Fig. 17a shows a rib and hip piece that was designed to emphasize the body’s form.  You can see in Fig. 16b how the rib muscles form a series of repeating curves, slanting diagonally forward and down.  These form the basis for the large curving mechanical elements in that part of the tattoo.  Big downward-pointing shapes are placed to take advantage of the latissimus dorsi muscle framing off the back, and the points of the blades on the stomach run horizontally, parallel to the abdominal muscles there.  Another blade runs along the bottom curve of the pectoral muscle.  A large red rotational element is placed on the point of the hip, with S-curving elements framing it off and bringing dimension to the hip area.  The back edge of the whole tattoo is designed to make the piece appear widest at the shoulder blade height and narrowest at the waist.

Fig. 17b shows a much simpler rib design, more along the lines of what a street shop client may request.  Although occupying a much smaller area than the piece shown in Fig. 17a, it is still drawn large enough that the curving legs can interact with the rib muscles.  A design like this can be made to fit almost any body part, provided the legs and major elements are placed to make the most of the musculature.  Almost every tattoo larger than a fifty dollar shamrock can be designed to make the most of the spot it sits on; it does not have to be a major piece of epic bodywork to deserve flow and fit considerations.

The backpiece in Fig. 17c is an abstract tattoo designed to make optimum use of the back.  Because the client is a bony individual, his vertebrae were emphasized, not only in the glowing spine at the lower back but in the upper background as well.  The large pointed foreground shapes follow the flow of the back’s two largest muscle groups, the latissimus dorsi and the trapezius, ensuring that the tattoo will animate well when the client moves and twists.  Because the design is made to work with the flow of the muscles, it will distort in a natural way with the body’s movements, so in no body posture will the tattoo look awkward.  Its major elements are pointing down and towards the center, creating a strong V-shape that is flattering and empowering to the body’s form.