Blackwork Japanese Dragon Traditional Tattoo

This dragon-inspired tattoo on the ribs is the first session of a very large project that was supposed to cover the client’s entire torso. For this reason, we had to think about developing the first piece that would fit into a composition that would accommodate other pieces in the future, balancing everything. For this reason, we took up a lot of space in the lower abdomen, leaving the center of the stomach free so that a frontal piece could be added in the future.

In terms of execution, we opted for strong contrasts of black and skin to give depth to the tail in the background and the body in front, playing with the size of the scales as they twisted or moved away from the back. After this, I added a sumi-e to the back to give it a rounded effect and to help make the dragon more legible with so many overlapping planes.