The world of body art is always evolving. There are new styles, trends, drawing techniques. In addition, fashion trends are changing and new, unusual images are becoming popular. More and more relevant every year is the style of "chicano", which can be called the youngest in the field of tattoos. However, it is quite recognizable and popular with both men and women.
The meaning of the Chicano tattoo
Initially, the meaning of Chicano tattoos is devotion to family and community. In sketches among gang members, a face, or a clown mask, was common. Such Chicano-style tattoos could mean the following:
- "Laugh now, cry later."
- "My happy life, my sad life."
- "Play now, pay later."
Such tattoos also carried other deep meanings. The main meanings were futility of existence and higher justice. Often such an image was used as death. Therefore, Chicano tattoos carry a very mysterious and sometimes sinister meaning.
Tattoo Chicano on the hands
Currently, Chicano tattoo sketches are interested in lovers of body painting. For them, this is a new direction to realize their fantasies in interesting and hitherto "forbidden" images of a bold character.
Tattoo in the style of Chicano
Not everyone will be able to dare to tattoo in this style. After all, it has a rather dark history, heavy meanings. You can't just pick up and draw Chicano, because each image or inscription must be invested with a certain philosophical meaning. Such a tattoo is also suitable for people who are fully committed to their faith, able to endure all the hardships of life, never losing hope.
The genesis of the trend
Chicano is the common name for the groups of Latin Americans who settled the land of the Southwestern United States between the 16th and 19th centuries. Beginning in the 1940s, gangs of Latinos began to emerge everywhere, needing by any means to feed their families and survive.
Tattoos were inscribed by members of these gangs as a sign of belonging to the gangster clan. Oddly enough, outspoken criminals always gravitated toward a divine theme when choosing a tattoo option.
Today, manly macho men stuff tattoos of this kind, seeking to emphasize their own "toughness", toughness of character and faith at the same time. And many just really like the exquisite photographic subjects, reminiscent of dark comic strips of life in Latin America.
Chicano tattoos for girls
Sometimes you can see such an image on the body of girls as well. In this case, Chicano looks even more unusual. Such girls have a more masculine, bold and brave character. It is very difficult to call them representatives of the "weaker sex". The female Chicano tattoo is also printed on the arms, or shoulder blades.
Chicano tattoo on the thigh of a girl
Women's Chicano tattoo
Tattooed Chicano girl on the back - photo
Chicano tattoo on a girl
Tattoo care
After knocking out the tattoo, the skin is disinfected by the master. An antiseptic agent is used. Then an ointment with a healing effect is applied to the fresh drawing. The recovery process is individual. It depends on the morphology of the skin. Regeneration includes several stages. Each of them involves a set of specific procedures.
The first stage
For 4-5 days you should protect the wound from external influences. Usually a medical film is used to act as a barrier to moisture and bacteria. In some cases, food film is used. It is fixed with a surgical plaster and left in place for 6-12 hours.
A new compress is applied every 4 hours. The wound should be washed with soap and water. In the morning and evening the area of the tattoo should be treated with alcohol, and then covered with a thin layer of restoring ointment. Doctor ProTM gel is usually used.
The composition of the drug includes:
- panthenol;
- chlorhexidine;
- oils of plants;
- vitamin F.
The components promote optimal regeneration of the skin. Vitamin F has an anti-allergic effect. The remedy lies on the skin gently, does not cause pain. Usually the skin hurts for 3 days. During this period, anesthetics and the application of cold compresses are indicated. Visiting gyms and wearing synthetic clothing are forbidden. Friction and sweating causes irritation of the skin.
Stage Two
The second step involves eliminating the formation of crusts and bacterial growth.
The basic methods of care include:
- Washing the skin with warm water and liquid soap;
- blotting the washed surface with a dry cloth until the lymph has completely disappeared;
- avoidance of water procedures;
- Wearing loose-fitting clothing;
- protection of skin from ultraviolet light;
- drinking plenty of fluids.
If pus-like discharge and unpleasant odor appear, you should consult a dermatologist. Corticosteroids should not be used, as they can provoke rapid healing of the skin and, consequently, scar formation. When crusts form, you should not peel them off.
Third stage
Full recovery is 1.6 months. Even if the skin has gained integrity, it remains vulnerable.
For several months it is forbidden:
- scratching the area where the tattoo is applied;
- carry out water procedures;
- Apply alcohol to the skin;
- Use moisturizers;
- Stay under ultraviolet rays.
Ultraviolet light contributes to the destruction of the pigment. The drawing begins to fade, and the skin becomes covered with scars.
Chicano tattoo on the leg
Some fans of body painting prefer to do Chicano tattoos on the legs. That is, on the thighs, shins, calves, and feet.
Chicano leg tattoo
Full leg Chicano tattoo
Chicano style tattoo with an inscription on a girl's leg
Chicano tattoo on legs
Chicano tattoo on calves
Chicano leg tattoo - photo
Characteristics
Chicano can be easily identified due to the special stylistics of the performance of the picture: the minimum connection of color, a lot of subtle details. Only individual eye-catching elements can be highlighted with color - for example, the plump lips or the beautiful eyes of the girl.
To achieve maximum realism, the following techniques are used:
- the most precise drawing of lines, shadows and highlights;
- very sharp lines;
- Darkening the background to bring out the highlights in contrast.
Tattoo Chicano on the back
The back represents a large space for the sketch of a large Chicano style tattoo. It is on it that you can recreate an entire sutural tattoo. Mostly such three-dimensional images are done by men.
Tattoo Chicano on the back
Chicano tattoo on the back of a man
Tattoo Chicano - back
Tattoo Chicano on the back - photo
Tattoo in the style of Chicano on the back of a man - photo
Compositions with other elements
Roses often act as decorating additional elements in tattoos, so they are combined with all animals, insects and just flowers without limitation.
But there are really meaningful combinations that do not decorate, but rather put together for a specific purpose. One of these includes the depiction of a human skull with a rose. The combination includes posing a large rose above or below the skull, or decorating the skull with several roses in the manner of the Mexican tradition on the feast of the dead.
In addition to the skull, combinations with a snake, heart, castle, clock, barbed wire are popular.
Sketches for the Chicano tattoo
There are no specific drawings for the Chicano style. There is a style and certain features, plots. The rest is up to the owner of the tattoo and the master who creates it. But we should not forget about the fact that such a tattoo is very difficult to perform. It requires a strong recoil, it has a lot of small details.
Sketch for Chicano style tattoo sleeve
Sketch of the Chicano tattoo
A distinctive feature is that they are performed in black or gray colors. Bright shades are not used. Sometimes you can find red or another color. But it will necessarily be muted and dim. All accents are very concise.
Sketch for Chicano tattoo
Sketch for Chicano tattoo on the back
Sketch for Chicano tattoo
Chicano Tattoo Sketch
Tattoo inscriptions are also very popular in this style. Now in general it is very fashionable to do tattoos in the form of inscriptions. But it came precisely from the style of Chicano. Tattoos in the form of important words or dates gave strength and supported in a difficult time, reminding about what or about someone. This is the effect they still have to this day.
Sketch of a Chicano style tattoo
Characteristic of this style are themes of faith (the image of Jesus Christ, the Virgin Mary and other holy persons), money, some criminal attributes (weapons, maps), girls with a pattern on the face. And the last option is the most common. They became the "face" of the Chicano style, its calling card. Most often the girls are depicted with a pattern that resembles a skull. They are called "Santa Muerte," that is, "Saint Death."
Chicano style tattoo sketch
Chicano Tattoo Sketch
All of this may seem very somber. Perhaps it is. But we should not forget that this style is an image of the street life and romance of the gangs of Mexico. After all, it is this romantic gloominess that is the essence of the style.
How to choose a salon and a master
Body art is applied in specialized salons. A professional master must have a license to work. Since this style is characterized by the complexity of drawings, it is necessary to apply to highly qualified masters. Only under this condition, the desired will turn into reality.
The best tattoos are drawn by artists with a rich imagination and a high level of technical performance. A good master is able to draw almost any plot. A great role is given to the choice of color scheme, which conveys the mood of the sketch. For a unique drawing, it is advisable to make it to order. The artist thinks through all the components of a complex sketch, marking the points of its location.
What is the Day of the Dead?
The Day of the Dead (known as Día de Muertos) is an important holiday in Mexican culture. It is a day to honor the dead. Skulls are images of dead loved ones and friends who have returned on this special day. In particular, people who celebrate this holiday believe that at midnight on October 31, the gates of heaven open wide and all spirits can be reunited with family members within the next 24 hours.
Santa Muerte Tattoo.
The Day of the Dead is not a sad event. The colorful and joyous holiday is both an affirmation of life and a commemoration of death. This is partly because in Mexican culture, death is seen as part of the cycle of life, not the end.
Although the name suggests that it is one day, the holiday actually takes place from October 31 to November 2, around the same time as Halloween. Usually November 1 is dedicated to children and infants (Día de los Inocentes, or Day of the Innocents), and November 2 is dedicated to adults (Day of the Dead).
Muertos tattoo.
Because the natives who celebrate this special day believe that these holidays will bring them good luck and protection, they spend a great deal of effort preparing for the day. In most villages, natives build altars (ofrendas) in their homes for visiting spirits. On these altars, people place sweets, sodas, and toys for visiting children.
Santa muerto chicano.
The next day, they add shots of booze and cigarettes for the adult spirits. The idea is to give these spirits treats since they have come from far away to visit their relatives. They also decorate the altar with sugar skulls (also known as Calaveras), which can also be eaten. The decorations on these turtles are quite colorful, as they represent the vibrant lives of past ancestors.
Popular images in the style
The most common Chicano themes are religion and mysticism. Therefore, most often do tattoos with Jesus Christ, St. Lucas, crosses, the Virgin Mary, angels. Those who like to tickle the nerves, choose frighteningly beautiful drawings with skulls, skeletons.
Katrina
The image of the Saint of Death, a young girl leading people to the grave, is associated with the Mexican national holiday of Death Day. Calavera Katrina is a skeleton dressed in women's clothing and adorned with bright colors, it symbolizes the supremacy of death over all living things. Girls for the festivities wore makeup resembling a skull with its mouth sewn shut - the grim beauty of such images has inspired more than one master tattooist. As an obligatory attribute of the festive procession, the skull painted with the national ornament became a fashionable symbol not only among Mexicans, but also in other countries and cultures.
Skull
In Mexico, the skull has always had a special relationship to it. This part of the skeleton was considered a refuge for the souls of deceased relatives, endowed it with a special mystical power. Skull pattern on the body, as a talisman, loaded to attract good luck.
Weapons
The harsh life of Latin American bandits implied the compulsory possession of pistols. A lethal device gave its owner a sense of superiority and reliable protection. Tattoos depicting guns united members of gangs and expressed a person's views of the world.
Money, cards
Easily obtained banknotes were just as easily spent - gambling was a frequent pastime of criminals. The significance of random luck, elusive good fortune, and the suddenness of life's twists and turns was embedded in the drawing depicting the attributes of vicious pleasures. Dice and cards reflect the ardor of nature, love of waste and thrills.
Inscriptions
The phrases from the Bible, reflecting the vanity of the world, were often chosen for tattoos by Hispanic gang members. This is how principles, attitudes, and attitudes of life were expressed. Often in this way tried to engrave memorable dates, especially liked phrases.
