A young guy from Bologna, a huge fan of the Saw horror franchise, wanted a tribute tattoo on his arm. Not being a fan of the genre myself, I asked him what he had in mind. He outlined the series’ theme, and we started with some online research, trying to pinpoint key characters and scenes. However, to turn his wishes into a concrete piece, I realized I’d have to watch the movies myself.
From Films to Design: Finding Inspiration
Though the genre wasn’t to my taste, I dove into the movies to grasp the essential elements. My screenwriting studies sometimes come in handy even for tattoos. Beyond the main characters and the iconic puppet, I noticed recurring details: the cassette tape labeled “play”, a key to disarm the torture devices, and a timer counting down before they spring into action.
A Puzzle Tattoo: Details and Colours
Since the victims have to solve puzzles to survive, I suggested framing the tattoo with a graphic element reminiscent of puzzle pieces. We then decided to add red accents to echo the franchise’s blood. Something was still missing for the inner forearm. After exploring several options without finding the right one, I spotted something in one of the movie posters that seemed perfect. The client approved, and with that we had all the necessary elements.
From Composition to Skin: A Unique Work
While watching the movies, I selected the best frames and later modified them to fit the tattoo. When I completed the composition, the client was thrilled with the result. The tattoo took five sessions of about three hours each, the maximum the client could endure. We could’ve finished earlier, but I never push clients beyond their limits.
Guaranteed Originality
While I’m usually reluctant to reproduce public domain images, in this case it was unavoidable. Still, since I used specific movie frames, they are images that are hard to track down. It would take time and patience to find the same ones. Not to mention the edits I made, which make them almost impossible to copy.
Below: images fo the working process and a video of the final result
