Geometric collage head tattoo

Beth asked me to design this tattoo for her undercut, in the style I've been developing inspired by 'fine line realism'. A couple of years ago I took a short online course presented by Ferran Torre, and learned some basics about this style. It's usually recognisable by its use of Classical imagery and slightly mystical-feeling diagrams, with elements relating to ancient Greek astronomy, astrology, Classical art and literature, or mathematics and geometry.

I wanted to take inspiration from this style, and started to find my own path by playing with design principles, graphical elements and geometric shape.

Example of fine line realism by Geri Sykaj

I found that I wanted to make things with a bit more thematic complexity. The starting point tended to follow quite a staid formula - it worked, but it really only had one thing to say. I also found that it's basically impossible to find photographs of the sort of marble statuary which usually takes centre stage in these designs. This turned out to be because the artist used Adobe's AI tools to generate them.

Despite wanting to move away from the specific imagery, I wanted to maintain the same sense of a deep and complex meaning just out of reach. These tattoos borrow from a landscape of Classical and pseudoscientific symbols in pop culture to create a feeling of awe and romanticism. I had in mind the aesthetics of biology textbook illustrations and engineering schematics.

Beth gave me a couple of themes, and asked to incorporate a particular flower with a special spiritual meaning for her.

I looked around for diagrams disassembling the anatomy of plants, and even found a sketch by Leonoardo Da Vinci of the flower in question, quite by accident.

Here's a peek at some of the many, many layers in the document I used to design this. My process is deeply inefficient, I'm sure. There are reference images, stock photography and diagrams I found, inspiration, discarded design ideas, and shapes I wanted to incorporate.

Although the idea of photocollage and 'photoshopping' designs might unfairly be considered to be less creative or artistic than some other art forms, this style is by far the most time intensive type of work that I design. It also feels authentic and meaningful to me, it feels like 'art'.

I really value the challenge of designing these. I take inspiration from some of the graphic design I looked at when I was at uni - like Vaughan Oliver's album cover and insert work for Doolittle by Pixies. I think about semiotics and the interplay of visual signifiers, and turn endless Clip Studio layers on and off and on again.

For this piece I started primarily with the idea of the golden ratio - with the sense that it would fit nicely on the side of the skull. Vintage botanical and biology illustrations are referenced in there, and instances of the golden spiral and fractals in nature. I tried to extrapolate the cultural connotations of icons like the Vitruvian Man into a fusion of mysticism, science and nature. A pseudoscientific 'study' of a collection of ideas.

I'm pleased with the design, and excited to do more. The tattoo itself had somehow become enormous in my head. I think there was a sort of cortical homonculus effect, where the importance of the placement had enlarged it in my brain. When it came to making the stencil and applying it, of course I realised that the human head really isn't that big at all. It just felt very important to get it right, as there are few more prominent places on the human body. The head isn't too bad to tattoo, either - the skin comes pre-stretched.

I was really honoured and excited to be trusted with this design, and would love to do more in this vein.