Phoenix

I started this phoenix tonight. I've been wanting to do one for a while, but it always seemed too much effort, so I've been putting it off.  I used a few different phoenix tattoos as references, and borrowed some ideas, but overall it's ended up being an original design of my own. I'm pretty happy with the way it turned out. 

The claws were the hardest part. I drew them like 50 times trying to get them to look right. I think I'm happy with the way they turned out. I think I'll need more practice drawing claws, because they were always where I got tricked up when drawing dragons too.

I've already done most of the shading for this phoenix, but I will post that one tomorrow when it's finished. I'm going to do it black and grey initially, and then might think about colouring it up afterward.

Oh by the way, if anyone who reads this blog ever sees a design they love enough to actually take to a tattoo shop to have done, go for it! I'd just ask you to let me know which design you're using, and also to tell the tattoo shop where you got the design from (Summertime Ink). Cheers!