What makes a good tattoo.
The 3 levels of viewing distance.
-from the recently arranged desk of Dinlee
-Subject: 3 viewing distance of a tattoo piece.
If you break it down a ‘good’ tattoo is a collection of marks made on the skin which reads as a picture which could be experienced by the viewer’s eyes and process with the brain, A good tattoo traps the eye in it’s narrative and rewards the viewer with more information if you look closer. Today we will talk about one of these elements: 3 levels of viewing distance, a good piece of work must meet this requirement.
They are:long range,mind rage and close range.
Long range
From a far distance the values and the silhouette of the piece will began to read and give you ideas about the piece, it doesn't have to be 100% clear(I’d argue that it shouldn’t be). But it creates enough interest and curiosity to the viewer to move closer to enjoy the piece. ‘Hey it looks like some kind of bird, let me look closer….’ is the kind of vibe we are talking about.
Long range.
Mid range
At middle range it should be clear that what the piece is about. The contrast and composition of the design directs your eye to the interest point of the piece. And the focal point should be just interesting enough to keep your eyeballs for a few seconds then they are off to enjoy other parts of the piece. ‘Hey it’s an eagle! The head(focal point) looks very detailed.’
Mid range.
Close range
This is where you enjoy the brush works and tiny details of the design. This is where you place your reward for the viewer for investing in your work, You can hide tiny details for the viewer to discover you can call these ‘Easter eggs' as well..’What’s that in the eagle’s mouth? it’s a snake oh my god!’ I just experienced this today by look at a piece of art made by one of my favorite artist Iain McCaig, it’s a piece about a small faerie, If you look close enough the decoration on it"‘s hair is a bug’s lag! Very clever Iain!
Close range.
Close up of ‘All that Glitters.’ by Iain McCaig for Magic The Gathering.
There you have it! Next time you look at a tattoo piece you could pay more attention to these point then you might just have a more enjoyable viewing experience! And if you are designing a piece these might help you to identify where to put your fundamentals to work! Have fun kids.
Until Next time,
-Din
Hello Folks, Studying value is one of the most important task as an artist, And even more so as a tattoo artist since we don’t have full access to full values when we are working on skin. So today we’re going to do a mid tone study.