Tigerbob Art

 

FINE ART BECOMES GOOD DESIGN

The Tigerbob brand expresses Gossamer’s rich illustrative work, which is inspired deeply by their Filipino and African American heritage, identity and exploration of the natural and manmade world, as well as the simple joys of everyday life at home with their cats.

 

 

INSPIRATION & EVOLUTION

Inspired by their love for cats, Gossamer began drawing & tattooing big cats, specifically tiger heads, in a similar three-quarter view starting in early 2019. The work was inspired by traditional American tattoo designs & Japanese, Chinese, and Korean fine art. Gossamer gravitated towards the tiger motif - it was one design that motivated them further to tattoo.

Gossamer’s first tiger design was based on a Korean rendition of the tiger, and this first drawing was tattooed on their twin sister in August 2019. Since then, Gossamer tattooed many versions of big cats (and sometimes canines) in this style. Animal pupils were drawn as slits until late 2020, when the signature “soft boiled egg” shape became prominent. This is the essential look of Tigerbob today.


 

COLOR STUDY & VARIATIONS

Inspired by variations of tattoo flash (pre-drawn illustrations), The Tigerbob tiger design has 13 signature themes, or color palettes, which dictate the mood and character of each type of Tigerbob.

Gossamer’s execution is inspired by medieval European and Asian art, particularly work that makes use of atmospheric perspective with flora and fauna like Korean minhwa, Japanese folding screens, Chinese handscrolls, and French Aubusson tapestries.

 

 

TIGERBOB'S ORIGIN

Tigerbob is an otherworldly creature who resides in the Elysian Garden alongside other unnatural beasts and nature spirits. A respected beast spirit of the garden, Tigerbob was one singular creature until an event caused it to be split into thirteen different equal dimensions and one thousand pieces. Today, these thirteen Tigerbob breeds live on thirteen mountain peaks in the Elysian Garden.

Following a rich story arc of characters and world building since Gossamer’s teenage years, Tigerbob joins the pantheon of beasts from the Gossamer Rozen universe. These stories were shaped by Gossamer’s childhood, organized religion, folklore, and identity through artistic expression.