


With the development of parlors and techniques, the complexity of the images and the public perception of tattooing started evolving, giving birth to other styles such as New School, Neo traditional, Realism, amongst others. Elements with their own symbolism (daggers, roses, dice).īecause there were limited amounts of tattoo options on flash walls (custom tattoos were not frequent back then) you probably have seen most of them.With time, the general american audience started shaping this style with elements that were meaningful to the culture and, for this reason, the following elements repeated over and over again: The technological development allowed the wider public to access the tattooing tradition (mostly associated with sailors, circus freaks and indigenous tribes). These tattoos became popular during the early 20th century alongside the development of the electric tattooing machines and flash walls (template drawings exposed on the walls of each parlor for clients to choose the design from). These tattoos mostly sought to preserve memories and mark achievements, resembling the Tribal styles in its genesis and purpose. This style encompasses the sailor’s traditions but isn't defined by it. Another example is the Sparrow, which was earned for every 5,000 nautical miles traveled (which is roughly a quarter of the earth's circumference).

For instance, tattooing a King Neptune meant you crossed the Equator. If you're going for a tiny tattoo, you may have to compromise on how much detail you can have, so listen to what the artist says will and won't work, explains lobster god.Also known as Traditional American, it derives from the sailors’ tattooing tradition which marked achievements at sea. "It can help to collect a lot of reference images and examples of how you want your own tattoo to look," Clues says. Or you can work with an artist for your own custom design. Some artists will only use their flash once when someone buys it, while others will tattoo the same designs over and over again. You can choose to get a piece of "flash" - designs the artist has pre-drawn. If a circle isn't perfect or a straight line has a little wobble in it, it's so obvious." "It looks really simple, but there's nowhere to hide. "This style of tattooing is technically very difficult," lobster god says. Many artists have Insta highlights showing their healed work, which is a good way to tell if they're good at what they do. Search online and social media to find an artist who specialises in the style you want and whose work you love.

Is that true?Įloise Entraigues does a lot of small pet portraits in fine line black and grey. "If a bit unsure about it, getting something small and fine is a good way to start." I've heard fine line tattoos don't last. Sydney-based tattoo artist, lobster god, says starting with a micro fine line design also gives you a chance to see if being tattooed is something you like. "If it is painful, at least it won't be painful for long," she says.
OUTLINE TATTOOS FULL
Melbourne-based artist Zoe Clues says a small simple design can take 15 to 30 minutes to complete, as opposed to a larger full colour piece, for example, which can take hours. "Fine line tattoos can be of any size, but a popular trend at the moment is micro tattoos, the smaller lines allowing more detail in smaller areas." I like the idea of tattoos, but I'm scaredĪside from the celebrity trend, part of the appeal of small, fine line tattoos is that they are quick to do and easy to hide. "They are mainly black and grey … with very fine lines and lighter, softer shading if shaded at all," she says. If you click on the hashtag #finelinetattoo on Insta, you'll see a lot of variety in look and style.Īdelaide-based artist Eloise Entraigues says fine line branched out from single needle tattoos. Loading What are fine line and micro tattoos?
