Tattoos now come in a variety of styles. Artists often specialize in black and white portraits, abstract tribal bands, colorful floral designs and much more. In some cases, it does not matter where the tattoo is located. A piece can be on the back, arm, leg or scalp, and one the thing could be prominent. Lettering has such a huge part of tattooing, as many designs feature slogans or mottoes. Yet, something that used to only be part of a design has taken over. Tattoo lettering has become art unto itself.
In some cases, it could be the slogans one has traditionally seen. Many older tattoos feature fonts on rolled up scroll. In other cases, just the letters themselves have become the whole of a tattoo. This can come in the form of somebody’s name, a motto, or even whole blocks of text. Some people have opted for biblical passages, while others use language personally important to them, like a key phrase often uttered by departed loved one.
While word pieces can go anywhere on the body, there are specific places that seem more popular than others. Typically, tattoo lettering can be seen on the side of either forearm. Names are often predominately featured on the neck, partly because that is one body part that is harder to cover up. That can be seen as a sign of devotion. Phases are often spelled out around the collar bone, or in a wide radius around the neck. Other popular locations include the top of a person’s stomach or their lower back.
Tattoo lettering comes in a wide variety of styles, as well. Some scripts involve a more swirly sense of cursive, while other bits of lettering use an older Gothic style of calligraphy. Typically, you might think of lettering as something solidly black, but even that limits the scope and variety available. Tattoos of letters can often include designs within each letter’s outline. So, somebody’s name write large on a back piece will feature a more involved design where pictures combine to make a greater whole. There is no limit to what can be done with lettering. New fonts are designed every year, and each evokes a different mood.
One thing, however, is also true. Lettering tends to be cheaper in price. Depending on the font and the amount of ornate detail, words can be inked in few minutes. Murals and back pieces, on the other hand, can take days and multiple visits to a shop. Even more, at professional tattooing rates, the price tag can easily range into the thousands of dollars. It would be a mistake to dismiss such tattoos. Tattoo choices are hardly arbitrary. Many people pay for them and use the same reasoning used for their other, more picture orientated pieces. It is personally important to them, and even if it is only a few letters or words, it represents something important in their life. That could include a whole time period, or it could include a more focused story.
