The whole process started about a year and a half ago, in March of 2002, when I was getting another small tattoo (my Canadian Maple Leaf) done by Cheryl. This was my fourth tattoo by her and I had been talking about plans for a sleeve in the near future. I decided right then and there that I would be putting down a deposit for Cheryl to start the drawing because there really is no time like the present. After a few small tattoos, I wanted something bigger and something custom, I wanted a unique tattoo that nobody but me would have. It all began with Cheryl tracing my arm. We then proceeded to talk about what elements I wanted included in my sleeve (butterflys, a lady bug, flowers, a frog, a lizard...etc) and I also requested that it be very bright, colourful and feminine. Cheryl suggested a scene in which we would start with water just above my wrist and work up my arm to finish off with a cloud on my shoulder. I told her I trusted her judgement completely and to just go for it and draw what she thought would look best as she's the professional. I have to add that I do believe you get the best possible work from the tattoo artist when you give them creative control, I think too many people have something set in their mind and aren't open to suggestions from the artist which can only result in your tattoo looking even better than you could ever imagine!
At A Glance Author ccjack Contact cheryl_jaclyn@hotmail.com IAM ccjack When A year ago Artist Cheryl Volling Studio King of Fools Location Toronto, ON A few months later Cheryl called to tell me she had finished the first sketch, I went down to the shop to check out the drawing, saw the colour scheme and had my arm re-traced. The drawing was awesome, I couldn't believe what a great job she had done, I was amazed at how she could come up with such a beautiful piece of artwork and thrilled that soon it would be tattooed on my body forever. It was hard to imagine the drawing on my arm because you are looking at it on a flat piece of paper, but when she held it up and wrapped it around my arm, I began to see just how important and crucial placement of a tattoo and the elements within it are. Cheryl still had some ideas and wanted to take some more time to add to the drawing so I was happily on my way, waiting in anticipation to see the final drawing. Another couple of months passed and then I received yet another call from the shop letting me know the final drawing was complete. I was so eager to see it, I went downtown t he next day and was yet again, pleasantly surprised...I didn't think it was possible to make my sleeve any better than it was just a few months back, but was I ever wrong. Cheryl had made a few more changes and added some more things and it looked amazing, I was thrilled with the final drawing and colour scheme and we booked my first appointment to start with the outline.
A couple of weeks later we started the actual tattooing. It all began with the outline and bloodlines. This was one session in which the reality set in that I was going to have a permanent tattoo covering my entire right arm and I couldn't be happier with my decision. The pain factor wasn't bad at all, I think a lot of it has to do with your adrenaline because you are so excited about the experience. Of course certain areas hurt more than others, but it's all worth it, just seeing the artwork applied in your skin is priceless. The next session we did the sculpting, thick black lines around the bugs in the foreground. The grey wash and shading were done in the following two sessions. It seemed like so much black and grey work was being done and I was impatiently awaiting my first colour sitting. Cheryl gave me a great analogy that I will never forget and I always chuckle about, she told me it's like building a house, you have to do the foundation first. She was right , what a difference all that hard work she put into shading and sculpting makes once the tattoo is done. My first colour session was very exciting for me, it happened about three months after we first began and Cheryl started out with the Lotus flowers and dragonfly. It was beautiful and I could really start to see the whole thing coming together, what a difference the colour made in bringing the design to life. Don't get me wrong, it was beautiful even with just black ink, but this drawing was made to be coloured in bright ink! Our next session consisted of the frog and lizard. The following sitting was just for the water, for some reason the blue water was being quite difficult, it looked like it was in there at the time it was done, but I had some fallout when it healed, so Cheryl later did some more work on the water just to make sure it stayed in there, I am happy to report it is very much in there and looking wonderfully solid and blue. Next on the agenda were t he lily pads, followed by a session to complete the log, lilies and st ems. Our next sitting was all about the background leaves and then both butterflys were coloured in. The final session was a few minor touch ups and then the blue wind wash and cloud were added, making my sleeve complete in just under a year from the time Cheryl first started tattooing the outline. I should also add that we did a couple of touch up sessions in between instead of saving them for the end, I actually preferred doing it this way after Cheryl suggested it because we were able to spread it out so that my arm and the touch ups would both be done at the same time and she managed to finish it in time for NIX 2003. All in all I figure the whole sleeve took just over 40 hours to complete split up into approximately 16 sittings. It should also be noted that it could've been finished sooner, or it could've taken longer, a lot of the process involves finding a convenient time in which you and your artist can book appointments and the availability of money also plays a huge factor.
Words cannot express how pleased I am with my finished sleeve, I am so happy I decided to do this and have absolutely no regrets whatsoever! I sometimes forget that it's there because it has now become part of me, until I catch somebody looking at my arm and then I just smile and happily answer any questions from genuinely interested people. Of course there are those who cannot possibly understand why I have done this, but I could really care less. I love my sleeve and I did it for me and ultimately that's all that really matters. I also want to add that I do work full time in a highly conservative office in which I must cover my arm daily and I still think it's worth it (even on those hot humid days). My tattoo doesn't affect my job performance, but there are still those close minded individuals that think it is unprofessional and this is why I don't flaunt it. But at the same time, I don't hide it, I am very proud of my permanent and valuable piece of artwork, most of my co-workers are aware of my ink and think it is great although they wouldn't do something on such a large scale to themselves.
I have plans for many more tattoos in the future and consider myself very lucky to have found such a talented tattoo artist that I trust completely, it's wonderful to have a comfort level like this with someone who is permanently putting ink into your body.