Fine Line

Susanoo God of Storms

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Style: Fine Line
Sitting: About 6 to 8 hours at back size.
Size: Best between 10 and 20 inches.
Format: PNG, transparent background
Use: Take it to any artist

This design draws on Japanese mythology, showing a robed figure wielding a raised sword while standing atop a multi-headed serpent or dragon amid crashing waves, with a sun disc and radiating lines behind. It evokes the legend of a storm deity subduing a great serpent, a story about mastering chaos and natural forces through courage and skill. People choose this image for themes of triumph over adversity, command of the elements, or connection to Japanese folklore.

Where it sits

The tall vertical arrangement, with the sun and figure at the top and the serpent's coils spreading below, suits the back, spine, or a full thigh where the length can be used. It would also work well on a forearm or shin if scaled down, though the multiple dragon heads and wave details toward the bottom would start to lose clarity. A full back or chest piece would let every scale and wave line stay crisp.

Making it yours

Ask an artist for any of these.

Drop the sun rays for a simpler background focused on the figure and dragon
Add colour to the robe or dragon scales for contrast
Reduce the dragon to one or two heads instead of four
Scale up to full back size to preserve the fine wave detailing
Pair with smaller wave or cloud motifs on a nearby limb

How it ages

The fine linework in the robe patterns, dragon scales, and radiating sun rays is dense, so over ten to twenty years these thinner lines are likely to soften and some may blur together, especially at smaller sizes. The bolder outlines of the figure and dragon bodies will hold up better than the intricate crosshatching and wave texture. A design this detailed will likely need a touch-up sooner than a simpler linework piece, particularly in the finer background elements.

Ready to get it done?

Take this design to an artist who works in fine line.

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Where it sits

Making it yours

More fine line flash