Want to add to my sleeve - Tattoo Forum

ink73 · #1 (**permalink**) 28-10-2009

First id like to say hi (1st post)
Id like to show you my sleeve, hope you like it as much as i do. And ask for some advice as i want to add to it. The sleeve is all about my little boy. The rooster is because he was born in 2005 (year of the rooter ) there is his name and DOB under it, there are also kanji all linking to my boy, they are the DOB for me and the wife, my parents and grandparents....all of whome lead to him being born...........hope your not confused!! there are also wind bars, blossom and a peony. Now i left the last part of my arm free, incase we had anymore kids. We now have a lovely baby girl, so the time has come to complete the sleeve. I want to continue the same theme,thing is my girl was born 2009 year of the ox....dont really think that is gona work too well (unless you can think of a way)............Any ideas guys. I had also thought of maybe adding another nice flower and having her name and DOB in kanji around it, then finish off the sleeve with more blossom and wind bars etc. I guess im after some pointers and advice please.

bojie · #2 (**permalink**) 29-10-2009

First of all, HI!!! Glad to have you here! The sleeve (what I can see) looks great man. I love when people go big with their ink and I love it even more when it all means something! Here's my question for you... you are wanting to add to this sleeve, but I don't see any empty real estate

! Can you show us the area you want to work with?

ink73 · #3 (**permalink**) 29-10-2009

Hi, and thanks for the nice comments. I just took this pic, so you can see where the sleeve ends at the minute, and what free space is left.

bojie · #4 (**permalink**) 30-10-2009

Well, it would have been nice for the other guys to chime in so I could play off their ideas

, but it seems I'm flying solo here so I want to start with saying since you are starting with Japanese style... obviously you should stay there. That being said, you could incorporate a female Japanese warrior (samurai like) with an ox symbolized on either her headpiece or sword sheath. A Japanese scroll could be added with her name in either english or kanji on the scroll. There is plenty of room for this as well as flowing the cherry blossums down to bring it all together.

ink73 · #5 (**permalink**) 30-10-2009

Thanks again bojie for your response. Yeah i am going to continue the japanese theme, and i will continue the blossom and wind bars etc. I do like your idea about the japanese warrior, as that would symbolise my daughter through the feminine form. When you say the ox could be symbolised on her headpiece, what exactly do you mean, do you have any examples you could show me, or any of the sword sheath.
Also, if i did go down the road of incorperating the female japanese warrior into the sleeve, what is the history of her, what does she symbolise etc?

thanks again!

bojie · #6 (**permalink**) 30-10-2009

Ok here are a couple geisha warrior's. Many geisha were warriors back in the days, and this theme carries over into much anime of today. Unfortunately I am rushing off to work so didn't find any of the hairpieces but they often wore golden pieces in their hair, and the hairpieces had designs carved upon them. Looking at the deviantart piece here, an ox could even be incorporated into her dress design. The tattoo design I just added to show they are quite common features. When I get off work I'll look more for head/hairpieces.

ink73 · #7 (**permalink**) 31-10-2009

Thanks again for the help my friend. Have you managed to find anymore geisha refference (sorry to be a pain in the backside) someone also suggested the geisha warrior could have her clothing hanging off her back or shoulder and the kanji for the year of the ox could be inked onto her skin, not a bad idea!

cheers bojie

bojie · #8 (**permalink**) 31-10-2009

Ok man, hadn't heard from you as to whether or not I should keep searching but now I have. Here are a couple reference pieces I found with Geisha and low back clothing. Your artist should definitely be able to do something with these. Even if the clothing were lowered over the shoulder the sword rests on and the year of the ox tattooed on her shoulder. Doing it on the back would make it difficult to get her face in as well, just depends on what pose you would want her in. In the first pic the sword could be moved down toward the elbow, the clothes pulled down a little more over the shoulder, and a tattoo with the symbol and year of the ox on her shoulder. A good artist could easily even add in the rest of the body (as much as you wanted) freehand.

bojie · #9 (**permalink**) 31-10-2009

Not having much luck on the hairpieces though. I like the tattooed geisha warrior idea better though honestly.

ink73 · #10 (**permalink**) 01-11-2009

thanks again bojie. I agree, up to now thats the idea i think sounds the best (the kanji for the year of the ox inked onto the geisha) i like the fact that she is representing my daughter, and the kanji scroll can be added in the sleeve too. Thanks for all your work. I am gona ring my tattooist next week and run the ideas past him, then i will pop over when i get some reference pics. Will take the ones you have uploaded too. What was the history of the geisha warrior? thanks again, and of you come across anymore material, or you think of anything else feel free to add it.