Drawing For Tattoo Design: Large Scale Like A Champion Ande Chambers EP 252

Large Scale Like A Champion

| Ande Chambers | EP 252

Our latest in the Illustrative Artist Series features one of our favorite tattooers, Ande Chambers! There is a ton of great info in this episode. We hope you enjoy it and pull some knowledge from Andy's process!

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Interview By Jake Meeks —

Writing By Daniel Pushcarich -
Topics: Tattoo design, tattoo clients, personality, tattoo consultation, large scale tattooing, designing in-the-round, illustrative tattoos

illustrative thigh tattoos of an old grizzled pirate and an gnarly aggressive blue octopus

“I always start with letting them get everything out. Like, tell me everything you need to, and I’m going to give you my perspective on it. My job is to give you the best tattoo I can, so we have to find something exceptional in order for us to move forward.”

— Ande Chambers

Ande Chambers (@andechambers)

Ande Chambers is based in Virginia Beach, VA, and tattoos at Quill & Talon Tattoo.

Please enjoy!

hanya oni mask in three views

INTERVIEW LINKS, MENTIONS, AND SHOW NOTES BELOW…

SELECTED LINKS FROM THE EPISODE

Connect with Ande Chambers:

Studio | IG

SHOW NOTES

[00:00] Intro
[04:13] Enter Ande Chambers
[08:09] Discovering the Exceptional
[11:07] Keeping Awareness Of Potential, Jake’s Backpiece
[14:13] Identifying the Moment
[16:29] What Makes a Great Tattooer “Exceptional”
[21:24] First Point, Immediate Foreground
[22:30] The Second Point, Drawing it to the Body
[25:06] What Looks Wrong on Paper Looks Right on the Body
[27:22] Shape VS Story, Which is First?
[33:10] Tattoos with Clothes ON!
[36:40] Belief and how it affects the perception of your design
[39:49] The Shape of Someone’s Personality
[43:15] Tying it All Together, Attention to Existing Tattoos
[48:18] Ande In Tattooland, A Wondrous Example
[56:21] Consultation Styles May Differ, Ask Your Doctor About Ande Chambers
[59:31] It’s Complementary Dear Watson, Color Shifting for Using Multiple Hues
[01:05:01] Pigment Mixing Techniques
[01:07:31] Everyone’s Skin is Different
[01:14:50] Where to Find Ande

MORE ANDE QUOTES FROM THIS INTERVIEW

Identifying Exceptional Moments In The Tattoo

[14:13] “If you just did a monster with some buildings in the background, it does the trick, but it doesn’t give you that oomph. [You need] size comparison. To me the one thing that was really cool about it was the little tiny streetlamp that was on, that nobody ever saw.”

— Ande Chambers

I really love this idea of additional elements in a design to add depth and context to the overall narrative. This is especially true when working on illustrative tattoos. Adding extra details and creating little moments or scenes can really bring the design to life and enhance the storytelling aspect.

When approaching a design, consider if it is meant to be purely decorative or if there is a story to be told. Consider the flow of the design and how you want the viewer's eyes to travel through it. By strategically placing these little moments throughout the design, you can create a more engaging and dynamic tattoo that truly resonates with the client.

What Makes a Great Tattooer “Exceptional”?

[16:29] “What really separates great tattooers from average tattooers isn’t necessarily their ability to draw better or talent. It’s their willingness to work a little harder or a little longer to make it as best as it can possibly be.”

— Jake Meeks

A tattoo artist who goes above and beyond in their craft is someone who truly cares about their clients and their designs. They take the time to understand what the client wants and puts in the extra effort to create a unique and personalized design that truly speaks to them. This means paying close attention to the details of the design elements, ensuring that everything is consistent and flows seamlessly throughout the body.

For instance, when designing a back piece that spans from the neck to the knees, it's important to consider the transition from one thigh to the other. This can be achieved by incorporating elements such as rocks, a fallen tree, a big wave shape, or a flowy cloud shape in the negative space. By keeping the angles and curves consistent between the two body parts, the design becomes more cohesive and visually appealing. It's these small but significant details that truly set exceptional tattoo artists apart from the rest.

Wrong on Paper, Right on the Body?!

[25:06] “When you’re dealing with complex changes, like finishing a sleeve over a shoulder, onto a backpiece, it’s a deliberate change in plane. If [the design] travels onto the back you can’t see the first part anymore, that doesn’t have any significance on a flat piece of paper.”

— Jake Meeks

When showing sketches or drawings to clients, it can be challenging to convey how a shape will wrap and curve around their body. Non-tattooers may struggle to visualize the design in three dimensions, and transitions that look seamless in realityr can appear jarring on paper. As a tattoo artist, it's crucial to think about objects or elements in-the-round and how they interact with different parts of the body. The slope of a shoulder, a muscle dip or curve, or even the shape of a kneecap can create strange movements that may impact the design.

Consider the shape of your client's body and how to fill the space in an interesting way. The neck, for instance, might require contours, curves, and swoops rather than a simple straight edged design. By taking the time to think about the design's placement on the body and how it will interact with different contours and movements, you can create a more cohesive and visually stunning tattoo.

Belief & It’s Effects On The Perception of The Tattoo

[36:40] “I always like to explain why something is where it is, why I did what I did in the design. Usually I find that people appreciate the design even more. If they don’t know those things they could just like it, or they could be thinking about it in a way that I never intended”

— Ande Chambers

Good communication with clients about the "why" behind the design can enhance their overall perception of the tattoo. As a tattoo artist, it’s your responsibility to ensure that the client is excited about the design and not burden them with trying to decipher the different layers of meaning and decision-making involved in the design process.

Providing the client with a story or explanation behind the design can be incredibly valuable, allowing them to share the story with their loved ones and feel more connected to the tattoo. Explaining different elements, turns, and angles incorporated into the design, you can help the client understand and appreciate the unique features and nuances of their tattoo.

The Shape of Someone’s Personality

[39:49] “I really like the idea of making the tattoo fit the person in more than a physical way. As if the entire [idea and design] of the tattoo fits that individual’s personality and the way they look. My interpretation of the type of person they are.”

— Ande Chambers

Developing a deeper understanding of the client beyond their desired tattoo can be extremely advantageous for a tattoo artist. The consultation presents a valuable opportunity to analyze the client's personality and envision what style might suit them best based on their demeanor and behavior.

Keeping notes about their character traits observed during the consultation can aid in determining the design elements to incorporate. For instance, if the client appeared assertive, incorporating bold and striking visuals could be fitting, while if they seemed timid initially but became more lively and animated during the conversation, incorporating dynamic and lively elements might be more suitable. These insights can have a significant positive impact on the overall design.

Tying it All Together, Attention to Existing Tattoos

[43:15] “How [the small tattoos] interact with the large tattoos we did on either side is important. He has tattoos all over that we’re going around; legs, sides, full chest, neck. Not taking that into consideration would be a very bad design choice.”

— Ande Chambers

When working with existing tattoos, it's important to approach the design with care and consideration. The placement, shape, and movement of the existing tattoos can greatly impact the decisions you make for your new design. It's essential to consider how the designs can interact with each other, whether they need to move around the existing tattoos or if they can go behind them.

Incorporating common elements from the existing tattoos into your design choices can create a cohesive and harmonious look. For example, if the existing tattoos feature finger waves, rocks, or certain types of foliage, you can try to match those elements in your new design.

You can also take the opportunity to freshen up the existing tattoos by adding small touches or bumps to the lines or edges to better blend them into the new design. By doing so, you'll make the design process smoother and your clients will appreciate the refreshed look.

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Transcript for this video can be found (here). All transcripts can be found (Here)

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The Fireside Tattoo Network is home to the Fireside podcast, Fireside Technique video series and our Fireside Weekly blog.

The Fireside Tattoo podcast is hosted by veteran tattooer Jake Meeks, check out our episodes where we discuss, argue and wax philosophical, from tips for all levels of artists to trends in the tattoo world. Many guest artists have sat down for interviews and in-depth conversations and many more are planned…check back often!

Our Fireside Tattoo Overview video series offers informative, short, and detailed videos geared towards helping artists understand the science and nuances of tattoos and make more informed decisions to improve their work. We often take some of our more technical topics from our Fireside podcast and film an in-depth, narrated, time-lapse video showing exactly how Jake or our featured artists handle certain issues.

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Drawing for Tattoo Design

Your tattoo designs starting to feel stagnant? Feel like you’re not progressing? Drawing is the single most important piece of the tattoo process. No level of technical tattoo skill can overcome bad composition and draftsmanship.

Fireside Tattoo Network simplifies the tattoo design process with the Fireside Method. By focusing on the principles of Shape, Value, Edge and Color, we help you identify and solve your biggest challenges early in the design process.

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