Project
Tale Between
2 Wolves
Ink / Digital Collaboration
Take a journey with me
Sleeve Tattoo
Year
2015
Artist
- Francisco Sanchez
- Tattoo Artist
- Kyle Vena
- Digital Artist
Kyle Supported
- Mood boards
- Story / Meaning
- Visual Input/Direction
- Digital Manipulated Photos
- Digital Illustrations
Collaborative Project
Between 2 Artists & 2 Styles
Overview
Kyle had done some research from Texas to Cali and after finding Francisco, at Dark Age Tattoo. Kyle knew he was the one that he had wanted to work with. Kyle had been wanting this for sometime and after going through a 10-year battle, Kyle wanted to have a sleeve of reminders of the experiences of his life interpreted on skin wrapped in his own spiritual walk, battle of the mind, and journey, to raising his daughter and of her custody battle that was eventually won. This testimony will be shared one day.
Within this project, Kyle wanted to focus a small fraction of what went into this sleeve with another local artist that will always be remembered as Francisco ~ (Frank) as he became the closure to my past journey and my future in stories!
Kyle's Vision Boards
The Story, Pitch, & Theme Project
Mood boards
Created several mood boards for myself, using many of the same processes to narrow down the direction, story, feel, sizing, lighting, pose, and styles of other black in grey tattoos.
Digital Illustrations
Created these mesh of data points and fractals like shards of glass to be wrapped around my arm along with symbolic symbols, double meanings, and metaphors.
Portraits
Kyle had photographed his daughter, age 7, and manipulated a three lions into one within her hoodie, along with other photos of fillers to be of his visual testimony.
Collaboration
In what was delivered to Francisco at Dark Age Tattoo worked through plans, brainstormed, redesigned some areas, swapped out others as Francisco’s advice, placement, where to start, and why was spot on in recommendations.
Short Story
My own personal story and all the elements that have gone into this tattoo will be shared another time, however, if you haven’t been familiar with this short story of the battle within, here is the basis of the metaphor on my arm, even though there’s a deeper side than some myth…
An old Cherokee is teaching his grandson about life.
“A fight is going on inside me,”
he said to the boy.
“It is a terrible fight and it is between two wolves. One is evil – he is anger, envy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego.”
He continued,
“The other is good – he is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion, and faith. The same fight is going on inside you – and inside every other person, too.”
The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather,
“Which wolf will win?”
The old Cherokee simply replied,
“The one you feed.”
FRANCISO SANCHEZ
Quality Tattooist
Francisco has been tattooing professionally in the Dallas area for about 5 years now. He specializes in black and grey, color realism, portraits, and custom tattoos.
He likes to take his clients ideas and visions of what they want to get tattooed and interpret them by tattooing in what Francisco thinks will best suit them in the end. As he takes in account of body, muscle structure, skin type, needles to planning order when working with his clients with his delivery process.
Now Frank not only is a great artist out side of his professional tattooing but has a vast understanding behind art in design mixed with the body and physics.
Specialties
- Black & Grey
- Color Realism
- Portraits
- Custom
Progress
Upper Outer Arm
Francisco’s process was knocking out the main portrait going with arm sizing and focal point.
Upper Inner Arm
Next was going after the inner arm and into the arm pit.
Wrap Around
Then he went after the wrist, while this sets up the alignment of how we’ll merge the digital around the arm connecting to my upper inner arm.
HERE'S HOW THE
Collaboration Turned Out
Project Stats
3
Hours Per Session
9
Ink Sessions
6
Months
Project Outcome
AMAZING & ON POINT
This sleeve was a great experience and had learned quite a bit off of Frank. Frank is definitely a down to earth and the real deal. Hands down, Frank was an amazing, talented individual, and truly blown away by what he can do on skin. From quality needles, ink, arrangement of art, and how my arm healed was fantastic and like no other. Definitely made a conversation piece on my arm.
Make Contact
Let Frank know whom sent yeah, as its just my way of saying thanks to how much it meant to me of getting closure from a life in time that was terribly hard and full of misfortunes in past journey.
Dark Age Tattoo has many talented artist and really truly amazing and down to earth people, you can’t go wrong! Go check them out and their faciality while taking note of how many awards they are recognized by over the years.
