Artistic Feedback?

Pardon that this isn't game related, but I know quite a few artistic minded folks frequent this part of the forum and I need some feedback. I don't really have any artist friends, so I'd thought of you fine folks.

Here's the low down. I got this tattoo on my calve when I was 16. It's a Da Hui which is a symbol for surfing....most people think it is Casper the ghost or Mr. Hanky.



I've had it for 16 years and I'm finally ready to cover it up. This hard to do when it's a 3" x 4.5" solid black bolb, so it's been challenging to design something that isn't completely obvious.

The design I made below fits around the old tattoo very tightly, maybe too tightly. I want to avoid a black blob as much as possible, but I also don't want to incase the old tattoo so closely that you can still plainly see a Da Hui shape. So what do you think?

This is what I'm covering....

It is pretty tight. if i'm looking at it right. The da hui is inside the koi's curve correct? You'll definately have to talk to your artist about it. I think the image you have will work out pretty nicely. I wonder a bit about the detail of the scales but i think they are ok. You might try dropping both images into photoshop and playing with the fit. I'm looking at it now and it looks like it'll go from ankle to knee pretty easily, i'm sure you realize it's gonna be a big bad ar-se (expensive) tatoo when you're done.

your other option is to just remove the leg outright. lol.

more seriously though a couple rounds of laser might lighten up the da hui so it'll be easier to work with. You'll have to talk to your artist about that too.

good luck, bring back picks when you're done.

I know almost nothing about tattoos, so I can't offer advice. But I've never seen that yellow and orange reproduced in a tattoo. That should be pretty awesome if it's not toxic! It's a gorgeous fish.

Regardless of how good it will be to lose the Mr Hankey jokes

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I don't have any tattoos my self but have helped in designing new ones for friends. What they told me, was it should work but it also depends on the colors you use to try and cover the old one.
With a koi I think it will work since what ever gold or yellow you used for the scales in the black area will make some of the scales look a bit darker

as for size it is tight but should work

I was under the impression that the black area between the koi head and tail was where the da hui would be. Making the koi 2-3 times bigger than the image kaktos has. I don't think you can overlay the image as kaktos represents. the inks wont be dark enough. After a couple laser treatments it may be possible to do something like this with a much more faded da hui but right now i don't think any detail placed over the dahui would be visible. not for very long. they would merge together and form the undesired blob.

more so if you spend a lot of time in the sun, as a person with a da hui is prone to be :P

I think this is what he was thinking.

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Fair enough, I've never seen that done before, usually they have to cover the old one in black to make it 'disappear.' Or get enough laser done to make it light enough to cover with new ink. Perhaps that's what happened in the pic you found or maybe they did it wholesale. <shrugs> I haven't had one covered up personally just seen it done.

Discuss with your tattooist, he know what to do. The mine would tell you that if you do not want something ugly like the example KAKTOS found you, indeed we must expand it to cover up with the black area.

In addition it fits well in motion, the head is forward, and this is a golden rule in tattooing in terms of waves is he going to cheat it does not make you all around. Be aware cons to the area next to the black mustache that falls on the heel, that part aged badly.

redfire brings up a good point. Make sure your tatoo has good feng shui karma etc. Again your artist should know about these things. I feel like there is something about the koi's head being down that is bad karma. Of course is you feel like the old tatoo is bad luck at least having a nice looking tatoo with bad luck would be a better option...two negatives make a positive right...

I prefer the first ...

looks pretty good, I prefer the first one too. I think the lines are a better fit. Have you talked to your artist yet? What did they have to say about it?

My main fear is that you are covering a 5" tattoo with an entire lower leg tattoo... and by the sounds of it, doing so in large part because other people think it looks silly.

I cannot help but wonder what happens when/if people think the koi is silly.

I have nothing against tattoo's, have 4 of them myself and may get more in the future. My concern is that to cover a small mistake you are going HUGE. Just how positive are you that this one is something you can live with and enjoy for the next 16 years?

It's all cool if the fish has some deep inner meaning to you and you know it's something that you want on you in such a large way for the rest of your life... But if you have any doubts at all you should be sure to really think about whether you want to live with a 5 inch mistake of a foot plus mistake.



I actually think the new design is pretty cool. It's nothing I'd want myself but still cool. It's just going so huge to cover a small mistake that I have concerns over and hope you really, really thought about.

I prefer the first, and think its gorgeous. I do not, however, like the size and how half of it wraps to the back of your leg. I think that a lot of the beauty will be lost if only half is seen at a time.

Okay, I'm not one of the artists, except in the Costume Creator, but I am an appreciator of art. I'm Also a pro massage therapist and student of alternative medicine. Tattoos are not my thing, I'd personally never get one, and I know next to nothing about them, except insofar as I've encountered a few, while manipulating people's anatomy. That said, it's your body and your choice. Here's my thoughts.

The lower leg/calf area is probably the most stable section of skin you have, and it's unlikely to change shape, drastically, between now and when you die - so of all of the possible locations to get a tattoo, it's a good choice. However, you will Not enjoy any tattoo procedure that crosses bone - the skin is thinner and more sensitive there.

I'm not familiar with tattoo lore or 'feng shui' or other ideas, but I can tell you about bio-energetics. The left leg (generally) draws energy up from the earth, so your Koi will be swimming into the stream of energy and may serve as a guardian in that orientation. It's all about your conceptualization. There may be over-riding energy/karma issues, and if so, then you can turn and flip your artwork to suit.

I like your first/original image best - it looks like a higher-Quality piece of art. However, the Size you're projecting means the piece is too big for the location. It will go all the way around your ankle and overlap, its going to be warped and bent in unusual ways by the changing contour of your leg, there, and it's going to be all over the bones and tendons of your ankle/leg - Not Good. The Tail end is going to be up into the bones and tendons of your Knee-joint - Double Not Good!

Beyond the health issues, wrapping the image around your leg like that is going to obscure the Art itself - a person won't be able to see it all, even with a little turning.

My suggestion is this - Spend some of that money you're banking for this tattoo on getting to old one Removed. That gives the tattoo artist a mostly clean and clear 'canvas' to work with. Shrink your beautiful golden Koi to fit into the 8-9 inches of your calf muscle - that part of your body has consistent curvature and will serve as the best platform to display your new body-art.

Be Well!
Fireheart

[Edit] - Okay, I just couldn't leave it alone until I'd made art out of it. Here is my concept of how the tattoo should be placed.