Dot tattoos are considered the most complex and painstaking to perform. There are very few artists capable of tattooing in this style, and only a few professionals. But high-quality finishing tattoos are real masterpieces of body art, radically different from the usual tattoos. They have their own characteristics and rules for introducing pigment under the skin. We will introduce you to the dotwork tattoo style more closely, tell you about their subtleties and advantages, and show you the most beautiful dotwork tattoos.
Features of dotwork tattoos
Dotwork literally translates as “dot work”. This is the whole essence of such tattoos: they are filled pointwise, each point is placed at a certain interval, and the result is voluminous, rich and truly mesmerizing designs.
Dotwork style tattoos have their own characteristics:
- As a rule, black ink is used for such dot tattoos, but in principle there are no color restrictions as such.
- Small tattoos are not performed in this style, as they will simply look ugly, and the design will not be “readable”. Dotwork tattoos love space.
- Such a point tattoo can be filled either with a conventional induction machine or manually.
- Dot style tattoos are easy to read from a long distance. There are no clear lines in them, and the volume is created due to the gaps in the skin between the points and the depth of pigment introduction.
- Finished tattoos are painful. Experienced people say that the pain with dotwork is much stronger than with traditional tattooing. This is also explained by the fact that the work takes much longer, and as you know, the longer, the more painful it is.
- Such dot tattoos look clear for a long time, since the dot technique allows you to introduce pigment deeper under the skin.
Do-it-yourself tattoos are a very difficult job. It's not even a matter of the time that the master spends when creating a drawing. To get a high-quality dot tattoo, the artist must have a mathematical mind and be able to calculate symmetry perfectly. During the work, the points should not intersect, the rows should line up naturally. Some artists, when creating sketches of dotwork style tattoos, spend hours drawing out designs using compasses and rulers.
Dotwork tattoo stories
As a rule, sketches of tattoos in the dotwork style are all kinds of ornaments, geometric patterns, contour drawings, and abstractions. Thanks to the storyline, dotwork tattoos do not bother their owner for a long time.
In this style, a wide variety of drawings can be made, including portraits, and they look amazing. However, the professionalism of the master is very important here. Girls often choose floral motifs, ethnic patterns and religious symbols. The meaning of dotwork tattoos directly depends on the chosen design. The dot style of tattoo is often combined with other techniques, serving as an excellent background for or.
To whom do we owe the appearance of dotwork tattoos?
Just as high-heeled shoes are associated with the name Christian Louboutan, dotted dotwork tattoos are associated with the name Xed Le Head. It is impossible to say with certainty that it was in his head that the idea of dotwork tattoos arose, because this direction has been known since ancient times, when representatives of African tribes decorated their bodies with dotted patterns. But Xed Le Head definitely popularized the genre.
In the 90s, he began tattooing dots on his own body. As the pioneer of the genre himself says, before his first tattoo he didn’t know how to draw at all, but just wanted to “do something” and he liked it. In Russia, you can count the number of do-it-yourself artists on your fingers, but in Europe this style is more popular.
The process of creating a dotwork tattoo
A dotwork style tattoo is created according to the following step-by-step instructions:
- Having found an experienced artist who has experience creating tattoos in this genre, first of all you will have to discuss with him what kind of image and on what part of the body you will have.
- Then the master will transfer the sketch to the skin according to the principle of transfers, having previously cleaned and disinfected it. Some artists draw the outlines of the future tattoo directly on the skin.
- When creating a traditional tattoo, the work begins with filling the outline. In a dotted tattoo, areas of the image are immediately filled with dots.
- When the work is completed, the skin will be treated with an antiseptic and a bandage will be applied on top.
Periods serve more than just punctuation to mark the end of a sentence. As you can see, with their help you can create masterpieces. How do you like this dot tattoo technique? If you have tattoos made in this style on your body, share your impressions in the comments below.
Video: How to get a do-it-yourself tattoo
Dotwork tattoo (English dotwork - “dot work”) is a tattoo style in which the design is made using a special technique and consists of dots. Due to the different density of points, a gradient and transmission of light and shadow is created. Tattoos can be made entirely in the dotwork style, or can be integrated with other styles. For example, in combination with blackwork (large areas of dense black paint).
Blackwork technology is considered complex. Only with extensive experience and a high level of professionalism can they create high-quality tattoos in the dotwork style.
Distinctive features of Dotwork Tattoo:
- predominantly black color
- symmetry
- geometricity
- large size
It is worth noting that masters can use style and technique as an expressive means, going beyond the usual characteristics of style.
Popular Stories Tattoo Dotwork
Tattoo Dotwork Ornaments
The ornament requires high skill and a good sense of symmetry. The master needs to create a harmonious sketch, and then transfer it to the skin, taking into account the anatomy and characteristics of the skin. Dotwork style ornaments can be placed on almost any part of the body and are universal for both men and women.
Dotwork Tattoo with Animals
If we combine our favorite tattoo theme and a progressive tattoo style, we get bright, contrasting tattoos in the dotwork style. The drawing should be large so that all the details and nuances can be clearly read on it.
Tattoo Dotwork Abstraction
The Dotwork style fits very organically into abstract tattoos. If the ornaments are a structure with a symmetrical composition, then they can be chaotic, asymmetrical, but at the same time look stylish and non-standard.
Men's Dotwork Tattoos
Men most often choose. It could be a sleeve that combines other styles, or it could be a mandala on the back or. Using the dotwork technique, the depth and volume of the drawing are conveyed very well.
Women's Dotwork Tattoos
Girls prefer ornaments and mandalas on the shoulder and. Dotwork in tattoos with natural motifs, for example, in tattoos with animals or nature, looks very unusual. Even in a small sketch, using dots you can create beautiful transitions and an airy effect.
In modern society, a tattoo is not considered an attribute of people who have been or are in prison. Today, people get tattoos to stand out from the crowd, to show their individuality, and not their belonging to any criminal caste. There are many types of tattoos, as well as their execution options. One of the unique types of implementation is a tattoo in the dotwork style. This is a dot tattoo that forms a specific pattern.
Dotwork style tattoo: origin story
This style appeared in the 6th century BC. Even then, various tribes left dotted patterns on the human body. This became known thanks to cave paintings made by ancestors from Africa. They depicted people whose bodies were covered with ornaments in the form of dots.
Such henna designs also existed in Ancient Egypt. There people decorated their bodies with various ornaments. There is an opinion that this type of painting appeared in India. But this judgment is erroneous, since this type of body art appeared much earlier. In Asia, it began to be used only in the 12th century.
The closest parents of dotwork today are considered to be divisionism and pointillism. These directions appeared in the 19th century. Craftsmen made circular drawings from rectangular dots. Today, this style has not lost its relevance, but has reached a new level of popularity.
Ideas for dotwork tattoos
Due to the nature of their application, such tattoos require filling large spaces of the body, since small works are simply “lost.” Below we will look at the most popular motifs that are used in dotwork sketches.
Animals
Animals occupy an important position in this style. Basically, their image demonstrates similar traits in the character of the person and the depicted beast.
A dotted wolf tattoo means that a person has independence, while a wolf tattoo indicates the desire for freedom and inner strength.
Birds symbolize the desire for bright changes. Marine animals demonstrate an attraction to luck and a love of experimentation. A large predator, such as a bear or a lion, symbolizes the tough character of the wearer.
The fox denotes intelligence, cunning, as well as the cheerful disposition inherent in the bearer.
Flowers
The image of a lotus is often found in dotwork tattoos. Basically, this flower is made in the style of geometry, realism or ornament. The main meaning of the lotus is power, divine conduct, inaccessibility and strength. Sakura symbolizes the transience and fragility of life.
Scull
The dotted skull design is the most popular motif among men. This element is especially popular among rock musicians, metalheads and bikers. Wearers often perceive this sketch as a talisman and protection from death. With its help, they try to show their courage and bravery before the upcoming trials. For young people, it means determination and lack of fear.
Patterns
Very often, do-it-yourself tattoos are decorations for the body and do not carry any meaning. However, in cases where the patterns represent a mandala, the tattoo can tell about the wearer certain information about his character.
In the event that the lines do not have precise shapes, and the colors used are predominantly light in color, the tattoo symbolizes the gentle nature and romantic nature of the wearer. If the drawing is red, then most likely it speaks of a person’s need for love and care, as well as an explosive nature.
Geometry
Geometric shapes in dotwork tattoos are used mainly as the main part of the entire design. Moreover, each geometric figure has its own meaning and carries a separate meaning.
The triangle pointing downwards symbolizes earth and water, and the figure pointing upwards represents water and fire. A divided diamond signifies the strength and power inherent in man. The love of travel and the stars is symbolized by a hexagonal star. It also means a connection with the other world.
Best Places for Dotwork Tattoos
Do-it-yourself tattoos are placed on almost all parts of the body. Sometimes when drawing large sketches they combine blackwork and dotwork. Blackwork is drawings made in solid black. Such combinations look great on a man's body. The best places for this combination are the area on the back or chest.
A tattoo on the forearm is a great option for girls. The shoulder is usually used as an extension of the sleeve. A sleeve is a tattoo on the arm that is inked from the wrist to the shoulder. The least common tattoos are on the leg.
Sketches of tattoos in dotwork style
Despite the fact that this style was originally created for men, modern girls often use do-it-yourself tattoos to decorate their bodies. This is because some tribes in Africa consider women as sacred givers of life.
Most often, drawings are selected for girls that are applied with minimal space in black. Images of different color saturation symbolize femininity and fertility.
Mostly women apply such tattoos on their forearms and arms. A similar tattoo on the back adds eroticism to a woman’s body.
A detailed examination of tattoos made with dots shows a large amount of floristry and geometric shapes, as can be seen in the photo.
Photos of finished works
Popular dotwork tattoo themes include abstract style ornaments, skulls, birds, labyrinths, animals, girls and clocks. The photo below shows the best works of masters from all over the world.
