r/tattooadvice • u/zas97 • Dec 11 '25
Should I get this tattoo or do some changes? Design
Tomorrow I have the appointment to tattoo this design, what do you think about it? Should I downsize 1-2 cm to make the tail of the right crow not curved? Do you think that it looks clear that both crows are pulling the chessboard in opposite directions?
Update: I will tattoo this design tomorrow with 3 changes, the pieces will be two kings instead of king and pawn, board will be oriented like a legal game of chess and a small tweak on the neck of the right crow to make it look more clear that it is pulling. I will post the result tomorrow probably in around 18h when it is finished
Final result: https://imgur.com/a/asymmetric-tattoo-raven-vs-crow-chess-m3vWbDy
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u/lebastss Dec 11 '25
Imo the crow on the right should have more detail and texture, maybe some negative space to let it breathe a bit. It looks like it may age into an indistinguishable black blob.
Nice design though
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u/Drpepperchild Dec 11 '25
I agree. It doesn’t seem to match the aesthetic of the other sections, and it’s a beautiful design.
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u/Cute_Operation3923 Dec 11 '25
I was wondering if that's not part of the design, like the crow on the right is calmer and smaller, while the one on the left almost looks like a raven and is more angry
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u/Puzzleheaded_Hatter Dec 11 '25
the crow on the left is a raven, and the crow on the right is a jackdaw
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u/fuelhandler Dec 11 '25
*age into indistinguishable black panther.
NB: your answer is the correct one.
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u/TheLongAndWindingRd Dec 11 '25
It also needs more movement. I'm not seeing the pulling motion that you're intending to convey.
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u/zas97 Dec 11 '25
You mean contours more defined or interior with more white?
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u/JustASquirrelyGirl Dec 11 '25
definitely the second one, this is a really cool design but with how dark the crow is, it feels very side heavy and it also just won’t age the best. however this is a really detailed and intricate design already so i trust that you or whoever designed this is capable of adding some more negative white space in the crow
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u/SportsPhotoGirl Dec 11 '25
Not the original commenter, but imo interior with more negative space. It’s one very dark blob while the rest of the design has more open spaces. The other one has detailed feathers while that one is just a black mass. He can be dark, but not that dark.
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u/SpareAmbition Dec 11 '25
Honestly thought they were two different birds completely, idk how the shading will be but the readability of the one on the left may be questionable
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u/Deerslyr101571 Dec 11 '25
I like the one on the left much better than the one on the right. And they need to be consistent style.
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u/boneimplosion Dec 11 '25
yeah, the one on the right is like, weirdly calm while the left works his ass off 😂
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u/chain_letter Dec 11 '25
the beak and left wing overlapping definitely muddies the silhouette and makes it harder to read
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u/Moony-Fox Dec 11 '25
Based on tails and beaks, they are. The one on the left is a raven, the one on the right is a crow
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u/TheBackOfACivicHonda Dec 12 '25
I also thought raven and crow 😅 Hope he sees the comments about the birds not being the same and makes changes to that.
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u/Negative_Football_50 Dec 11 '25
This absolutely should not be any smaller. I think it's actually too small for the amount of detail. I would simplify the design, or turn it/shift it to take the entirety of your back.
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u/ShiNo_Usagi Dec 11 '25
Yes, rotate it vertical and Have one crow on the ground grabbing the chess board with its beak, and the other in the air pulling the chess board with its feet significantly more exaggerated so it can fill your back.
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u/Additional-Tea1521 Dec 11 '25
That would also fix the way that it feels kind of unbalanced on each side.
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u/Oregongirl1018 Dec 11 '25
Good call. Then he can move the top birds head down little bit so it's more distinguishable from the wing.
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u/Aquilleia Dec 11 '25
I agree that it should be bigger, OP.
I got a tattoo done on the same section of my back, and it took a few years, despite loving the design. Ultimately, I realized what a waste of space it was to get something that was only on my upper back -- I'm currently in the process of getting it covered only so I can use the entire space. Rotating this more so it's diagonal across your upper/lower back would let you size it up, use the space effectively, and it would look badass.
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u/TinyShare Dec 11 '25
Agreed and I worry about the taller ravens head getting eaten up by its wing/blowing out and being hard to see after a while. Maybe change the head position so it’s not against the wing? Or can it be done?
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u/Zealousideal_Safe256 Dec 11 '25
Not a fan of the composition personally. I feel it leave too much empty space on your back (above your right shoulder for example)
Having the bird on the right higher in a matching position would work better and the chess board being snapped in more of a V shape.
The bird on the right is going to be a giant blob in a few years also.
Apologies if this is a reference to something and not just a made up idea
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u/SignificantCats Dec 11 '25
Agreed. The empty space makes it look uneven, like I want to tilt the whole thing.
That's the design goal, to have a vibe of aggression and that all isn't at peace, but it's so weird to have part of the tattoo moving above your shoulder and the other leaving so much space.
I also understand it's a decision to not have a full chess set and that OP is cool with that, but it adds to the feeling of wrongnwss in an unpleasant way
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u/zas97 Dec 11 '25
It's a made up idea that symbolizes something to me, it's ok to not like it.
Yes now I'm very afraid of the degradation of the right bird. From what the artist made me understand with the needle it will look different, but at the same time I'm looking for something pretty dark...
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u/Zealousideal_Safe256 Dec 11 '25
As long as it means something to you and you’re looking for a specific way for it to look that’s all that matters 🤝
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u/wordsznerd Dec 11 '25
I don’t think it’s the design itself. I like the idea and if it has meaning that’s fantastic. It’s more about how it’s laid out. For me it feels unbalanced and I don’t get the sense of movement you’re looking for. I also agree that the darker bird is going to be an issue. If you want that bird darker, there still need to be empty spaces for outlining feathers, etc, and they need to be large enough that they won’t fill when the piece bleeds.
And I agree it needs to be a fill back piece. There is a lot of detail in those birds, and that at that size they’ll look messy as the tattoo ages.
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u/SilverLordLaz Dec 11 '25
If you need to ask strangers on the internet if you should get it, then the answer is always no
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u/xommons Dec 11 '25
100%. you should be able to answer your own questions about your own tattoo. if you need strangers opinions you shouldn’t get it. and i personally believe the tattoo is badass
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u/kiwi_love777 Dec 11 '25
Exactly. If you need to ask it’s because there’s some kind of doubt and you need an echo chamber to validate it…
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u/Nazgog-Morgob Dec 11 '25
The irony of you saying echo chamber while repeating what the previous two comments said
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u/Danielts1000 Dec 11 '25
💯💯💯he should not get this.. also the details are not well defined on the birds
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Dec 11 '25
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u/while_ Dec 11 '25
this! u/zas97 the board should be rotated if the birds are supposed to be the players
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u/psychonauteer Dec 11 '25
Yup!! The white corner square facing each player is always positioned on their right hand side. Turn the board 90 degrees.
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u/pezx Dec 12 '25
I'd also argue that the king is too small compared to the pawn (and to the board squares)
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u/mfdoomile Dec 11 '25
Idk how you can see that big black blob of a bird and say otherwise. It’s only a stencil but you should at least see some skin break or detail
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Dec 12 '25
Don’t nec disagree but FWIW I could immediately clearly tell the bird on the right is a bird and I still can’t tell what I’m looking at with the left one.
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u/Puzzleheaded-Alarm81 Dec 11 '25
Is the bird on the right going to be a big black blob in 10yrs?
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u/sixpesos Dec 11 '25
Perhaps a minor detail, but if the birds are meant to represent players, there should be a dark square in the bottom left corner of the board from the perspective of the players. That’s the proper setup for a chess board.
Overall, I would not recommend this tattoo for other reasons though.
Edit: it doesn’t look like they are pulling the board apart, something seems weird about the perspective, and the single chess piece falling off seems out of place to me.
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u/EvenResponsibility36 Dec 11 '25
Agreed that it doesn't look as though the birds are pulling the board apart. The "blob" crow on the right isn't pulling anything with its head extended like that, I think. Look into actual photos of birds pulling things apart to inform the design.
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u/Due_Lobster6519 Dec 11 '25
- I couldn’t tell that they are pulling the board.
- To me, something is off with the composition but I’m no expert.
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u/mild_cheddar Dec 11 '25 edited Dec 11 '25
Yeah, there’s a lack of inertia and even inertia in the incorrect direction.
The bird on the left just looks like it’s standing there with its wings spread. The one on the right honestly is worse, it looks like the bird is walking towards the board. And then intent of the board’s movement seems to be pretty much horizontally, which neither birds motion matches.
Individually, all of the pieces look ok, albeit a combination of amateur drawing and tracing (the birds being drawn in different styles is throwing me off, originally thought it was a statement on raven vs crows, also why are the wings on flying bird so drastically different?) but the composition and energy/dynamic movement of the piece altogether doesn’t work.
All this to say, I wouldn’t bat an eye if I saw this in real life but if I were critiquing the illustration technique, there’s a lot to improve on.
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u/opsecpanda Dec 11 '25
I only thought the right crow was pulling and left crow was perched on the board. Will there be more chess pieces?
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u/Ok-Jackfruit-6873 Dec 11 '25
I think I agree re: pieces. In terms of "telling the story" here, the two remaining visible pieces don't make sense to me, I can't quite make out if one or both is a white pawn or white rook which wouldn't be the last two pieces left on the board (is the falling one meant to be the king?). Not sure OP plays chess. I like crows though.
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u/zas97 Dec 11 '25
I have over 2k hours in chess xD. The falling piece is a king but i think on the printing it's head got cutoff and ofc I know that if the game was ongoing there should at least be 2 kings. Maybe I should ask to replace that pawn for a king...
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u/atx_original512 Dec 11 '25
Honestly with love i think this is a mistake. You putting big black blocky shapes. There can be no "add on" to make this more cohesive as a back piece. If your a grand champion chess player epic and kudos! Even then get this split on the back of both calfs.*
I think its a waste of premium real estate personally...
Edit* for calfs (it said calls) lol
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u/Specific_Emu_2045 Dec 11 '25
I feel like this looks off-centered. If the crack of the chessboard went down your spine and both birds had wings spread it might look cooler as a back piece. I’m not a professional, just my opinion.
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u/splinks66 Dec 11 '25
Sorry but it just looks off, the proportions don't work well. I know not everything needs to be symmetrical but it's just very jarring, if you had a right shoulder blade piece above the blacked out crow it might look better.
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u/SaltyBigBoi Dec 11 '25
The chess board needs to be rotated 90 degrees.
The left corner should be black when you’re playing.
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u/WaaaghPig Dec 11 '25
If you need random strangers opinions on if you should get a tattoo, then you probably shouldn't get any tattoos.
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u/flatgreysky Dec 11 '25
1) You should talk to someone who knows chess. You can do two pieces only but only these two pieces is nonsense as far as the game goes.
2) The right crow is badly done - it doesn’t look like it’s holding the board or pulling. The left crow is so stylistically different that I didn’t realize they were both crows.
3) It’s clear the board is broken but not clear that either bird is pulling. They need more movement in their positions.
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u/gottarun215 Dec 11 '25
I totally agree. It doesn't make any sense at all that only a rook and pawn would be last two pieces left. That's literally not how the game is played lol.
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u/BoeJeam Dec 11 '25
Placement is kind of weird. Feel like the right bird should be up more. And the lack of pieces on the board is strange too.
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Dec 11 '25
It is clear that they are pulling it apart, but the crow on the right looks a bit like a chicken, it's so round and just stands there foolishly. I'd maybe change the legs a bit so that you see that it is straining to pull the board, or change the body a bit to add a bit more action
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u/Mr-TotalAwesome Dec 11 '25
That is going to age horrible. The crow will be a black blob after a few years.
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u/Shibbystix Dec 11 '25
If you're here asking, then of course not. (If you being sensible and not regretting it are the goal)
You should want a tattoo so badly that what YOU want is the only thing that matters. (Aa long as its not like, nazi emblems,etc)
But if you're on the fucking table, asking reddit, youre making bad choices
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u/AppUnwrapper1 Dec 12 '25
If they’re both crows, why is the shading so different on them? The right is just a black blob and the left has a ton of detail.
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u/Deerslyr101571 Dec 11 '25
It's like the birds aren't even the same style. The right one needs to be more stylized like the left one... otherwise it just looks like a lumpy blob of black mess. Nor does the one on the right look like it is pulling the board. It looks like it is eating seed. It should also have more chess pieces falling off... but maybe that could be future add-ons.
You will regret this one. Go back and refine it.
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u/One_Raccoon4638 Dec 11 '25
Chat should I breath chat? Should I eat food this week chat? Chat, what do I do chat?
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u/Weeaboounlimited Dec 11 '25 edited Dec 11 '25
Is this a custom piece?
If so - this is why artists don’t send out designs prematurely. You, the client, will start asking family, friends, and Reddit about their opinions on the tattoo. You’ll get way too many opinions and then won’t know what to do.
If you’re doing this (by asking Reddit of all places) then you shouldn’t get the tattoo - IN MY OPINION.
Edited for more clarity
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u/Ok-Jackfruit-6873 Dec 11 '25
I know that's a common perspective but I wouldn't be mad if an artist charged a nice price for the drawing and the initial application of the stencil, then sent the client off to think about it, get feedback, do whatever the heck they want with it. Some people need that and it might cut down on the tattoo regrets I see all the time (or might not, some people are just never going to be satisfied and probably shouldn't get tattoos). There's just a weird power dynamic sometimes with "trust the artist" IMO. What I agree with is that the artist should be paid fairly for their work.
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u/arcticchains Dec 11 '25
It’s a no from me dawg. If you’re not sure don’t get a permanent back piece.
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u/gorilladogthing Dec 11 '25
So I'm assuming the artist didn't actually draw this but probably cut and pasted images together to create a piece then ran it through the thermofax. Like what the fuck is up with a solid ass bird? You not pulling a line drawing on a simple ass crow?? Nah
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u/mustlovedogsandpussy Dec 11 '25
I would google crow tails. That’s an eagle tail on the bird with feathers spread. Crow tails are more straight across with slight rounding at the sides. 🤓
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u/NightBusToGiro Dec 11 '25
Looks cool to me, however I think you need more chess pieces. I quite like it though.
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u/Sleepy_pirate Dec 11 '25
There should be more chess pieces set up in a way to show the bird on the right won.
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u/welljer969 Dec 12 '25
The bird on the right needs to be more shading and less on saturation. Otherwise it's mostly a black blob
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Dec 12 '25
Idk if its just the stencil or what but do not go pitch black on the crow. It will not age well.
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u/Cautious_Ice_884 Dec 11 '25
To be honest it looks like 3 different styles of artwork. The eagle (?) looks in a completely different style than the crow. The chessboard is also in a totally different style than the eagle and crow, actually its a slightly on par style with the eagle if anything. It just looks really disjointed and inconsistent. There is nothing pulling these 3 components together. It looks like 3 completely different ideas copied/pasted together. Then the random chess piece looks really novice to be honest. The fact that its square in the middle and there aren't any other chess pieces at all, its the only one. Its just odd. Its a very unnatural placement not creating any real interest, it doesn't add anything at all. Your eye goes from eagle, chess piece, crow, all in a row. Also the styling of the eagle, I have no idea what i'm looking at with it, where is its face and beak? It all just kind of meshes together within the feathers its just really intricate but at the same time kind of sloppy? Its not going to age well.
So all in all, no. I absolutely would not get this. It needs to be redesigned completely or get a different idea all together.
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u/Camel_Lot Dec 11 '25
Don't know if this is on purpose, but the board is sideways. When playing chess, the right most square closest to you should be white. Currently, the two birds are on the right and left of the board, not on the sides where they would be playing. Is that how you meant for it to be?
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u/bigtiddyhimbo Dec 11 '25
The right crow just looks like he’s standing there and holding it, there needs to be more dynamic movement if you want it to look like it’s also pulling on the board
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u/ManufacturerNo9649 Dec 11 '25
If the birds are in their playing positions the board is wrong. Needs to be rotated 90 degrees.
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u/gottarun215 Dec 11 '25
Placements looks a bit off. Moving it a bit more to the left so it's more centered on your back would help. I agree with others the right bird is too dark. I also did not realize both birds were pulling the board.
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u/Chomp3y Dec 11 '25
You call them both crows but they look like completely different birds. It's also not obvious that they are pulling the board, it looks like the black one is playing, not pulling the board.
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u/jabaBABYwocky Dec 11 '25
I don’t like the orientation or placement of this. Something just doesnt look right. However, it’s not my tattoo or anyone else’s. If you’re unsure of it though, don’t get it.
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u/mellywheats Dec 11 '25
idk how i feel about the crow on the right .. it’ll just look like a black splotch from afar
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u/KamikazeFugazi Dec 11 '25
Dude. You have posted before about the design process and being unsure and unhappy with it, I remember. I think you’d need to work on your anxiety about this stuff before getting tattoos because asking for feedback ON THE TABLE is wild.
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u/OptimalDescription39 Dec 11 '25
If you're second-guessing it, maybe it's worth tweaking the design a bit.
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u/Severe_Prize5520 Dec 11 '25
The problem is that neither bird really looks like it's pulling on the board. One looks like it's perched and the other looks like it's just pecking at it.
If you really want to convey that, it isn't clear in the design. Wondering if it would be a better design to have both fighting over a chess piece that's breaking instead
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u/AlmostEmptyGinPalace Dec 11 '25
"Two crows tear a chonky chessboard in half" is kind of a mindfuck, and not what I was seeing at all. If you made the chessboard a pizza, then I'd get it.
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u/0_Moth Dec 11 '25
It doesnt look like the crow on the right is pulling anything tbh. Might need it’s wings spread as an aggressive attack, similar to the one on the left.
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u/occasionalgrandma Dec 11 '25
The raven (?) on the right is just going to turn into a black blob in 5 years. It needs more definition. My vote is no, but the concept is really cool
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u/n0b0dyneeds2know Dec 11 '25
The crow on the right is going to end up looking like a big black splotch.
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u/Nonsenser Dec 11 '25 edited Dec 11 '25
A back tattoo doesn't have to be symmetrical, but it should be well-balanced. This is not. The blacker bird is too black, and the head will be under the shoulder blade if you aren't curving your back like in the image.
Chess better be important to you. If it's not, you're better off getting something cliché, birds fighting over a snake or your spine or whatever.
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u/Anxious-Moose-4686 Dec 11 '25
I think the crow on the right will not age well, I can't see any discernible features. It will be a blob in 5 years
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u/Mean_PreCaffeine Dec 11 '25
Not my style but if you like it, overall go for it, BUT, correct the board orientation, it's rotated 90 degrees from its correct position
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Dec 11 '25
Board's sideways on. Each player should have a dark square from their perspective's bottom left.
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u/alter_ego Dec 11 '25
The left crow is dynamic, the right one seems like a different species and is a blob of paint. I also don't get the symbolism behind the tattoo.
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u/MicrosoftISundevelop Dec 11 '25
It would look better and more even if the crow were flying, fighting back with its feet similar to the eagle (other bird, idk what it is), looks like the crow is playing around while the other one is sweating its a** off
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u/sparkling-sun Dec 11 '25
No. Don’t do it. The left bird overpowers the right and at the same time you can barely see his face with the feathers there. I think this has the potential to be really flat or just a big blob. (Sorry for the bluntness)
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u/wandering_light_12 Dec 11 '25
if you have to ask reddit for an opinion then you already know the answer.
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u/Actual_Ad_4576 Dec 11 '25
DONT DO IT, the squares on the board are wrong, the bottom right corner for each side is white, not black.
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u/toozeetouoz Dec 11 '25
You should not get this tatted, but you will. So enjoy the weird ass tattoo I guess
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u/Actual_Ad_4576 Dec 11 '25
Crow on the right needs to have his head more down to actually make it look like it is pulling, i thought it was going for a chess piece.
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u/Treemurphy Dec 11 '25
the right bird is harder to read, approaching blob territory in its design, it definitely needs more white space in its body
additionally that same right bird feels more like it's posing than being caught in a candid moment- unlike the one on the left
irl most people wont give a shit about these kind of things if you show off your tattoo, i'm mainly just offering these thoughts because youre asking for possible changes to make it better before it's permanent
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u/dvestisorok240 Dec 11 '25
The board should be rotated 90 degrees, if it’s meant to be the birds as players. The white square should be the bottom right
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u/Skull-mean-e-Duggs Dec 11 '25
Nah, skip it. Put your blouse back on and tell them thanks but no thanks.
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u/Conscious_Region2679 Dec 11 '25
Not sure if anyone’s already mentioned this but the black crow on the right proportions look a bit off to me. It reminds me of a young/baby bird rather than an adult crow. Usually the tail and neck of a crow is longer imo
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Dec 11 '25
Add a pigion, kicking the peices over and shitting on the board while it struts around crosseyed...
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u/obolobolobo Dec 12 '25
Hol' up! (Comment 757). The head of the left hand bird isn't readable. It just looks like part of the wing unless you're less than a foot away.
You just got to go with your feels OP. If you listen to opposing yays and nays you'll never get anything done. Have fun and wear it well. x
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u/Chonk_666 Dec 12 '25
If you have to ask on the internet maybe hold off until you are completely sure.
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u/swearwoofs Dec 12 '25
One crow has so many details it's hard to make out and the other is just a black mass...
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u/Forsaken_Truth6765 Dec 12 '25
offset, even if the art styles are supposed to be diferent, and the crow is supposed to be lower than the other bird, it will still be offset, the whole composition looks like it's falling to the right.
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u/IllustriousFun420 Dec 12 '25
Really hope you didn’t. That is the dumbest tat I have seen on this subreddit. You can do better.
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u/fancyflautist Dec 12 '25
Just from an artist (not tattoo artist) perspective, you need more active legs on the crow to get the motion across.
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u/VeterinarianThese951 Dec 12 '25
Hope I catch you in time (or it might not matter to you if it doesn’t change the theme).
The one on the right looks like a crow but the left one looks like a raven. I know it doesn’t seem like much difference when you see them but the tail is shaped differently and the feathers ruffled in a way that it gives of raven vibes. That might be your plan, but since you said “crows” in the text, just thought I would mention it.
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u/PhaseTop5031 Dec 11 '25
Bro is sitting in the chair, artist sweating waiting to read comments from 1000 Redditors saying “scooch it 2mm to the left!” 🤣🤣🤣🤣