Size and placement

Size

Realism needs room. Detail like fur, scales and reflections in an eye only holds up over the years if there’s enough skin for it, so Dylan may suggest going a little bigger than you’d planned. The guide above shows how size usually lines up with days in the chair.

Placement

• Forearm and upper arm: easy to heal, great for single animals and portraits.
• Sleeves: best designed as one piece from the start so everything flows around the arm.
• Chest and back: big open canvases for marine scenes and landscapes.
• Legs: calves and thighs suit tall compositions like ships, octopus and waves.
• Ribs, feet and hands: more painful and harder to heal. [Dylan’s view on these placements.]

Working with existing tattoos

If you’re adding to a sleeve or covering an older tattoo, send clear photos of the whole area in your application. Cover-ups usually need to be larger and darker than the original. Dylan will tell you honestly what’s possible.