At least here in Germany some flash is not even available for sale - you can only swap it against your own flash if you are a tattoo artist or flash painter yourself. And the tattoo magazines that show photos of real tattoos are also meant as an inspiration. Even taking an issue of such a magazine to your local tattoo artist and ask him for a copy of the tattoo you have seen on a photo is cosindered as at least unethical as far as the tattoo on the photo is a custom work. Serious tattoo artists will dismiss your request and offer their own design instead. But if you get what you desire, a pure copy, you can run into massive trouble when copying it - not always trouble with the law but personal attacs.

But: Some magazines have painted flash in them that is free to be used for tattoos (those for humans - not for polygons). You may want to drop the one or other supplier of this flash a line and ask for permission to use it on your dolls. If you want to create psd or png I heavily doubt that you will get an okay but when baked into your texture you may find a nice artist who likes the idea.

You may want to read this:
http://au.answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20071218021424AABHSvw&show=7

and this

http://www.rankmytattoos.com/mag/articles/a-stolen-tattoo-could-get-you-sued.html

My recommendation is to study typical flash and tattoos to get a feeling for them and then paint your own. Regarding the "feeling": Keep in mind that a "mellow" tattoo is not as bright, colorfull and sharp as it is some hours after it is made. The colors and lines will appear a little bit more washed out because they are covered with fresh and healthy skin after a while. This is an desirable effect because it makes the tattoo a part of the person who owns it and it separates a tattoo from bodypaint or the fun-tattoos you can get with chewinggum  and other sweets.

I'm not always right, but my mistakes are more interesting!

And I am not strange, I am Limited Edition!

Are you ready for Antonia? Get her textures here:



The Home Of The Living Dolls