A Pictish keymorphic forearm half sleeve, as mind bending as Celtic knotwork sleeves, together they are my absolute favorite kind of tattoo to do. So difficult! Key patterns are found on the ancient carved stones in Scotland, the art of my ancestors. A unique form of Pictish design found on the carved stones in Scotland is the Key Pattern. This intricate sleeve tattoo pattern is designed by replicating a small section of the carvings on the Maiden Stone, a 9th century Pictish Standing stone in Aberdeenshire. The key pattern was then morphed (hence keymorphic) to spiral around the arm. A tribal pattern from an ancient Northern European Tribe, the wild and heavily tattooed Picts. As shown the pattern can be customized to fit the length and width of the arm or leg. This is phase one, which involved a couple of hours getting the pattern just right so that it is a seamless fit on the arm, then 5 hours to get in just the lines. When he is able to return from Chicago we will do session two, and half of what you see will be black, a much more bold look than it now has. This way it reminds me of the Guatemalan mola embroidery, yet another example of cross-cultural similarities in design. And also an example of how tattooing is a bespoke art, always custom for each client.
