In the tattoo world, people talk a lot about how this is more of an art than a science. Of course, the science of this type of artistry does play a role. Put another way: tattoo design is more of an art than a science. We think about that often as we speak with our visitors about what they want in a tattoo.
So what do people get inked on their bodies?
It's a broad field – a wide spectrum of different tastes, preferences, and ideas that have a lot of personal meaning to the person sitting in the chair.
But in some ways, you can boil it down to some of the most common choices in discussing what people usually get inked when they get ink done.
The Duality of Ink and Iconography
For example, look at the juxtaposition between one common tattoo choice – skulls – and another one – hearts.
You can also see a lot of this iconography in classic rock and entertainment design. The heart typically stands for love – love a person has for another. The skull has to do with mortality. We would argue that you see something similar in Grateful Dead artwork (trendy), where the rose substitutes for a heart.
In the literary world, it's often said that the two big overarching themes are sex and death. Hearts and skulls (or roses and skulls) illustrate that principle, too.
Other Common Tattoo Components
Beyond that, you often see people getting inked with items that illustrate the beauty of natural life on this planet – feathers, horns, and other iconic symbols of the animal and plant kingdoms.
In addition, you'll see people getting all sorts of 'tribal' ink or letters from an alphabet that has a particular appeal to them.
Integrating Tattoos
As we pointed out on the blog before, all of these little elements come together in a grand overarching design. People often integrate them into sleeves or larger areas of ink on their skin.
That's particularly true when someone is making a bigger investment and tattoo art. In some cases, they start small and build from there. In other cases, we see people come in with a fully-fledged design all laid out before they ever sit down.
What's important in terms of technique is having the right line and fill expertise and skill to get everything right and really make these designs pop. We talked about lighting, shading, and other techniques in the past, so go back through the blog, and you'll see how we approach this type of fine design.
At Grape Ape Tattoo, we are really a cut above – one of the best local ink shops in Tucson and a shop with the dedication to the beauty and style of iconic tattoo art!