Lettering Tattoo Style

Lettering – a novelty or a reinterpretation of past experiences? Today, it is one of the most popular tattoo styles. Lettering represents calligraphy in tattoos, and if translated literally, it means “inscription.”

A Brief History

Almost everyone who has ever noticed tattoos is familiar with various inscriptions. For example, in the 1990s in Russia, inscriptions essentially symbolized tattoos. Back then, the exhausted hands of tattoo artists produced orderly rows of “Veni Vidi Vici,” “Per aspera ad astra,” and other wonderful phrases in Latin, a language that had almost faded away but still attracted with its elegance.

An alternative at that time was also the use of Chinese or Japanese hieroglyphs, sometimes both combined. Back then, no one knew for sure what a particular symbol meant, leading to endless internet memes about “pea soup” on the shoulders of very tough men.

Then came enlightenment! Or rather, the light brought by Google Translate, leading many disappointed individuals to cover-ups. There was a brief pause, but it was broken by the era of design.

Lettering in Modern Tattoos

The tattoo artists of the new era brought an entirely new artistic meaning to inscriptions. Step by step, they incorporated calligraphy into tattoos, creating the lettering style we know today.

In Russia, one of the main popularizers of lettering wasn’t a tattoo artist but an artist, Pokras Lampas, who later named his style “Calligrafuturism.” His large-scale works became true masterpieces, inspiring thousands of artists to take up a brush.

Features of the Lettering Style

Modern lettering tattoos are characterized by creating multidimensional images using phrases drawn in exclusively unique, custom fonts. Endless circles, spirals, triangles, squares, and transitions from one spiral to another – all of this produces stunning visual effects. This style combines multiple stylistics, including calligraphy and ornamentalism, offering a bold and stylish way to express thoughts and feelings in familiar phrases while concealing them through intricate design solutions and hard-to-read fonts.

Placement for Lettering Tattoos

Lettering tattoos know no boundaries when it comes to placement. They can be done on the back, arms, legs, or even the head. It all depends on the design and artistic skills of your tattoo artist. Lettering is also often used to cover scars and as a popular choice for cover-ups of old, unsuccessful tattoos.

Lettering tattoos look fantastic on arms, legs, backs, and chests. Increasingly, artists showcase work on necks and even heads.

There are no gender restrictions for this tattoo style. Whether on rugged men or delicate women, lettering seamlessly integrates into the anatomy of the human body.

One condition – lettering loves scale. Large-scale designs genuinely transform the wearer’s appearance, reflecting its ornamental influence.