For centuries, tattoos and highly-nuanced artistry were not natural bedfellows. Body ink consisting of broadly outlined hearts, skulls, daggers, anchors, and snakes in no-nonsense shades of green, red and blue were not renowned for their subtle nature and intricate design. Yet all that has now changed. Tattoo artists like Nick ‘the Tailor’ Solomon are redefining the art of tattoos with their single-needle style.
For the uninitiated, if a tattoo is done in the single needle style it means, as a rule, it will usually be extremely detailed and usually monochrome, consisting of extremely fine graphite grey lines and delicate airbrush-like shading. They are a massive step-up from traditional tattoos and have elevated the art-form to the next level.
Solomon, who opened his tattoo parlor Crown and Feather, two years ago, explained, “Like most tattooists, my grounding is in the traditional style of tattooing, which I love, but after a while, I began to find it a little constraining and claustrophobic. I felt the need to challenge myself and push the boundaries of what was possible and that led to the grey fine line style I now work in.”
Breakthroughs in technology have given tattoo artists like Solomon the opportunity to take their craft in a brand new direction and explore a whole range of exciting possibilities.
Solomon explained, “Tattoos were often perceived in the past as ugly and lacking in finesse or grace. They were often compared to cartoons, but now more and more people are acknowledging that fine line tattoos have revolutionized the field. Their appeal is a lot border due to the craftsmanship and aesthetic that goes into them. They are far more eye-catching and will not fade or become a shapeless smudge like so many tattoos from yesteryear. They have a delicate almost ethereal feel to them and have become something of a sought-after luxury item amongst a demographic that would have once never considered getting a tattoo.”
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