Hongdae Sword Tattoo Examples: How Direction and Proportion Differed on the Forearm and the Collarbone

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

Today I'd like to share a sword tattoo I did recently. If you love the idea of a sword but can't decide whether it should stand upright on the forearm or lie diagonally on the collarbone, or how the sword itself should be drawn, and you've been hesitating over a Hongdae tattoo consultation, start with these pieces.

The first photo is a black and grey sword set vertically on the forearm. At the top there is a round pommel and a cross guard that spreads sideways, and the blade runs a long way down the arm. In the post I described soft shading on the blade and a meaningful quote flowing through its center. The contrast between the strong shape of the sword and the delicate lettering gives the design both strength and emotion, and I called it a simple but symbolic piece that carries a personal message within the blade.

With a symbol as clear as a sword, the direction it takes reads before the details do. In these examples a vertical sword that follows the length of the arm suits a forearm tattoo, and a diagonal sword that follows the bone suits a collarbone tattoo. Session length and price can be asked about whenever we start the consultation.

The same sword changes depending on where it sits. These are the descriptions attached to each sword piece. Photos 3 and 4 are not sword tattoos. They are different pieces on the same theme, showing metal and a statue in black and grey.

Photo 2 is more than a single sword. Gladiolus-like flowers and a looped, Moebius-strip shape are woven in with the blade. In the photo the sword lies from lower left to upper right along the collarbone, with the flowers gathered near the hilt and a star-like point of light where the lines cross in the middle.

The posts do not say why each placement was chosen, so I will stick to what is visible in the photos.

• Forearm (photo 1): The sword stands parallel to the length of the arm, so the proportions from hilt to tip are easy to take in at a glance. The thin lettering also follows the direction of the arm. Nothing else competes with it, so there is generous space around the sword.
• Collarbone (photo 2): The sword lies in the same direction as the bone, and the flowers and ornamental curves gather along it. The sword is shorter here than on the forearm, so the flowers and curves help fill out the proportions.

Side by side, the two placements differ like this.

| | Vertical on the forearm (photo 1) | Diagonal on the collarbone (photo 2) | | --- | --- | --- | | Direction | Straight along the length of the arm | At an angle, following the collarbone | | Composition | One sword, thin lettering down the blade | A sword, flowers and a looped shape woven together | | Rendering | Mostly soft shading | Fine lines and soft shading | | What reads first | A long, straight proportion | The soft flow of flowers and curves |

So it helps to ask yourself first whether you want the sword to read as straight and firm or as soft and decorative. In these photos the straight, upright look sat on the forearm, and the softer look with flowers and curves sat on the collarbone.

People come to a sword tattoo for many reasons: wanting to protect something, a promise to steady yourself, a symbol from a story you love. The meaning is yours to decide. My part is to help that feeling read clearly through direction, size and detail.

Once the design is chosen, people often ask about direction and length. A sword is a long, narrow shape, so it is easier to test on the body than to settle with a number of centimetres.

• Vertical on the forearm: It stands along the arm and shows its proportions most honestly. In photo 1 the difference in length between the guard, the grip and the blade is easy to see. Check how it reads from top to bottom when your arm hangs down, and how it looks when you lift your arm.
• Diagonal on the collarbone: It lies along the bone and flows more naturally when seen from the side than from the front. Here, a sword with flowers or curves, as in photo 2, looks softer than a single bare sword.
• Settling the length: Placing the design over a photo of your forearm or collarbone and stretching or shrinking it gives you a feel quickly. Doing this in the consultation is easier than describing it in words.

The longer a sword stands, the thinner the blade looks, so if you plan to add thin lettering or ornament, talk about line weight together with length. The actual size and what is possible are explained in the consultation after we see your photos.

Think about daily life too. The forearm shows as soon as you roll up a sleeve, while the collarbone shows more or less depending on your collar and neckline. Use the sleeves and necklines you wear most as your reference. Bending an arm or moving a shoulder can change how the angle of the sword looks, so look at both sitting and standing. If a watch, a bracelet or a bag strap often touches the spot, tell us at the consultation.

Aftercare depends on your skin, the placement and the size, so I won't state general methods here. At the consultation, feel free to ask how aftercare guidance is given.

What you add to a sword changes its character a lot. Here is what the photos show, one element at a time.

Blade lettering. In photo 1, thin cursive runs down the middle of the blade. The post only calls it a meaningful quote, so I won't interpret the words. By shape, it is the sword left as it is with lettering laid on top. If you want words on a blade, discuss the length of the blade and the length of the lettering together. A blade is narrow, which limits letter size and the number of lines.

Flowers and shapes. In photo 2 the flowers gather near the hilt, and a small star-like crossing sits in the middle. The direction and amount of the flowers matter so that they don't hide the line of the sword. The more you add, the busier the lines get, so decide first the one thing you most want to keep.

Black and grey shading and metal texture. Two pieces on the same theme show how black and grey can carry texture. They are not results of a sword design but examples of detailed black and grey work.

• Photo 3: The engraved ornament on the pistol is built from contrast between dark and light planes. Using the same approach on a blade or a guard would give a weightier look, while soft shading as in photo 1 gives a calmer one.
• Photo 4: According to the post it is based on Diana of Versailles. Shading in the drapery builds volume, and the constellation lines and moon behind form a backdrop. If you want a star or moon behind a sword, you can borrow the idea of a brightness gap between subject and background.

Fine shading like this often needs enough size to come alive, so detail and size should be decided together. If you're curious about another black and grey subject, see our cat portrait tattoo post.

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

• A photo of the area: your forearm or collarbone in a relaxed position and, if you can, one while moving.
• The direction of the sword: a rough feeling is enough, whether upright or lying at an angle.
• A photo of a sword shape you like: one or two reference images, such as a large-guard sword or a slender one.
• What you'd like to add: blade lettering, flowers, a star or a shape, plus the one thing you most want to keep.
• The rendering: mostly soft shading, mostly fine lines, or a metal texture.
• How much needs to stay covered: if sleeves or necklines are a concern, please tell us in advance.

If you want lettering, send the exact wording and spelling. The meaning of the words is yours to decide, so I help with shape and placement.

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 area photo, a sword photo you like and any elements you want to add from the checklist above. Leave out what is not settled.
3. After we see your photos, we talk through the size, direction and extras in an individual consultation. Price and session length are explained then too.

If the design isn't settled, send the area and the mood you like first. If you're curious about large lettering set along the lines of the body, see our large script side tattoo post, and for a branch design running from wrist to arm, our plum blossom branch post.

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 founded in Hangzhou in 1928. Training in drawing shapes how I look at the flow of line, the depth of shading and balance on the body.

This article is based on two sword tattoo posts on the Yeonjae Tattoo Instagram account and two black and grey pieces on the same theme that I checked directly. The feelings behind each design are limited to what the posts say, and I have not interpreted the lettering. The three AI-staged images above were made to help you picture the scene, and they are not real clients or actual tattooing scenes.