Sea life tattoos in Knoxville

Knoxville is a long way from the ocean, but sea life is one of Julie’s biggest themes, from single jellyfish to full leg sleeves packed with sharks, rays and turtles.

Sea life leg sleeves

A leg is the best canvas for an ocean scene. The calf and thigh are big enough for several animals at different sizes, and the shape lets a manta ray or shark curve around it naturally. Julie usually starts with one or two large animals, then fills in with smaller fish, bubbles and kelp over later sessions, so the sleeve looks planned rather than pieced together.

Animals and what makes each one work

• Jellyfish: a jellyfish has no brain, no blood and no heart and is mostly water. The long, trailing tentacles are what make the tattoo, so it suits the thigh, forearm or spine.
• Sharks: a shark looks best in profile, with the body bent mid-turn. The biggest fish of all is the whale shark, which can reach about 40 feet, and its spotted skin makes a great black and grey pattern.
• Manta rays: the wide, flat wings fill a shoulder blade, upper back or the front of a thigh. Julie’s ornamental manta adds patterns to the wings.
• Sea turtles: the shell gives you a natural frame for pattern work. The closest place to see one is Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies in Gatlinburg, which cares for endangered green sea turtles.
• Seahorses: the male carries the eggs in a brood pouch and gives birth to the young, which is why some dads get a seahorse for their kids.
• Octopus: octopuses have three hearts and blue blood, and two-thirds of their neurons are in their arms. Eight curling arms can wrap almost any placement.

Koi fish

Koi are the most searched sea life tattoo. In legend, a carp that leaps the waterfall at the Dragon Gate becomes a dragon, so a koi stands for working through something hard. Many people draw the koi swimming upstream for a struggle still underway, and downstream for one that’s over. The story is on the dragon tattoos page. Julie’s koi uses small red accents in place of full color.

Betta and goldfish

Bettas are labyrinth fish: they breathe air at the surface rather than relying mainly on their gills. Their long, flowing fins are made for fine line. A pair of goldfish works as a small piece or a matching tattoo.