It may be time, pt 3

©2023 michael raven

Sometimes I overcomplicate matters (No! Really?!?!?) and have to remind myself not to cram too much into a small space when it comes to tattoos. I like my symbolism, but I really need to dial it down a bit in some respects.

I think I was trying to capture too much in the initial conceptualization (and subsequent iterations), so my new approach is to go back to the basics: I’m going to get the petroglyph reindeer and the crossed circle that was the centerpiece of the original conceptualization, and largely save the other representations for later tattoos, likely placed elsewhere on my body (I’m seeing much fun in decorating my calf with an orca, either as NW Coastal art, realism, or some kind of wireframe motif, and part of me still wants a fox of some sort). I have plenty of ravens and I’m not sure I need to have another full bird on me.

One detail I might try to incorporate on this simplified design is the idea of a single black feather in the design. Or a flurry of three or five, appearing to be falling (although I lean toward a photorealistic single feather, if possible with the skill of the artist and capability of the ink; otherwise a stylized representation may also look good).

Tara also gave me some ideas (doubling of the circled cross in black and red to give it depth), and she suggested something along the lines of my feather, which is what got me to thinking of incorporating that, especially after I saw someone’s wonderful idea that I wish I had come up with for a raven feather done in NW Coastal style that also looks like a raven head at the same time as it looks like a stylized feather.

It’s coming together… I’m almost ready to set up an appointment.