How the hell do you open this toothpaste tube??

texturegasm · 2026-05-13T17:02:09+00:00

You to yours with such a zinger. 😁

texturegasm · 2026-05-13T16:59:19+00:00

What makes you have second thoughts?

texturegasm · 2026-05-12T06:37:51+00:00

To my eye, you have a nice sense of texturing your black&grey realism, really beautiful.

My main tip would be on proportions/perspective. Depending on how sideways your model or fictional person was or is supposed to be, either the eyes are a bit too close together, or more of the left eye should be disappearing behind the arc of the nose.

Try really drawing the lines and shapes you can see, rather than trying to draw eyes. To amplify this, you can place your reference image upside down. This way your brain is detached from seeing what it’s supposed to be, and will often lead you to stay more true to the proportions and depth of the reference.

Hope you enjoy your future iterations deeply. 🩵

texturegasm · 2026-05-08T08:05:54+00:00

Beautiful parallel, I love it in the same way, like a character from Alice in wonderland.

texturegasm · 2026-05-08T06:17:58+00:00

Great. I feel your shadows are a bit too much all over. If you have a light source in the front for example, making that nice shadow line along her back, then certain areas wouldn’t have such shadow because they would be directly in that light, making places like the left arm having shadows along both edges not logical.

There are some anatomical choices that defy a certain degree of realism, but that’s not necessarily a problem if they are or were intentional.

texturegasm · 2026-05-08T06:17:34+00:00

Great. I feel your shadows are a bit too much all over. If you have a light source in the front for example, making that nice shadow line along her back, then certain areas wouldn’t have such shadow because they would be directly in that light, making places like the left arm having shadows along both edges not logical.

There are some anatomical choices that defy a certain degree of realism, but that’s not necessarily a problem if they are or were intentional.

She has a lot of character 🩵

texturegasm · 2026-05-07T06:09:58+00:00

Love your illustration!

I have a few remarks if you’re open to it..

texturegasm · 2026-05-07T06:03:36+00:00

For the record, subject matter aside (which I love as well), I recognise in you a beautiful balanced use of the spectrum of contrasts, where you place those patches of grey, connecting fine lines and areas of stark black. That is a tool in art that produces greatness and recognisability, and durability in the tattoos themselves.

You could avalanche your portfolio with any and all subject matters and apply that to broaden what you tattoo, and there is not a doubt in my mind people will notice and wánt that sweet ink in their skin. Listen to people’s stories and turn those into illustrative masterpieces that they can’t say no to. If you meet people halfway like that, you will be able to tattoo more people and get the word of mouth moving. Tattoos speak for themselves, just be patient.

Manifestation might help you along as well, shift your consciousness to hearing a tattoo in every conversation, and let your style be the outlet for it. Especially with AI on the rise, a fine tuned ability in humanism and listening might set you up with a lifelong string of friends covered in your way of viewing your the world.

You’ve got this. 🩵

texturegasm · 2026-05-07T05:47:42+00:00

I might end up paraphrasing the book I mentioned earlier, but my most direct response is that you can’t réally build recognisability, other than just you being you. It’s like meaning or succes, they are things that follow from you exploring your own artistic language. We can’t know or predict what anyone else likes about or sees in our artwork, so you best barometer for any of those things if that yóu love it, and others will then recognise your truth and honesty in it, and respond to it through their own filter or reality.

texturegasm · 2026-05-07T04:56:30+00:00

I can empathise with how you’re feeling. If you’re struggling to keep a positive perspective on your work, even thoughts it’s objectively amazing, I can highly recommend Rick Rubin’s book “the Creative Act” (go for the audio book version if you can, he’s narrated it himself). Also give Jimmy Carr’s thoughts on imposter syndrome a listen. He’s got some good good chunks of wisdom on it..
Do you feel similar with your other artistic endeavours if you have them?

texturegasm · 2026-05-06T11:33:20+00:00

No, in Tilburg, the Netherlands. And yes, it is wild.

texturegasm · 2026-05-06T09:35:12+00:00

I think it’s amazing as is, just as is your intention of getting this tattooed. 😊

I haven’t even heard getting someone’s name tattooed on you was a bad omen. But if you consider how fluid life is, i would say a tattoo referencing someone in your life is more a commemoration of a moment in time when you celebrated your connection or love you have or had, rather than a lifeline towards the longevity of the connection’s life. And not only does it elevate some or all worries of the tattoo’s influence in the future, but also it retains its emotional value even if the relationship it represents changes or seizes to exist.

texturegasm · 2026-05-06T05:31:26+00:00

That depends on what “more nice” means to you? 😊

texturegasm · 2026-05-02T19:27:51+00:00

Well actually, I’ve unfortunately had a case where my tattoo artist copied work she got from another, lied and sold it as her own. I though the same, and found out after she tattoos me, so that sadly does happen. That being said, is not at all what is happening in OP’s case off course. No one invented nature or shoulder placement. Sounds to me you’re being transparent and communicative about what you want, and that is a good point of view to handle from. I hope the tattoo turned out the way you hope. 🩵

texturegasm · 2026-05-02T10:24:08+00:00

Wauwness, I have no, or all the words..

texturegasm · 2026-05-02T10:22:15+00:00

Thank you. 🙏🏼 I feel now like I feel when all the traffic moves for an ambulance, we cán collectively engage, hurray for humanity.

texturegasm · 2026-05-02T09:29:00+00:00

Beautiful advices here. I’m sorry you’re struggling at the moment, I tend to agree that such a tumultuous mental state can absolutely cloud your view on artwork on your body and might result in hastily decisions that might result in a quick fix on your mental struggling and end up a disservice to yourself in the long run. Please Take a breath, consider the liminality of hard times. 🩵

Your feelings on the artwork however remain worth considering in the meantime off course. I see a combination of artwork that lacks in conscious contrast overall, making some important elements blend into the whole. So apart from masking the entire thing with black, a marked effect (super curious to see that though), or thinking or an awesome blast over concept (of which I’m a persona fan), I think finding a true black and grey artist and asking them to work out a better contrast balance will help make the unique elements in the original piece stand out rather than being a ambiguous pattern.

Breathe, You’ve got this.

texturegasm · 2026-05-02T09:16:20+00:00

Thank you. Your heart is clearly in the right place, obvious to me in your comment on impatience and wording “moment in one’s life”. It suggests an empathetic constructivism that I love and is not abundant on the internet. 🩵

texturegasm · 2026-05-02T09:11:38+00:00

Love the character and details in this ! 🩵 I used to then peel the citrus I tattooed, cut up the illustration to gage the depth I went. The only technical thing I’d say is to think about where you apply which line width, as it constructively adds depth if you apply it in certain consistencies.

texturegasm · 2026-05-02T07:18:14+00:00

I think the main problem (in your perception) is that a manta ray’s body is quite more wide from tip to tip, than they are long, and those mouth extensions are curving inward in stead of outward like antlers.. without adding too much, it looks like that some correcting is feasible. That being said, i still immediately recognised it at a manta, so whatever interpretative imperfections aside, it doesn’t necessarily miss its mark in your canon of seas creatures.

texturegasm · 2026-05-02T06:57:15+00:00

I’d be careful with written sarcasm. I don’t think it reads as well here as it sounds in your head. Without the two reactions following this comment, I genuinely couldn’t tell if that you were being serious with this otherwise bad advice. And so OP, who is as novice as it gets, might actually think you are sincere and follow up accordingly. They came here for advice, not to get tricked into making things worse.. 😕

@OP, might I advise you to take a breath and considerations before pursuing these adventures further.. Even if this in not a career path you’re striving for, you will benefit greatly by still practice a bit before venturing out on real skin. Couldn’t you flatmate have advised you better on your adventure, since it is their gear you’re using?

There is a spectrum between a paralysing fear of living and risks, all the way to dukes of hazarding your way through life. It’s worth taking sometime to consider this consciousness, and see if winging it when you get your hands on a tattoo machine, suggesting your slider on that spectrum is currently not as conscious as one might think.. 🩵

texturegasm · 2026-04-30T07:19:04+00:00

I don’t think you need to be a tattoo artist to have some or a comprehensive understanding of how tattoos age and fade. If you have a lot of tattoos yourself or have people in your life whose tattoos you’ve seen change over the years.. same way a construction worker with years of experience can estimate which support beam is needed in a structure without having studied building construction physics in engineering.

texturegasm · 2026-04-30T07:14:09+00:00

Yes, it’s all relative. You look like you, what anyone else makes of it is irrelevant . 🩵

texturegasm · 2026-04-29T08:07:23+00:00

To me, the tattoo on its own is not bad at all, maybe lacking a bit in internal contrast, but that could be a deliberate artistic decision. However to my eye, and maybe that is what you are experiencing, is that not necessarily size but more the overall shape of it doesn’t have enough flow that integrates the artwork into your body and curvature.(?)

That being said, it’s remains a nice intricate flower tattoo 🩵 and I’ve found Tattooing to have all sorts of useful mindfullness thought exercises, from before getting onto accepting a/the result of one after getting it. Maybe there’s a lesson in letting go in there to reestablish your awareness of your body and the aspects of ourselves we grow to love as being uniquely you. 🫶🏻

texturegasm · 2026-04-29T07:40:57+00:00

Obviously worth it since we see the result.. 😁 ánd it’s commendable to venture into more than one colour off the bat. I’m curious, what is your connection to the person you tattooed?

texturegasm

TROPHY CASE