Life before and after dragon fire: Carol Makarian's Journey

At Legend Ink, we don’t just tattoo. We tell stories, reclaim skin, and transform what once seemed impossible into masterpieces of wearable art. Few projects showcase that mission like Carol.

The Challenge: An "oil spill" Scars

Carol was referred to us by one of our much earlier clients. who had convinced her that tattooing didn't have to just be novelty or symbols, but could help her rewrite the next chapter of her story. Most Notably by helping her move past her colorful past, and the scars it left. Carol had spent a long time traveling and working in numerous fields of course including a welder. Which is where she managed to get her oil spots. That especially now with the thin skin earned with age produced the real challenge.

The Art: Designs & Dreamy Conversations

In order to cover up anything like those it was first a matter of planning and design. Especially since Carol had a few ideas on how she wanted to grow from this. But no real idea of what the possibilities were. You see Carol spent much of her life traveling from job to job. Letting her heart guide her as she worked intrinsically tied to each community she stayed with. even including as a basket weaver on an island. As a result her idea of tattooing was much older, and although she knew what symbols and. ideas could be conveyed she had never seen what modern tattooing was capable of.

In order to bridge that gap we had to sit for quite awhile and discuss the ins and outs of what she thought she wanted. Until I could get her to elaborate on why. Listening to her stories, scouring influences and symbols, and eventually painting a final picture with what we found.

Technical Triumphs: Cover-Up Wizardry

Pulling this off required advanced techniques, including:

• textured Layers: Working to cover up scars any texture on top of the skin can potentially be seen through the art. However with enough texture effects we can distract enough from this that the scars vanish regardless.

• Precise color adjustment: Another issue with scars and older skin is the gradients of skin that almost shift even through simple tattoos. Causing light and dark spots to be seen through the design. Requiring precise color adjustments to accomodate for those exact shifts. So the final version looks flawless

• In focus VS out of focus details: In order for a Dragon with all its details at this scale to feel prominent the background needs to be simple without being empty or boring. Something we accomplish by almost painting it in blurry detail instead of proper definition. This way combined with the stark contrast in details, color, etc the two read perfectly clear and distinct.

  
  

This is of course with out even mentioning the delicate nature of thin older skin. Which leaves no room for error, or even correction for that matter. All of which comes together to make quite the difficult piece. This however is exactly what we're looking for as Paramedical Tattoo Artists

The Finale: Detailing the Piece

At the end of it all Carol and I had a great time customizing, creating, and tattooing her fiery dragon. From its personal symbolism for her life's journey to each of the unique challenges her project presented. Not to mention our general astonishment for how well she sat for a tattoo of this scale especially with out our usual pain meds suite. As Carol wanted "to feel the entire experience" Wether it be the pain or the emotional shifts she described in being able to cover her scars.

Why You Should Not Give Up on Your Skin

Thinking about a cover-up? Many people often feel discouraged when faced with any harsh scars. But don’t let your past problems influence your current decisions. Let us show you what’s possible.

Book your consultation at www.legendink.com.

At Legend Ink, we believe that every tattoo has the potential to tell a beautiful story. And we’re here to help you tell yours.