The tattoo this young guy wanted was of a dragon wrapped around his leg, with a paddle between its paws, accompanied by roses and water. This artwork is a tribute to his mother, who, during her battle with breast cancer, found solace in participating in a “Dragonboat” competition, where boats are adorned with dragon heads on the prow. The paddle and water symbolize this sport, while roses were his mother’s favourite flowers.
Evolution of an Idea
To merge these elements into a cohesive and artistic image, I decided to have the roses suspended in the air, drawing inspiration from traditional Japanese tattoos adorned with cherry blossoms. Although roses don’t fall like cherry blossoms, I allowed myself some artistic license. For the water, I suggested placing it at the base of the tattoo, giving the impression that the dragon is emerging from the water, with splashes following the natural movement of an emerging animal.
The Dragon and the Paddle
A large paddle between the dragon’s paws would have made the image caricatured. Therefore, I suggested adding a necklace around the dragon’s neck with a paddle-shaped pendant. This addition not only added meaning without being excessive but also made the dragon somewhat more feminine, as a homage to his mother. Lastly, we needed to decide on the setting. I don’t recall if the idea of the moon was mine or the client’s, but I used it by placing it behind the dragon’s muzzle to enhance the drama and contrast of the design.
The Sessions
For the tattooing process, I began with basic lines on the calf, then added shading. I later outlined the lines on the entire leg, and in the following sessions continued to work on shading.
The process was completed in six sessions, followed by a brief session for some touch-ups on the inner calf area.
Unfortunately, due to the long distance, I couldn’t take pictures and film the fully healed tattoo. However, except for those last touch-ups, in the pictures and videos I do have the tattoo had healed for over a month, and in the lower part, for over seven months.
Below you can find pictures of the process and videos of the creation of the design and the completed tattoo.
