Nobody Solves a Problem by Adding Complexity

CREATE BETTER TATTOOS BY REDUCING YOUR OPTIONS

Control the Consultation

  • Learn to use the clients physical traits to inform your design

  • Use body placement to determine layout

  • Let the clients personality help simplify your decisionmaking

Solve Your Biggest Problems Early

  • Use the Fireside Method of tattoo design to establish a hierarchy of dark and light shapes early on in the design process

  • Learn to use hard and soft edges to drive viewer attention and make your tattoo easily readable

Accurately Map the Body

  • Learn to use landmarks to make accurate physical maps of the area to be tattooed

  • Learn to use the planes of the body to ensure your design works well from all angles and vantage points

Simplify Color Decisions for Greater Impact

  • Learn to use simple color palettes to create harmony in the design

  • Use a combination of muted and high key colors to reinforce your heirarchy

  • use color to create atmosphere and depth in your designs

Take A Peek At What's Included In Simplify Fireside

What You'll Need

Colored Pencils (If Analog)

  • Tracing Paper
  • Marker
  • Scissors
  • Camera
  • Paper (If Analog)
  • Drawing Software (If Digital)

Curriculum:

What You Will Learn

Make Accurate Body Maps

Learning to accurately map the area of the body that we are designing to is critical for creating a great composition. In Simplify, you will learn to use common "landmarks" that will inform your decision making during the design process

Thumbnail to Establish

light and Shadow Shapes

Learn to use quick iterations to test different ideas and layouts so that you can quickly find the best solutions without wasting time

Value Study

After choosing your strongest thumbnail, you will create a more rendered value study using a limited value range to keep decisions simple and establish the heirarchy of your design

Working Background to Foreground

In this phase, we will introduce color and refine edges in order to create a sense of depth in the design. We will discuss how to use rich, bright and muted colors effectively to achieve interesting effects.

Full Render

Finally we will put all of the pieces together and fully render the design. In this step we will focus on keeping our hierarchy clear and ensuring that the design is cohesive

Meet Your Instructor

Jake Meeks

Jake Meeks has been tattooing since 1996 and founded the Fireside Tattoo Network in 2013 with the goal of "blurring the lines" between tattooing and fine art.

 

In 2016 Jake introduced the "Fireside Method" which aims to help tattooers simplify and improve their work by focusing on the principles of Shape, Value, Edge and Color. 

 

The Fireside Method has been the base for Jake's teaching over the last 5 years as he travels with the Fireside team, podcasting and teaching seminars and workshops

Our Fireside Simplify course is designed to help tattooers create more dynamic designs easier by reducing their options throughout the design process!

-Reduce Your Options

-Increase Your Creativity

-Develop Your Mark Making

-Find Your Unique Style