The Art of the Back Tattoo

Tattoos come in all shapes and sizes, from small flowers etched on the ankle, to inked upper arms that flow into full sleeves, all the way to, what I consider to be the greatest of them all, the full back piece.

The space that is available on the back allows for magnificently detailed pieces of art that simply would not fit on any other body part. Back tattoos have become increasingly popular with both genders, but women generally seem to stick to lower or upper pieces, whereas men seem more readily open to the full back tattoo.

Given the sheer artistic scale of a full back piece, there are a number of details that have to be decided before getting started. Number one, as is the case with any tattoo, is finding the artist most suitably matched to the style of work you are looking forward to getting done. With that in mind, you really should have a very good idea of what it is you want. Pictures, or even a very basic rendering of your future piece, will give your artist a good idea of what you want and will help him or her better prepare the stencil for you. Please be aware that most artists will require a deposit before drawing up anything for you, it's only fair that they be paid for their time and talent.

If you are at a loss for ideas or have an idea, but need some inspiration in the look and layout, then you should really take the time to attend a tattoo convention. You will find that most major cities' host an annual event, and it really is a great place to go and compare work, see tattoos being done live and, more importantly, find the perfect artists that you may have overlooked in your search. It's also a good idea to check out the contests that take place at the conventions, doing so will help you begin to see the differences between bad, average, and great work. The back contests are something to behold with pieces running the gamut from colorful underwater seascapes (very popular among females) to realistic black and grey portraits of beautiful women in questionable poses (yes, I have seen a full back piece containing just that).

The tattoo culture has really taken off in recent years, thanks to shows like, "Miami Ink", but what all these types of shows always seem to fail to mention are the time and cost entailed in getting a full back piece. A tattoo of that size can easily run into the thousands of dollars, and take place over numerous sittings. If you have the time and money, and are fully prepared to go, then there is no reason for you to walk away with anything other than a spectacular piece of inked art.