Olivia Wilde Day of the Dead Tattoo (Critique, please?)

[Alie K]

So, my friend Liam LOVES Olivia Wilde and wanted me to do a Day of the Dead tattoo using her photo. He also loves blondes (but didn't want a blonde tattooed on him) so we put some blonde streaks in her hair. He wanted a realish looking woman, with Traditional roses around her.

It's my very first portraitish tattoo, and though there are some things that I see that I'd like to refine (smoothing the hair a little, adding some shadow to the nose...) Does anyone else see things I can do to tweak it?

1238 partially completed

1237 done for now

1239 face detail

Did it with Neotats, swash, blunderbuss

[gangstajay]

hmmmm how did you like the swash..hmmhmmm it looks dope

[slicksteel]

Nice work -clean lines! That day of the dead stuff is like a big fade here in cali! uggg its like even 80 yr old grannies are getting it!.Its in books ,tshirts on posters jsut like the nautaical star and tribal was.Cali is a very fadish area for tattoo work everybody has to jump on the bandwagon ya know.lol
I like your work realy top notch-it show that you realy care about the client.

[merky]

the hair line looks too straight if you break it up it look more natural. other then that it is nice like all your work...

[The Limey]

I think its awesome Alie and really wouldn't have known it was your first piece like that at all if you hadn't said so!

If I were to tweak anything at all, it would be the blue on her nose which I'd make into more of an inverted heart or possibly ace of spades just to give it more of that hole in the skull day of the dead look but it really depends on what style you like.

[Alie K]

Yeah, the hair is what bothers me the most. My friend was really wilting come the end of it all. I wanted to blend the hair in with the face more, but he just couldn't do any more. Personally, I didn't want to do a day of the dead anything. I'm so sick of seeing it on everything. I just tried to do the best I could with what he wanted.

Thanks everyone for your suggestions. I will try to convince him to let me do some of them on our next sitting.

[slicksteel]

maybe strengthen the outside facial lines a bit, or color shade off them.I think we all wish customers would always suggest there thoughts but still let you be an artist!

[merky]

you,ll kill it next time

[inked]

very nice color realism bro! cant believe its ur 1st attempt! kudos

[Alie K]

Sometimes clients can be a pain too. Especially when they are your friends. My buddy was extremely adamant on NOT doing anything on the facial side of the portrait until we got more done on his arm. He wants to sleeve it and wanted to leave lots of room. Sigh.... I really wish some people would just let me do what should be done and not be so insistent on what THEY want! I'll have to get one of my coworkers to rag on him that he should listen to me and do some purple off the face sice - or even a greywash....

[slicksteel]

light graywash would work just tell him its under shading.
Ya jsut get your coworker to tell him it looks unfunished on that side-works eveytime if another person tells them-it gets in there head.