Blackwork / Japanese Flower Mashup

Guy wanted a floral sleeve with blackwork mixed in. He brought references from a blackwork sleeve I'd done before with a repeating strip pattern, so we ran that down the inside of one arm.

I wanted the blackwork to be powerful, simple, and readable from across a room. We went big with the mandalas, especially the one that cuts across his hand. It almost felt crazy stenciling it that size, but we trusted our guts and it came out tough. There's one element on the wrists where half sits on each arm and the shape completes when he puts his hands together, at Guy's request.

My sleeves come out best when a client tells me clearly what they want and the vibe they want it to give off, then trusts me on the composition and the art. Guy did that both times. We've started on his back now.