What is a watercolor tattoo? Watercolor Tattoos for Girls - Women's Watercolor Tattoos Sketches Watercolor tattoos for girls on the arm

Light, airy and bright tattoos in the watercolor style can easily be confused with body art at first glance, as they look so much like picturesque pictures drawn by the artist using a brush and paints. Masters working in this style are able to masterfully convey shade transitions, color nuances and even watery stains characteristic of watercolor painting. That is why today lovers of body art are increasingly liking watercolor tattoos, a photo of which you will see in the article.

Unusual tattoo in watercolor style

History of watercolor masterpieces

The founder of this graceful and airy style is rightfully considered to be the New York master Amanda Wachob. Initially, the girl was engaged in painting oil paintings, which are exhibited in American galleries, and in 1998 she began painting bodies. Amanda's work seems truly fantastic and insanely realistic, because it is almost impossible to distinguish her tattoo style from brush strokes.

Amanda Wachob tells the story of her turn to the art of tattooing on her website. As the artist writes, one day, when she woke up, she noticed strange marks and incomprehensible signs on her hand. This caused confusion and curiosity in her soul. After a while, the unusual symbols disappeared on their own, and Amanda realized that she wanted to seriously start painting the human body with her own signs.

Now the creator of watercolor masterpieces works as a tattoo artist in New York, and an hour of her time costs about $350. Despite the fabulous price, the line of people wanting to hang out with Amanda never runs out.

It is also interesting that even those people who have a very negative attitude towards tattoos, having encountered Amanda’s work, cannot help but admit that such work is real art.

Tree with leaves in watercolor style

Stylistics of drawings

Important . Surprising and so different from the usual ones, tattoos in the watercolor style, oddly enough, are brought to life with the same ordinary tools of a tattoo artist. Not every tattoo artist is able to convey many halftones and achieve the effect of a blurred design using ordinary ink. Therefore, when choosing a watercolor style for your body jewelry, try to find a master whose portfolio already includes similar works.

Dog in watercolor style

A watercolor tattoo, the meaning of which largely comes down to imitation of painting with paints, has the following style features:

• Softness, smoothness, ease of implementation
• Incredibly subtle color transitions, many shades, play of halftones.
• Simulation of streaks, blurred areas, drops and splashes.
• Often there is a lack of the usual black outline and edging that runs along the borders of the design. This effect also helps to achieve the airiness of a watercolor composition.
• Occasionally you can see compositions in which the watercolor style is combined with some other style. There are ordinary inscriptions splashed with paint, as well as drawings that move from monotonous realism to fabulous watercolors.

It is curious that the size of watercolor images can be absolutely any, and both a small colorful butterfly and a huge ornate plot that occupies the entire back and goes down the thigh look equally impressive. In addition, due to droplets of paint flying from the drawing and the lack of contours, the true size of the sketch is difficult to perceive; it seems to float on the skin.

Image of your favorite cat in watercolor style

Image options

The original style of watercolor paintings can be embodied in almost any image. Some decorate their bodies with naive, deliberately childish pictures, while others transfer huge paintings onto their skin. It is believed that in watercolor the plot is not as important as its execution, so you should not look for special meaning in paint strokes.

I have an octopus depicted on my entire back, made in watercolor style. I am very grateful to the master for developing the plot and quality work. There were no indifferent friends left. And strangers often comment how colorful and stylish my colored octopus looks.

Arseny, Pyatigorsk

Hummingbird bird on its back in watercolor style

Most valued by watercolor lovers are abstractions and illustrative drawings that should emphasize the style and show all its charms. Among other sketches, the most often chosen are the following options:

• Mythical creatures (dragons, unicorns, phoenixes, Japanese demon animals).
• Flowers (roses, lotuses, poppies).
• Animals (birds, fish, whales, butterflies, foxes, pandas, wolves and any others that the customer likes).
• A wide variety of objects made in a hand-drawn manner.

Tattoo in watercolor style on hand

Who chooses watercolor?

Initially, light and elegant drawings with soft colors and smooth transitions were recognized by girls who, with the help of watercolors, emphasized their tenderness and femininity. Floral motifs, birds and small animals are popular among women.

Soon, watercolor tattoos, the designs of which are not limited to just flowers, attracted the attention of men as well. Men's watercolor drawings gravitate towards abstractions and deliberately harsh subjects, compensating for the softness of the embodiment (blood, frightening images).

I never even thought about getting a tattoo until I came across sketches of watercolor compositions. Fairy-tale plots and bright colorful shades completely captivated me. It’s impossible not to fall in love with this tattoo style! I advise everyone to get acquainted with watercolor sketches and choose your own!

Anastasia, Veliky Ustyug

Scorpio in watercolor style

First, let's figure out what traditional watercolor is as a painting technique. To create such works, watercolor paints are used, which, when dissolved in water, form a transparent suspension, which allows you to create subtle color transitions, the effect of airiness and lightness. Watercolor combines pictorial and graphic characteristics. A tattoo in watercolor style almost completely replicates this painting technique.

The artists who create and constantly improve this style have achieved such a state of drawing on the body in this art that it is practically indistinguishable from watercolor painting. When looking at such works, you get the feeling that the image on the body was created using ordinary brushes and paints. The master’s tattoos have streaks characteristic of watery watercolors and are distinguished by an amazing play of shades, subtle color transitions, lightness and airiness.

The creators of the unique style believe that with the help of the same paint you can simply paint over a wall and create a beautiful work of art. So creating a tattoo is not just making money, but also an opportunity to give joy to people by creating beautiful art.

Tattoos in the watercolor style are preferred by true romantics, creative individuals who love everything unusual and original. Such an image on the body is comparable only to a painting, which carries a completely understandable meaning and has a certain concept.

Tattoos of this type often lack the traditional black border. This gives the drawing lightness, airiness and color thanks to free strokes and halftones that freely flow into each other.

Now watercolor tattoos are a whole trend with abstract and illustrative images. Interestingly, this drawing technique does not have a specific tool. However, tattoo artists create truly unique “pictures” with the materials they have.

Watercolor tattoos are valuable for their visual appeal, beauty of implementation and complexity. But here, as a rule, they don’t think about symbols. Tattoos of this direction are perceived as an art designed to bring aesthetic pleasure to both its owners and the people around them.

The subjects of watercolor tattoos are very different: mythical creatures, portraits, drawings of animals, butterflies, abstractions and so on. It all depends on the imagination of the client and the artist doing the tattoo. The sizes of the images also depend on the person's choice. It can be a small pattern or occupy large areas on the body. Tattoos in watercolor style are created for poetic and original people who want to emphasize their individuality.

The inventor of the watercolor tattoo style was an artist! Or rather, he still is – the talented Amanda Wachob, a master of artistic tattooing from the USA. She expanded the boundaries of painting and transferred watercolor paints to the skin, turning them into permanent drawings. It’s amazing how this is possible with the help of needles and pigments, but the author of the direction says: “Just as you can paint walls or create paintings with a brush, I consider a tattoo machine as an art tool.”
Tattoos in watercolor style are weightless and translucent, but remain bright and multifaceted. Sketches and photos of similar works are filled with beauty! It is not surprising that they soon filled catalogs. And there are more and more people who want to join art. Agree, it takes a special talent to achieve such success. Like painting, this style is thematically diverse. Using watercolor techniques you can depict flowers and animals, landscapes, portraits, and abstractions. Famous examples: hummingbird in watercolor, lion, owl. This style is also ideal for combinations: with graphics, linework and finishing touches.

Watercolor tattoo for girls

Watercolor is a unique technique of “painting” on the skin. Using special techniques, you can imitate stains, splashes and drips of paint, create shades and transitions. Beautiful and feminine! Suitable sketches are flowers, flying birds, butterflies. However, any plot where there is dynamics and movement is suitable. If you like bright motifs and colors, then consider a sketch of a fox or a rose. Surrounded by delicate shades, they will look flawless. And if you want a calm atmosphere, then consider a marine theme.

Watercolor tattoo for men

Men's tattoos in watercolor style are unusual images of a wolf, lion, owl, and tiger. Sleeve tattoos or large-scale work on the leg are especially impressive! The master, like an artist, selects a palette and creates a canvas. And it achieves a cosmic effect... By the way, watercolor space in tattoos is another hot topic for men.

The art of tattooing has long gone beyond the scope of simple one-color tattoos. One of the relatively recently appeared types of drawings on the body is a watercolor tattoo.

What an amazing drawing?

The founder of this trend was a tattoo artist from New York, Amanda Wachob. She introduced a completely innovative way of presenting body painting. Possessing professional artistic skills, she completely imitated the work of a natural brush and water-soluble paints. Thanks to this, it transformed the standard into a visually as if the drawing was made using the watercolor technique. The part of the body on which the image is applied resembles a fragment of an artistic canvas. Although this artist does not use any special tool for this style, other than the usual tattoo machine, the result makes an amazing impression.

If you plunge into childhood memories, a picture emerges before your eyes of how a clumsy hand with a brush made of squirrel hair drew blurry patterns on its body. What delight triumphed in my soul then, and how exciting the process seemed. Nowadays it is possible to realize children's fantasies with the help of professional craftsmen. Watercolor tattoos can give adults a vivid feeling of delight and their own uniqueness. You can see sketches made using this technique in our article. It’s possible that some of them will appeal to you too.

Peculiarity

A watercolor tattoo is valuable primarily for its beauty and complex image rendering. All attention is focused on the visual appeal of the image, and its meaning fades into the background. It is in these aspects that watercolor tattoos are fundamentally different from ordinary ones. This style of body painting is subject to a varied palette of shades. It is possible to use different tones of the same color or contrasting notes.

Whatever option you choose, it will only emphasize the individuality of the owner of the tattoo. Depending on your wishes, you can choose a laconic image of a small size or paint a completely defined one. The subject of the drawing has no boundaries, like the imagination of the master, you just need to choose the option that suits you.

Technicians

Watercolor tattoos can accentuate the advantages of a figure or, conversely, hide the features of the human body from prying eyes. Sometimes when drawing an image, lines of different saturation are combined, which gives it visual volume and brings the idea to the fore. This technique is often used by famous masters. Some consider it necessary to use the brightest possible colors so that the design retains the richness of the colors over a long period. Others use a blurry effect by adding a small amount of water to the pigment. There are works in which two techniques are combined, which involuntarily evokes associations of the parallel existence of reality and the world of fantasy.

Watercolor tattoo: z meaning

The meanings of tattoos made using the watercolor technique are similar to traditional ones. For example, a bird often symbolizes freedom and beauty. However, the interpretation depends on many factors: where exactly the image is applied, what specific species of birds. Here they are, excellent and controversial watercolor tattoos. Photos of works completed in this style are usually shown in salons, so if you like such drawings, be sure to look through the portfolio of the masters.

Important point

Tattoos using the watercolor technique have recently appeared in the post-Soviet space. As you know, mastery requires practice and, of course, time. Therefore, when deciding to apply this kind of tattoo, you should understand that the work requires a truly high level of professionalism. Decent quality costs an order of magnitude more. The cost factor is certainly important, but is not decisive.

Conclusion

A watercolor tattoo is a great chance to give yourself extra beauty. The body is like a canvas, the boundaries of creativity are determined only by the master’s own imagination and professional capabilities.

The world of tattoos has long gone beyond the boundaries of single-color and simple tattoos. More and more different types and unusual styles are appearing. One style that has emerged recently is the watercolor tattoo.

The origins of the Watercolor technique

The founder of this style is considered to be a tattoo artist from New York, Amanda Wachob. She, having professional artistic skills, was able to transfer a watercolor drawing from a sheet of paper to the body, without using any additional tools - only a tattoo machine. What has become completely new and extraordinary in the world of tattooing. She turned ordinary body drawings into masterpieces of art. The word “Watercolor” itself is familiar to everyone since childhood. It was with watercolors that we learned the basics of fine art in kindergarten and school. Translated from French and Italian, “aquarelle” means “watery.” Thanks to the dissolution of watercolor pigments in water, smooth transitions and soft color notes are created in the drawing.

Style Features

The effect of lightness, delicate colors, smooth smudges create a truly extraordinary look. That is why the use of the “Watercolor” style when creating a tattoo is in great demand today. Images in this style look like paintings taken from the canvases of great artists. The airiness and transparency of the lines creates the impression that the tattoo was drawn on the body with ordinary paint, and not filled with a tattoo machine. Which is especially tempting for those who are critical of ordinary tattoos. A tattoo in the “Watercolor” style is like a painting, only it does not gather dust on the wall, but is always with the owner.

The meaning of watercolor tattoos

This style is preferred by romantic and creative people. But this does not mean that only girls and men also love colors and art. Watercolor tattoos are known for their beauty and unusualness, so most clients do not think about the symbolic meaning of the painting; they want to receive aesthetic pleasure. from her presence. The choice of subject for printing depends entirely on the taste and preference of the client. It can be a mythical creature, nature, abstract images, portraits and many other masterpieces. The symbolic meaning of tattoos made in the watercolor style is almost the same as that of ordinary tattoos. Therefore, in addition to amazing beauty, you can add a certain philosophy and hidden meaning to a watercolor tattoo.

Features of creation

Please pay special attention that a professional craftsman working in this style initially creates a sketch on paper. It is here that he embodies all the transitions and combinations of colors, otherwise real watercolor will not work. Therefore, he should ideally be able to paint with watercolors on paper and create an entire world or story with paint. Watercolor is considered poetry among paintings, so before choosing, think about the plot, the semantic load, and what your painting will convey to others.

Features of the performance technique

With the help of a watercolor tattoo, you can hide figure flaws or, on the contrary, emphasize your strengths and draw attention to yourself. Each tattoo artist working in this style uses his own application features. Some people combine lines with strokes, others use only the blur effect and volume. But still, a watercolor tattoo has certain features by which you can immediately identify this style:

• Divorces;
• Spray;
• Strokes;
• Smooth transition of shades;
• No black border;
• Wide palette of colors;

In conclusion, I would like to give advice: if you have a passion for this style and decide to create a masterpiece from an art gallery on your body, take the choice of the artist seriously and do not skimp on it. Otherwise, your dream may turn into a “spoiled childhood picture.”