Tattoo Realism - Tattoos in Realism Style for Men and Women. Sketches of tattoos in the style of realism: a selection for men Realistic tattoo

Originating many thousands of years ago, tattoos were originally rather primitive patterns applied to the body for the purpose of protection from evil spirits. However, man has always strived to achieve perfection in this art form, and it was a hard and long path.

Over the centuries, the craftsman's technique has been improved, the tools for applying images have been modernized, and new formulas for dyes have appeared. And finally, in the nineteenth century, tattoo art reached a new level. Realistic tattoos appeared.

The meaning of tattoos on the body

Unlike many other types of tattoos, images applied to the body in a realistic manner play, first of all, a decorative role, bringing aesthetic pleasure to a person. The drawings, as if coming to life on the skin, delight the owner of the tattoo and make a stunning impression on the people around him.

Tattooing images using this technique is a great way to imprint a favorite image on your body (be it a person dear to your heart, your favorite actor or character from a movie, a faithful and devoted pet, your main hobby and life’s work). Sometimes people simply want to decorate their body without associating the applied image with specific images; in this case, amazing ornaments, fantasy motifs or flower compositions open up to their eyes.

Themes of tattoo images

The realistic tattoo genre is unlimited in the choice of themes for images. Anything your heart desires can serve as inspiration for a tattoo. This feature of realism tattoo allows the customer and the artist applying the image to give free rein to their imagination and bring to life the most daring ideas and images, because the main thing in this direction is to make the drawing as real and alive as possible.

The most commonly used motifs in tattoo realism are:

1. ornamental motifs (a professional craftsman will make you believe that the ornaments applied to the body are made of metal, carved from wood and bone, carved from flesh with a sharp blade);
2. images of plants (this type is more typical for girls who want to have velvet roses or delicate lilies, bamboo or ivy branches on their bodies), the images look extremely believable;
3. images of animals (this type of drawing is equally loved by both men and women), tropical butterflies, birds, lizards, animals of prey, graceful forest animals, cute pets come to life on the skin;
4. creatures from the world of fantasy (girls prefer magical elves and fairies, unicorns, Mogwai, men prefer to paint characters from computer games, alien invaders, and ferocious dragons on their skin);
5. portraits of people (often photographs of their own children, favorite actors and characters from films, cult rock and pop performers);
6. images and zombies (not everyone decides to get this type of tattoo, although such designs certainly have their fans);
7. cyberpunk (biomechanical structures look impressive and original, and their frightening verisimilitude on the body always makes an indelible impression on others).

Important! Realistic tattoos are the most complex type of tattoo art, requiring exceptional skill. Not all tattooists can achieve the effect of a “living drawing”. Therefore, before entrusting your body to a master, you need to look at his portfolio.

Tattoo color scheme

Images in a realistic manner can be color or black and white, it all depends on the chosen theme and the personal desires of the customer.

Black and white flowers can be used to decorate portraits of people, characters from films and games, some types of ornaments, as well as floral arrangements and animals can look good.

Absolutely all types of realistic tattoos will look impressive in color. The effect of presence is achieved through the master’s skillful play with light and shadow and the use of a rich palette of shades. The talent and skill of the artist can erase all the boundaries between fiction and reality, making the drawing come to life on the skin. Ornaments, animals, people, epic battles will not leave anyone indifferent, being executed in color.

Important! Realistic tattoos can sometimes rival masterpieces of world fine art in terms of execution technique. However, working with human skin is several times more difficult than working with paper or canvas. Illiterate work by a tattoo artist can leave scars on the skin or lead to uneven distribution of pigment in the image, which will ruin the appearance and quality of the tattoo. Therefore, you need to approach the choice of a salon and a specialist responsibly and seriously!

Realistic tattoo placement on the skin

Wearable images using realistic techniques turn out to be so interesting and alive due to the high detail of the drawing. It is impossible to imagine any other type of tattoo that would have as many nuances. A distinctive feature of all realistic drawings is their relatively large size, otherwise it is impossible to work out all the details of the image and achieve its believability.

Since the tattoo image in this technique is large in size, the best areas on the body for it will be the back, chest, shoulders and forearms, buttocks, thighs, and sides. In addition to the fact that these areas have a large amount of skin, they are also characterized by the presence of a good layer of subcutaneous fat, which will make the tattoo procedure less painful.

Realistic tattoos, as a rule, are applied to the body in several sessions, which must be taken into account by a person who wants to receive exactly this type of tattoo image.

Realistic tattoos appeared in the 19th century. They say that this style was started by a certain professor who studied them. He collected a collection of replica tattoos depicting famous personalities such as Bismarck, Napoleon and others. This style is one of the most difficult. Working on such a tattoo takes a lot of time, several sessions. And this means that it will be quite expensive.

A tattoo in the style of realism requires high professionalism from the artist. This style requires accurate image rendering. The master must have a good command of drawing techniques in order to give the image depth and realism. Applying a design on an uneven surface of leather is much more difficult than on canvas or paper. In addition, such tattoos are quite large. Therefore, they are usually applied to the chest, shoulder or back.

Portraits of loved ones, celebrities, idols, movie or game characters are very often done in the realism style. For a portrait it is especially important that it resembles the person depicted in it, since errors and flaws in this style are most noticeable. Small inaccuracies - and the resemblance to the original is already very doubtful. If you come across a really bad master, the mistake can become almost irreparable.

Realistic techniques often depict landscapes, space, and the underwater world. Some people get tattoos with a wide variety of animals and plants. Particularly popular in this sense are cats, horses, dragonflies, spiders, and owls. Pet owners sometimes want to get a tattoo with his image. And sometimes entire reproductions of famous paintings are applied as tattoos.

But perhaps the most difficult area in realism is 3D tattoos. Special techniques allow the artist to make the drawing three-dimensional. Such tattoos look especially realistic. An interesting effect is created if you look at three-dimensional tattoos with insects. Looking at photographs, it is sometimes difficult to determine whether it is a drawing or a real beetle.

The value of such tattoos lies in their uniqueness. It is extremely difficult to get two absolutely identical realistic tattoos. And the realism itself gives them a special aesthetics.

Modern tattoos differ not only in different themes and ideas, but also in design styles. The most difficult for a master, but effective and impressive for men, are tattoo designs in the style of realism. Realism is the most popular style today, and many experts call it a long-lasting trend in the culture of body art.

Realistic and believable tattoos are obtained through the competent use of paints, light and shade and the 3D effect. Most often these are portraits, animals and birds, various insects and cool subjects. Where this trend came from, what ideas are popular today, in what places such tattoos can be placed and in what format, you can find out from the article below.

In general, in the style of realism, an experienced master can depict absolutely any plot and picture on the client’s body. There are no restrictions or limits on the selection of sketches and themes; the main thing is to follow the features and distinctive features in the design, namely to convey a believable picture with pinpoint accuracy.

• predators and other animals;
• cute and scary insects;
• proud and beautiful birds;
• sea ​​inhabitants;
• portraits of people and idols;
• plots from books, films, fantasy, etc.;
• 3D tattoos.

For reference! The development of realism is directly related to the development of tattoo equipment. Only a modern and high-quality machine is capable of producing a realistic three-dimensional drawing, in which many details and gradients are clearly expressed.

Animals, birds, fish, insects

The most common realistic tattoos are living creatures of any format and subject. A man can tattoo on his body frightening predators, cute animals, sea inhabitants, soaring birds or frighteningly believable insects. For example:

• fox– cunning, sharp mind and intuition;
• eagle– love of freedom, speed, intelligence and keen eyesight;
• carp– an oriental motif, a symbol of courage, bravery and fearlessness;
• scorpion– danger, fearlessness, invincibility;
• scarab- a symbol of youth, prosperity, beauty and determination.

As a rule, any character of such a body design acts as a characteristic of the owner, the personification of his best qualities and aspirations.

Items

In realistic execution, sketches with different objects are often used, by which one can determine the activities, interests and hobbies of a man. It can also be various modern accessories, gadgets and other things. For example:

• camera– this sketch is chosen by creative people associated with photo art;
• compass– a sign of a traveler and a man who wants to determine his life path;
• book– a symbol of wisdom and deep knowledge;
• house– the value of family traditions;
• ring- the personification of love, devotion, family and sensitivity.

Drawings with weapons and armor are especially popular, with the help of which men emphasize their belligerence, courage and honor.

Portraits of people or other living beings

Another newfangled trend in the field of tattooing is realistic portraits. The main character can be different people, for example:

• beloved girl or wife– personification of fidelity and deep feelings;
• relatives– recognition of the closeness of kinship, honor and respect;
• children– manifestation of endless strong love and devotion;
• idol- a symbol of devotion and love for the work of this person.

No less rarely, men tattoo on their bodies non-existent, but fictional characters from films, books, legends, and mythology. Religious faces, faces and icons are also relevant.

Story tattoos

Entire plots taken from books, mythology, fantasy works, history or literature look impressive and original. Complex compositions look so realistic and three-dimensional that they attract the admiring glances of others. As a rule, young, creative and extraordinary guys decide to undertake such a bold experiment.

3D tattoos

If a man prefers not only a realistic, but also the most mesmerizing image on his body, the artist can perform a 3D tattoo. This is a three-dimensional, volumetric, spatial image. Most often depicted in this format:

• portraits- demonstrations of love, taste, choice or devotion;
• scenes from films or cartoons– manifestation of the art of body art;
• animals and birds– strength, freedom, danger, courage, wisdom;
• biomechanics- hooks, gears, pistons and even nails that dig into the skin;
• wood carving style drawings- as if intricate patterns on a piece of wood, but in fact, on the body of a man;
• mythical characters– dragons, various gods of pagans and Scandinavians with their own designation;
• geometry and abstraction– complex designs that attract and captivate the eye;
• monsters– three-dimensional three-dimensional drawings of terrifying creatures for lovers of horror and extreme sports;
• insects and arthropods– beetles, spiders and other frightening and fascinating creatures;
• religious pictures– angels, demons, icons and faces of saints, as well as various scenes from the Bible and holy scriptures.

The 3D effect is a difficult task that many modern masters cannot do. Therefore, in addition to selecting a sketch and a place on the body, it is extremely important for a man to find a specialist who has the necessary skills and experience in such work.

Historical information about tattoos in the style of realism

Realism is a movement that arose initially as the opposite and protest of academicism and romanticism. It dates back to the end of the 19th century, when improved machines and equipment for tattooing began to be produced. How does realism differ from then to today:

• versatility;
• division into many options;
• inconsistency;
• the verisimilitude of the pictures.

The style reached its peak of popularity relatively recently; leaders of informal groups and activities began to get such tattoos more and more often. Masters use a variety of halftones and bright colors in their work, follow proportions, carefully draw every detail, creating the effect of light and shade and depth of space.

Where do men most often get tattoos with a realistic theme?

Tatoo realism is gaining popularity exponentially. And if earlier such sketches were printed mainly on the forearm and shoulder, today the drawings cover almost the entire body from the neck to the very feet. Each area on the body has its own special meaning.

Shoulder

The relief and muscles of the shoulder will be emphasized by a realistic or three-dimensional tattoo in 3D with wild animals and soaring birds. Mythical characters and storylines from famous books and paintings will look no less cool here.

Forearm

The forearm is supposed to have a straight line and smooth skin without a pronounced relief, so portraits and faces are most often stuffed here, supplemented with various objects and inscriptions. 3D tattoos are also suitable for any size and complexity.

Wrist tattoo

There is not much space on the wrist, which means it is better to place small drawings here. For example, the head of an animal or bird, fish, various interesting symbols and objects. If this is a 3D format, biomechanics, geometry and abstraction, imitation of wood carving are appropriate.

Tattoos on the palm, hand and fingers

The hands are a mobile and active part of the body, always in the center of attention. Realistic sketches are more often found on the hands, but on the fingers and palms such motifs are rare. Symbolism, various kinds of objects, faces or traces of animals, birds, insects are acceptable here.

Tattoo sleeve

The most popular trend in recent years is a sleeve in the style of realism. This tattoo completely covers the circumference of the arm, representing a three-dimensional plot image. It includes a combination of different portraits, natural phenomena, buildings, fantasy, etc.

Neck

Tattoos on the neck are noticeable and eye-catching, they add a bright accent to a man’s appearance. Most often, small insects, the faces of animals or birds, ancient intricate patterns, religious signs and symbols are drawn in a realistic format.

Breast

On the chest, realism most often manifests itself in exciting and spectacular pictures, for example, the grin of a predator, an action-packed still from a story or film, a portrait of a beloved wife, or a huge scorpion with a sting. Their main purpose is to emphasize the masculinity and strength of the owner.

Side

On the side, due to the elongation and smoothness of the surface, large scale drawings are appropriate. These can be portraits, faces of saints and religious motifs relating to faith and prejudice. Various epic stories are also popular.

Hip

Men rarely wear tattoos on their thighs, and, as a rule, they are of a purely personal and even intimate nature. Here you can write an inscription, play with abstraction or patterns, apply symbols and objects related to matters of the heart.

Back

One of the most suitable areas for such work is the back. A large and complex drawing will fit here, combining subjects, portraits, living creatures, patterns and complementary elements.

Spatula

After experts found an important energy channel in the area of ​​the shoulder blades, tattoos began to be placed here more and more often. The paws or faces of predators, insects, small excerpts from stories, objects and symbols will look realistic and cool here.

Leg

On the legs, as well as on the arms, large, complex compositions and even sleeves are appropriate. Here it is recommended to use those stories and sketches that will strengthen self-confidence, hope for a bright future, determination and strength of convictions.

Before filling one of the above areas on the body with a cool pattern, it is important for a man to consider several predetermining selection criteria, namely:

• sketch– you need to draw up a drawing yourself, without using other people’s ideas;
• price– realism requires large financial costs, it is better to prepare for them in advance;
• Preparation– it is imperative to prepare properly for procedures in the salon;
• care– you can ask the specialist about caring for the affected area (questions about disinfection, healing and infection prevention);
• area on the body– the selected sketch can be tried on in different places using temporary translations and according to the principle of proportionality;
• dress code– before getting a tattoo, you need to consider how compatible it is with a man’s professional activity;
• equipment and materials– the master must have the latest models of machines and professional paints, since only a modified high-speed machine can create realistic complex designs.

1. Pre-selection– a man decides in advance what or who he wants to see on the tattoo. Approximate sketches can be printed out, taken to the master and together they can create a composition.
2. Defining your desires– you need to follow not other people’s advice, but your own preferences and knowledge; the master can only correctly direct the client’s thoughts in the right direction.
3. Size and proportionality– if this is a small drawing, it should have thin lines and no unnecessary details, but if these are living creatures or portraits, mechanisms, many small details require a large size.
4. Location on the body– large-scale sketches are suitable for the back, chest, legs and arms, medium-sized options are drawn on the shoulder blades, shoulders, hips, and small ones are appropriate on the hands, wrists, and neck.
5. Frames and lines– any work will fade over time and lose the clarity of its lines. Therefore, it is better to give preference to those options where dark, saturated colors predominate, since light and colored works wear out faster.

Would you get a realistic tattoo of a portrait of your loved one?

YesNo

Styles and colors that are popular for realism tattoos

In practice, most modern masters practice both the use of only one style and the mixing of several, close and similar to each other. The following trends are most suitable for realism:

old school– classics of the genre, style and last century, practiced by thick edging and bright shades;

trash polka– style with a predominance of red and black shades;

3D– three-dimensional three-dimensional drawings that change the perception of space;

finishing touches– paint is applied pointwise;

blackwork– rough, masculine works with a predominance of black paint.

Realism does not provide for clear requirements for the color scheme; this is a style where the main factor is similarity to nature. For this, absolutely any colors and their similar shades can be used for light and shade and play of colors.

Symbols that can be combined with a realistic tattoo for men

There are no specific requirements for the choice of symbolism in realism. This can be absolutely any additions that correspond to the general character and meaning of the sketch, for example:

• weapon– a symbol of protection, aggression, the ability to stand up for oneself;
• flowers– romance, sincerity, beauty, purity;
• wings- amulet from evil and temptations;
• cross– strength and patience;
• candle- a light that illuminates the path of life;
• hieroglyph– a sacred symbol, the meaning of which depends on the translation;
• eye– spiritual secret knowledge, divination;
• money– a talisman for good luck and prosperity;
• scull- a symbol to scare away dangers to life.

In fact, this is not the entire list of appropriate symbols and objects for modern tattoos. But these are the most commonly used additions to pictures by masters.

Where is the best place to get a tattoo?

You need to get a tattoo in realism format in a specialized salon with a license. Since this is a painstaking, long and labor-intensive work, it requires professionalism from the master and guarantees to the client. Therefore, it is so important to find an experienced, highly qualified craftsman whose skills and talents can be assessed in previous works.

Conclusion

The style of realism arose two centuries ago and has already affected all areas of art, including tattooing. The realism and maximum similarity to the original is so fascinating, be it portraits with faces, animals, birds, religious and mythical characters, or entire scenes from literature and cinema. A man must clearly define his decision and preferences, and only then find a skilled craftsman.

Many people believe that realistic tattoos appeared quite recently, but this is far from true. Back in the mid-nineteenth century, people began to depict portraits of Napoleon and Bismarck on themselves. Today, the tattoo style of realism has not lost its relevance. Most people believe that realism is the most difficult style in terms of technique. The whole difficulty lies in the fact that the specialist must have high artistic abilities, because he needs to convey all the accuracy of the drawing. A portrait on the body should look as realistic as possible. So, the master spends hours drawing every stroke and detail of the drawing. In addition, the tattoo artist needs to apply a natural tone to make the picture look real. As a result of this work, a real photograph appears on the body. Such a drawing should “breathe” and “live”.

Features of a tattoo in the style of realism

As already mentioned, not every specialist can perform such work. So he must have the talent of a tattooist and an artist at the same time. In addition, the tattoo artist must “get his hands on” in order to perform work in the style of realism at a high level. It is worth noting that this tattoo style has a huge number of fans. Many people prefer this “live” style. Brightness, realism and uniqueness are the main distinguishing features features modern Realistic Tattoo(realistic tattoo).

The basis for creating realistic tattoos can be beautiful images or photographs of loved ones. You can also use photographs of your favorite actors and famous people, as well as images of animals and plants. The choice of picture depends on your personal preferences and tastes. It is worth noting that realistic tattoos can be made in any color scheme. It could be like

Realism (English)realism, realistic) - a tattoo style in which the image matches the original as closely as possible.

In a realistic tattoo, it is the level of correspondence to reality that is considered the key parameter of quality, and the pinnacle of skill is an image that is absolutely indistinguishable from the original.

However, a tattoo artist can bring his own vision to the work within certain limits and use various artistic techniques.

Realism is the brightest representative artistic tattoo, since it primarily performs a decorative function and has all the means for its maximum expression.

Etymology and meaning

Realism (French realisme, Latin realis ) - real, real.

The most complete, objective reflection of reality using artistic means.

The term was first used by a French writer Jules Francois Felix Husson in the 50s of the 19th century to designate the direction of painting opposing romanticism and academicism.

Visual features of the style

Color

A full color palette can be used with all intermediate shades and tones ( Realistic color tattoo) or only black and gray tones ( Realistic black & gray tattoo).

Strictly speaking, there are no restrictions on the color palette of a tattoo at all, and its scale depends only on the original image and its interpretation by the artist.

To achieve maximum contrast, white is often used. The highlights of the eyes, the illuminated part of the skin, hair, reflections of water and metal, and other objects that reflect or emit light as much as possible are whitened.

In the absence of white, its role in the image is played by the flesh color of the client’s skin, not covered with pigment, which significantly reduces the overall realism and brightness of the tattoo.

Color transitions

To achieve realistic drawing, it is necessary to have intermediate shades, halftones and their gradation, since chiaroscuro, falling shadows, reflection, focal blur and other effects, without which photorealism is simply impossible, require smooth color transitions.

Matching and similar styles

Chicano- is essentially a subdirection of realism and inherits all its features, limiting only the theme of the tattoo and visual features.

Biomechanics and organics also included in realism. They come into contact with it in case of simulating a surface rupture.

Themes, objects and images

Portraits of people

The basis of the theme in realism is portraiture. People want to capture the memory of their loved ones for life.

Portraits of relatives and loved ones are often found. Children, parents, husbands and wives, whose meaning in life is the most important, are worthy of memory through fixation in a tattoo.

The image of an idol is also quite popular. It can be a famous musician, actor, political, ideological and spiritual leader, scientist and philosopher, in a word, any popular personality whose activities a person associates with his life.

Characters in films and modern computer games, heroes of literary works, mythological heroes - everything with whom a person self-initiates himself and whose qualities he strives for.

There is a well-known tendency to not take tattoos and one’s own body too seriously. And some individuals fill themselves with portraits of people who are of temporary importance to them. This could be a girl, a loved one, but not necessarily a long-term one, a portrait of one-day groups and even funny Internet characters. Most often, such clients return to the tattoo studio to cover up the ill-fated portrait.

Thematic scenes

Scenes from films, paintings by famous artists, great historical events, biblical episodes, or simply a certain plot invented by a tattoo artist - all these are topics for display in a realistic tattoo.

The tattoo artist transfers a certain scene onto the client’s body with the greatest precision, often even imitating the artist’s manner and technique, and imitating other effects of the original.

Animals, birds, fish and insects

We remind you that realism is a style of artistic tattooing and, accordingly, is purely decorative. None of the meanings of a prison tattoo apply to her. And the image of animals, including, will carry exclusively the meaning that you put into it yourself.

Of course, people choose the most beautiful, respected animals for tattoos, as well as those whose character traits match and appeal to them.

A tiger, lion or bear - as evidence of the wearer’s desire for strength and authority.

Raccoon, cat, fox, squirrel - affection, sensitivity, love.

Snake, shark, wolf, bull - aggression, challenge.

Individual inanimate objects

Often the object of the image becomes the attributes of certain professions and hobbies, for example, a tattoo artist will choose a tattoo machine, a casino player will choose cards or dice, and a musician and music lover will choose a microphone or audio cassette. To do this, you need to accept your activities and be proud of them.

Skulls, weapons, berries and flowers, feathers and ribbons, precious stones - as objects that characterize the character and value system of the wearer (as with animals).

Flowers are the most common inanimate object used in realism, since only in this style is it possible to most fully convey in a tattoo all the beauty of the play of chiaroscuro of the petals and the glare of dew on them.

Simulation of the interaction of a drawing with reality. 3D tattoo.

The drawing of objects “lying” on the body or crawling animals and insects “climbing out” from it looks quite impressive.

In a 3D tattoo, the artist works out high-quality shadows and points of interaction (wound, rupture, break, hole, window). In this direction, realism can intersect with biomechanics and organics.

Crawling spiders and lizards, butterflies and caterpillars, objects threaded through the skin, windows and cracks leading to another reality - all this becomes an excellent subject for a tattoo.

Application Features

Choosing a tattoo design

Often, a sketch for a tattoo in the style of realism is taken from search engines (of course, with the exception of portraits of relatives). And, naturally, lazy users grab the first high-quality photos of the desired topic that come up in the search results, and then they are disappointed when they see a copy of their own tattoo, especially if it is done a little better.

The realistic tattoo style has appeared relatively recently and is rapidly gaining momentum. And, in order to avoid dozens of duplicate tattoos on the street, photos for which were taken from the first page of Google, the only right decision is to order the development of an individual sketch in a tattoo studio.

Believe me, a master capable of creating an exact copy of a photo in a tattoo will easily draw a completely unique sketch based on the images you choose and taking into account your personal wishes, or, in extreme cases, perform a photo montage.

Preparing a sketch

As a rule, a tattoo in the style of realism is made from a photograph. The reliability of the final drawing depends on its quality, resolution and contrast. Therefore, ideally, a tattoo artist working in this direction should be proficient in graphic editors in order to process photographs if necessary. In some cases, a photomontage or collage of photographs is possible, forming a new unique image.

The tattoo artist prints out the final photograph and then uses it as a regular hand-drawn sketch.

Transferring the sketch to the body

The sketch is transferred by standard means using transfer paper or similar materials. The printed photograph itself or its outline is taken as a sample of the contours.

The difficulty lies in smooth transitions, which must be reliably conveyed in the tattoo. If the shadow on the cheek of the portrait is distorted, shifted or does not match the original in smoothness, the general features of the face will also change, and then the portrait will turn out to be different, which will not suit any customer. Therefore, in addition to contrasting boundaries, areas of tonal transition are also noted. And the more complex the image, the more additional intermediate lines should be present.

Unlike less artistic styles, in a realistic tattoo, even with transitional contours, it is impossible to completely transfer the original image. Many nuances remain uncertain, such as the softness of the borders, the actual color (after all, it is far from uniform) and small details. Therefore, during the work process, the tattoo artist still has to work, as they say, by eye and constantly check with the original in order to get a minimum of differences.

Application process

Realism is recognized by most tattoo artists as the most technically complex tattoo style.

Needless to say, to reproduce a photorealistic image using such a rather crude instrument as a tattoo machine requires not only artistic skills, but also the highest level of mastery of equipment and materials.

In realism, unlike other styles, the finest elaboration of small details and complex elements is required, such as hair, texture and folds of skin, eyes with highlights and reflections, drops of water, clouds, evenly blurred boundaries out of focus, and the like.

To form soft transitions and shades of the tattoo, the pigment is diluted with distilled water or other specialized means, after which the artist has the opportunity to operate with any intermediate tones.

Each master has his own method of work, but several general stages can be identified after transferring the sketch:

1. Designation of contours.

Transitions can be indicated by sparse dotted lines or thin black. In some cases, they do without marking the contours of the tattoo at all, since, unlike the old-school tattoo, in a realistic tattoo the outline lines may have different colors or not be clear at all.

2. Filling black and dark areas.

3. Fill in colored areas, starting with darker and brighter tones.

4. Filling white elements.

5. Final adjustment. Working through the nuances of compliance and realism.

History of realism

The technical ability to apply a tattoo, which claims to be a high-quality reflection of reality, has appeared relatively recently. Realism in the modern sense appeared at the end of the 20th - beginning of the 21st centuries, with the advent of professional equipment on the market and, first of all, high-quality tattoo machines. Before this, attempts were constantly made to capture portraits of relatives and friends, famous personalities, as well as animals, but such works could not be called realistic.

Traditionally, such tattoos were made by sailors, prisoners and soldiers who, due to circumstances, were separated from their loved ones and tried to emphasize their individuality and express themselves despite the surrounding reality. But, taking into account the quality of the available equipment, and even more so the conditions of the places of sale, the result left much to be desired.

The development of technology, the expansion of the market and the popularization of culture led to the fact that tattooing from an underground, often forbidden and very specific activity was reborn into a new art form that attracted a new type of artists with the highest artistic abilities.

After the style reached a qualitatively new level, it immediately spread far beyond the boundaries of the places of its formation.

Now, having all the necessary technical means and professional artists in its arsenal, tattoo culture can afford any styles and directions, including full-fledged realism, indistinguishable from photography.