?

What about the two portraits at the top; should I use filler around and above them, put a couple of tattoos around them, or what? I was thinking an antique frame around and between the two but I don't know that might look like shit.

I have been really indecisive about this and I would really appreciate some opinions.

Thanks

[Ducky15568 50]

There is a bunch you could do for filler, it all just depends on if you want a theme (not that you need one at all.) Some ideas i could think for you to look at are:

Negative space

Smoke

Clouds

Smaller tattoos as filler

Stars and dots

swirls

outer space

Water

These are only some ideas that i could think of off the top of my head. Some will definitely be better ideas than others.

Hope this helps!

[Johannes 5]

my simple advice is to keep getting tattooed...it will fill up in time... :)

[Gregor 14]

I'm not a fan of any filler - let the stand out on their own !!

[Joe Stratford 50]

It seems to me the cross is an old tattoo, possibly have it re-worked (blasted over is the new term du jour, I believe!) if your happy to do so, make it look more in keeping with the rest of your trad stuff and maybe have something incorporated into or around that, possibly something like the attachment. I have a negative space around my Traditional tattoos and personally I feel it looks the best, it gives each individual piece definition, if you start filling with things like stars/smoke etc it can swamp up the whole arm IMO.

[SlowMoe 0]

So it seems like the general concensus i to just pack as many tattoos in as I can, leavina a little negative space around each one?

[Brock Varty 6]

So it seems like the general concensus i to just pack as many tattoos in as I can, leavina a little negative space around each one?

Just keep getting rad tattoos. Eventually, you will get to a point where you won't care about the fairly minor specifics of that part of your arm. Don't worry, let it happen, if you have a cool little piece you want to get and it feels right to stick it in there...then do it!

[David Akers 0]

I've been thinking about this myself lately. I always wonder if a sacred geometry type filler would look good. Has anyone else thought about this? Not just for your tattoo but in general. Something kind of like this?

[cltattooing 765]

I've been thinking about this myself lately. I always wonder if a sacred geometry type filler would look good. Has anyone else thought about this? Not just for your tattoo but in general. Something kind of like this?

I've been pondering that lately, actually. I think it would look great if it were all done in lighter tones of grey. At least with my tattoos, what I have on my arms is mostly traditional with really strong silhouettes. So if the background patternwork would be subtle enough to not detract from the impact of the prior work, I think it could look DOPE

[Brock Varty 6]

I've been pondering that lately, actually. I think it would look great if it were all done in lighter tones of grey. At least with my tattoos, what I have on my arms is mostly traditional with really strong silhouettes. So if the background patternwork would be subtle enough to not detract from the impact of the prior work, I think it could look DOPE

Word

[temporarytattoo 0]

Getting tattoo is one of the passion and i love really getting tattooed as i had done many tattoos like animal tattoo it was really looking very cool and worth too.

[ake11 0]

i have done stars and dots and not not a fan..i think they only look good if you have very little negative space between tattoos.

[suburbanxcore 889]

@David Akers, that's not particularly my favorite style, but I really like the way it looks in that picture a lot. I think @cltattooing is right that in certain shades and done well, it could mesh neatly with traditional. That's an idea for the future...

@SlowMoe, I like that umbrella and lightning bolts. Who did that one? Very nice.

[bongsau 2,431]

I wouldn't pin anything too close to that cross, it will get lost.

Perhaps spider webbing in/around?

The top part of your arm could be framed off somehow with another piece like a bird that would come down on to the side of your chest.

IMO keep it simple, don't try to fill in all around your western styled tattoos with eastern style background, it will look confused. Keep the space to let the subjects standalone get some tattoos on your other arm and across the chest, you may be delighted how it changes the balance of your tattooed-look.

The ideas on how to add your tattoos, placement, the brainstorming...one of the most fun parts about getting the tattoos! Don't overthink, enjoy the process of developing your ideas. It will come to you :)

ditto...umbrella is really cool. I like the spider too.

[Hands On 766]

you could fit two small sparrows in the bottom quadrants of the cross. or rays could be emanating from the cross.

depending on what the portraits mean, a few things could fit there. I immediately see an hourglass. thin tattoo icons like a snake, dagger, rose on a stem, praying hands. maybe an elephant on the top of your shoulder and the trunk could go in between and curl around. a giraffe. an exploding volcano.

or you could go to Jeff Rassier and ask him do his thing!

[BrookR70 89]

I immediately thought about a couple of small roses, but I really like the rays idea as long as they are lightly shaded. Or maybe one larger rose placed behind it.

[Cork 645]

Come guys, this thread is from exactly a year ago. Ake11 was a necromancer in his past life.

[Hands On 766]

Come guys, this thread is from exactly a year ago. Ake11 was a necromancer in his past life.

wow... we're slackin. strange that this shit got bumped and I replied blind without lookin at dates. never again!

[Cork 645]

wow... we're slackin. strange that this shit got bumped and I replied blind without lookin at dates. never again!

Although, with the way forum notifications work, the OP might get an email and he can come back and enlighten us on his decision.

@SlowMoe

[Hands On 766]

Although, with the way forum notifications work, the OP might get an email and he can come back and enlighten us on his decision.

I've got my fingers crossed for a full bodysuit slideshow.

[suburbanxcore 889]

Hopefully he just got a panther.

[Patrickkinder 3]

Choosing the right filler is my biggest struggle too. Would love to know what the OP ended up doing on this one.