Finding images

Here is a general guide to finding material for your future tattoo.
It's quite an interesting activity when you're interested in a cool result.
The search process gives a more accurate idea of the idea and allows you to find new ones.

"I hadn’t found quick and working information on this topic on the Internet, so I decided to write this article. Here is my subjective idea and recommendations on what to look for, where and how to do it.

They relate primarily to working with me and my artistic approach to tattoo at the moment."

They relate primarily to working with me and my artistic approach to tattoo at the moment.

Here is a general guide to finding material for your future tattoo.

It's quite an interesting activity when you're interested in a cool result.

The search process gives a more accurate idea of the idea and allows you to find new ones.

«Я не нашел в интернете быстрой и рабочей информации на данную тему, поэтому решил написать эту статью.
Здесь мое субъективное представление и рекомендации о том,
Что искать, Где и Как это делать.

Sources

These are the images that will be on your body.

They can be illustration, art or high quality photos.

What to look for?

Using this material, you get:

A quality basis for a tattoo that is easy to immediately imagine on the body.

But at the same time:

There is a possibility of meeting other people with the same image on the body

There is almost no material on some topics, or it takes a long time to look for it

There are difficulties in adapting to anatomy

Example 1. Replica art

The client is a fan of the Warcraft game universe.
He chose official art from the game developers and received a copy of it, additional ideas and references were not considered.

Example 2. Tattoo based on the works of one artist

If you saw cool art, try to find out the name of the artist and see his works - this is one of the successful methods of using sources in tattoo, which is especially good in large works.
And also when there is no specific idea, but you liked the style.

Here, for example, the client chose her favourite Asian artist Zin Chin.
We looked through his works together and I made a whole sketch based on them.

Example 2:
Tattoo based on the works of one artist

If you saw cool art, try to find out the name of the artist and see his works - this is one of the successful methods of using sources in tattoo, which is especially good in large works.

And also when there is no specific idea, but you liked the style.

Here, for example, the client chose her
favourite Asian artist Zin Chin.
We looked through his works together and I made a whole sketch based on them.

References

From such images, we can take interesting Ideas (inspiration) and adapt them to tattoo design.

Their style or detailing level are not important, most often used for this purpose:

Ready-made art or sketch

Sculpture or 3D model

Photo of the finished tattoo

Ready-made art or sketch

Sculpture or 3D model

Photo of the finished tattoo

Screenshot from a movie, comic book, etc.

Screenshot from a movie, comic book, etc.

Artistic photography

Artistic photography

From such images, we can take interesting Ideas (inspiration) and adapt them to tattoo design.

Example 1: Addition to the source

The client liked the dragon's head from the first image.
And the idea of liquid metal from the second one. We slightly changed the shape of the dragon to adapt to the anatomy, we drew an idea from another art on the skin by hand.

Example 1:
Addition to the source

The client liked the dragon's head from the first image. And the idea of liquid metal from the second one.

We slightly changed the shape of the dragon to adapt to the anatomy, we drew an idea from another art on the skin by hand.

References are also needed if you have ordered a unique sketch that I will draw by hand. They help to come up with a design and an idea

References are also needed if you have ordered a unique sketch that I will draw by hand.
They help to come up with a design and an idea

Where to look?

In my opinion, the best tool for searching for images and visual inspiration is pinterest.com.

If you are not already familiar with it, then in short it is a social network with the best image selection algorithm.
It is used by most creative professions to find inspiration or visual material.

If there are many elements,
it will not be superfluous to create a board for each separately

How to search?

Download application,
register and create a board (album).

Save the images you like into it.
You'll send me a link to it later.

Then enter keywords into the search.

Depending on the task, the request scheme is:

Key request + digital art / photo / art / concept art / sculpture

The difference in requests

Then enter keywords into the search.

Key request
+
digital art / photo / art / concept art / sculpture

Do not use "tattoo sketch" and the like

The first query box will rarely give you the right image, this is normal.

The main thing here is to find a template from which you can push off.

For example, you are looking for an unusual dragon head, and here two options look similar to what you are looking for.
Choose one of them.

The main search starts here.

Pinterest is great at matching similar images to a given example.

After setting an example, you continue to search for similar

Save your favorite images to the board

If there are more than 10 images in the board, you can search the board and deepen the topic

If you like a particular part of the image, you can search by fragment

I do not do the selection of material for you, because I am not responsible for its quality and quantity on the Internet.

So, for example, in the Warcraft or Lord of the Rings universes, there is a lot of visual material, but if you want to do something from a lesser known franchise, then I cannot guarantee that it is on the Internet.

However, if you need my help, I will give specific recommendations on your idea during the consultation.

You also have the opportunity to order an individual sketch from me, which I will draw.
In this case, I will deal with the collection of references and all subsequent questions on my own, your participation is optional.

General

A week before the session or sketch date, send me a link to this board.

Article in progress...