Khokhloma is one of the most ancient forms of painting that originated in Russia. Originally Khokhloma painting was created to decorate tableware and thus tell about the identity of the Russian people.
Tattoo of Firebirds on the shoulder, photo by:
Each of the patterns had its own specific meaning. For example, golden flowers were interpreted by the presence of knowledge, rowan trees symbolized femininity, and the Firebird had an association with life and longevity.
Interpretation of drawings in the art of tattooing is almost the same as in the Khokhloma painting.
A bit of history
Khokhloma painting appeared in Nizhny Novgorod in the 17th century. Bright patterns and ornaments, made in a special style, reflected the whole essence of Slavic culture. Each image, be it a flower, a bird or an animal, had one or another meaning. For example, the Firebird was a symbol of longevity and immortality, the rowan tree symbolized a woman's youth and beauty, and the golden flowers represented illumination and knowledge.
Khokhloma painting was usually used to decorate crockery. The color palette consisted of red, gold, black and green. Each of them had a specific meaning. For example, gold was wealth, black was earth, red was fire, and green was nature. These basic shades in combination with different images constituted a whole semantic composition.
Later Russian Khokhloma painting also entered the tattoo culture. It was beloved by fans of body painting for its colorful execution, variety of forms and subjects.
About "Khokhloma" style
Khokhloma painting is one of the varieties of artistic art styles that originated in ancient Russia, which passed into the art of tattooing. The traditional elements of Khokhloma are the red juicy berries of rowanberries and strawberries, flowers and branches.
The main feature of the style is the presence of juicy, bright colors, as well as a combination of images of representatives of the plant and animal worlds. And the interpretation of the image will depend on the color in which it is executed.
The meaning of colors and details of the Khokhloma style
In the Khokhloma painting three main colors dominate - black, red and gold:
- The black color symbolizes the earth giving mankind a rich harvest.
- The red color is a talisman and symbolizes fire and warmth.
- A symbol of wealth is the color gold.
Along with the color palette in khokhloma are elements of the pattern. In the ornamentation of the painting perfectly combines elements of flora and fauna.
In Khokhloma painting, ornaments with drawings of animals perfectly harmonize with each other. Images of flowers are combined with matryoshkas, and forest nature with forest predators. Combinations of colors give compositions whimsical stories and images.
Characteristic features
Tattoo in the technique of khokhloma stands out favorably against the background of other styles. It is easily recognized by the following features:
- The image of birds, animals, plants, berries;
- The presence of basic colors: red, green, yellow and black;
- bright and juicy ornaments and unusual patterns;
- sometimes the presence of a story line.
It is not necessary to use all four colors in one composition for a tattoo. Sketches can be monochromatic or they can be dominated by a certain shade at will. By the way, the chosen color can say a lot about the person himself. For example, a tattoo with a predominance of red is found in active dominant people who are used to control their own lives. They dream of power and might, they do not tolerate subordination. Yellow tattoo color is chosen by people who strive for luxury and carefree existence. They have a cheerful disposition, they love entertainment. Black symbolizes eternity and infinity. The green shade for tattoos is preferred by restrained people who prefer to live in harmony with nature. They dislike civilization, they are comfortable in solitude.
The meaning of the tattoo for girls
Khokhloma tattoo in women is usually filled with bright colors and an abundance of small elegant elements. The fruit of the rowan tree indicates the beauty of the lady and the fact that she treasures this natural gift.
The abundance of yellow color symbolizes a bright and carefree life filled with joyful events. It is a symbol of warmth and fire, the desire for wealth.
The predominance of green in the Khokhloma tattoo symbolizes the desire for harmony and self-knowledge.
Black in girls in the Khokhloma tattoo is less common and speaks of a determined nature.
Red shade symbolizes the beauty and dominance of the feminine, the active nature.
Who is suitable for whom
Tattoo must be large in order to convey all the flavor of the style khokhloma. The back or the tattoo sleeve is suitable for this. A small image will not convey the whole meaning and concept of Khokhloma, so beginners should refrain from choosing such a pattern. The fairer sex tattoo will look effective on the hand or thigh.
It is necessary to choose a master who uses quality consumables in his work. If the paint is not bright enough, the tattoo will turn out faded, which is categorically unacceptable for the Khokhloma style. Despite the simplicity of the lines, the painting is quite difficult to perform. To transfer it, as in the photo, can only a professional tattooist with extensive experience in this particular direction.
Watch the video on the subject:
A selection of photos with tattoos in the style of Khokhloma
What you should pay attention to
Before proceeding directly to the application of the natal design, it is necessary to focus on some basic aspects, among which:
- The skill of the tattooist. Khokhloma tattoo requires not only a lot of time, bright colors, but also the skill of the tattooist. And let it is possible in any tattoo salon, we still recommend you to be preliminary prepared and to find the expert about whom 99 % of his clients speak well. Remember that the lack of practice of the specialist can negatively affect the appearance and the saturation of the colors of the tattoo. Meet in advance with the tattooist and ask him all the questions concerning the cost and where to find sketches and how to care for the tattoo. will depend on its size and complexity.
- Location. It should be chosen based on the size of the tattoo. It's best in a place with more muscles and thicker skin. In this way, you can reduce the pain to a minimum. In addition, you will give the master an opportunity to "turn around". The best place for tattooing in this style is the shoulder, arm, thigh, back, legs.
- Size. Here everything depends only on the desire of the client. Of course, for the transfer of a more accurate meaning of the conceived pattern requires a lot of space, but also small tattoos look cool and trendy. True, in the second case, problems can arise, because the complexity of the application increases, and the main idea is lost. The painting turns into an ordinary pattern.
- Value. The advantage of the style is that nothing limits the plot of the natal picture. Tattoo ideas can be completely different. The composition can successfully combine flowers, birds, berries, images of animals and leaves of trees. All this will look spectacular, and most importantly - harmoniously. The main thing is that the images were made in the color scheme, which suggests this style.
- Color scheme. Khokhloma painting must be bright and juicy, and the pattern must literally scream. The saturation of colors defines the final result; keep it in mind during the session. A pale drawing can simply spoil the idea and turn the sketch into a stain on your body. The color scheme also differs depending on who is the bearer of the tattoo.Khokhloma is often light, filled with lots of small, beautiful colored elements,
