Savanna Stillwagner
Words by Savannah Stillwagner
Yoshi, Labubu, Care Bears, Buc-ee’s.
Roses, shark teeth, beach waves, the sun.
Your grandfather’s nickname for you, a note from your daughter, Avril Lavigne’s signature.
Maybe you have one of these pieces of art on your body — maybe you know someone who does. Most likely, you know someone who has a variation of the sun. Either way, we noticed the familiarities between our peers and what they were putting on their bodies.
We spoke to three tattoo shops in Jacksonville to learn what the trends are in the tattoo world today and why. Here’s what they came up with.
Patchwork
Where arm and leg sleeves once were, patchwork now is. Although sleeves are still very popular, patchwork fills up the arms and bodies of many Jacksonville residents, tourists and visitors even becoming sleeves themselves — but the history behind patchwork might draw you to love them even more.
“It kind of comes from sailors going to different continents and they will get a little piece here, piece there and kind of just tell a story as they went,” according to Valei Arts Tattoo owner Randy Keener. “Patchwork tattoos, they’ve been around since the beginning, that’s how it was … networking of other artists. You see somebody from a thousand miles and away.”
Throughout time, when posting new tattoos, tagging the artist or advertising on Instagram of a tattoo shop and their special talents weren’t a thing until recently, tattooing was a way of communicating where a person had been and what those places meant to them.
Keener also pointed out how with the Navy base located in Jacksonville, there are many military personnel coming, going and traveling, making the patchwork tattoos popular in that traditional sense.
Not only does the history run deep, but it’s what the celebrities are getting too. According to Alma Studio Tattoo owner William Buenavista, patchwork tattoos are common in celebrities like Miley Cyrus, Ariana Grande and Justin Bieber.
Eventually, patchworks can turn into their own sleeves as they connect and intertwine, according to Keener.
Although patchworks may have been trendy since the beginning of time, we can’t ignore the fact of how prevalent they still are today.
Fine Line
Yeah — it’s obvious: fine line is trendy. If you don’t have a fine line tattoo, you’re probably planning on getting one. But why?
“It almost seems like the fine line took off because there wasn’t really a market for it … so a lot of people would want it,” said Keener.
Keener explained how most tattoo artists used to stick to traditional bold lines of tattooing simply because, years ago, they held up better over time, as opposed to those fine lines. However, as time went on and technology enhanced, more people wanted the fine line work done. There was a demand for it, so artists learned how — and now, here we are.
Buenavista said, “Fine line may just fade away if you don’t know how to correctly put it in the skin, and also because of the technology we have now with our needles, our machines — everything is so much smoother and more precise.”
Buenavista described how equipment now can provide “really tight, thin lines with minimal vibration from the machine.”
Keener also explained how these fine line tattoos often are “entry level” into the world of tattooing for artists and their relationship with clients.
According to Keener, “A lot of [tattoo artists] don’t like doing them, but it’s just a gateway to, you know, build relationships with somebody that might cover it later or build around it into a sleeve, you know.”
Blackouts
Now that many people have had some time to think about their younger years, relationships, experiences and so forth, some regret what they have put on their body and have decided to cover it up.
According to Oxford Ink Tattoo Owner Jrock Oxford, “Blackout tattoos are probably one of the biggest trends right now. Everyone has a lot of bad tattoos.”
However, now the mistakes can be covered up with more than just the solid mask — blackouts can now be tattooed over.
Oxford predicts this new feature will also be a trend in the upcoming years as people realize it’s an option.
He mentioned South of Heaven Tattoo Owner Anthony Bennett in the Key Largo does tattoos over blackouts.
“They are very successful,” said Oxford. “Beforehand it took years of seeing how ink would stay in the skin for a long time over black, before you could comfortably say it’s going to work, right? So, 10, 15 years ago, nobody was really trying it because nobody was confident in it. So, like, now then it’s gotten to this point, we have a lot more new things that we’re trying.”
Hands and Fingers–It’s “Acceptable” Now
Back in the day, it was more common for the average American to frown upon those who got tattoos. They were looked at as less-than, stigmatized as drug users or part of the “bad” side of society.
Now, people have grown to love the art, the style and the look.
Families, workplaces and professional fields are becoming more accepting.
“A lot more people have been more comfortable getting their hands and fingers tattooed,” said Buenavista.
Even face tattoos have become more popular — specifically in the celebrity world, according to Oxford.
“It’s becoming a lot more acceptable, so a lot more people are just kind of running with it,” he said.
Out of Style
Where there are trends, there are also pieces that have just lost their touch in the eyes of tattoo clients — and their artists.
Extremely traditional tribal-style tattoos, flames and classic early 2000s tramp stamps are not seen very much anymore.
Oxford thinks this is because “back in the day, we were so limited on what they thought we could put on the skin. A lot of people were afraid to push boundaries.”
He explained how, once, people thought solid, bold lines were the only successful and good-looking tattoos. But now, as boundaries have been pushed, we know there is so much more to the art of tattooing — shading, color, outlines, signatures.
Despite the growth, even trends that once made the impossible happen aren’t so popular anymore. Watercolor tattoos, according to Buenavista, aren’t being requested from him very much these days — and he doesn’t mind.
“I mean, it’s not fun to do. It’s all right, but it just doesn’t — how do I say this? As an artist, it makes me happy. It doesn’t bring me joy doing it. No hate toward it, but I’d much rather do something like floral or Japanese or geometric.”
Despite some things going out of style, the majority are staying to run their course — potentially forever.
“It’s free game”
It’s undeniable. Tattoos are up to the individual. As ages and stages come and go, all types of tattoos will be trendy and “free game” as Buenavista puts it.
However, the “free game” can go beyond the styles themselves but also the art of tattooing. The popularity of do-it-yourself tattoos with stick and pokes and at-home tattoo equipment has begun to become popular in the last couple of decades, according to Oxford. However, he advises those interested to take serious caution.
“The biggest thing that happens quite a bit for everybody is that they get it, and they try it themselves on themselves and a lot of people don’t really talk about how dangerous it is,” said Oxford.
He expressed the importance of practicing on fake skins and the dangers of not being educated on how far to press or what happens if you draw blood.
“It’s like a big thing where a lot of people are like, oh, I want to try this stick and poke I bought on Amazon because it’s so easy and I’m going to try doing it,” said Oxford. “And they don’t realize the damages it can cause when drawing on; if they do it so deep and it causes like an infection or goes into your bloodstream way past it’s supposed to.”
Before students can join Oxford’s tattooing classes, they must present a Tattoo Artist License from the Florida Department of Health as he ensures the safety and health of all those he teaches.
Education on the do-it-yourself tattoo art is one adventure, but the safety of walking into a tattoo shop knowing you’re in good hands is a much more comforting route for some.
When trying to learn about the trends, each artist had their own popular ones come through, but it was agreed that most tattoos will consistently stay popular — especially in a city where tattooing is so historical, experienced and popular.
Follow FOLIO!