One of the most interesting and increasingly relevant ones is watercolor tattoos.
That's why, throughout this article, we will talk about what they are, their characteristics, and whether they are suitable for you or not.
Shall we dive in?
Watercolor tattoos are a form of art on the skin that tries to mimic the painting technique of this style.
Yes, the same ones you used as a child to paint in class, but with better results, done by someone who masters this way of tracing.
And well, unlike a brush, we use a tattoo machine.
Unlike traditional tattoos that rely heavily on black and defined lines for their design, watercolor tattoos focus on the blending and overlapping of colors to create depth and movement.
Thanks to this technique, we can blur the colors to mimic the way watercolor paintings are made.
This is how you achieve a unique and personal work of art, because thanks to this, no two tattoos are the same.
Whether due to the tattoo artist's stroke, a variation in the design, or the color mix in a specific area, with watercolor tattoos you ensure that you will have an unrepeatable result.
After knowing what these types of tattoos are, you might be wondering what makes them different from the rest.
For this, we need to focus on the main elements of this style.
- The use of vibrant colors
- The lack of defined contours
- The shading techniques
- The abstract and free style
- And the inspiration from nature and art
Let's look at them one by one.
Have you noticed that no watercolor tattoo has dark or dull tones?
This is because, when you use watercolor, the colors tend to be much brighter due to the mix with water.
Therefore, unlike traditional tattoos that may use a more limited palette (and often rely on black for contours and shading), these tattoos explore the entire color spectrum.
Thanks to how vibrant they are, you can create the effect of water paint where the tones mix and flow with each other.
And also, this is how you can achieve smooth and nuanced gradients and transitions.
In short, thanks to them, you get an amazing tattoo.
As you can imagine if you've ever seen a watercolor painting, the most notable feature is the lack of defined contours.
Contrary to what you might expect from more traditional styles, watercolor tattoos have soft and diffuse edges.
This is because black ink is not used to outline them, but rather different shades of the same color to delineate the end of the tattoo and make it more fluid (something that also happens in shading, as you will see below).
In short, it will look like that tattoo is naturally part of your skin.
Without shading, you can't achieve the effect that watercolors offer of depth and texture.
It is done using several colors that blend and diffuse with each other to create a gradient effect that can be very soft and subtle… or more dramatic and contrasted.
In the end, everything adapts to the design you are looking for.
While in other styles, tattoos can be much more conservative, when it comes to watercolor tattoos, the style is more abstract and free.
Why?
Because these can include elements that look like paint splashes, color stains, and other abstract shapes that don't necessarily have to represent objects.
This allows your tattoo to be much more interesting, personalized, and creative.
The sky is the limit!
Finally, although there are many watercolor tattoo designs that don't follow this characteristic, it is true that the majority are inspired by nature and artistic movements.
Flowers, animals, landscapes, and other natural elements are the most common themes.
And often, they are represented with a more stylized and colorful approach.
But of course, your tattoo doesn't have to follow this characteristic; after all, your tattoo is yours and no one else's.
If you came to this article to find out, we are sure you have been asking yourself this question for a long time.
So ask yourself this instead, why wouldn't a watercolor tattoo be for you?
If this style of tattoos is calling to you, go for it.
But you should consider a couple of things that we believe are crucial for this type of tattoo:
- Choose a good location for the tattoo: Why? Although this type of tattoo can be of any size, due to its effect, it looks better in areas with plenty of space for details and color transitions.
- Choose a studio experienced in watercolor tattoos: As you might have guessed, this technique requires special skill to blend and diffuse colors well. Therefore, research the specialist who will tattoo you thoroughly.
At NobleArt, we are used to using this technique to tattoo our clients.
So if you are looking to be in the best possible hands, you can book an appointment with us to make your dream of having a watercolor tattoo exactly as you have always imagined come true.
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