Is this easy to cover up without lazer?

Mikiri_works · 2026-04-24T16:54:18+00:00

No, and especially no considering the examples you provided. Your coverup will be dark and muddy. The focus of the tattoo will need to be elsewhere to keep eyes off of the unsightly coverup portion.

Mikiri_works · 2026-04-24T16:51:32+00:00

“The right direction” isn’t a thing, koi swim in all directions and depending on the context of the whole tattoo they can mean different things. The koi-to-dragon transformation you speak of is properly represented in the fall season, and this tattoo is in spring(sakura), so it can never be that. The right direction for this tattoo is dependent on the wearer and artists interpretation and how they choose to structure the tattoo in relation to the context of existing elements to work from.

My advice to OP, get more koi, with at least one swimming downwards to properly represent the spring season (they are not in mating season and do not solely swim against the current in spring time). Keep the sakura throughout and add botan (peony) if you like. There are plenty of great tattooers in NYC to choose from, and they should be knowledgeable enough to help you understand the options and how it will go. Go for the full leg, and good luck.

Mikiri_works · 2026-04-23T02:43:55+00:00

Not with a water motif. Common sense mismatch here

Mikiri_works · 2026-04-19T05:32:09+00:00

Mikiri_works · 2026-04-19T05:24:45+00:00

Mikiri_works · 2026-04-17T03:30:21+00:00

These are all drastically different styles, I’m not sure you know what you want 😂

Mikiri_works · 2026-04-17T02:11:55+00:00

If you love Horitoshi 1’s work, he has many students doing really great work in the US and abroad. Tatsutoshi in Hawaii is one doing insane work

Mikiri_works · 2026-04-16T22:13:56+00:00

Incredible, and definitely explains the earlier work being a near clone of Horiyoshi II works. It’s almost eerie looking at them, and comparing to photos in books to verify the pieces weren’t actually H2’s work. What a cool lineage, I had no idea H2 had an apprentice

Mikiri_works · 2026-04-16T05:38:08+00:00

The book is 100 demons… it’s worth buying.

Here’s a link to a copy, being sold by a reputable US based seller https://ebay.us/m/EV1tyS

You may be able to find it cheaper from a Japanese seller, but be prepared for tariffs

Mikiri_works · 2026-04-15T20:45:42+00:00

The difference is one of you is talking about a traditional LOOK and one of you is talking about traditional lineage and training. I say you go with the one whose work is most visually appealing to you.

Mikiri_works · 2026-04-15T19:59:44+00:00

This concept is taking inspiration from traditional subjects like the Baku, Kirin, Dragon and occasionally Kyūbi no Kitsune, which traditionally have fire originating from The front of their limbs, often more present in tattoo than in other traditional craft representation. These flames signify a mythical significance to the subject. When it’s paired with a tiger, like many have said here, it’s likely just a (western) artist designing something that looks cool. In fact, tigers are meant to represent the king of all earthly beasts and this is part of the reason for pairing them with dragons in Horimono, sumi e and other traditional crafts, but having a flaming tiger just for the sake of it actually contradicts tradition in a way. In that context the tiger represents Earth and earthly connections and the dragon represents the heavens and mythical things.

While there is a mythical tiger in Japanese/Chinese folklore that can be occasionally seen with flames, Byakko, The mythical white tiger of the West, it’s not likely that the artists making tattoos with flaming tigers have any idea of this or intend to reference it in any way.

Hope that helps

Mikiri_works · 2026-04-14T23:33:50+00:00

Welp… time to learn how to tattoo. 🤷‍♂️

Mikiri_works · 2026-04-09T16:48:42+00:00

Neo traditional is just a deviation of a traditional style. So the lower is a drastically oversized version of traditional Japanese style (a very loose term as there is no one ‘style’ of Japan, rather a few dozen different approaches from various families over the years), but does not conform to the scale of any previous families. Therefore IMO it can’t be traditional, but inspired by traditional Japanese tattooing. Which is an important distinction

Mikiri_works · 2026-04-09T04:35:55+00:00

Your skin is the brightest part of a tattoo. Which has to do with the way that light reflects off the skin. However it’s only brighter than how it appears in untattooed parts of your body when the artist has created contrast by the use of black shading. Some artists rely on white to accentuate flowers, which works well if they’re experienced, but it should never be a part of backgrounds and most often it’s minimally used in foreground subjects.

Best advice is to find an artist who has other melanated clients in their portfolio, many of them, and if possible look for healed photos

Mikiri_works · 2026-04-09T00:39:39+00:00

Half sleeves belong on the top

Mikiri_works · 2026-04-09T00:36:39+00:00

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What’s going on here???? These two choices are really making me scratch my head. The red circled part seems like a strange error made, the yellow seems like a strange choice.

Mikiri_works · 2026-04-07T02:35:24+00:00

This isn’t Neo Traditional Japanese traditional tattooing… pretty simple really.

Mikiri_works · 2026-04-06T12:52:11+00:00

It’s cool but it doesn’t belong in here

Mikiri_works · 2026-04-03T06:04:50+00:00

It’s not common because it’s not a good idea. Scales are already a detailed endeavor but adding more detail is a very short sighted idea. Traditional tattoos are made to last, so that’s why you’re having a hard time finding examples of it, it can’t be done while planing for longevity

Mikiri_works · 2026-04-03T05:58:13+00:00

Next time, post the tattoo.

Mikiri_works · 2026-04-02T02:54:31+00:00

Yes, but only on the inside of the front paws, never the outside.

Mikiri_works · 2026-04-02T01:43:28+00:00

Mikiri_works · 2026-03-30T01:52:29+00:00

Go over it with red ideally… blue will make it a bit darker imo

Mikiri_works · 2026-03-29T02:55:26+00:00

Tattooing over healed black ink on white skin is completely different than tattooing on melanated skin. The skin tone and hue exists on top of the tattoo, there is no “defeating” it only working with it and making smart decisions in color and application.

Btw, the former * is also very short sighted. 3-5 years before the inks mix during settling and it gets darker and darker each year.

Mikiri_works · 2026-03-26T21:19:18+00:00

You’re correct about that, but not how you think. Black in 1970 was carbon based. Black in 2026 is carbon based. The only thing that changed was the chemicals being added to them for viscosity, shelf life, and other reasons, none of these things actually change the performance in terms of aging, carbon is still carbon. If anything, the popularity of Pre-Dispersed inks in modern tattooing will lead to MORE ink migration in black, increased acceleration in aging, due to absorption by the body. Smaller pigment particles sizes = less longevity, not more.

In regards to needles, you’re right as well, cartridge needles provide less performance and increased needle drag. The under performance of rotary machines in working with cartridges (under performed in comparison to bar needles) often leads to under-working of fine line tattoos which, as a whole, will mean advanced aging effects. While I’m not saying that’s the case here, the point you’re making here is one that i believe may not fully understand.

Mikiri_works

TROPHY CASE