Tattooing is a unique art form. Each person is a completely different canvas, and each tattoo is a new piece of art. However, unlike other forms of art, tattoos have a healing period after. Lack of proper aftercare following a tattoo can lead to tattoos becoming permanently damaged or sometimes being beyond fixing. There are different styles of tattoos, and it’s important to know the subtle difference in styles and what might happen after the healing process.
“I find that sometimes black and grey tattoos and line work tattoos will have an easier time healing,” Chani Murat, owner of Pen and Oak Tattoo, said. “This is simply because the amount of saturation in the skin is equal to the amount of trauma…So, the more solid the tattoo the more trauma to the skin. Line-work, dot-work, and black and grey tattoos will heal the fastest – in that order.”
Bitterroot Tattoo artist Keiffer Becker loves to do black and grey tattoos.
“Color is amazing but I definitely prefer black and grey,” Becker said. “It settles super-well. Anything dark and pointy with great line-work I love.”
Becker also said how much he likes blackout work.
“I’ve had a lot of stuff with blackout and color-saturation,” Becker said. “Blackout does tend to heal very dry so moisturizing and after care is definitely something someone has to do.”
According to Becker, the skate-culture tattoos are often rooted in the American-traditional and the neo-traditional styles of tattooing.
“The vast majority of American-traditional tattoos start with and are primarily focused on linework and shading,” Becker said. “With neo-traditional, a lot of it still focuses on line work and shading, but with all the colors it might take longer to heal than American-traditional.”
The traditional styles of tattooing, according to Becker, have a lot to do with the shading and linework and occasionally bold colors. Japanese traditional tattoos are no exception. Japanese traditional is one of the harshest healing tattoos, according to Becker. He says, “neo and American-traditional comes from the foundation of Japanese traditional tattoos. The heavy black and color might be more gnarly and harsh to heal but the work that goes into it is incredible.”
With all the previously mentioned styles that have existed for decades there are plenty more tattoo styles and trends. One of the most interesting styles and trends right now are micro-tattoos. Micro-tattoos are exactly as they sound – small tattoos using thin, small-lines. Insect designs using many lines are one examples of designs that have been popular lately.
“With micro-tattoos, it’s a learning curve of getting it right,” Becker said. “You lose separation over time and your body kind of eats them.”
Portrait tattoos are another trend and style that has seen a surge in popularity recently. Becker did mention how portraits do lose a bit of saturation over time as they heal compared to when they are first finished, but he also detailed how portraits typically are a delicate process that go from one end of the skin to the other instead of going back on the skin and the tattoo.
Despite all these styles having so much detail to them – there are plenty more that there is not time or space to cover. For those of you who are thinking about getting a tattoo – knowing the healing process and getting a quality artist is imperative. With the hopes of getting a tattoo, they can find a great piece of art that they will be proud of and carry with them forever.
Teren Kowatsch can be reached at [email protected].