Esdeath

Sometimes I used to dread characters like Esdeath as it would be so reliant on wrangling blues and purples to translate the character, but now I absolutely love these palettes. Between the icy blues with a bit of depth in the shadows, and those nice smoky purples and sharp contrasts through her design, I knew this piece for Jarad was going to be a lot of fun.

I think what I enjoy most about tattooing anime characters is trying to get that balance between staying faithful to the source material so that it’s recognisable and creating something that works as a tattoo first. With this piece, I wanted the focus to be on Esdeath’s expression. Capturing that confidence was way more important to me than adding a lot of extra details around her.

Jarad always brings me fun projects, and this was no exception. It’s the kind of tattoo that nails why I love these kind of pieces. Strong character design, fun colour choices, and the chance to create something that’s instantly recognisable to fans but unique to my client.