Wearing a super cool t-shirt with imagery made up of Goblincore elements and some complimentary jewelry, Lane came in to see me about covering up an old tattoo that didn't serve him anymore. (Globlincore is a particular aesthetic that involves imagery inspired by folklore and is centered on the celebration of natural eco systems.) He says, "My brother once told me, 'If you want a tattoo you'll like for a long time, don't overthink the symbolism. Just pick something that you like looking at.' Unfortunately, he gave me that advice after I had already gotten a tattoo of a rooster. I had a reason that made sense at a time, but once the overthought symbolism no longer resonated with me, it was just an image that felt stuck in the past. For a long time I thought I was stuck with it, because the only successful cover-ups I had seen were of much smaller and less complex tattoos. Also, the unwanted rooster was close to a pair of snakes that I loved and wanted to keep.
"Victoria was amazing. From a list of my favorite plants and animals, she designed a beautiful half sleeve that covered the rooster, incorporated the snakes and added a spirited crow! The whole process of working with her was fun and I am thrilled with the beautiful art she came up with. I have always loved looking out at the woods, and now I feel like I have a bit of forest to take with me everywhere I go."
Here are some photos of the drawing, before, outline, gray shading and fresh final color stages.
