General
Saturno
Carlos Luis Artavia Hay
Addicted to Horimono since 15 years
Tattooing since 2019
In this website you will find my portfolio,
youtube page, newsletter, guides,
and more
How to start your Japanese Style Tattoo Project
Horimono, or a traditional Japanese tattoo designed to be part of a bodysuit, has several rules and recommendations. In this section, we will speak about what to take into consideration when starting a project as such.
Background vs no background
Gakubori (design with background)
Horimono or the Japanese-style bodysuit, is mainly designed to be tattooed with a background of rich dark blacks and grays in shapes such as wind bars, water, rocks, or clouds, added to give a whole atmosphere to the main subject and its seasonal elements.
This is the main difference between Japanese style and other tattoo styles and one of the reasons why the Japanese style pieces look much more cohesive than their western counterparts, giving a much more elegant, wellthought-out, and organized tattoo project.
Let's also take into consideration that the background gives added contrast to the main subject and enhances the anatomy of the tattooed body part, working quasi-like a well-fitted, dark, and elegant armor.
What normally comes to mind for people when picturing in their minds a Japanese-style tattoo is almost always the beauty of those dynamic, intricate, dark backgrounds flowing with traditional cherry blossom, so don't discard the background that easily.
It is highly advisable for western customers to think beyond the sticker-totem style of getting single, unorganized tattoos to favor larger, well-planned and organized tattoo projects.
Nukibori (no background)
Still, in Japanese-style tattoos, there are exceptions. If a customer is not attracted to the classical dark background because it might look too radical, nukibori is still an option. Mostly women make this decision, so in this culture, large-scale tattoos with backgrounds have mostly a more feminine feel.
But let's remember that this is an exception and not the rule, and it is actually less advisable.
Backpiece by Horitoshi
Backpiece
In a bodysuit, the main subject normally goes in the backpiece, since it is the biggest area of the body that could be tattooed without body interruptions.
If you plan to get a bodysuit following the traditional rules, starting with the backpiece is the best option, it gives the artist the chance to compose the rest of the designs of the body in a much more harmonious way than if starting from another part.
It is even said that sleeves or other parts should be done in a simpler manner in order to bring as much emphasis to the backpiece as possible.
Remember that the Japanese-style backpiece includes the buttocks and the upper part of the legs. In the case of the Backpiece is common to see both, nukibori or gakubori designs (with or without background)
Common backpiece subjects include mythological creatures like dragons, kois, fu-dogs, tigers, etc., but mainly Ukiyo-e inspired tales or specific compositions or combinations, such as Kintaro and the carp, the Suikoden tattooed warriors, Buddhist legends, or even just seasonal flowers or leaves with a background for the bravest lovers of abstraction and the impermanence of all concepts.
Arms and Chest
Nowadays, a good amount of western customers start with their sleeves, mostly with the motivation to give a "tattooed look" as quickly as possible since in our culture, arms are very visible.
It is understandable and the second-best way to start a bodysuit (the backpiece being the best); some customers would even decide to only get their sleeves, and it is still quite an acceptable look if done correctly. It is less advisable to get tattoos of different styles, but if that's the case, a sleeve, backpiece, whole limb or body part with a background would still give the general look.
With the sleeves, another very important decision is made: the chest. Horimono-style sleeves include a small, medium or big chest panel in order to respect and enhance the rounded shape of the shoulder.
A big chest panel, covering most of the pecs, would later be ideal for a bodysuit style called Munewari (a bodysuit with a gap without tattoos from the middle of the chest to the middle of the belly).
A smaller chest panel would be adviseable for women who want to keep a free cleavage or neckline for their dresses. Also, a smaller chest panel would be advised for a bodysuit style called Donburi (in opposition to the Munewari, it covers the whole chest and belly without gaps). If that's the case, normally a big central Front piece would be recommended to cover the chest and belly.
Another decision to make is the length of the sleeve: half sleeve, 3/4 sleeve, or full sleeve, with the advantage that if you start with a shorter sleeve, there is still normally a big chance to make it longer, but not that ideal. Please don't take this decision for granted, since the arms are a very visible and public part of the body and there are discreet options available.
Bodysuit progression
The most ideal scenario would be to start with a Backpiece, but if you started with a sleeve, that's still great, and some people even stop at 1 sleeve, and It's still ok, but to get 2 sleeves is even better. Then, after having a backpiece and a pair of sleeves, the rib side-front laterals are added to the upper legs. If you have short or 3/4 sleeves, you could stop here and have a short bodysuit, but if you have long sleeves, almost always you should go for a full bodysuit, covering the whole length of the legs.
The bodysuit is concluded with small comical or erotic designs in the armpits or the inside of the legs, long-life symbols on your feet, or Personal symbols on the frontal mid-section of your side panels.