Tattoo lettering emerged as yet another new form of tattooing. Earlier various designs like roses, fairies etc were used as interesting designs for tattooing but the implications of it were often ignored by the people. The meanings of the intricate designs of tattoos are unknown as they do not have any proof yet their marking becomes meaningless. Yes, these tattoos are lifetime fashion but lack originality. They have been directly picked up from the past and reflected in the artwork today with minimum scope for innovation. But lettering provides wider scope for innovation because when the individual is assisting the artist in choosing a design, common brainstorming could result in the satisfaction for both of the parties.
Marking on the skin helps the bearer to choose for himself a particular calligraphy of his choice which can be in the form of slang, quotes, sayings etc. the use of stencils can be incorporated that may result in a neat art form rather than using a free hand which creates more chances for a mistake to occur. However, the various forms of calligraphic and fonts can be collected from internet and books which talks of authentic information of the origin of the form so that while using it one is acquainted with the meaning of the script.
In case of lettering also a lot of attention has to be made while using the design along with a design or a picture. It must be ensured that the design is in accord with the text and they gel together giving a better perfectability. This is very essential because tattoos are a permanent fixture on the body and any kind of errors can spoil the design.
Tattoos can be considered to be fads. Therefore, the bearer must ensure that lettering should not be that intricate that leaves no scope for innovation. Too small fonts tend to look more clumsy and inhibiting the dissemination of the meaning. So, the individual must make a vigilant choice of fonts while selecting a particular font or calligraphy font as the tattoos are a permanent mark.
By Valerie Althorpe
