No matter where your ideas for a tattoo originate from, specific points must be kept in mind when creating your design. Before getting inked, it is essential to carefully consider its placement, visual elements, and meaning before going ahead and inking it on yourself. Here are a few guidelines and dos and don’ts that will help ensure a lasting and beautiful design!
1. Think About the Placement
Tattoos are permanent, so their placement must be thoughtfully considered to ensure it looks their best and won’t change over time. Also important: Do you want the tattoo visible to everyone or only close friends?
A part of your considerations when selecting the style for your tattoo design is its size and color; large, vibrant tattoos tend to stand out more than smaller and simpler ones.
2. Think About the Visual Elements
Visual elements of tattoo designs are vitally important. From color choice and placement of artwork, these optical components can make or break your painting and help tell its own unique tale about its wearer. One effective way of adding visual interest to body art pieces is through geometric designs with many moving components, particularly larger-scale layouts. Attractive geometric tattoo designs such as Piet Mondrian’s Composition with Yellow, Blue, and Red (1937-1942) stand out.
Notably impressive about this painting is not its color palette but rather its design elements: hues, textures, and shapes, which recall modern masters like Picasso or Mondrian.
3. Think About the Meaning
Whether it’s your first tattoo or an established design, it is wise to think carefully about your design’s message before getting started. This will enable you to make informed style, placement, and color decisions. Jen suggests considering what you like – animals, flowers, people you’d like to honor or remember, places you have been, hobbies/media you enjoy, or any symbolism or mythology with which you have an affiliation – when choosing your tattoo artist. Jotting down ideas in a journal will also be helpful when discussing tattoos with them.
4. Think About the Style
Before visiting a studio for your tattoo session, take some time to consider the style you wish for. tattoos can be used as a powerful form of self-expression; therefore, you must find something you genuinely enjoy and can connect with. Tattoo designs can be inspired by the art you have encountered, your tastes and aesthetic preferences, or anything that strikes you as visually appealing. Some prefer more classical pieces, while others opt for intricate decorative ones. Having a plan when meeting with your tattoo artist can make discussing details easier while showing examples is also highly recommended! Bring in images you like from online or print sources as a visual reference.
5. Think About the Colors
Color choices when designing a tattoo can dramatically affect its final appearance. When selecting shades and undertones to use in creating your piece, ensure they complement one another and your skin tone and undertones. If you are unsure you are still determining which options would work well for you, consult an artist directly to see which are most compatible with your skin color and undertones. Melanin content plays an integral role in your skin’s undertones determine its color. Yellow, peachy, or golden complexions with green-colored veins indicate warm undertones; pinkish-ruddy or blue complexions indicate cool ones. Red is one of the more popular hues for tattooing; however, you can experiment with bold and bright colors to add dimension.
