Does It Really Get Any Better Than the Classic Black and Gray Tattoos?
Everybody goes for the classic look. Why so? You can never go wrong with the classic. Classic are timeless and are not faddish. And when it comes to tattoo, if you are talking about the classic, you are talking about black and gray tattoos. Even with the popularity of colored tattoos, there is no denying that a large percentage of tattoo enthusiasts around the world still go for black and gray tattoos.
There is a lot of debate going on whether which type of tattoos are better, black and gray ones or the more modern colored tattoos- It is basically your preference. A lot of people also make their choice according to the color of their skin. If you are an Afro-American or have a dark skin, a lot of people would tell you that you cannot have a colored tattoo. This is actually a wrong connotation. You can have a colored tattoo but the colors may not show and your tattoo may appear to be in grayscale.
Another reason why a lot of people love black and gray tattoos is because they don’t fade out easy. Although tattoos do fade in time, colored tattoos seemed to fade out faster than the black and gray ones.
The origin of the black and gray tattoos is still vague but a lot of people believed that the trend may have originated from the prison cells in USA. This may be because black ink is the only thing available to them. Colored inks are a luxury that they do not have. Tattoo artists in prisons use make shift tattoo machine. They use any kind of motor that they have in hand. And since they do not have access to colored tattoos, they only use black ink. To give a tattoo image extra color and gradient they use cigarette ash to emulsify and add pigment.
A lot of mainstream people were impressed when they saw the intricacy, artistry and craftsmanship of prison tattoos. There is no question that the art they have seen in prison would attract the tattoo enthusiasts outside of prison.
True enough, when tattooists like Jack Rudy brought the trend of black and gray tattoos out of prison, lovers of body art immediately found this type of tattoo very attractive. The simplicity of black and gray tattoos is one of the reasons why the beauty of a tattoo design stands out. You can also easily see the intricate details of an artwork when it is done in black.
During the 1970’s black and gray tattoos have gone mainstream. It was made popular even outside of prison. This type of tattoo is also referred to as ‘joint style tattoo’. If you decide to get one yourself, it is important to get an expert. Some tattoo artists only do black tattoos and others only specialize in colored ones. Black and gray tattoos take a lot of artistry and creative to make. Tattoo artists do a lot of shading. The outlines should be perfect and sharp. The beauty and intricacy of a tattoo image can really come out only when done by someone who understands the art of black and gray tattoos.
The author is a tattoo enthusiast and is well versed in tattoo designs and the meaning of tattoo designs. Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/art-articles/does-it-really-get-any-better-than-the-classic-black-and-gray-tattoos-1469676.html
Posted on: November 18, 2009
Filed under: Tattoo Articles