01 / SCARS AND COLOUR
A phoenix flowing along the forearm
Let's start with the whole piece. The wings open at the top and the tail continues towards the wrist. I worked with an elongated figure in blues, turquoise, pinks and oranges, accompanied by watercolour washes and small details around it.
Look at how the wings relate to the tail: the drawing isn't concentrated in a circle, but travels along the arm. The dark parts help define the bird, while the colour expands what's happening around it.
If you're here looking for tattoos over scars, this is one colour example. It doesn't mean your idea has to be a phoenix or use the same placement: you can take its movement, palette or presence as a reference and tell me what appeals to you.
02 / SCARS AND COLOUR
Now let's go back to the beginning
This is the area before the tattoo. In the post, I described old scars, and you can see several lines across the forearm. I show it so you can understand the starting point I worked with.
When you look at the result afterwards, the arm has a new focus: the wings, the bird's body and the tail reaching towards the wrist. The drawing and washes occupy the area differently from the lines you saw at the start.
If you're still at that starting point, you can begin by telling me what you'd like to see there. Images help us discuss the drawing and presence you want; then we need to assess your case individually.
03 / SCARS AND COLOUR
Up close: drawing and colour together
In the close-up, you can distinguish blue and turquoise feathers, pink and orange elsewhere on the bird, and the light strokes separating some edges. Around them are little stars, dots and looser washes.
I wanted to show this detail too, because a full-arm photo and a close-up answer different questions. One shows the scale and flow; the other lets you see how the phoenix's parts stay recognisable within the watercolour.
If you like this combination, tell me what you'd use as a reference: the figure, colour contrast or the tail following the arm? That helps us discuss a composition of your own. You don't need to choose this exact drawing to explain that you're looking for colour and movement.
04 / SCARS AND COLOUR
What happened after I shared it
When I uploaded the video, it was part of my everyday work as a tattoo artist. In the story, I explain there was no special intention: another working day, another tattoo. What I didn't expect came afterwards.
Messages and stories began arriving from people who felt represented. When I talked about it, I spoke about what a tattoo can mean to the person wearing it: sometimes there's much more than ink and a beautiful image. The phoenix became a way to talk about starting again, and I ended by thanking everyone who had shared their stories with me.
That's why I thank the people who wrote to me at the end of the video. I shared part of my work and received many stories in return. The drawing was a phoenix; the conversation around it grew far bigger than I expected.