So. I have a very rough design of a thing I am considering getting. Still considering. I really like it as it stands, but I've set it to my desktop and my phone background, and I'm going to spend the next few weeks fiddling with it and probably the next few months staring at it to see if I get sick of it. But. I drew this, and I really like it. Here's my thinking behind it: I've been drawing vaguely Book of Kells inspired animals since middle school. I've had a long standing love of ancient Irish art, as well as illuminated manuscripts (they are so pretty and so weird). The critters I draw don't look like they're straight out of the pages or anything, but I've adapted some stylistic cues that I quite like, while working in my own style. I've hit "phases" in my art that'll have me drawing one particular thing or the other, but I've been drawing this kind of thing for at least 10 years now. It also ties into my general interest in art and art history. It's my own art, yeah, but it references older art. I love dogs. And wolves. But mostly dogs, because they're awesome. I'm as staunchly annoying about my love for dogs as I was when I was in elementary school. I get goosebumps watching all that power when they run. (... Unless it's a basset hound or something, in which case I get a fit of the giggles BUT I STILL LOVE THEM.) I mean, we basically owe the development of keeping livestock to dogs! They help the blind! Pull people out of rubble! THEY CAN SMELL CANCER AND BOMBS. That is pretty danged neat and I am never going to find that not neat. Also, I want to have a damn rainbow on my body somewhere. BASICALLY it is a bunch of things that are me and my interests. THE BIG QUESTION IS does it look completely stupid and like I only like it because I drew it. I really like it, even though I am probably going to adjust the colors and a few stylistic things here and there, but I'm wondering if I'm the only one who likes it. :X
As a drawing, that is fucking awesome. As a tattoo... maybe a bit... GRRRRAAAAAAHHH (I'm so articulate). I guess it would depend on how big it was, but if you like it and you wouldn't mind it on you FOREVER (or until you laser it off) then I'd say go for it, your body, free will, etc.
I really like it, but I don't think that the rainbow parts would translate quite the same way onto skin. Maybe that's just me though. I think that the dog is awesome, and on paper (or my phone screen rather, where I see it now) the rainbow accents look nice - but most of the tattoos I have seen where I liked the rainbow aspect before it became a tattoo, just don't work (in my opinion anyway) once translated onto skin.
The design is really nicely done. However I'm not really digging the colors maybe it's cause I'm more of a black ink type of guy.
The colors are something I plan to fiddle with extensively. =P The colors on the main body were something I picked off of a little Book of Kells wolf. I intend to make several versions with different colors, including just black, to see what looks best.
The upper part of my back was the plan. I'm not 100% sure how big I want it to be, but the original drawing is about 8 inches by 5 inches, and I'm not going any bigger than that. I might go smaller, though.
It looks awesome. Be aware that the final outcome of something like that depends a lot on which artist you choose. Most artists would add some shading of some sort (unless you specify otherwise) and that varies a lot from artist to artist.
The only thing I don't like about it is the tail. It would be more flow-y and less symmetrical if the dog was running. Otherwise, Also... http://www.buzzfeed.com/daves4/basset-hounds-running
Looks good, made me think of Okami I'm gonna get my tattoo like that, the style of it, when I get myself financially stabled.. which I have no idea when thats happening :lol: ---------- Post added 15th May 2011 at 11:19 PM ---------- But I think you should make the body a lighter shade
Good point about the tail! I'll see how it looks a little more... wind-whipped. I also agree about making the body a little lighter - the black lines are a little bit lost in so dark a blue. Also, omg, those bassets made my morning. HERF DERF WAIT FOR ME HERF SNORF. Ehehe. <3
I like it. I agree with what has been said about the tail, though, and I'd like to pointout that I thought it was a lion until I read your post.
Eehh. Animals in the Book of Kells are generally pretty... ambiguous. Carnivores tend to look samey, and a lot of them got the "big fluffy stylized mane" treatment. Possibly because it was hard to look at one long enough to draw it without, say, running very fast in the other direction. Was it the mane or the claws? I like the mane, but I'm considering taking out the claws. I do love lions as well though; when my roommate suggested I get this over one of my hips, my first thought was, "Ooh, I could get a lion on the other one..." So, it looking like a lion doesn't particularly bother me. =P I mean, I see a dog, but if some people thought, "Oh, a lion!" I don't think I'd care too much. Lions are cool.
