This is the March 6, 2012 blog entry by Johann Larsson in the Tattoo Art Project blog. TattCafe readers are surely to find this an interesting project and to learn more about it, the link is at the bottom of the page.
Why it’s important to make amazing art into an amazing tattoo also in 10 years
I would really like to take the time here and remind some artist and collectors about good tattoos, and the fact that it will be with you for the rest of your days on this planet…or others…
I see a lot of incredible tattoo art in the past few years that is truly mind boggling and eye opener as for how far this industry has reached and what can really be done on skin, most of it haven’t been seen in the previous years. And for that I thank all the new blood and incredible artists that chose this as their medium, as well as the innovators that had the balls to open those doors for us.
However, it seems like a lot of artists out there really stopped taking the time to pay attention to the factors that make a tattoo last and look great in 10 years time, and not only the first year. I’m really not coming here as an old bitter fart that is against progression and new ideas, however some ground rules are there for a reason, such as the fact that using white ( or any other light pigment) as an outside border for your tattoo against plain skin is just not going to hold, no matter how potent the pigment is.
No outlines or colored lines is a beautiful effect and can be done in a productive way and still last forever if used the right way and taken in consideration of the design and what holds it all together. This is just one example, but there have been a few of those elements that I see more often now days used in tattoos.
I realize that face book and such places will have a million and one people blowing smoke up your ass and telling you how amazing it is, and again, I will be the first one to admit that some of the art there is above and beyond my own skills and look amazing, but you really need to remember that most people out there also think that some of the shittiest tattoos are amazing too and don’t really judge it beyond their limited knowledge. And constructive critics and support is all good when taken in perspective.
So, I ask you people, please take the time to figure out . After all every client deserves a great tattoo, and no matter how far we reached and keep on, there’s still a limitation of the medium you are working with and some art just does not work for it, as least not in the long run. And it is your responsibility as the tattoo artist to get people on the right track and help them make the right decisions in order to make their ideas into good tattoos.
I’m not trying to bash anyone here only doing my best to keep this industry pushing forward!
Thanks for reading this, and sorry for the long rant.
Keep up the great art!!!
See you in some Hell…
Liorcifer
TattCafe.com 