This collection of 4 canvases was created for my exam. Our theme was 'passions and obsessions', many people who know me might suggest i have a slight passion for tattoos, I thought it would be a really good idea to combine my own personal passion for tattoos with my friends passions, using the medium of tattoos as a way of expressing their passions and obsessions. Many regard the human body as a canvas and a way to express themselves, some do this through clothes or piercings, yet i focused on tattoos. It says a lot about someone's commitment to their passion if they're willing to alter their body for life in order to show this passion or obsession off.
Earlier in the blog, you can see my prep work ,gathering paintings of my friend's favourite things. In this composition, I have been inspired by Alison Watt's early work of small square painting of parts of the body. I also wanted to include material in the painting to give it a real life sort of feel. I concentrated on trying to create a realistic fleshy texture, but also bringing out some of the more discrete colours hidden in the flesh. If you look at the skin, you can see all colours. Not only did I want the tattoos to look like they were a part of the skin rather than an image sitting on top, I also wanted the flesh to be an equally important part of the painting, and therefore tried not to paint the tattoos too big.

I also wanted to use a variety of skin tones to demonstrate that tattoo culture is universal and popular across the world.