Where does the tradition of making colored tattoos originate? Experts agree that such body painting originated in Japan and gradually became popular around the world. In the land of the rising sun, the tradition of colored tattoos has existed for more than one century. It was there that natural colored inks were first produced, which were extracted from various plants.

The 18th century can be considered the heyday of Japanese color tattooing. In those not so distant times, the main plots of such tattoos were images of plants and animals, pictures of nature, scenes of traditional Japanese life. Over time, the stories have evolved, there is a cultural exchange. And already in the 19th century, colored tattoos began to be filled in European countries. The popularization of Eastern culture contributed a lot to this. In the European society of that time, it was fashionable to stuff dragons, tigers, fish and flowers - the key motifs of a colored Japanese tattoo. At the same time, artificial colored inks began to appear, the production technology of which has partly survived to this day.

Color tattoo features

Colored tattoos have their advantages and disadvantages. The pluses include:

• Create a brighter and more realistic image, unattainable with a monochrome tattoo.
• Drawing reproductions of popular paintings, which in principle is impossible with the help of a traditional monophonic tattoo.
• Disguise unsuccessful or irrelevant for its owner of a monochrome composition on the body.

But let's not forget about the other side of the coin. Color tattoos have the following disadvantages:

A colored tattoo is a great choice for the fair sex, because on a girl’s body, such tattoos do not look as vulgar and primitive as monochrome images. However, guys also have a weakness for such tattoos, especially if they are adherents of the Eastern school of tattooing. In fairness, we also note that not every girl is able to endure the painful procedure of applying a colored tattoo, so you should seriously think before getting such a tattoo.

Celebrities

Many celebrities are not limited to traditional monochrome tattoos. Among the ardent fans of colored tattoos, we will mention such stars as:

• Emma Watson;
• Scarlett Johansson;
• Benji Madden;
• Travis Barker;
• Britney Spears.

So you decided to get a tattoo and are now thinking about which sketch to choose, color or bw. To better understand yourself, answer the following questions:

• Do you plan to get more tattoos in the future, and how will they relate to each other?
• Are you more of an introvert or an extrovert?
• Are you strict or live in a big way?
• What is your profession? Do you like the exact sciences or do you prefer the more liberal arts?
• Do you like minimalism or baroque?

Having understood yourself, you will understand which drawing will most of all reflect your essence. Ask yourself more questions and the more you lean towards precision, rigor and order, the more monochrome styles will suit you.

• When choosing a sketch, think over the concept for the whole body at once. Yes, most likely you will not be hammered from head to toe, but having an idea of ​​\u200b\u200bhow the tattoo will continue, you will save yourself from such problems when there are several absolutely incompatible styles on one person and it all turns into a mess.
• Be aware that it is often possible to add colored elements to a monochrome tattoo and thereby associate it with a tattoo of a different style.
• Choose a color scheme based on the color of your eyes, hair, skin color, so that the tattoo does not look like a sticker, but rather is your continuation.
• Proportionately select the size, this will also avoid the effect of the sticker. 😉
• Match the sketch of the tattoo with the type of your activity.
• Listen to your heart. You should not doubt your choice. If there is any doubt, then most likely you are not on the side of the heart.

Learn styles and trends in tattoo art!

Do not be lazy, study the question. The world of tattoos is large and it is a great pleasure to explore it. Our site has a large section dedicated to tattoo styles.

We have collected more than 25 styles and painted each one in detail, selected examples and shot a video where we talk in detail about the features and nuances of each direction.

Colored tattoos came to us from the Eastern world and gained their popularity overnight. Colorful plots, binding of multi-colored details - all this adds effect and sensuality to the drawing.

It is necessary to look closely at the sketches and imagine whether the chosen color scheme matches the image or not. The size and location of the image greatly affects the color. It is better to leave such nuances to professionals who will determine the shortcomings at a glance. Such a tattoo has no ban on colors. But with a red palette, you still shouldn’t overdo it, red is the color of blood, strong saturation on the body just doesn’t look aesthetically pleasing.

The paints used must be carefully certified. Only high-quality pigment is able to decorate your body, while maintaining the health of the body.

It is worth saying that colored tattoos fade faster. That is, 5-6 years after application, the former brightness of the pattern will simply disappear. But you should not be afraid, you are able to turn to your master at any time to renew the tattoo, returning it to its former freshness.

The fading time of the drawing depends on your skin type and the professionalism of the tattoo artist.

Thanks to color tattoos, you can embody any complex pattern on your body, while giving preference to your favorite colors.

The choice of color for a tattoo is a very responsible and important point, since the wrong combination of colors or inappropriate colors for a tattoo can turn a potential work of art into a real nightmare, which later will be very difficult to correct or correct. Color tattoos, photos of which can be seen on the Internet and which we admire, are the painstaking work of a tattoo artist, he must think through every little thing, plot or image. Below we will talk about which tattoos are best done in color, and which ones should be left black, only slightly shading them with white ink.

Color tattoo on shoulder and chest

Colored tattoos for girls: the most winning option

If a girl wants to attract attention with her tattoo, it is definitely worth stopping at the color version. Colored tattoos, sketches of which will look best:

• animal pictures
• Fantasy tattoos(unicorns, pegasi, small fairies, gnomes or salamanders)
• flower images(bright poppies, lilies, roses, chrysanthemums or daisies)
• Tattoo portraits(such images can "come to life" only thanks to paints)
• Floral ornaments with colorful images of buds and petals

Tattoo in color on the forearm

What size is better to choose a tattoo in color

The most advantageous version of a tattoo in color is, of course, a large work. However, small small tattoos can also look very cute and appropriate. For example, a small image of a flower on the back of the hand, made in color, or a butterfly, shimmering with all the colors of the rainbow, can be a great idea for a small tattoo. However, try to avoid fast fading colors such as orange, beige, yellow or pink.

I thought for a long time whether I should do a large and colored tattoo: it seemed to me that such work was much more difficult and longer to do than a simple black and white one. I was right, it took a lot of time to work, but the result was definitely worth it! I got a biomechanical tattoo for myself, and now I can hardly imagine what it would look like in black and white. I am very grateful to my master that he managed to persuade me for a color version. If you decide to get a tattoo, be sure to ask the opinion of the one who will do it to you, and listen to him! Often masters advise us useful things and dissuade us from mistakes. My tattoo turned out amazing!

Valentina, Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky

Color tattoo in the form of a portrait on the shoulder

Tattoos in color for men

A color tattoo, the meaning of which is attached to the strong half of humanity, can be both simple and very complex. Large color works are very costly both in terms of time and money, however, the result is fully justified. Best of all, colored tattoos look in the style of realism, or the so-called 3-D style. If you have looked after just such a tattoo for yourself, then be prepared that you cannot do without color. In addition, a very important role in such a tattoo is played by shadow and highlights, which are performed by different shades of black, gray and white: they breathe life into the tattoo.

Best color tattoo image options for men:

• Chinese dragons
• Photo with flowers
• Large scenes of war, battles, biblical stories
• Portraits and images of people, women, children
• Animals (horses, wild cats, wolves)
• bird pictures
• Old school tattoos
• Tattoos in the style of Dia de los Muertos, sugar skull

Tattoos in color, examples

I have a lot of color tattoos and only one black and white, the very first and smallest: and that's because it's an inscription. If I were forced to choose, I would definitely vote in favor of colored tattoos, they look much more advantageous than black and white ones. For example, I am a big fan of the old school theme, I have 12 tattoos on my body, 11 of which are made in this style. I can't imagine how one could do without color in this case! Swallows, roses, images of mermaids and inscriptions on ribbons, everything should be bright, but sustained in a single color scheme, without flashy colors. Then it will be a really cool tattoo!

Alexey, Moscow

Color tattoo for memory - portrait of a child

What tattoos are best left in black and white

There are also images that are best left in black and white colors, only slightly shading in white or gray, sometimes sepia. For example, inscription tattoos are rarely done in color, they look better in a classic black and white solution. Or tattoos in the style of black work - there is no place for any color, even white or black. The dot work technique also prefers only conservative shades of white or a maximum of gray: in this technique, drawings are made with small dots that form a beautiful ornament or figure, and due to the lack of clear lines, the drawing seems a little blurry.

Yellow rose - color tattoo

Tip: if you are in doubt about whether to make a tattoo in color or not, consult with the master. At the beginning of applying any tattoo to the body, a contour is made, after which, in most cases, it becomes clear whether it is worth painting it over with different colors, or leaving it black and white and simply complementing, shading.

Skull and red flower - sleeve tattoo

I don’t know why, but I always wanted a colored inscription for myself: black and white seemed boring and lifeless to me, while I imagined that a bright one would look much better. But I was wrong: in my head everything looked definitely different than what they actually did to me: the colored tattoo looked unfinished, blurry, and after a while I still made a cover up for myself and painted over my inscription in black. Now it looks better and finished. So sometimes black and white tattoos really outperform colored ones! Classics should remain classics, and black and white inscriptions are a vivid example of this)))

Angelica, Birobidzhan

Video: the process of applying a colored tattoo on the body

Choosing even a small black and white tattoo is not an easy task, but choosing a full-fledged color tattoo is even more difficult. The thing is that in addition to the usual subtleties in the selection of location, shape and meaning, the choice of colors and their combinations is added. Today we will consider the most important aspects of color tattooing and bring to your attention modern sketches of color tattoos.

What color tattoos are suitable for girls

The beautiful half of humanity rarely resorts to colored tattoos, as this is a rather painful procedure, so girls make colored tattoos only when they are ready to attract attention. On a graceful body, the following color sketches will look most organic:

tattoos animals

Let black lions and tigers go to men, while women will be more decorated with bright images of animals, made in rich colors. This approach allows you not to overload the sketch and make it visually more pleasing.

Fantasy tattoos

Perhaps, unicorns, pegasus, fairies, gnomes or salamanders will never be the choice of a brutal man, however, if the sketch is presented in a bright color palette, then he is unlikely to refuse such a tattoo.

Color tattoos with flowers

Perhaps this is the most obvious point, because flowers and plants look best in their original form. We believe that a colored tattoo with a rose, lily or poppies, as an ageless classic, will suit any girl.

Tattoo portraits in color

Thanks to the masterful combination of colors, tattoo portraits seem to come to life on the body, become much more attractive if they were made with just black paint. See for yourself:

Men's colored tattoos

The male body provides the tattoo artist with scope for creativity, as both a massive painted picture and a 3D image can easily fit on it. Our opinion: if you do a voluminous tattoo in the 21st century, then only with the use of colored ink. And what sketches to choose - read on:
Colored Chinese dragons. Chinese painting a priori cannot be black and white, since only bright shades can convey all its beauty. Red, yellow, green, pink and blue - it would seem that it would take all the colors of the rainbow to make the Chinese dragon the most "realistic". If you are not afraid of experiments, pay attention to the following sketches:

Drawings with flowers

Flowers do not always act as delicate decorations - tattoos using floral ornaments as a contrasting background are quite common. Skulls, weapons, inscriptions in the Gothic style - bright (blood red) flowers add a special charm to all these symbols. It is on the male body that such tattoos look the most organic:

Scenes of war and battles

If you make such a tattoo in black and white, then it will be almost impossible to make out something among the black cloud. As a rule, such tattoos are made in black or brown, but a red background or at least a shade is added. So, we will make the battles colored ...

Tattoos in style they simply cannot be monochrome, since their main advantage lies precisely in the aesthetic mixing of shades. If you have already decided on this kind of experiment, be decisive and use the most daring color combinations.

What tattoos are better not to do in color

We do not encourage you to choose a colored tattoo at any opportunity - on the contrary, there are situations when it is better not to do this. For example, inscription tattoos, with rare exceptions, are done in black ink. Black work sketches absolutely do not allow the use of any colors other than black (even shades of gray are not welcome). The dot work technique, in which drawings are made up of small dots of black and gray. It is due to the lack of clear lines that the drawing turns out to be smoky, and the use of color would only destroy the whole picture.
In all other cases, as a rule, a colored tattoo looks much more attractive. If you still cannot make a choice, consult with the master to give you an individual consultation.

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