The encounter with this client from Emilia happened entirely by chance. On Instagram, thinking I was answering to another user, I accidentally sent him the details to contact me and schedule an appointment to discuss the project. Upon seeing my message and having long desired a biomechanical tattoo, he seized the opportunity and contacted me to discuss his project.
Choice of Subject
The choice of subject for his tattoo was pretty simple: he wanted a biomech tattoo.
I showed him some of my work, and after discussing the technical aspects related to the realization and schedule, I directed him to a private playlist on YouTube where I collect all the biomechanical projects I’ve done and are still available. After evaluating various designs, he found one that particularly appealed to him. That design was created the previous year for another guy who, for personal reasons, had decided to abandon the project. Therefore, there was no need to create a new design, but some modifications still needed to be made.
Modifying a Design
The project was originally designed for the arm of a much bigger and muscular person, so I had to eliminate some parts and tighten others to adapt the design to the new client’s arm. Additionally, the shoulder design, which I had used for another biomech tattoo, needed to be changed. Finding the right design wasn’t easy: initially, he wanted to incorporate a car clutch, but the design didn’t work. We unsuccessfully tried several solutions until he suggested incorporating an aircraft turbine, a perfect and functional idea for the design.
Finally, he asked me to create the tattoo in black and white (he found the colour design beautiful but he didn’t feel ready for colour). I suggested keeping the highlights inside the structure nonetheless, and he accepted this compromise.
The sessions went smoothly, thanks to his good endurance, but they still required some effort given the amount of detail.
I can’t deny that I would have preferred to create this biomech tattoo in colour, but it has its charm even in black and white.
This work will also be included in the book I’m working on for my 30-year career anniversary. To stay updated on the book’s release, subscribe to the newsletter and follow me on social media.
Below you can find pictures of the working process and a video showing the final result one month after healing.
