A portrait tattoo generally represents a person or group of people. Traditionally these tattoos were done as realistically as possible so as to resemble a direct photo or painting of the individual/s. As a result, a client looking for a portrait tattoo would seek the services of a portrait tattooist who excels in the realism style. Of course, artists (being artists) will always push the envelope and find new twists on concepts that better connect with current and future clients. This is as true for portrait tattoos as any other, and one tattoo style has been able to merge quite well with the concept – fine line tattooing.
Fine line work is thin and the designs are often delicate and intricate in nature, which is why you commonly see the method employed for flowers/vines and text/script tattoos. That being said, its recent inception into portrait work has resulted in some eye-catching and curiosity-inducing works of body art. This has motivated you to get one of your own, but you would like to see some examples of how it looks before booking your consultation. To assist, Sleight of Hand (SOH) Tattoo has pulled some samples from our portfolio for your reference. Let’s have a look!
RECENT EXAMPLES OF FINE-LINE PORTRAIT TATTOOS TO INSPIRE YOUR OWN
Friends and Family
Portrait tattoos are typically about the people we care about. However, they don’t always want to see their faces (and all of their perfect imperfections) rendered on your skin as a tattoo. Furthermore, unless done by an expert and you take excellent care (no UV exposure, etc.) traditional portrait tattoos and all of their shading don’t age so well. This is where fine line comes to the rescue. It ages perfectly, even with limited longterm care, and allows you to create a subtle portrait of you and/or your friends/family in a way that will be recognizable only to you and them. We really adore this one as it says so much with oh-so little:
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Here’s another special one between a father and daughter that warms the heart:
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A Portrait to Tell a Story
A portrait tattoo needn’t mirror a pose for the camera. Instead, it can tell a story that holds meaning to you, yet is not so clear to onlookers which will make them painfully curious about the explanation behind it. This task is easier to accomplish via the subtleties of fine line tattooing. In the example below, the fine line portrait tattoo creates a scene that is seemingly pulled from a film, novel, or short story. What’s going on here (below)? That’s a question only the beholder of the tattoo knows.
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In the Distance
A portrait tattoo doesn’t need to be a closeup of someone’s face. When framed like a Polaroid, the fine line style can capture a whimsical moment in time. If there is a photo of you or someone engaged in some sort of activity or set against a striking backdrop, fine line tattooing can capture the moment in a unique manner. Check out this one that was envisioned and completed at SOH Tattoo:
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Person…Place…or Thing?
Does there have to be a person in the image for it to be considered a portrait tattoo? As long as it’s framed, it can be considered one, and fine line gives it a distinctly pleasant aesthetic.
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BOOK A FREE CONSULTATION FOR A FINE LINE PORTRAIT TATOO AT SOH VANCOUVER:
CALL: 604.336.9177
EMAIL: hello@sohtattoo.com
Written By:
Sleight of Hand
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