8 ready-made designs
Japanese tattoo flash
Japanese tattooing carries more rules than most styles, and they are the reason it works. Motifs pair with specific backgrounds, subjects face particular directions, and the whole composition is designed to flow with the limb it sits on rather than sit flat on it.
What to know about japanese work
- Japanese work is usually planned as a whole area, not a single piece. A koi placed without thinking about the eventual sleeve is hard to build around later.
- The background is not filler. Wind bars and waves carry the movement, and skipping them is what makes a piece look unfinished.
- Direction has meaning. A koi swimming up and one swimming down are not interchangeable.
Where it sits best
Built for sleeves, backs and thighs. Japanese flash is worth discussing as part of a larger plan before committing to one piece.