Realistic tattoos. Realism - tattoo like a photograph Realism tattoo for men

Realism tattoos can easily be called one of the most sought-after and popular styles. The style of realism is considered one of the most technically complex. A tattoo artist must be, first and foremost, an artist skilled in academic drawing.

The development of realism in tattooing is associated with the development of tattoo machines. It is possible to create a complex, realistic design with many details, nuances and gradients only with a high-quality modern tattoo machine. Most often, portraits become subjects for tattoos in the style of realism. People decorate their bodies with drawings of idols, movie characters, and relatives.

Popular Places and Subjects Tattoo Realism

Realistic Tattoo on Forearm

A realistic tattoo on the forearm is a universal option. The drawing on the forearm can be quite voluminous; this area of ​​skin is enough to detail a portrait of a person or an image of an animal. Girls most often choose floral motifs in the style of realism for the forearm. Men prefer portraits of idols, scenes from their loved ones or video games.

Tattoo Realistic Sleeve

A sleeve tattoo in the style of realism implies a three-dimensional plot image. such a tattoo most often includes a combination of portraits, elements of nature or architecture. You can often find sleeves with female portraits or motifs from the world of fantasy.

Tattoo Realistic Animals

Animal tattoos are popular due to their aesthetic component, which is also complemented by hidden meaning. In ancient times, tribes had their own totem animals, guardians and helpers. Since then, people have become accustomed to looking for similarities between their character and the temperament of animals, and to make representatives of the fauna their amulets and talismans.

Tattoo Realism Flowers

The botanical tattoo is embodied in each of the tattoo styles, including realism. - record holder in the ranking of the most popular tattoos. Flower tattoos, like animal tattoos, include a visually beautiful design and deep meaning. In different traditions, you can find legends about flowers, study their meaning, and then decorate your skin with a realistic tattoo. The advantage of realism in the depiction of flowers is that you can ask the master not just a rose, but a rose with drops of morning dew. Such details add additional meaning and color to the tattoo and make it unique.

Black and White Tattoos Realism

Black and white tattoos help relieve the sketch of unnecessary stress. Let's say you want a large plot drawing, with many details. If such a tattoo is colored, it will be much more difficult to perceive, and a black and white design will be more modest and laconic. Black and white tattoos are focused on the content and meaning of the tattoo.

Men's Realism Tattoos - Realism Tattoo Sketches for Men

Among the most popular men's tattoos in the style of realism are: portraits of idols and loved ones, nature, the animal world, scenes from movies, scenes from myths and legends. Realism is a very multifaceted style that gives scope for creativity and imagination. It is not uncommon to see realism combined with other tattoo styles, such as ornaments or watercolors.

Women's Tattoos Realism - Tattoos Realism Sketches for Girls

Every year, girls all over the world decide to get large tattoos more and more often. Drawings in the style of realism are no longer a masculine trend in tattoos. Images of flowers and animals, birds and portraits are the most popular realism tattoos among girls. Popular places for tattoos: forearm, shoulder, back.

Realism (English)realism, realistic) - a tattoo style in which the image matches the original as closely as possible.

In a realistic tattoo, it is the level of correspondence to reality that is considered the key parameter of quality, and the pinnacle of skill is an image that is absolutely indistinguishable from the original.

However, a tattoo artist can bring his own vision to the work within certain limits and use various artistic techniques.

Realism is the brightest representative artistic tattoo, since it primarily performs a decorative function and has all the means for its maximum expression.

Etymology and meaning

Realism (French realisme, Latin realis ) - real, real.

The most complete, objective reflection of reality using artistic means.

The term was first used by a French writer Jules Francois Felix Husson in the 50s of the 19th century to designate the direction of painting opposing romanticism and academicism.

Visual features of the style

Color

A full color palette can be used with all intermediate shades and tones ( Realistic color tattoo) or only black and gray tones ( Realistic black & gray tattoo).

Strictly speaking, there are no restrictions on the color palette of a tattoo at all, and its scale depends only on the original image and its interpretation by the artist.

To achieve maximum contrast, white is often used. The highlights of the eyes, the illuminated part of the skin, hair, reflections of water and metal, and other objects that reflect or emit light as much as possible are whitened.

In the absence of white, its role in the image is played by the flesh color of the client’s skin, not covered with pigment, which significantly reduces the overall realism and brightness of the tattoo.

Color transitions

To achieve realistic drawing, it is necessary to have intermediate shades, halftones and their gradation, since chiaroscuro, falling shadows, reflection, focal blur and other effects, without which photorealism is simply impossible, require smooth color transitions.

Matching and similar styles

Chicano- is essentially a subdirection of realism and inherits all its features, limiting only the theme of the tattoo and visual features.

Biomechanics and organics also included in realism. They come into contact with it in case of simulating a surface rupture.

Themes, objects and images

Portraits of people

The basis of the theme in realism is portraiture. People want to capture the memory of their loved ones for life.

Portraits of relatives and loved ones are often found. Children, parents, husbands and wives, whose meaning in life is the most important, are worthy of memory through fixation in a tattoo.

The image of an idol is also quite popular. It can be a famous musician, actor, political, ideological and spiritual leader, scientist and philosopher, in a word, any popular personality whose activities a person associates with his life.

Characters in films and modern computer games, heroes of literary works, mythological heroes - everything with whom a person self-initiates himself and whose qualities he strives for.

There is a well-known tendency to not take tattoos and one’s own body too seriously. And some individuals fill themselves with portraits of people who are of temporary importance to them. This could be a girl, a loved one, but not necessarily a long-term one, a portrait of one-day groups and even funny Internet characters. Most often, such clients return to the tattoo studio to cover up the ill-fated portrait.

Thematic scenes

Scenes from films, paintings by famous artists, great historical events, biblical episodes, or simply a certain plot invented by a tattoo artist - all these are topics for display in a realistic tattoo.

The tattoo artist transfers a certain scene onto the client’s body with the greatest precision, often even imitating the artist’s manner and technique, and imitating other effects of the original.

Animals, birds, fish and insects

We remind you that realism is a style of artistic tattooing and, accordingly, is purely decorative. None of the meanings of a prison tattoo apply to her. And the image of animals, including, will carry exclusively the meaning that you put into it yourself.

Of course, people choose the most beautiful, respected animals for tattoos, as well as those whose character traits match and appeal to them.

A tiger, lion or bear - as evidence of the wearer’s desire for strength and authority.

Raccoon, cat, fox, squirrel - affection, sensitivity, love.

Snake, shark, wolf, bull - aggression, challenge.

Individual inanimate objects

Often the object of the image becomes the attributes of certain professions and hobbies, for example, a tattoo artist will choose a tattoo machine, a casino player will choose cards or dice, and a musician and music lover will choose a microphone or audio cassette. To do this, you need to accept your activities and be proud of them.

Skulls, weapons, berries and flowers, feathers and ribbons, precious stones - as objects that characterize the character and value system of the wearer (as with animals).

Flowers are the most common inanimate object used in realism, since only in this style is it possible to most fully convey in a tattoo all the beauty of the play of chiaroscuro of the petals and the glare of dew on them.

Simulation of the interaction of a drawing with reality. 3D tattoo.

The drawing of objects “lying” on the body or crawling animals and insects “climbing out” from it looks quite impressive.

In a 3D tattoo, the artist works out high-quality shadows and points of interaction (wound, rupture, break, hole, window). In this direction, realism can intersect with biomechanics and organics.

Crawling spiders and lizards, butterflies and caterpillars, objects threaded through the skin, windows and cracks leading to another reality - all this becomes an excellent subject for a tattoo.

Application Features

Choosing a tattoo design

Often, a sketch for a tattoo in the style of realism is taken from search engines (of course, with the exception of portraits of relatives). And, naturally, lazy users grab the first high-quality photos of the desired topic that come up in the search results, and then they are disappointed when they see a copy of their own tattoo, especially if it is done a little better.

The realistic tattoo style has appeared relatively recently and is rapidly gaining momentum. And, in order to avoid dozens of duplicate tattoos on the street, photos for which were taken from the first page of Google, the only right decision is to order the development of an individual sketch in a tattoo studio.

Believe me, a master capable of creating an exact copy of a photo in a tattoo will easily draw a completely unique sketch based on the images you choose and taking into account your personal wishes, or, in extreme cases, perform a photo montage.

Preparing a sketch

As a rule, a tattoo in the style of realism is made from a photograph. The reliability of the final drawing depends on its quality, resolution and contrast. Therefore, ideally, a tattoo artist working in this direction should be proficient in graphic editors in order to process photographs if necessary. In some cases, a photomontage or collage of photographs is possible, forming a new unique image.

The tattoo artist prints out the final photograph and then uses it as a regular hand-drawn sketch.

Transferring the sketch to the body

The sketch is transferred by standard means using transfer paper or similar materials. The printed photograph itself or its outline is taken as a sample of the contours.

The difficulty lies in smooth transitions, which must be reliably conveyed in the tattoo. If the shadow on the cheek of the portrait is distorted, shifted or does not match the original in smoothness, the general features of the face will also change, and then the portrait will turn out to be different, which will not suit any customer. Therefore, in addition to contrasting boundaries, areas of tonal transition are also noted. And the more complex the image, the more additional intermediate lines should be present.

Unlike less artistic styles, in a realistic tattoo, even with transitional contours, it is impossible to completely transfer the original image. Many nuances remain uncertain, such as the softness of the borders, the actual color (after all, it is far from uniform) and small details. Therefore, during the work process, the tattoo artist still has to work, as they say, by eye and constantly check with the original in order to get a minimum of differences.

Application process

Realism is recognized by most tattoo artists as the most technically complex tattoo style.

Needless to say, to reproduce a photorealistic image using such a rather crude instrument as a tattoo machine requires not only artistic skills, but also the highest level of mastery of equipment and materials.

In realism, unlike other styles, the finest elaboration of small details and complex elements is required, such as hair, texture and folds of skin, eyes with highlights and reflections, drops of water, clouds, evenly blurred boundaries out of focus, and the like.

To form soft transitions and shades of the tattoo, the pigment is diluted with distilled water or other specialized means, after which the artist has the opportunity to operate with any intermediate tones.

Each master has his own method of work, but several general stages can be identified after transferring the sketch:

1. Designation of contours.

Transitions can be indicated by sparse dotted lines or thin black. In some cases, they do without marking the contours of the tattoo at all, since, unlike the old-school tattoo, in a realistic tattoo the outline lines may have different colors or not be clear at all.

2. Filling black and dark areas.

3. Fill in colored areas, starting with darker and brighter tones.

4. Filling white elements.

5. Final adjustment. Working through the nuances of compliance and realism.

History of realism

The technical ability to apply a tattoo, which claims to be a high-quality reflection of reality, has appeared relatively recently. Realism in the modern sense appeared at the end of the 20th - beginning of the 21st centuries, with the advent of professional equipment on the market and, first of all, high-quality tattoo machines. Before this, attempts were constantly made to capture portraits of relatives and friends, famous personalities, as well as animals, but such works could not be called realistic.

Traditionally, such tattoos were made by sailors, prisoners and soldiers who, due to circumstances, were separated from their loved ones and tried to emphasize their individuality and express themselves despite the surrounding reality. But, taking into account the quality of the available equipment, and even more so the conditions of the places of sale, the result left much to be desired.

The development of technology, the expansion of the market and the popularization of culture led to the fact that tattooing from an underground, often forbidden and very specific activity was reborn into a new art form that attracted a new type of artists with the highest artistic abilities.

After the style reached a qualitatively new level, it immediately spread far beyond the boundaries of the places of its formation.

Now, having all the necessary technical means and professional artists in its arsenal, tattoo culture can afford any styles and directions, including full-fledged realism, indistinguishable from photography.

Realistic tattoos appeared in the 19th century. They say that this style was started by a certain professor who studied them. He collected a collection of replica tattoos depicting famous personalities such as Bismarck, Napoleon and others. This style is one of the most difficult. Working on such a tattoo takes a lot of time, several sessions. And this means that it will be quite expensive.

A tattoo in the style of realism requires high professionalism from the artist. This style requires accurate image rendering. The master must have a good command of drawing techniques in order to give the image depth and realism. Applying a design on an uneven surface of leather is much more difficult than on canvas or paper. In addition, such tattoos are quite large. Therefore, they are usually applied to the chest, shoulder or back.

Portraits of loved ones, celebrities, idols, movie or game characters are very often done in the realism style. For a portrait it is especially important that it resembles the person depicted in it, since errors and flaws in this style are most noticeable. Small inaccuracies - and the resemblance to the original is already very doubtful. If you come across a really bad master, the mistake can become almost irreparable.

Realistic techniques often depict landscapes, space, and the underwater world. Some people get tattoos with a wide variety of animals and plants. Particularly popular in this sense are cats, horses, dragonflies, spiders, and owls. Pet owners sometimes want to get a tattoo with his image. And sometimes entire reproductions of famous paintings are applied as tattoos.

But perhaps the most difficult area in realism is 3D tattoos. Special techniques allow the artist to make the drawing three-dimensional. Such tattoos look especially realistic. An interesting effect is created if you look at three-dimensional tattoos with insects. Looking at photographs, it is sometimes difficult to determine whether it is a drawing or a real beetle.

The value of such tattoos lies in their uniqueness. It is extremely difficult to get two absolutely identical realistic tattoos. And the realism itself gives them a special aesthetics.

Originating many thousands of years ago, tattoos were originally rather primitive patterns applied to the body for the purpose of protection from evil spirits. However, man has always strived to achieve perfection in this art form, and it was a hard and long path.

Over the centuries, the craftsman's technique has been improved, the tools for applying images have been modernized, and new formulas for dyes have appeared. And finally, in the nineteenth century, tattoo art reached a new level. Realistic tattoos appeared.

The meaning of tattoos on the body

Unlike many other types of tattoos, images applied to the body in a realistic manner play, first of all, a decorative role, bringing aesthetic pleasure to a person. The drawings, as if coming to life on the skin, delight the owner of the tattoo and make a stunning impression on the people around him.

Tattooing images using this technique is a great way to imprint a favorite image on your body (be it a person dear to your heart, your favorite actor or character from a movie, a faithful and devoted pet, your main hobby and life’s work). Sometimes people simply want to decorate their body without associating the applied image with specific images; in this case, amazing ornaments, fantasy motifs or flower compositions open up to their eyes.

Themes of tattoo images

The realistic tattoo genre is unlimited in the choice of themes for images. Anything your heart desires can serve as inspiration for a tattoo. This feature of realism tattoo allows the customer and the artist applying the image to give free rein to their imagination and bring to life the most daring ideas and images, because the main thing in this direction is to make the drawing as real and alive as possible.

The most commonly used motifs in tattoo realism are:

1. ornamental motifs (a professional craftsman will make you believe that the ornaments applied to the body are made of metal, carved from wood and bone, carved from flesh with a sharp blade);
2. images of plants (this type is more typical for girls who want to have velvet roses or delicate lilies, bamboo or ivy branches on their bodies), the images look extremely believable;
3. images of animals (this type of drawing is equally loved by both men and women), tropical butterflies, birds, lizards, animals of prey, graceful forest animals, cute pets come to life on the skin;
4. creatures from the world of fantasy (girls prefer magical elves and fairies, unicorns, Mogwai, men prefer to apply characters from computer games, alien invaders, ferocious dragons to their skin);
5. portraits of people (often photographs of their own children, favorite actors and characters from films, cult rock and pop performers);
6. images and zombies (not everyone decides to get this type of tattoo, although such designs certainly have their fans);
7. cyberpunk (biomechanical structures look impressive and original, and their frightening verisimilitude on the body always makes an indelible impression on others).

Important! Realistic tattoos are the most complex type of tattoo art, requiring exceptional skill. Not all tattooists can achieve the effect of a “living drawing”. Therefore, before entrusting your body to a master, you need to look at his portfolio.

Tattoo color scheme

Images in a realistic manner can be color or black and white, it all depends on the chosen theme and the personal desires of the customer.

Black and white flowers can be used to decorate portraits of people, characters from films and games, some types of ornaments, as well as floral arrangements and animals can look good.

Absolutely all types of realistic tattoos will look impressive in color. The effect of presence is achieved through the master’s skillful play with light and shadow and the use of a rich palette of shades. The talent and skill of the artist can erase all the boundaries between fiction and reality, making the drawing come to life on the skin. Ornaments, animals, people, epic battles will not leave anyone indifferent, being executed in color.

Important! Realistic tattoos can sometimes rival masterpieces of world fine art in terms of execution technique. However, working with human skin is several times more difficult than working with paper or canvas. Illiterate work by a tattoo artist can leave scars on the skin or lead to uneven distribution of pigment in the image, which will ruin the appearance and quality of the tattoo. Therefore, you need to approach the choice of a salon and a specialist responsibly and seriously!

Realistic tattoo placement on the skin

Wearable images using realistic techniques turn out to be so interesting and alive due to the high detail of the drawing. It is impossible to imagine any other type of tattoo that would have as many nuances. A distinctive feature of all realistic drawings is their relatively large size, otherwise it is impossible to work out all the details of the image and achieve its believability.

Since the tattoo image in this technique is large in size, the best areas on the body for it will be the back, chest, shoulders and forearms, buttocks, thighs, and sides. In addition to the fact that these areas have a large amount of skin, they are also characterized by the presence of a good layer of subcutaneous fat, which will make the tattoo procedure less painful.

Realistic tattoos, as a rule, are applied to the body in several sessions, which must be taken into account by a person who wants to receive exactly this type of tattoo image.

Many people believe that realistic tattoos appeared quite recently, but this is far from true. Back in the mid-nineteenth century, people began to depict portraits of Napoleon and Bismarck on themselves. Today, the tattoo style of realism has not lost its relevance. Most tattoo artists in Moscow believe that realism is the most difficult style in terms of technique. The whole difficulty lies in the fact that the specialist must have high artistic abilities, because he needs to convey all the accuracy of the drawing. A portrait on the body should look as realistic as possible. So, the master spends hours drawing every stroke and detail of the drawing. In addition, the tattoo artist needs to apply a natural tone to make the picture look real. As a result of this work, a real photograph appears on the body. Such a drawing should “breathe” and “live”.

Features of a tattoo in the style of realism

As already mentioned, not every specialist can perform such work. So he must have the talent of a tattooist and an artist at the same time. In addition, the tattoo artist must “get his hands on” in order to perform work in the style of realism at a high level. It is worth noting that this tattoo style has a huge number of fans. Many people prefer this “live” style. Brightness, realism and uniqueness are the main distinguishing features features modern Realistic Tattoo(realistic tattoo).

The basis for creating realistic tattoos can be beautiful images or photographs of loved ones. You can also use photographs of your favorite actors and famous people, as well as images of animals and plants. The choice of picture depends on your personal preferences and tastes. It is worth noting that realistic tattoos can be made in any color scheme. It could be like