Blackwork

Blackwork is a style in tattoo art that is characterized by the use of predominantly black color and dense, thick lines.

It is very contrasting and, in some ways, aggressive style, which is suitable for creating bright and unusual body images.

Blackwork style has a long history, which begins in ancient times.

One of the first examples of black tattooing is Maori. It is a culture in New Zealand. New Zealand Aborigines used black paint to tattoo soldiers.

In the modern world, blackwork became popular thanks to American prison tattoo masters who used black pigment to create complex and detailed body images. In the 1980s it became especially popular among bikers and representatives of subculture "Grindcore".

Modern blackwork has little in common with its predecessors. This is a very original and recognizable technique. The plot of sketches is completely unlimited. Portrait, ornament of ancient tribe, abstract spot or «Black Square» Malevich - almost anything can be depicted in this style.

Today blackwork is experiencing a new wave of popularity.

Oddly enough, one of the reasons for this was the necessity to cover old failed works. The demand generated a supply of many masters of the world: from fairly banal and primitive works of blackwork developed into graceful and, at times, avant-garde art.

However, even today, through the work in the blackwork style often close not the most successful, annoying or irrelevant tattoos. This is a great solution because a large amount of black pigment is able to hide all defects of previous works. However, this style is not just a convenient auxiliary technique, but also a completely independent direction, having a huge number of fans around the world.

What is the difference between blackwork and conventional monochrome tattoo? First of all - an abundance of pigment. In such works, black fills almost the entire composition, and open areas of the skin often serve as the boundary between the images.

Since the work in this style restricts the masters in a number of classic artistic techniques, for example, in the transition of colors, there are used non-standard techniques. One of them is active work with negative space.

1. Black domination:
   1. The main feature of this style is the use of black pigment only. This allows you to create rich and deep images.
2. Thick lines:
   1. The blackwork uses wide, dense lines that create a volume effect and give the drawing expressiveness.
3. Geometric shapes:
   1. Geometric shapes and lines are often used in this style, making tattoos abstract.
4. Versatility:
   1. The blackwork style is suitable for both men and women, and can be used to create a variety of tattoos - from portraits to abstract patterns.
5. Durability:
   1. Thanks to the use of black pigment, tattoos in this style look very rich and bright even after years.

It should be noted that such work requires high professionalism of the master. He/she should not only be able to work with proportions and composition, but also be able to develop ornaments and know technique. Removing such work will be extremely difficult, so it is very important to choose a real professional. Work on tattoos in the style of blackwork usually takes quite a lot of time. This is due to the volume and complexity of the technique.

Since a large area of skin is damaged during the tattoo application, after the work it is necessary to follow all the recommendations of the master for its aftercare. This will help to avoid possible problems and keep the body image quality.

Blackwork today is a completely universal style that allows you to perform almost any image.

Here are just a few ideas:

1. Abstract.
   1. Blackwork-style abstract tattoos usually consist of complex patterns and lines that have no specific meaning. They can include geometric shapes, spirals, waves, spots and other elements that create a unique and beautiful image.
2. Geometry.
   1. Blackwork-style geometric tattoos usually consist of simple lines and shapes such as squares, triangles and circles. Such work can be as simple as possible, and very multifaceted, including many elements. They can be abstract or, on the contrary, have a profound meaning: symbolize elements of nature, elements or magical objects.
3. Ornament.
   1. As mentioned above, ethnicity has never lost its relevance. The designs of various countries in the style of blackwork look stylish and exquisite. Celtic motifs, Scandinavian symbols, mandalas from Hinduism - the choice here is extremely varied.
4. Mystique.
   1. One of the very popular and, at the same time, non-trivial themes for tattoos in the style of blackwork is mystique. Crows, skulls, various magical symbols and objects look very organic in this technique.
5. Portraits.
   1. Monochrome, black-painted portraits can be extremely detailed and voluminous.

Of course, this is only a small list of ideas that can be used in creating a tattoo sketch. Blackwork is vast and multifaceted, with a framework of imagination. The main thing - to find a competent master who can implement all your ideas in life.