Original Characters, Worn on Skin

Working in fashion, she already had a strong visual language of her own. These were not ready-made images found online: the character concepts came from her, were developed into finished illustrations with an illustrator, and were then brought to me to be translated onto skin.

Moving from paper to the body was not a simple copy. The proportions, line weight, black shapes and flower placement all had to be adjusted around the curves of the thigh and upper arm. The first character combines black and grey with a restrained orange accent and chrysanthemums for a sharper presence. The second uses finer lines with iris and small daisies for a quieter mood.

One feels sharp and the other gentle, but both belong to the same person and the same point of view.