This realistic tattoo was designed to include a series of significant symbols for the client, tied to difficult experiences he has faced but prefers not to share. The theme was simple, with classic elements common to many tattoos: roses, a flying dove, a woman and a clock.
Composition
The roses, positioned on the forearm, symbolize regained serenity. The flying dove, in the client’s personal vision, represents the desire for freedom rather than peace. The female figure embodies the importance of the feminine universe in his life and the desire for beauty. Additionally, the falling blindfold, similar to another work I created in 2013 (link), where the blindfold over the eyes had multiple complex meanings. Here, however, the falling blindfold symbolizes a person finally seeing situations to which they had long been blind, representing an awakening.
Additions
Finally, the clock was added at my suggestion to bring dynamism to the forearm, which otherwise risked being monotonous with just the roses. Initially, it was planned for the inner forearm, but the client preferred to move it to the outer forearm.
Personally, I thought there were too many roses, but after a thorough discussion, I accepted the client’s choice.
At the end of the project, the client asked me to add some glass shards, which I placed at the base around the wrist.
For him, these shards represent breaking free from a sort of glass bubble in which he felt trapped and from which he managed to escape.
Timeline
The design, being a realistic one with classic elements, did not require extensive research and was completed quickly. Apart from the placement of the clock, I immediately understood the client’s desires, including the type of face and hairstyle for the woman.
The execution on skin was also relatively quick, requiring only four sessions, basically one for each subject.
Below you can find images of the stages of processing and a video of the tattoo more than a month after the last session.
