Tattoo Illustration

When my friend Kym asked me to illustrate a tattoo idea for her I had a mini panic attack. I was so shocked that she would entrust me with something so permanent, but she reassured me that what she was looking for was a rough sketch that the tattoo artist would then reference to translate into his or her style. Kym was definitely more confident in my abilities than I was – she believed that my floral illustration style would lend itself nicely to what she had in mind for a tattoo she was hoping to get for her birthday. I reluctantly agreed to my friend’s ask.

So, the brief: A tattoo that would pay homage to Kym’s parents. She wanted to incorporate a bauhinia flower for her dad’s Hong Kong side, a narra tree branch for her mom’s Filipino side and their shared astrological sign of the Aries ram. She also wanted to incorporate swirls similar to those found in Gustav Klimt paintings.

Bauhinia, the official flower of Hong Kong, the birthplace of Kym’s dad

Narra, the national tree of the Philippines, the birthplace of Kym’s mother

Illustration references of ram skulls and antlers interlocked with flowers

‘The Tree of Life’ by the Austrian painter Gustav Klimt

Kym also asked that the illustration feel feminine and detailed, referencing vintage botanical illustrations. I had all the information I needed and a relaxed deadline of a few months, but I felt completely incapable of starting.

I would run into Kym a couple times on my way to and from work, when she would casually ask me how the illustration was coming along. After each encounter, I was convinced that the universe was nudging me to just GET ON IT.

I distinctively remember sitting on the couch on a lazy Sunday afternoon timidly drawing a line and then another on my iPad. Then, something magical happened. With each stroke I felt myself falling into an almost meditative drawing groove. “You got this, you were freaking out over nothing,” I thought to myself.

The below are some of my preliminary drawings. I really tried to have all the floral elements feel like they were effortlessly weaving in and out of the ram’s skull. Kym and I both agreed that the Klimt-inspired swirls might be best saved for another tattoo as they felt a bit too graphic compared to the organic elements.

This is the final illustration l gave Kym. To my relief and complete delight, she said it was beyond what she was hoping for and that it really captured what she had been toying with in her mind. What a compliment! I was really excited to see how the tattoo artist would translate my illustration into a permanent piece of body artwork.

“CHOOSE FEAR”

So this is the tattoo! I was surprised that the artist really did not deviate from my illustration and when I saw it in person I marveled at how much detail the artist was able to fit into a fairly small area. Just wow!

This experience really taught me to not be so afraid to go out of my comfort zone. It is something I intellectually know, but the fear of disappointing and not meeting my friend’s expectations almost deterred me from take on this project. I was actually completely capable of doing it and am so glad I did.

Thank you so much Kym for letting me be part of this tattoo journey with you, especially with something that represents your parents. Now, I am forever attached to you. Haha.. (˘･ᴗ･˘)

Details, detaiLs, details!

"It's All About the Ring" Engagement Announcement Gif

JB asked me to marry him a few minutes after November 11 while overlooking the Hong Kong skyline. 

I had a feeling JB might propose during this vacation because he continously suggested we go to the Peak or the Tsim Sha Tsui Promenade to see the city that we once called home in all its glory. We managed to find some time during the last night of our trip and as we were making our way to the waterfront I could not help but ask if he was going to propose. He cooly said “No.”

And, then it happened. I will not bore you with the details, but will say I was completely surprised even though I had quizzed him few moments earlier. My response to his question was “Ummmm, I guess sooooooo?!” And instead of being filled with complete joy, both of us commented how weird we felt and anxious of the impending task of telling our family and friends. I was surprised by my initial reaction but realized how we felt was so awkwardly us. And, I love that we were so honest about our feelings.

After telling our immediate family and friends privately, I had to figure out how I wanted to make our engagement social media official. Because if you don’t post on Instagram, did it even happen? *eye roll*

I had an idea of an animated gif that would show JB poking fun at the notion that girls are more excited about the ring than the engagement itself. You could say that I am one of these girls as I love anything sparkly, so much so that JB calls me a magpie, a bird that supposedly is attracted to shiny things. I picked up a gaudy plastic diamond ring for JB to outshine my ring and worked on figuring out what poses I wanted to capture. This incredibly simple exercise gave me a newfound appreciate for movies, which need the acting, script, sound, music, visual effects, etc to all come together to seamlessly tell a story.

Once we figured out the photo sequence, wearing the same clothes that we got engaged in, JB and I snapped away. We captured moments of sweet bliss, JB’s looks of despair while I was being my wacky self and of my eye rolls towards JB that have become trademark expressions of our relationship. 

I posted this gif to my Instagram during brunch at Bedford & Co. JB and I proceeded to drink away our anxiety of everyone knowing by downing 3 bottles of prosecco. I eventually blacked out – sooooo classy, I know.

I just love how it turned out – it so perfectly reflects us as a couple, who are willing to point fun at themselves, and now can continue doing so as each other’s fiancés. Blah, I am still getting used to saying the ‘F’ word. I’ll get there…eventually.

Note: I hope you do not think I am super vain with all these similar photos of me and JB. I just really wanted to show all the pictures that made up the animation. (˘･ᴗ･˘)