Black And Color Tattoos

Getting a tattoo is a personal decision. Once you decide to make the leap of faith, the next question is what design you want to go with. Part and parcel to this question is whether you are going to go with color or not.

Tats were originally created in the islands of Polynesia. They were universally black and symbolized everything from the passage of a boy to manhood as well as various designations in the society, such as one's place in the hierarchy of the group. The tattoo was introduced to the Western world through men on ships who got tats in Polynesia and then returned to Europe. For a very long time, tats were considered something of a fringe art. They were associated with fringe groups such as sailors, bikers and grunts in the military. Regardless of their use, they were almost always black.

The only place where this was not the case was Asia, where members of the underworld wore tats as a sign of their affiliation. Depending on the group in question, tats were small, limited to a particular part of the body or covered all areas of the body that might be covered by clothing. Regardless, color was often incorporated to depict images of dragons, koi, women and the particulars of the design in question. Still, this was just about the only area where one saw color tattoos.

As we 1990s began, a strange thing happened. Tattoos began to become mainstream. People who would not have been caught dead wearing ink were lining up out the door of tattoo parlors. As the tattoo industry exploded, the idea of using color picked up speed particular when women were involved. Soon, the idea of a color tattoo was acceptable for men as well.

When making your decision on a tat design, the issue of going with an old school black tat versus one with color is a big one. The advantage of a black tat is you tend to get cleaner lines and a more subtle look. In contrast, a color tat is going to be more eye catching because of the color contrast used.



Problems can arise with both as time passes. The first problem is exposure to the sun. The black tat will tend to fade into a dark grey and the lines will tend to become fuzzy a bit. Color tattoos will do the same thing, but a secondary problem can occur wherein some colors fade more than others. The answer to both of these situations is to get cover up tats or touch ups as needed.

So, what do you pick? I have both black and colored tats and like them both. I think the best approach is to consider what is being designed. If you are doing a flower, color is probably going to be your best choice. Personally, I prefer dragons to be black in the Japanese style. Regardless, you should consider asking the tat artist to draw both a black and colored version of your tat so you can see the difference and pick what you like.

There are many things to consider when getting a tattoo. One major decision you will have to make is whether you want a full color or black and grey tattoo. There are pros and cons to each. The most important thing to remember is to listen to your own gut instinct. But if you really can't figure out which style to go with, here's a guide to help you decide.

Black and grey tattoos go back centuries. They are the oldest forms of tattooing and were considered as luxuries back in they day. Only the richest people could afford tattoos. The standard for tattoos has fallen, obviously, since then. A way to decide if a black and grey tattoo design is right for you is to ask yourself what you are looking for in a tattoo. Some designs simply look better in black and grey.

A pro for black and grey tattoos is that they hold up better than color tats over time. Sunlight is a killer for tattoos. It can damage the integrity of the overall tat and breaks down the pigments. Since less ink is used with black and grey tats, sunlight has less of an effect on the overall design. Also, it takes much longer for dark inks to fade. This is not the case for color tats.



If you do decide to get a black and grey tattoo, there are a few things you should expect from your artist and the overall experience. Since black and grey only use one to two colors of ink, picking the right artist is very important. Color tattoos can hide imperfections and don't need to be as detailed. The inks used with black and grey tattoos are black and sometimes white. The white is used when highlighting a specific part of the tattoo as well as for dramatic effect. For example, in portraits white ink is used to highlight the white of the eyes and the teeth.

Now, on to color tattoos. These tattoos are bigger attention grabbers, so keep that in mind. A con for color tats is the fact that some people have allergies to the ingredients in the inks. However, this is pretty rare and the allergy commonly only applies to one color. The reason why people have these allergies is because of the ingredients that go into making the ink. Finding exact ingredients for each ink is nearly impossible as companies that make ink guard the recipes fiercely. Think of the "secret family recipes" your grandmother has stashed away.

The idea of having a bad reaction to the ink can be kind of scary, but don't let it frighten you away. Color tattoos are overall the most visually appealing! However, if you want your tattoos to stay as lustrous as the day you got them, you need to take proper care of them. Yes, I'm going to talk about sunlight again. That's because it only takes one bad sunburn can permanently damage your tattoos. However, using sunscreen whenever you spend an extended period outside can prevent sun damage!