Hi every body!

[Gibm4tic]

Hey there everyone! I'm Andrew and I'm a sculptor/heavy equipment operator who's got a large tribal tattoo on his arm. I've had it worked on three times and i''m still aching to get where it feels right... I got it when I was 19 and it's a design of my own. But being 19 I didn't have the best design sense or the know how to pick out a good tattooist. So what I'm left with is something that I really enjoyed when I was 19, but can't help but see the faults with now at 27.

I hope to fish through the forums and figure out what it is I need to get done to this piece to really feel like I can move on from it. It sits as a tribal piece now, but I hope to turn it into some kind of tribal/nordic/alien piece when its done. Any help would be greatly appreciated! :)

Some design ideas I've played with can be seen in the linked image. Nothing has really felt right though..

[taylorn]

Really cool designs!

[CultExciter]

Some design ideas I've played with can be seen in the linked image. Nothing has really felt right though..

Take a look at the tattoos of Leo Zulueta and Cliff Raven. They should give you inspiration.

[Graeme]

Take a look at the tattoos of Leo Zulueta and Cliff Raven. They should give you inspiration.

Colin Dale too if you're going for more of the Nordic thing.

[Gibm4tic]

Awesome thanks! All three of those artists will be some great inspiration. I'm basically trying to merge all three of them haha.

I'm finding my main issue is working something in around the tribal piece that doesn't look too cluttered. As much as I love thick black lines, I don't want my entire arm to look like a black block from a far.

I'll keep pluggin' away at it.

Thanks again for the help!

[SnowyPlover]

Hello and welcome

I hope you don't mind this suggestion, but I think you should not design the tattoo yourself - that is what great tattooers are for. Instead of flat out designing, why don't you find references that you love, find a tattooer whose style you can't live without and let him or her go for it?

Check out Gerhard Wiesbeck - lots of heavy black, but combined with lighter patterns and dotwork.

Instagram

[Gibm4tic]

Yeah that's a good idea. The artist in me wants to design it, but i'm not a tattooist so i'm sure someone else would do a much better job.

I don't want to waste anyone's time though... I feel like I know what I want and I'd hate for an artist to spend time working on a design and me ending up saying I don't like it. But I guess they deal with that on a daily basis. I'll probably end up drawing a bunch of ideas out and finding a bunch of references then taking it to someone and seeing if they can decipher the madness I've brought them.

Wow, that guys stuff is amazing! I love the look of that style.

Thanks for the advice!

[CultExciter]

II feel like I know what I want and I'd hate for an artist to spend time working on a design and me ending up saying I don't like it.

I guess another suggestion, and please don't take this the wrong way, is to not be as precious about it. Find the right tattoo artist. Someone who's work you've seen that makes you go "whoa," especially if it is in the style you're looking for, and have some faith. Give them the necessary components and allow for that person to develop something you both can be proud of.

[Gibm4tic]

Find the right tattoo artist. Someone who's work you've seen that makes you go "whoa," especially if it is in the style you're looking for, and have some faith. Give them the necessary components and allow for that person to develop something you both can be proud of.

Yeah I get what you're saying. As the artist I'm sure they'd be more enthused about the piece if they had an actual stake in it, rather then just fixing someones mistakes.

Definitely sound advice! I knew I came to this forum for a reason haha.

Thanks again!