Thinking About Tattoos

I have been thinking about my next tattoo for a while now, and drawing it is an important step.  And redrawing.  And being dissatisfied.  Which brings us to today's crackpot theory.

Artists learn just like children without realizing it; we play with something until it breaks.  Or at least I do.  I think teacher's are better than your average bear at realizing there is no common sense.  Sort of.  Common sense is what you have known so long you no longer remember learning.  If you never learned it, it must be because everyone knows it, right?  I learn what I do by failing.  Taking my art past where I should have stopped.  I draw it, and redraw it, and overdraw it.  Somewhere in the first 30-60% of the process was my best work, but I can't see it at the time.  I just keep going.  More lines, or thicker lines, or more color, or different color.  Futzing about instead of starting afresh.  You may remember that I have touched on productivity vs perfection before.  Through the images below, you can follow the path from the rough idea to just a pile of overlapping "maybe it needs."  If this ever becomes a tattoo, it will be completely redrawn by the artist; no more than the first image needed.

Hopefully I learned something.