I don’t just spend my days tattooing — I also love working on custom paintings and illustrations for my clients. Whether it’s a gift for someone special or a meaningful piece to hang in your own space, these one-off artworks are always such a joy to create. Here’s a recent commission I worked on for one of my long-time clients, Connor, who wanted something personal to celebrate a new chapter in his life.
Connor’s been a regular client of mine for years, and after moving into his first place of his own, it was time to add some new art to the walls. He reached out to commission something special — and what better keepsake than a portrait of himself with his best bud?
After filling out a commission enquiry form on my website, I had all the key details: his budget, the size he was after, and the elements he wanted included. Next step was for Connor to pick his favourite photo of the two of them for me to work from — once I had that, I could start planning his custom artwork.
To get the best likeness in my style, I pull the photo into Procreate and sketch over the key features, then refine the linework and add any extra elements — in this case, some traditional florals. Once the digital design is complete, I print it out and trace it by hand onto watercolour paper, ready for painting.
While constantly referencing the original photo to make sure it looks just right, I paint the piece in between tattoo studio days until it’s finished and ready to be posted off to its new home. Connor’s artwork took me a couple of weeks from start to finish, though probably around five hours of actual painting time (I’m notoriously bad at keeping track!).
