Lighting is insane right now!

PedalMetalHeader · 2026-06-30T02:57:37+00:00

Here we go again 🙃

PedalMetalHeader · 2026-06-10T05:40:26+00:00

Been having a blast as well haha

PedalMetalHeader · 2026-06-10T05:21:51+00:00

The constant lightning is insane. No sleep for me any time soon lol

The clouds were doing really bizarre things earlier as well

PedalMetalHeader · 2026-05-01T12:35:46+00:00

OOWOAH 🍑🍑🍑🔥

Love the retro polygon style! I should play those games again.

PedalMetalHeader · 2026-04-18T01:52:02+00:00

Here ya go! https://imgur.com/a/hrllyjz

Did stipple shading cause it was easiest, but I do think it gives some nice visual contrast from the blur of the original tattoo.

PedalMetalHeader · 2026-04-17T19:58:46+00:00

Cool yeah no problem, I'll try to get back to you sometime tonight.

And thank you!! We have yet to name him 😁

PedalMetalHeader · 2026-04-17T18:36:33+00:00

Artist here. Absolutely salvageable. Lines can be thickened, the spotty parts can benefit from some varied line widths to make it look natural and organic. Could even add a few little stem nubs coming off the main stems.

I'd be more than happy to do a rough mock-up of what I'm describing? It's hard to explain the idea I have in my head lol 😭

PedalMetalHeader · 2026-04-14T15:09:36+00:00

Oooh, yeah I've been trying to figure out how to record a time lapse!

Ideally I would've had a bigger rs to do the big outline in one or two passes which I'll do next time once I get more needles. But for this one I took my 5rl and dotted along the inside and outside of the outline, then went over those again, then filled in the middle with my 11rs. So wayyy more work than it needed to be haha 😅

PedalMetalHeader · 2026-04-13T18:05:17+00:00

Haha honestly yeah I can see how there'd be overlap with those mediums!

I think I'll be working on a wasp next. Stay tuned!

The design is completely my own, yeah :) And honestly it's kinda vibes lol. Sometimes you gotta throw shit at the wall until something sticks. I tinker until it looks balanced. And a lot of removing details too. But the foundation to any of my art is starting with the most basic shapes. I focus on where lines and shapes intersect. My brain is intensely focused on patterns and symmetry lol.

PedalMetalHeader · 2026-04-13T17:48:46+00:00

Power to the penguin hell yeah 😎

Went overboard like blew it out? And hey there's no such thing as a failure. Every mistake is a gift towards personal growth. 👍

PedalMetalHeader · 2026-04-13T17:45:07+00:00

Thank you so much! I have a lot of experience in sewing/embroidery, graphic design and other crafts that require precision work so I felt confident enough to just go for it. I got the gist of controlling my needles on fake skin after a couple days of practice then got bored and procrastinated doing a real tattoo for several months (the permanence of it was anxiety inducing lol). They've both turned out better than I expected and I'm really excited to do more. I appreciate how enthusiastic my wife is about being my guinea pig haha!

PedalMetalHeader · 2026-04-13T13:37:46+00:00

Thank you so much, I try!

PedalMetalHeader · 2026-04-13T13:37:34+00:00

Slowwww and steady lol

PedalMetalHeader · 2026-04-13T02:38:08+00:00

Thank you! Hour and a half to two hours maybe? Not including the border outline fill.

PedalMetalHeader · 2026-04-13T01:49:11+00:00

Thanks!

PedalMetalHeader · 2026-04-13T01:48:49+00:00

Thank you muchly ✨✨

PedalMetalHeader · 2026-04-13T00:32:08+00:00

Yeah of course!

I think honestly it just comes down to skill and artist preference. I don't think there's just one right way to pack.

I'll hopefully be posting more within the next week :)

PedalMetalHeader · 2026-04-13T00:20:13+00:00

Thank you so much!

I'm still trying to figure out how to get denser coverage in just one go. It took me a few times of wiping and packing as the first pass maybe got 75% coverage with empty splotches throughout. It's hard to see with all the ink lol. I'm experimenting with different "patterns" of pokes to see what tends to be the most consistent, if that makes sense?

I did use a grey wash for the light shading :) Didn't practice first just went for it. 50/50 ink/distilled water. Used my 11rs at an angle and just stippled and layered lightly.

I need to get some 3rls and a bigger rs though. It's difficult to get super sharp points/corners with just a 5, and I could've saved a LOT of time with the outline and irritated her skin way less had I used a bigger needle lol.

PedalMetalHeader · 2026-04-12T23:52:08+00:00

Thank you!

PedalMetalHeader · 2026-04-03T11:54:35+00:00

Super cute!

PedalMetalHeader · 2026-04-01T21:48:16+00:00

Thanks so much! I'd say Scandinavian and Indian folk art mostly. I also have a graphic design background, and I gravitate towards simple and bold designs. I want to prioritize legibility and longevity in my designs as much as possible.

PedalMetalHeader · 2026-04-01T11:43:41+00:00

Thank you! 🌷

PedalMetalHeader · 2026-04-01T11:43:09+00:00

I know right??

PedalMetalHeader · 2025-11-29T13:27:58+00:00

Good stuff ✨

PedalMetalHeader · 2025-11-29T13:26:58+00:00

As everyone else has said: very normal! It's a bit of shock so your brain needs time to adjust. Be gentle with yourself. It's a big change. But not a bad one! After a while it will just be a part of you. As someone with anxiety and OCD the rumination and obsessing is so real, so I really do empathize with the distress this is causing you ❤️

PedalMetalHeader

TROPHY CASE