June 7, 2022No Comments

Star Wars Inspired Tattoos

Star Wars Matching Tattoos

The Concept

Recently, I was approached by K. and D. with an interesting idea for pairing tattoos. The Star Wars inspired tattoos. Their concept is based on the love story between Princess Leia and Han Solo from Star Wars. A portrait of Leia for K. with words "I love you", and a Han Solo's blaster with "I know" for D. Also, to my great pleasure, there was room for a flower arrangement! I love how designs are different and matching at the same time.

Star Wars Inspired Tattoos – Making the Design

Check out the process of bringing an idea to life.

Final Look of the Star Wars Inspired Tattoos

The Inspiration

Working on this project I combined my favorite style and art skills. Portraits, Hair, Star Wars-inspired tattoo flash and Flowers.

Portraits.

I honed my illustrative style by drawing tons of them! Would love to do more portrait tattoos. 

Hair.

You can't imagine how I love drawing hair 🙂 That's why I created these tattoo designs with just hair-dos. 

Star Wars-inspired tattoo flash I have. Yes, hrrrm..

A mix of Russian folklore and Star Wars. Meet Luke-Ivan Tsarevitch and others. ⁣You can find a fairy-tale about each one by clicking on the image or read it below. All the illustrations are available as a tattoo designs.

Short descriptions of the fairytales

Leia / Alyonushka

Alyonushka – is an orphan. Her little brother doesn't listen to her, drinks water from a hoof print in mud and turns into a goatling.
A king has married this beautiful girl, but a witch, who wants to take away her husband , drowns Alyonushka in a pond and becomes her.
Only her little brother (the goatling) knows the truth and can save Alyonushka and himself from the evil witch.

C-3PO / Sirin

Sirin (from a greek "Σειρῆνες " ("siren")) – is an edenic bird with a woman's head. It's also depicted with another edenic bird, Alconost, but unlike that bird it sings sad songs.
Sometimes these songs could hurt people (they could lose their mind). That's why in some legends, Sirin has a negative connotation and it's considered to be a dark bird, the underworld messenger.

Darth Maul / Baba Yaga

Baba Yaga – mistress of the forest, animals and birds, almighty prophetic old woman, guardian of the other world's borders. Her name is derived from a Proto-Slavic word "ęgа" representing snakes and reptiles.
Baba Yaga casts spells, flies in a pounder, and ensnares good fellows and children in order to eat them. She dwells of the forest border in a hut on chicken legs, surrounded by a fence made of human bones and skulls.
In ancient times the dead were buried in such little houses located above the ground on tall stumps that looked like chicken legs.
A zombie grandmother lies still and can't see a person who comes from the world of the living (the living and the dead do not see each other). She finds out about a person's arrival by the smell.

Check out the Baba Yaga tattoo project.

Luke / Ivan Tsarevich

Ivan Tsarevich (meaning Ivan, the King's Son) – is one of the main characters of Russian folklore. He is the youngest of three brothers. Koschey (the immortal warlock) stole his bride and in order to save her. Ivan Tsarevich needs to enter the Far Far Away kingdom (i.e. the underworld), pass many trials, and cunningly overcome Koschey.

Flowers.

Still. Always. Forever. 

Latest floral tattoo projects.

Do you have a cool idea? Let's discuss it, I'll help you implement it! 

May 9, 2022No Comments

Ideas for Pet Portrait Tattoos

Memorial pet portrait tattoos have a special place in my heart. In addition to the Familiars project, I have accumulated a large number of works with animals.

Memorial Pet Tattoos

A simple fine line tattoo with a little bit of shading becomes a celebration of the exceptional bond between a client and their dog/cat, or even an eland. Besides being a popular tattoo choice, it is also an expression of love.

As a tattoo artist, I'm happy to share a selection of tattoo ideas for pet portraits with you. Behind every tattoo you see below there is a touching story. Each illustration is unique.

Where do I start before getting a tribute tattoo?

There are no criteria about when you can get a tattoo in honor of or inspired by your pet. A tattoo is a permanent reminder of the impact your friend had on you and also the way to celebrate their life. Take your time. Here are some pieces of advice for you.

  • First of all, look for a few favorite photos of your pet. Pictures can be made from a different perspective but should be of good quality.
  • Prepare a shortlist of details you want to be embodied in a design. It could be a heart-shaped nose or a funny-looking spot. Anything, that characterizes your pet.
  • Describe your Idea. Feel free to share your thoughts with me. Your cat can become a magic dragon! I'll be there to answer all your questions.

Ready for more pet portrait tattoos? Check out my portfolio.

Pet Portraits by Rae Ritchie is a great example of how an illustration can emphasize character.

A small fine line tattoo with an original design could be your first tattoo. Looking for inspiration in Bay Area? I can prepare a custom design of a memorial tattoo specially for you. Here is an inquiry form.

November 9, 2021No Comments

Butterfly Tattoos

The Symbolism of Butterfly Tattoos

The theme of insects in a tattoo brings numerous feelings in people. In this article let's explore the beauty and symbolism of butterfly tattoos we see most often nowadays.

Butterfly Tattoo

The butterfly image has always been one of the top choices for a tattoo design. And you can tell why. As a representation of natural symmetry, fragility, and a source of divine colors, a butterfly is the best example of flawless beauty.

What is the meaning of a butterfly?

The tenderness of these creatures has drawn the interest of people in different cultures from all over the world. 

Often butterflies symbolize resurrection, healthy transformation, and spiritual awakening due to their lifecycle. For instance, a butterfly tattoo meaning in Japan is femininity and elegance; two flying butterflies represent family happiness and prosperity. However, butterflies were considered to be the harbinger of war in Ancient Rome. In Chinese culture, it is a sign of immortality, wealth, and longevity. In some cultural traditions, a butterfly symbolizes a soul. 

Memorial tattoo

I had the occasion to create projects that had a memorial value for clients. As it carries the meaning of the soul, once, a butterfly was a symbol of connection with a departed loved one.

For one client, the tattoo was done in memory of San Francisco. We have chosen a particular butterfly kind that lives only in SF. It's called Mission Blue Butterfly.

Explore CA Poppy flower tattoos.

Why is it a popular tattoo design?

Symmetry

Firstly, symmetry. They say it is a manifestation of the desire for reliability and strength. So, it has always caught the human eye. It allows creating enchanting designs that embellish your body.

Colors & patterns

Secondly, the exceptional colors and patterns of the butterflies inspire to create unique and meaningful art. You can add more symbolism to the design, by encrypting the date or name in the ornament.

Sense of lightness

The natural airiness that a butterfly emanates can be used to create your own tattoo style.

Dynamics

In addition, the flight creates a dynamic pattern, a movement effect, that emphasizes the muscles and contexture in general.

Symbolism of Butterfly Tattoos In a Nutshell

The image of a butterfly can have variable meanings. From grace to immortality. You can also add your personal connotation to the tattoo using color and pattern. Thanks to the wonders inherent in nature, a butterfly inspires a unique piece of art creation. Therefore, a myriad of their shapes allows you to choose what exactly fits you and your personality.

I can create a custom butterfly tattoo design just for you. Explore my latest tattoo projects and available designs as an inspiration for your future tattoo.

February 28, 20181 Comment

Send Me Across the Sea, Vol 2

I was invited by Malisa Suchanya to participate in the cutest group art show. Each artist could submit up to 10 pieces plus prints and accessories. There were more than 50 artists.

I painted 10 watercolors with characters from my new ongoing comic project, Fog Mushroom. Masking fluid, watercolor + salt, and watercolor pencils. Super fun ^___^

The show was a 2-day pop-up event. We (Malisa, Dianna Xu, and I) hanged everything the day before. The girls did a great job arranging all the art. Different works complemented each other in color and style.

So glad I took part in it and can't wait for the next one.

January 16, 2018No Comments

Design for Open Studios

My artist friend Melissa Mohammadi invited me to be a part of a group Open Studios. I shared Sawyer Street Studios with 5 other artists. Check the videos from the event.

San Francisco Open Studios is the oldest and largest open studio program in the country that showcases over 800 emerging and established SF artists in their studios.

I was the one responsible for all the design for our  Sawyer Street Open Studios. Here's what I came up with.

Logo 

First, we needed a logo to put on all our materials. I tried different options and stopped on a simplified version of Melissa's house where we would have our Open Studio. I put it on our booklet, stickers, Facebook and Instagram.

Guide ad 

This event is organized with the help of ArtSpan, a non-profit organization, committed to cultivating a vibrant & accessible art community in San Francisco. They print Open Studios guide with all the artists' details to help to promote them. We decided to advertise there. My inspiration for the design were 60's. Their bold attitude. Therefore high contrast, black, white and yellow.

Booklet and Stickers 

We wanted to give out something to people. I designed a booklet with info about all 6 artists and stickers. Each artist had personalized stickers with little logo-house and their art printed on clear vinyl. They turned out super cute:)

Artist statement/bio 

Every time I visited an exhibition, I wanted to see an artist's photo near their art work. So I could find them in the crowd and talk. I decided to implement this to our little art show.

I printed each one's art statement and made everyone's polaroid photo. Loved the result:)

Open Studio Sign 

The task was to make a poster sign at the entrance. Since it was on the window I decided to make it on semi translucent paper, so some light would come through. I used my AxiDraw pen plotter to draw it. It came out perfect:)

December 14, 20173 Comments

San Francisco Open Studios

This year I took part in San Francisco Open Studios. Artists host this event each year. You can visit their studios, buy some art and have fun. Also it is the oldest and largest open studio program in the country. It showcases over 800 emerging and established San Francisco artists in their studios.

It was a great experience! Maybe because my friend Melissa Mohammadi invited other artists, whose works and personalities she liked. We shared her studio. I'm glad to meet these awesome abstract artists.

We made a video with art and interviews with each of the 6 artists at Sawyer Street Open Studios.

I also did all the design for this event: logo, fliers, stickers, etc. Read more about it:)

My set up:)

I had a nice entrance all for myself. Shelves worked perfectly.


Art by:

Barbara Bryn Klare/@barbarabrynklare

David Willburn/@david.willburn.studio

Joyce Conlon/@joycemconlon

Melissa Desmond Mohammadi/@melissamohammadistudio

Natasha Tsozik/@natasha_tsozik

Todd Hanson/@toddah.sf