Chinese Dragon Graphic.
This art isn't a recent project. I actually created it a little over four years ago for Body Glove Asia. They originally wanted me to develop four different designs to be used on a product called "SnowSliders". (Think styrofoam board with shrink wrap graphics)
"Snowslider" for Body Glove Asia.
The creative process to get this first design in the bag proved to be so painful I bowed out instead of enduring three times more. This isn't the norm, most often even with trouble clients I hang in there and at least push it through and than never choose to work with them again moving forward. But communication was so poor on their part I reached critical mass quickly.
It happens.
Dragon Leg Tattoo.
A year or so after that project I was contacted by a designer who asked if he could use my dragon art and have it tattooed on his leg. Since I retained the rights to the artwork I said sure and we worked out a minimal fee and I sent him the source file.
Almost another year passed and I was at the HOW Design Conference in Atlanta Georgia doing a book signing for my texture book "Crumble.Crackle.Burn" when a guy walked up to the table and introduced himself. I didn't recognize his name (I suck at remembering names) and he swung his leg around and pointed at his calf muscle.
It was Rich, the designer who got my dragon art tattooed on his leg. He's also a very talented Creative Director for the Scripps Networks and we've been able to work on several fun projects together over the past few years.
Well it's been nearly two years since that book signing and guess who emails me a picture of his dragon leg? Hence why I'm posting this now.
It's cool making creative connections like this. Walking portfolios FTW!