Body composition in tattoo design and placement
Many tattoo designers and clients getting a new tattoo think long and hard about the composition of the artwork to be placed on the recipient, but sometimes both can forget about the overall composition of the tattoo within the client’s body outline. and other existing ones. gold future artwork. This article will not attempt to discuss the nature of the forms that works of art can take, but rather how that work of art relates to other works of art and to the body of the client itself.
The human body is a continuous collection of shapes and forms. This spectrum of forms can be viewed differently by each of us. Tattoos help define those shapes and allow these areas to be accentuated, blended, separated and redefined when placed correctly.
Looking at the human arm, probably the most common area for tattoos (at least in more recent times within Eurocentric societies), one could see elongated ovals, with many curves, a visibly flatter area towards the outside, a rounded area visible towards the front, a flatter area less seen towards the interior and an area less curved, but still rounded, semi-seen towards the rear. Within that, one can see smaller ovals or triangles within the overall series of curves. Reducing the area in which one is looking often leads the viewer into flatter, more restricted areas. Mapping tattoos onto these ovals, triangles, flat dots, and various levels of immediate visibility says something about how the artist and client view the human body and the artwork itself.
Personally, I have a tattoo on my upper right arm and (with the help of my artist) I placed it in such a way that its main long oval shape sits upright on the flatter outer part of my muscles in the middle of the outer part. from the arm. The extensions of the design then curve over the curve parts of my arms, stretching out to the next flatter areas. The longer portions even extend to what I would consider the next section of my body, ie my back and chest. It is placed in such a way that the main part of the image is visible, and the smallest (but still important) details are visible upon closer inspection (of course, easier without a shirt).
It was placed there not just because of the design itself, but because of the future work that I hope to have done. There will be some background work and other artwork that will effectively “match” the existing artwork in various adjacent locations. That artwork will accentuate the curves leading up to the larger piece, showing how I (and my artist) see the shapes and forms of my body merging together to make one more continuous canvas.
And it is this canvas that must be held to the attention of the artist and the client in order to provide them with the information, even ammunition in some way, that allows them to make the most meaningful decisions about which designs to obtain and where they will be placed. Artwork design can be made to fit these spaces in a number of ways, through rotations, altering and customizing layouts, and even color and shading options. It may not be desirable to alter the default layout, so other methods such as reducing or enlarging the size and using borders or outlines can be used to make the layout work well with the customer’s shapes and curves.
Taking into account the contours of the body and the geometric associations and how these shapes work together can enhance any tattoo design. Clients should work with their artist and get multiple ideas for placements for artwork and decide what works best for the expression of their body they want to do. Look in the mirror and see what shapes and areas you see. Think about what future artwork you may want to get and see how what you have dictates and enhances the space you may want to fill. This simple step to visualize your body will make your tattoos more meaningful and beautiful, offering longer lasting enjoyment and satisfaction with your next tattoo.