Should I just cover up the whole thing?

[sesa]

Hey guys, 

I've posted many times about my tattoo dilemma. Yesterday i finally got the partial cover up I've been wanting. :-) As per my plan it was less a cover up and more of framing the bottom of my original tattoo because I wasn't happy with the bottom half of the design.

 

I'm pretty happy with how it turned out to be honest. I like the dark red shade of the flowers. I like it so much in fact that I'm wondering if I should have just covered up the whole thing with red flowers for consistency. Right now it's black and gray mixed with color. I like the contrasting styles but I'm worried that it makes the cat face look unfinished and faded next to the bold red flowers. Thoughts? 

Edited January 29, 2017 by princessandcats

[Synesthesia]

I think you mentioned before about possibly doing the cat's face in color, and I would suggest against that. You have so much black and gray in there already that putting color over top that would look muddy. The only thing you could really do that would make sense is to just have it darkened or outlined in some spots to add more contast, and even then, you're still going to have color up against black and gray.

I personally love the juxtaposition of realism against a more illustrative style and think it brings out the best qualities of both tattoo styles. I think this was a great fix and improves the cat a lot. Get more tattoos and stop worrying about this one! 

[sesa]

8 minutes ago, Synesthesia said:

I think you mentioned before about possibly doing the cat's face in color, and I would suggest against that. You have so much black and gray in there already that putting color over top that would look muddy. The only thing you could really do that would make sense is to just have it darkened or outlined in some spots to add more contast, and even then, you're still going to have color up against black and gray.

I personally love the juxtaposition of realism against a more illustrative style and think it brings out the best qualities of both tattoo styles. I think this was a great fix and improves the cat a lot. Get more tattoos and stop worrying about this one! 

Cheers for remembering my previous post--goes to show how much I've been spamming these forums lol! ?

Yup the artist also told me not to attempt to put any color in it in the future, because the style was already in black and gray. I like the juxtaposition as well--I was just worried that it looked weird since I don't see this style a lot (not on small designs anyway). Thanks for the input, I definitely feel more confident about this fix now. ?

[erit2017]

Blast over it with a big flower 

[oboogie]

Didn't you post this exact topic on another part of the forum?

[sesa]

16 minutes ago, oboogie said:

Didn't you post this exact topic on another part of the forum?

Er yeah. Sometimes I get more replies in one forum than the other. I'll stop now lol. ?

[66pens87]

Er yeah. Sometimes I get more replies in one forum than the other. I'll stop now lol.

You don't need to stop. Post wherever you want. Good luck with that tattoo.


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[sesa]

2 hours ago, 66pens87 said:

 

You don't need to stop. Post wherever you want. Good luck with that tattoo.


Sent from my LG-LS997 using Tapatalk
 

 

Haha thanks! I post quite a lot as I can't really get feedback from friends and family--half doesn't care or does not have any interest in tattoos while the other half straight up hates ink. So I barely get any constructive opinions. 

[66pens87]

Haha thanks! I post quite a lot as I can't really get feedback from friends and family--half doesn't care or does not have any interest in tattoos while the other half straight up hates ink. So I barely get any constructive opinions. 

I understand I love this forum. With that said, it is a bit slow. I have other hobbies and when I go to their respected forums, I need to read 4 pages to catch up on what was chatted about that day. Maybe tattoos just don't have that huge of a forum following. But this forum has been great.



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[littlefox1970]

The contrast between black and gray and color, realism and illustrative  works nicely together IMHO.  Leaving it as is would be perfectly fine, I think.  One idea did grab me though, as I looked at it ... stunning blue eyes in the kitty ... to tie them both together. :)

[sesa]

20 hours ago, littlefox1970 said:

The contrast between black and gray and color, realism and illustrative  works nicely together IMHO.  Leaving it as is would be perfectly fine, I think.  One idea did grab me though, as I looked at it ... stunning blue eyes in the kitty ... to tie them both together. :)

Wow, I love it!! It would certainly tie in the two concepts nicely together. 

I'll definitely run the idea by the tattoo artist next time I consult for my new tattoo. My only concern is that the cat is probably too small for such a subtle detail to make an impact, but I want to know what she thinks anyway. Thanks! ?

[littlefox1970]

I think most tattoos get the most attention from their owners.  Generally speaking, we are the only ones that unmercifully scour the details ... so if what you notice makes you happy, then I think that's what really matters! :)

The stunning blue eyes suggestion actually comes from my own project at present.  I'm working on my Alice in Wonderland sleeve right now and am particularly focused on the Cheshire cat (he's next). Still not quite sure how I will approach the color for it, to be honest, since I'm facing the same dilemma as you - a gray blue tabby with prominent eyes. Luckily, exercising the imagination in the planning stages is half the fun ... :)

You spoke of a new tattoo ... have you gotten the idea ironed out yet?

[sesa]

On 2/14/2017 at 8:26 PM, littlefox1970 said:

I think most tattoos get the most attention from their owners.  Generally speaking, we are the only ones that unmercifully scour the details ... so if what you notice makes you happy, then I think that's what really matters! :)

The stunning blue eyes suggestion actually comes from my own project at present.  I'm working on my Alice in Wonderland sleeve right now and am particularly focused on the Cheshire cat (he's next). Still not quite sure how I will approach the color for it, to be honest, since I'm facing the same dilemma as you - a gray blue tabby with prominent eyes. Luckily, exercising the imagination in the planning stages is half the fun ... :)

You spoke of a new tattoo ... have you gotten the idea ironed out yet?

No final idea yet on my next tattoo design--but I DO know it's going to be another catattoo OR something inspired by Tim Burton or Neil Gaiman (I've been in love with their dark and whimsical style since I was a kid). I want to take my time with my next tattoo and not rush it--I mean I love my tattoo now that it's fixed, but I wouldn't have had to fix it in the first place if I had taken more time before I had it done.

Do post a pic of your sleeve when it's done! The Alice in Wonderland theme sounds awesome--what style/interpretation did you go for? ?

 

[littlefox1970]

Mmmhmm, that sounds awesome, Sesa!  I'm not familiar with Gaiman, but Burton has a wonderfully eccentric artistic style - love it!

I agree, much to be said about taking our time before committing ...  Our bodies are prime real estate deserving nothing less than the best ... and there is, at the end of the day, only so much of it. :)

Thanks!  Well, everyone has their different reasons for getting tattooed ... I am really excited by the idea of having my own drawings in my own style by my own hand impressed on my own body. Gee, I sound like an egomaniac! lol.  Generally I like the character styles from Johnny Depp's Alice in Wonderland, and though I am indeed using those characters they are being rendered by my own hand (no tracing) in my own style. Thick, crisp outlines, bold color contrasting bold black, illustrative with realistic depth, no canvas showing ... I'm just hoping that with no tattoo experience I will be able to pull it off in a way that will make me happy - and be true to my style.  

I look forward to seeing the ideas you come up with for your next piece. :)  Here's a kitty tattoo I found recently that I have fallen in love with...might just be a springboard for my leg ... love super chill bling bling kitty and the steampunk style combination ... and love steampunk airships too.  My real estate is going quickly! :)     

[littlefox1970]

Haha!  I was looking up "Tim Burton cats" on google ... and discovered that my own  Cheshire cat IS a Tim Burton piece ... I hadn't realized that Tim Burton was the producer of that movie, though Johnny Depp's presence should have tipped me off to it, lol.  Love his eccentric style ... and love this Cheshire kitty!

Edited February 16, 2017 by littlefox1970

[sesa]

On 2/16/2017 at 10:42 PM, littlefox1970 said:

Haha!  I was looking up "Tim Burton cats" on google ... and discovered that my own  Cheshire cat IS a Tim Burton piece ... I hadn't realized that Tim Burton was the producer of that movie, though Johnny Depp's presence should have tipped me off to it, lol.  Love his eccentric style ... and love this Cheshire kitty!

Yah, Tim Burton's Alice was actually what I had in mind when you mentioned the cheshire cat idea. ?

I like the pics you posted above! My next piece is definitely going to go towards the illustrative/cartoon style.