Hongdae Name Tattoo: An Arrow and Sunburst Upper Arm Band, and How Each Part Was Decided

Hi, I'm Yeonjae, a tattoo artist in Hongdae, Seoul.

Today I'd like to share a name tattoo I worked on recently. If you have a name you want to carry but worry that letters alone will look too plain, and that has made you hesitate over a Hongdae name tattoo consultation, this piece is a good place to start.

The first photo shows the name Violet in cursive wrapped around the upper arm, with an arrow crossing through the letters. Behind the letters sits a circle with sun-like rays, and the arrow and ornament lines carry purple with a golden accent. The post describes it as a simple design with a delicate point and meaningful detail.

Keep the name as it is and let an arrow cross it, and a name tattoo becomes a band instead of a single line. Decide which of the four (lettering, arrow, ornament or color) leads, and the rest is easy to match. Feel free to ask about price and session length during the consultation.

Two more photos come from the same post as the first one, and there are two other upper arm pieces on a similar theme. Here is what each photo shows and what the posts say, matched to the photo numbers.

Photos 1 to 3 are one piece seen three ways. From the front you only see part of the band, and from the side you can see the arrow running around the arm. Photos 4 and 5 are different pieces on the same theme, so please read them separately from photos 1 to 3 rather than as the same result. They simply show how many ways a name or a phrase can wrap an upper arm.

Four decisions stand out in the photos. The only intent written in the post is a simple design with a delicate point, so below I describe only what you can see.

• Layers of lettering and arrow: The thin cursive name sits on top of the arrow shaft, so even where the arrow crosses the letters the name reads first. The letters are black and the arrow outline is purple, so the lines do not swallow each other.
• Where the ornament sits: The sunburst circle is a little right of the middle of the name and overlaps part of the letters. Its inside has few lines and the fine rays go outward, so the letters stay less covered.
• How the color is divided: The letters are one color, black, and purple and gold appear only on the arrow and the circle. The gold overlaps the outline slightly, which gives some depth.
• Height of the band: In photo 3 the band sits around the middle of the upper arm, away from the end of the sleeve, so the whole band is visible and not hidden by the sleeve.

Grouped by placement and direction, it looks like this.

A name has a fixed length, so the fork in the layout is whether the band's length comes from the name or from the arrow and ornament. Photo 4 is a lighter layout with small stars and no arrow, which is worth a look if a full arrow feels like too much.

People who want a name tattooed often come because they want someone dear, or their own name, to stay close for a long time. So before we talk about the design I ask where and how you want to meet that name. You never need to explain your reasons at length.

A name meant for you might sit on the inner side where your own eyes fall often, while a name you'd like others to see might sit on the outer side that shows when a sleeve is rolled up. The band in photos 1 to 3 wraps around the upper arm, so how much shows changes with the direction of your arm.

The first thing to choose is the lettering style. The name in photos 1 to 3 is in thin cursive: the letters join and flow, and only the first letter swoops widely, so the soft curves sit well beside an arrow. If you prefer crisp, separated letters, the straight lines of the arrow make a contrast and a different mood.

Three things are easy to work through in order.

• Spelling and capitalisation: decide whether only the first letter is a capital, or all lowercase or all capitals. In photo 5 the name is set in capitals on one line.
• Line thickness: the smaller the lettering, the more line thickness and spacing matter. If the gaps are too tight, letters can look joined together, so we check this together once we see your wording and arm photo.
• Length: a long name makes a long band, and a short name can be balanced with the arrow and ornament. How much of the arm the band wraps is decided in the consultation.

It also helps to decide in advance whether the name will be in English or Hangul. The names in these photos are in Latin letters, but whether a Hangul name can follow the same layout is something we look at together with the design. If you're unsure which style you like, one photo with a similar mood is enough.

Please check the spelling of the name once more before you send it. A single letter changes the whole impression.

The questions I hear most are how to place the arrow and how much color to use. Here is what the photos let us say.

How the arrow crosses the letters In photos 1 to 3 the arrow shaft runs horizontally behind the name and the letters sit on top of it. If the arrow passes beneath the letters the name stands out more, and if it passes over them the arrow becomes more noticeable. It is easiest to compare drafts side by side. Which way the arrow points and the size of the fletching and tip are decided together in the consultation.

If you add an ornament A sunburst circle can cover the name or support it, depending on its size. Photo 4 shows another way, with only small sparkle stars, so it is fine to ask whether a lighter layout with just one of the two is possible.

How much color Color changes the impression of this band the most. In photos 1 to 3 the name is black and the arrow and circle lines carry purple with a golden accent. Photos 4 and 5, which are different pieces on the same theme, use black only, so letters and drawing share one tone.

• Whether you have a favorite color: you can add just one or two as accents, or keep everything black.
• How it goes with your clothes: the feel can change depending on the colors you usually wear and your skin tone.
• How much area gets color: decide whether the whole arrow gets color or only some lines as an accent.

Band length and daily life In photo 5 the design continues around the upper arm, so from the front you see only part of it, and turning the arm reveals the rest. Looking at a view like photo 3 during the consultation makes it easier to understand how far the band wraps. An upper arm band often sits near the end of a short sleeve, so a lowered sleeve covers it and a rolled sleeve reveals it. If you tell us your usual sleeve length and where a bag strap or watch touches, it helps us decide the height. Aftercare depends on your skin and the placement, so I can't set out a routine here; in the consultation, please ask how aftercare will be explained to you.

If you'd like to see how words are placed along the arm, have a look at our arm lettering placement and size post as well.

You don't need much. If you jot down these six things in your phone notes, the consultation goes much faster.

• The exact name: spelling, spacing and capitalisation, written exactly as you want it.
• A photo of your upper arm: one with your arm relaxed and one with your sleeve rolled up.
• A photo of a style you like: the closest of the photos above is enough.
• Arrow and ornament preferences: a rough idea of whether to include both or just one.
• Color preference: black only, or which accent color if you have one.
• How much needs to stay covered: if sleeve length or a work or school setting matters to you, please tell us in advance.

The spelling needs careful checking, but you never have to explain the meaning or the reason. Deciding the layout and mood is enough to start talking about the design.

It's easy. Just send the following in this order.

1. Open an Instagram DM to @yeonjae_tattoo. Open the Instagram DM
2. Send the exact name, a photo of the part of your arm, and a photo with the mood you like from the checklist above. Share whatever you know.
3. After we see your photos, we talk through the arrow and ornament layout, the colors and the size of the band in an individual consultation. Price and session length are also explained then.

If you're also curious about a single large line of lettering, our large script side tattoo post shows another approach. It is fine if your layout is still vague. If you are looking for a Seoul tattoo artist to talk it through, feel free to message us.

I'm Yeonjae, a graduate of the China Academy of Art who, as of 2026, is in the eighth year of working as a tattoo artist in Hongdae. The academy is an art school established in Hangzhou in 1928, and I try to bring the sense of line and composition I learned there to the way a design flows on the body.

This article is based on the name-and-arrow post on the Yeonjae Tattoo Instagram account and work photos I checked directly. Photos 1 to 3 are the name and arrow band, and photos 4 and 5 are different pieces on the same theme. What the design carries is limited to what the post says, and I have not added anything about the person who received it. The four AI-staged images were made to help you picture the scenes, and they are not real clients or actual tattooing scenes.