The makeup team conjured up a host of designs on the tattoo front, too — this time for new addition to the cast Douglas Smith (who plays Corey Brockfield). "Designing tattoos is one of my favorite tasks as a department head," she said. "The director Andrea Arnold told me very early on she envisioned Corey with tattoos. This particular character was a fun one for me."
Why? Because each tattoo has a meaning that's more than meets the eye. "I teamed up with Alexei Dmitriew at HookUp Tattoos to custom design five tattoos for his character. Three of his five tattoos have hidden meaning. I incorporated Morse code into the designs."
"Three of his five tattoos have hidden meaning. I incorporated Morse code into the designs."
The ink on his right forearm, for example, is a sound-wave-inspired-design with a hidden message that says "There is always music" in Morse code. On his left forearm, the tattoo is a hybrid between a heartbeat and a sound wave that reads "Keep dancing" when decoded. The design on his upper left shoulder, though, is her favorite: "This tattoo is two paper airplanes flying in opposite directions," Radow said. "The dotted and dashed trail left behind each plane says, 'It is what it is.' I love this one."
The ones without a hidden meaning — but that hold significance to the character nonetheless — are the solar system tattoo that's inked down his upper back and the anchor tattoo located on his right ribcage. "In addition to his tattoos, I also added a slight tan and layers of freckles on his T-zone and the high points on his face."
