Fads come and go, but a tattoo (or at least a good one) should last a lifetime. Fine line tattoos are all the rage right now and to be honest, I’m not a fan. Can I do it? Yes. Will it look good once I’m done? Yes. Will it look good in 5 years? Maybe…Probably not.
Tattooing is an art form unlike any other. A good artist takes into account how you will wear the art today and how your body will change over time. To create a clean fine line tattoo the artist must have a steady hand and understand how the ink will naturally spread over time – which can be accomplished though touch, technique, and most of all good judgement.
A heavy hand when tattooing can prematurely mimic the effects of time or completely blow out the fine line work. A touch too soft and you will see the ink fall out with time (which is most likely to happen in this scenario). A hand that’s not steady will make a mark without any margin of error that can’t be corrected, (imagine being tattoo by Ozzy Osbourne on a bad day).
As my father would say: “if all of your friends jumped off a bridge, would you follow them?” And if you’re a smart mouth like me, your answer would be “yes” BUT, do you really want to be hip with the kids and need a coverup in a few years or would you rather have a kick ass tattoo that won’t suck – ever? A good tattoo will always be a good tattoo, but a fad will always fade and in this case will literally fade over time.
When you’re considering getting that cool zodiac tattoo, arrow pointing north, spatula or whatever is trendy, would you rather have a squiggly line or a custom piece that is unique to you and your style. If you care what others think, I promise you that in the long run you’ll get more compliments and accolades from a unique custom piece than you will by having a Pinterest tattoo that all of your peers share in their stories or reels.
