A tattoo is a drawing that is engraved on the skin.
Tattoo has its etymological origin in the French word tatouage . The concept refers to the act and result of tattooing : leaving a drawing or mark engraved on the skin through the use of certain needles or punches with ink.
For example: "When I was a kid I wanted to get a tattoo on my arm, but I never got around to it," "Juan has a Superman tattoo on his chest," "The criminal was recognized by the tattoos on his face."
A tattoo is called, therefore, the drawing or text that is made on the skin by injecting ink under the epidermis . The technique , with variations, has been used for thousands of years, according to records detected by archaeologists.
Tattoos throughout history
Both the technique and the purpose of tattoos have varied throughout history . In Polynesian tribes, for example, tattoos were used to generate fear in enemies and to enhance someone's hierarchy or status. The North American aborigines, for their part, got tattoos to commemorate certain events or to mark the beginning of adult life.
In the contemporary Western world, the conception of tattoos has changed in recent decades. Before they were typical marks of sailors and then marginalized people who lived outside the law began to adopt them. Finally, nowadays, tattoos are accepted on a social level , even for aesthetic purposes.
It should be noted that most tattoos, which must be done with sterilized needles to avoid the spread of diseases , are permanent: they can only be removed with a laser .
A sterile needle must be used to make a tattoo.
Different styles
Although it may not be as obvious to people outside of this particular art form, choosing a design for a specialist to tattoo on our body is not as easy or random as deciding on a television at the electronics store, or at least not It is like that for those in the know. There is a long list of different styles, and it is advisable to know them all before embarking on this one-way trip, since we will probably feel identified with only some of them; The right style also minimizes the chances of wanting to remove the tattoo within a few months, something that is not always possible or affordable.
One of the most prominent styles is Black and Gray . As its name indicates, it is based on the use of black ink and various shades of gray, although in some cases it is also possible to use white. One of its strong points when compared to styles that do not limit the color palette is the depth and mysticism that can be achieved with grayscale images, as they invite closer observation to understand the designs, usually very detailed and of admirable complexity.
On the other hand, there is the Old School style , which emerged as a tribute to the tattoos made by North American navy soldiers at the beginning of the 20th century. Some of the most recurring elements are lighthouses and anchors, always with a clear theme focused on navigation. Furthermore, it is easy to distinguish it from the rest by noticing the absence of gradients in its coloring, which usually focuses on shades of blue and red, and the accentuated thickness of its profiles . Statistics show that it reaches greater popularity in Anglo-Saxon countries.
The Stencil style differs from the previous two in that it requires the use of a stencil (precisely that is what the English word stencil means) to apply the ink to the skin, which is why its designs are usually solid, without gradients, monochromatic and, Given the lack of originality and spontaneity, they are considered less artistic.