Portrait tattoos are a whole different level of commitment to put permanently to your body. You are putting a person’s face on your body, which would be a challenge, not to mention cost you a lot if ever you decide to remove it. The portrait of a person would be there for everyone to see and let’s hope, admire.
Several portraits end up the opposite of how the tattoo bearer initially wanted it to look like. Some of the outputs do not look like the person recreated using tattoo ink. This can be due to lack of experience and skill of the tattoo artist in doing this style of tattoo, or the placement of the tattoo in the bearer’s body.
Before getting inked permanently to your body, you should consider checking these things on your tattoo artist’s portfolio. The portfolio of a tattoo artist shows beyond the final results of the tattoos he or she created. It also shows the process, detail, and precision of each tattoo art he or she did. This can be your basis if the tattoo artist is worth it to pay hundreds of bucks to give you the tattoo that you want.
1. Final output
Most tattoo artists keep the original pictures of the portrait they copied for reference in their portfolio. You can gauge the accuracy of the replicated picture just by comparing both pictures. Does it look exactly how it was in the picture? Or could it be further improved? One look would tell you how good the replication skills of the tattoo artist are.
2. Lines
Texture and lines can add emphasis in the portrait. These two are also responsible in adding a 3D effect, making the portrait realistic and attractive.
3. Color
Color adds realism in this type of tattoo. The use of shading adds depth, which makes the tattoo look like the real person embedded on the bearer’s skin. Adding color can also make the tattoo stand out and have character. Especially if the portrait is of a famous TV or movie character, adding color can greatly add to its representation of his or her unique personality.
4. Placement
The placement of portrait tattoos greatly matters as most of a person’s body parts extend and fold with movement. This can disfigure the art work when the bearer is in a certain position and could look weird or funny in the eyes of the people who see it. The tattoo artist should advise his or her clients about the best placement of the tattoo and one where it would never be squished or lopsided due to movement or body changes.
After briefly studying your chosen tattoo artist’s portfolio, you can now decide whether or not he or she is the right tattoo artist to do your tattoo. Sometimes you would end up going with your gut and deciding that it’s a risk after all. You will never really know the outcome or the finished product until it’s there for you to see.