Birdcage and Swallows Back Tattoo

The open door and three swallows had to read as movement, not as four separate objects placed on a back. I kept the birdcage in the centre and let the birds travel away from it. Narrow Fine Line bars hold the cage together, while lavender and soft pink flowers stop the middle from feeling heavy.

This was one three-hour session. The cage needs enough width for its bars to stay separate, and the birds need open skin around their wings. I fit that spacing to the actual upper back before drawing the final version. The result has a clear centre, but it doesn't sit still like a badge; the birds pull the eye outwards.