Black and Gray Tattoo inked at Classic Tattoo Inc. in Jacksonville, NC
Black and Gray Tattoos
Black and Gray basically means tattoos done with use of degrees of black to gray shading. There is usually no application of color at all, although depending on the design a small amount of color can be added to enhance areas of the design.
This type of tattoo is particularly suited to darker skin tone, which does not accept color well, and also to those who are regular sun-worshippers or solarium addicts.
Time tends to soften the tones of the piece and give it a realistic depth quality.
Color Tattoo inked at Classic Tattoo Inc. in Jacksonville, NC
Color Tattoos
Color tattoos are full color pieces lined with black and also shaded. There are 2 main types of color design.
1. Old style traditional tattoos, using block color and no tones.
2. We use color shading to obtain subtle color merging.
Color tends to fade if subjected to intense or long-term regular sun exposure as the skin cells, which hold the pigment molecules are damaged by u-v rays and removed by the body system.
It can be retouched if necessary and without much sun exposure looks good for many years.
All colors are dermatological tested pigments, but those with known allergies should request an allergy test prior to the application of a color tattoo.
Portrait Fineline Tattoo inked at Classic Tattoo Inc. in Jacksonville, NC
Portrait and Fine-line Tattoos
Portraits can be taken directly from photos, which should be of good quality and large enough to clearly see the details of the face or animal in question. There is a minimum recommended size for this kind of work and anyone interested should contact us for more details.
Fine-line is exactly what you would expect from the description and is mostly used for portrait work. It can be used for high detail and definition in larger pieces.
Tribal Tattoo inked at Classic Tattoo Inc. in Jacksonville, NC
Tribal Tattoos
Tribal is the name given to solid black graphic designs which have become popular in recent years.
Its origins are, among others, in the Polynesian islands where the tribes have a tradition of tattooing for ritual and ceremonial purposes; the Maori of New Zealand with their facial mokos are probably the most well known example.
Modern tribal designs do not generally have any symbolic meanings and are simple body decorations for those who are unsure of what kind of picture they could live with. Celtic designs, gangland style lettering and Japanese characters all come under this description in modern tattooing.
Tribal combines well with the other styles mentioned and can be useful as background or for connecting separate pieces.
Freehand Custom Tattoo inked at Classic Tattoo Inc. in Jacksonville, NC
Freehand Custom Tattoos
Freehand tattooing simply means that the tattoo is drawn directly onto the body area without use of a stencil or pre-prepared drawing.
The advantage of this is that the tattoo can be better fitted to the body, making use of the body shape, to give the image more movement.
Freehand is also used for cover-up tattoos, to allow a more direct fitting of the new image over the old, making use of the existing shape and lines.
We would be happy to prepare a custom design for you. Custom tattoos are prepared on paper and may, in certain cases, be applied by stencil to the body area.
All custom pieces are designed as a unique piece similar to an artist’s commission.
Classic Tattoo Inc. does not repeat custom pieces, so they remain completely original.
Contact Classic Tattoo Inc. to discuss your requirements.
Cover-up Tattoo inked at Classic Tattoo Inc. in Jacksonville, NC
Cover-up, Touch-up, and Rework Tattoos
Many people have tattoos that seemed like a good idea at the time and whether it was through a bad choice of tattooists, a bottle of J.D. or whatever, the results won’t go away. There is a solution apart from a laser or a long sleeved shirt.
Some bad tattoos are restorable to a proper version of the original plan and these are known as reworks, but the majority are usually only savable through cover-ups and you may be limited on the choice of design.
Remember that a cover up cannot always be your dream tattoo as it may not be possible to fit a specific design to the old piece, this depends how dark and distorted the old tattoo is. Usually we can come up with a good compromise though and anyone needing help or information about cover ups should contact Classic Tattoo and be prepared to send a photo!
Tribal is not usually applicable here unless you want a black square, but there are more options than the standard black panther or peacock depending on the size of the old tattoo and intensity of dark pigments.
Every cover-up is an individual custom fitted piece and those interested should contact us for more details.