Introduction
“How can I explore a design topic of my choosing and create a final product from it?”
The Zenith project emphasized creative freedom and the exploration of a foreign design topic. For my project I chose the art of tattooing. This process was one I never explored before but am so glad I did. I watched a variety of tutorials, videos, and even TV shows. From these different forms of media, I learned a lot about different techniques, styles, and ways to tattoo. For the process of my tattooing I had to get comfortable making mistakes and learning from them on my next tattoo. I am proud of how much I learned about a completely new topic and my progression from first to last tattoo!
My process
I started off planning my tattoos and color with the materials I have. I then made a calendar planning my deadlines. I made over 15+ tattoos on a variety of fake skins and here are some of my progress and process pictures!
Early Tattoos:
All Tattoos
Artist Statement
Ever since I heard about the Zenith unit, I knew exactly what I wanted to do. Our possibilities ranged from the world of design, however I gravitated immediately towards a particular subject that has always intrigued me: tattoo art. Our bodies are marked from top to bottom with things beyond our control, scars, birthmarks, moles, bumps, bruises, but the beauty of tattoos is the control and liberation we gain over our own bodies. I find tattoos to be a fascinating form of expression, storytelling, and permanence. The styles I was influenced by were fine line and Neo traditional tattoo art. I wanted to try these very contrasting styles to practice outside of my comfort zone.
In design, one of my biggest discomforts is making mistakes. This project forced me to make mistakes and improve on the next tattoo, learning new techniques and tricks to make each tattoo better and technically more beautiful than the last. I learned a variety of things from this project: the layers of the skin, different types of needle cartridges, how to shade in different voltages, and so much more. Through this project, I strengthened my technique for tattoos but also deepened my passion for this unique expression of art.
Presentation video
Here is the presentation featuring my work and process (the slides are at the bottom)!