Bang Gun Tattoo

For this project we were to design a tattoo for a randomly selected classmate. Once assigned a classmate, we were to interview them and find out what they like, what colors, and their preferred art style. Once we learn a little about them, we start designing tattoos that the classmate not only likes, but is personal to them. The classmate I got likes prison-style, traditional tattoos done in black and white. This was perfect for me because it's a style I have a considerable amount of experience with. The first step was to design some sketches for my new client. 

Building

because I already had some experience in this design style, it didn't take long to get the ideas flowing. I explored a ton of prison-related motifs such as knives and hand-cuff keys. After exploring and sketching, it was time for the client to pick a design or design direction. When showing him my sketches, he immediately fell in love with my bang-gun design. This excited me because it was my favorite as well. Once I got his permission to pursue the idea further, it was time to take it into Adobe Illustrator and refine the design. I added a lot of hatch-shading that is reflective of the style he wanted. 

Personalize

Once I finished building the design in Adobe Illustrator, it was time to meet with the client for feedback. He loved the added shading and the rough design style, but it was missing a crucial element--it wasn't personal to the client. After some brainstorming, the client had a genius idea. His girlfriends last name is Pugh (pronounced 'pew'). The last name has the same sound as the onomatopoeia 'pew' which was perfect for a gun noise. This small design element was exactly what I was looking for and would fit perfectly in place of the 'bang!' After some editing and the addition of a bit of shading on the flag, the tattoo was perfect. 

Final

Tattooing has always been a big interest of mine, so when we got the project prompt, I was elated. An important part of this particular field and the design field in general is client work, which is something I love to do. I love creating work that pleases the client and is always refreshing to hear their excitement behind your design. Client-work isn't always glamorous, so when things work out as well as this project did, it's always a breath of fresh air. This project helped build my client working skills, my ability to see a client's vision through, and strengthened my illustrator skills further. I can confidentially produce sharp and complex vector graphics that I can be proud of, and can't wait for more client work.