Portrait bLOG

A colour realism tattoo is a lifelike image that uses shading, highlights and a variety of colours to formulate a three dimensional effect.

A really good example of this are realistic floral tattoos. Flowers often have easily translated highlights and contrasts that give the design depth and texture, and when used with the correct colour combinations and blending techniques will produce a highly photo realistic tattoo.

A high quality reference is imperative to capture the essence of the flower, attention to detail is crucial when it comes to the more delicate parts of the tattoo such as the petal edges and leaves. The colours must blend seamlessly, avoiding harsh lines to grant a smoother flow, in addition to this highlighting elements of the flower emphasises the subject matter on the skin.

An understanding of colour theory, anatomy and composition is essential to deliver the lifelike outcome of the tattoo. Colour theory is the study of colours and their relationships toward each other. It is part of the core toolbox used by artists and creators. By using colour theory, mixing guides and taking into consideration how colour comes into play with the human psyche, the communication among colours and how this is executed onto skin is much clearer.

Something else that is imperative to accomplishing a realistic tattoo is composition. The layout of the design on skin and in this specific case, the arrangement of florals, is vital in creating a coherent and visually appealing tattoo, every component of the design must be carefully considered and organised using several compositional frameworks such as the rule of thirds and dynamic symmetry. Tone and contrast also contribute massively to composing a readable and well presented realistic tattoo, executing these elements correctly with a good amount of visual memory and understanding creates depth, perspective and allows the artist to create texture, further elevating the final tattoo.

When applying the aforementioned techniques, the anatomy of the chosen body part is absolutely crucial, and should be kept at the forefront of the artist's mind at all times. A solid understanding of the human body, muscle flow and bone structure throughout different body parts, is one of the most important parts of tattooing, especially when conducting realistic tattoos. The design must align and run fluid with the clients selected area for the tattoo.

Coming Back to the floral tattoo itself, flowers and plants have attracted human interest for as far back as history allows us to see, with their dynamic and fascinating beauty and enormous variety of species throughout the world, they have evidently become a very popular choice for many tattoos over the years. There are many other reasons as to why floral tattoos are popular amongst tattoo enthusiasts, including the concept of specific flowers representing certain months of the year, allowing for a personal more meaningful touch to the flowers chosen for the tattoo. For example; Violets and Irises are usually representative of the month of february, these flowers sport rich and deep purples and greens which can be implemented beautifully into a realistic floral tattoo. 

During further research into Violets and Irises we are able to learn that there are many deeper meanings often associated with these flowers, along with most other botanicals. Violets are usually associated with modesty, faithfulness, everlasting love and remembrance, whereas Irises can be associated with hope, wisdom, trust and valour, in turn this gives a potential tattoo client a wide variety of options and interpretations of the meaning behind their chosen tattoo, easily tying in with their personal values or lifestyle. The meanings listed are only a select few of an endless range of meanings and representations for flowers and plants throughout the world spanning across many different cultures and religions.

More recently, Our artist Lauren tattooed a Mother and Daughter, capturing the essence of eternal bonds between the two. These tattoos intertwine the delicate birth flowers of them both, a tribute that blooms forever on the skin as vibrant and meaningful as the memories it holds for love, for family, for maternal connection. Lauren has skillfully implemented all of the necessary tools for creating beautiful and impactful realistic tattoos, they are delicate, well saturated and have a high level of attention to detail.

Personally, Lauren loved tattooing these intricate flowers for Frances and Kate. This was France's first tattoo, and on a more informal note, we don't think she'd mind us saying she's in her 70's and not looking a day past 50! This serves as an important message on never being too old for some self care and getting a tattoo!