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Japanese Backpiece Tattoo: Over the Shoulder


Getting to the Back

Having seen that the cherry blossoms turned out so well, I was ready get on with starting the back. But, we had to get there first. The cherry blossoms had been placed with an eye toward connecting them to the back, with a design on the shoulder.


Cherry Blossom, Wind, and Clouds Tattoos
Tattoo by Greg James



Design for the Shoulder

Greg and I talked about some traditional wind and clouds, frequently used as a backrop in expansive Japanese tattoos. He painted the spiral (the convention for wind) with a brush first, to judge its placement on this awkward part of the body. He then did the bubbles (the convention for clouds) freehand.

The light grey sumie effect is achieved by using black ink dissolved in water, almost like a wash and very light in color. Only through repeated tattooing is any density at all accomplished. I gotta say it hurts quite a bit but the effect is just about my favorite.

Note the small cherry blossom petals which the wind has swept up in its flow. Again, no detail is too small for Greg to play with it a bit. The petals are the perfect thematic tie to the blossoms that had been done first. You'll also notice that more cherry blossoms have been added at the top and back of the shoulder in the same vein (though in less traditional colors). The cherry blossom is a flower laden with meaning in Japanese culture. I won't even try to go into here but I chose it very deliberately. NEXT - First Draft of the Backpiece!


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