Tattoo Artists of the World, Celebrate Your Color Palette! A Fun Look at Spain’s Unique ‘Monochrome’ Scene
Hello, tattoo artists of the world! Today we’re going to talk about a topic that will make you appreciate your color box even more: the unique situation of tattoo inks in Spain. Get ready for a journey through the rainbow… or rather, its absence!
In Europe, the land of diversity and regulation, tattoo inks are as controlled as a Swiss watch. Thanks to the REACH regulation, every drop of ink is analyzed, inspected, and approved to ensure it’s as safe as a teddy bear hug. But, friends, this is where Spain enters the scene with its peculiar “artistic touch.”
Imagine a world where color is a luxury, a place where color tattoos are as rare as a unicorn dancing flamenco. Well, that place exists and it’s called Spain. As of today (well, we’ve been like this for a long time), if you want to tattoo legally in Spain, you’ll have to do it in black and white. Why? Well, this is where the plot thickens.
Between the lack of a strong association defending the interests of Spanish tattoo artists, the reluctance to pay the fees to standardize colors, and, of course, a touch of “political ignorance,” Spain has become the country of grayscale tattoos.
So, while in the rest of Europe tattoo artists play with a rainbow of inks, in Spain they have become masters of chiaroscuro. But not everything is bad, friends. This situation has led Spanish tattoo artists to be incredibly creative with black and white. They have perfected the art of shadow, contrast, and texture to such an extent that their black and white works could make a statue cry.
But, dear tattoo artists of the rest of the world, before feeling sorry for our Spanish colleagues, remember the luck you have. Every time you dip your needle into that vibrant blue ink or that passionate red, remember that you are enjoying a chromatic freedom that in Spain is just a distant dream.
So, the next time you make a color tattoo, dedicate a small line or dot to your Spanish colleagues. Who knows, maybe one day, the rainbow of inks will shine in Spain too. Until then, let’s celebrate the color and creativity that unites us all in this wonderful world of tattooing!
Until next time, tattoo lovers, and remember: in a world of black and white, you are the color!
