# How to make it look like a tatoo? **URL:** \ **Category:** design\ **Created:** [July 16, 2004, 7:15pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/how-to-make-it-look-like-a-tatoo/57853 "2004-07-16T19:15:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![berkoWitZ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b9bd4f/32.png) [@berkoWitZ](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/berkoWitZ)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2004, 7:15pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/how-to-make-it-look-like-a-tatoo/57853/1 "2004-07-16T19:15:04Z")
hi, I posted in another thread this picture but now Im thinking in making a flyer about my company with it, I like how its looking but I want to try to make the face that is in her shoulder look like a tatoo but I dont have any idea! I tried applying some filters and brushes but no luck, anyone have an idea, anything? thanks! hope someone helps me ☹ ---
**Author:** ![system](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex011/uploads/kirupa/original/3X/6/2/621e5c11736f46532526e61be85940af4230f3e5.png) [@system](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2004, 7:19pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/how-to-make-it-look-like-a-tatoo/57853/2 "2004-07-16T19:19:51Z")
Never done this type of thing before but I suppose you could get the image to look more like a tatoo by using the distort transform option to give it perspective. I dont think there are any tuts on making a pic look like a tatoo but I will keep an eye out for one. ---
**Author:** ![system](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex011/uploads/kirupa/original/3X/6/2/621e5c11736f46532526e61be85940af4230f3e5.png) [@system](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2004, 7:22pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/how-to-make-it-look-like-a-tatoo/57853/3 "2004-07-16T19:22:13Z")
Well first of all - that shoulder has no sides. It’s one color so it won’t look like a tattoo in the first place :P. You need to have a shoulder with bone structure and different shades of skin :). Then you can select parts of the tattoo and like said, use the distort/rotate/transform too to adjust it’s settings. Then you can play around with effects, filters and blend opacities to make it blend into the skin ;). ---
**Author:** ![system](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex011/uploads/kirupa/original/3X/6/2/621e5c11736f46532526e61be85940af4230f3e5.png) [@system](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2004, 8:04pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/how-to-make-it-look-like-a-tatoo/57853/4 "2004-07-16T20:04:53Z")
yeah i would say if the person had textures and shadows you could simple set it to overly or soft light and watch it mold onto her like a tat lol. looks okay like that to me though. ---
**Author:** ![system](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex011/uploads/kirupa/original/3X/6/2/621e5c11736f46532526e61be85940af4230f3e5.png) [@system](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2004, 8:09pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/how-to-make-it-look-like-a-tatoo/57853/5 "2004-07-16T20:09:42Z")
if you dont do the above - which would be great if you did - move it down and to the left - more where her shoulder blades would be and then do a gradient fade on it. ---
**Author:** ![system](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex011/uploads/kirupa/original/3X/6/2/621e5c11736f46532526e61be85940af4230f3e5.png) [@system](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2004, 8:11pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/how-to-make-it-look-like-a-tatoo/57853/6 "2004-07-16T20:11:20Z")
Also like I said, you can play around with sketch filters, curves, color adjustment and lighting effects to get it to look either like a realistic black tattoo, or just a highlighted orange tattoo on her body ;). ---
**Author:** ![system](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex011/uploads/kirupa/original/3X/6/2/621e5c11736f46532526e61be85940af4230f3e5.png) [@system](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2004, 8:50pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/how-to-make-it-look-like-a-tatoo/57853/7 "2004-07-16T20:50:39Z")
great tips! thanks all, I´ll change some things, I have new ideas 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![system](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex011/uploads/kirupa/original/3X/6/2/621e5c11736f46532526e61be85940af4230f3e5.png) [@system](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2004, 8:52pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/how-to-make-it-look-like-a-tatoo/57853/8 "2004-07-16T20:52:29Z")
I think you don’t need the shading if you cna distort the shape to look rounded. Use your tatoo to imply that the shoulder is rounded. Also to maybe lighten it up to blend in with the skin more. ---
**Author:** ![system](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex011/uploads/kirupa/original/3X/6/2/621e5c11736f46532526e61be85940af4230f3e5.png) [@system](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2004, 9:27pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/how-to-make-it-look-like-a-tatoo/57853/9 "2004-07-16T21:27:11Z")
Yea I disagree with Sharif. If you have trouble with perspective what I’d do is draw a circle on a friend exactly where you think the tattoo would be then take a picture of them from the same perspective as your picture. Then overlay the picture of your friend on your image. Then freetransform your logo until its the same as the cirlce. ---
**Author:** ![system](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex011/uploads/kirupa/original/3X/6/2/621e5c11736f46532526e61be85940af4230f3e5.png) [@system](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2004, 9:28pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/how-to-make-it-look-like-a-tatoo/57853/10 "2004-07-16T21:28:14Z")
Brilliant Idea Bill. And that’s just why we love you :love: ---
**Author:** ![system](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex011/uploads/kirupa/original/3X/6/2/621e5c11736f46532526e61be85940af4230f3e5.png) [@system](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2004, 10:03pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/how-to-make-it-look-like-a-tatoo/57853/11 "2004-07-16T22:03:36Z")
> [@CanadianGuy](#): > > Yea I disagree with Sharif. If you have trouble with perspective what I’d do is draw a circle on a friend exactly where you think the tattoo would be then take a picture of them from the same perspective as your picture. Then overlay the picture of your friend on your image. Then freetransform your logo until its the same as the cirlce. 😜 I said to use distort to do perspective and use blend modes. ---
**Author:** ![system](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex011/uploads/kirupa/original/3X/6/2/621e5c11736f46532526e61be85940af4230f3e5.png) [@system](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2004, 10:13pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/how-to-make-it-look-like-a-tatoo/57853/12 "2004-07-16T22:13:12Z")
ok, I used the distortion and perspective and apply a filter, looks better I think but could be better…what do u think?? ---
**Author:** ![system](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex011/uploads/kirupa/original/3X/6/2/621e5c11736f46532526e61be85940af4230f3e5.png) [@system](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2004, 10:16pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/how-to-make-it-look-like-a-tatoo/57853/13 "2004-07-16T22:16:55Z")
I think it looks better, but the way her arm is angled that tattoo would be on the back of her shoulder. It needs to be even more angled. Almost so that the letters can’t be read. I think CG’s idea with looking at a reference picture would be real helpful. p.s. the bg image seems real blurry for how crisp and clean the line art is. ---
**Author:** ![system](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex011/uploads/kirupa/original/3X/6/2/621e5c11736f46532526e61be85940af4230f3e5.png) [@system](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2004, 10:20pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/how-to-make-it-look-like-a-tatoo/57853/14 "2004-07-16T22:20:20Z")
yes it looks a little blurry but its because I export it in medium quality 😛 //CG´s idea is very good, I think I´ll give it a try ---
**Author:** ![system](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex011/uploads/kirupa/original/3X/6/2/621e5c11736f46532526e61be85940af4230f3e5.png) [@system](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2004, 1:52pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/how-to-make-it-look-like-a-tatoo/57853/15 "2004-07-18T13:52:06Z")
also, i think it would be rotated a bit on the arm, since the shoulder is tilted a bit, so that combined with a bit of distortion should look good. ---
**Author:** ![system](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex011/uploads/kirupa/original/3X/6/2/621e5c11736f46532526e61be85940af4230f3e5.png) [@system](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2004, 6:37am UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/how-to-make-it-look-like-a-tatoo/57853/16 "2004-07-20T06:37:38Z")
I think it would look better w/ out the tatoo, just put the logo/tatoo thing off her and next to the text 🙂 Just a thought, 3dnirvana