Chicano tattoos: meaning and best sketches

Tattoo art includes many styles. One of the youngest is the Chicano. Such tattoos look very peculiar and original. They are especially popular among the stronger sex - a tattoo made in this technique emphasizes the brutal traits of character, expresses the moral and ethical principles and life values ​​of its owner.

According to historical information, for the first time they started talking about the Chicano style in the 40s. last century. It was widely spread among people from Latin America. Many people claim that even the name of the technique was derived from "Mexicano".

In the pre-war years, racism and discrimination flourished in America. People with a dark skin color were subjected to all sorts of insults, humiliation and bullying. They were not hired for skilled jobs, so they were forced to engage in dirty, low-paid work. In order not to let their family die of hunger, young guys and adult men went to crimes, for this they united in gangs.

With the help of a Chicano tattoo, it was possible to determine belonging to a particular criminal group. The tattoo was a symbolic reflection of the rules and foundations of the community, the personification of its principles. With the help of such a tattoo, people with a dark skin color could find "their own", as an identification symbol, they stuffed a cross between the thumb and forefinger.

At the same time, faith in God retained its strength. The gang members regularly attended church and confessed their sins. That is why there were many religious motives in such a tattoo.Nowadays, over time, such a tattoo has lost its original symbolism.

Today, Chicano carries a deeper semantic meaning - symbolism has become the personification of the futility of being and the thirst for justice. Such drawings are often associated with the widespread "Dance of Death" motif; they have a mysterious and even somewhat ominous meaning. This is largely due to the fact that all images on the skin are stuffed in black and gray tones, the use of bright shades for this style is atypical. Although in recent years blue and red motifs have appeared in tattoos, however, they only act as a stylish accent.

Chicano tattoos for some have become the personification of the transience of human life, for others they carry the belief in the highest justice. These gloomy images are not surprising, because the hard life of Latin Americans in those years could not help but leave its mark on wearable painting.

To this day, a religious theme remains in demand; Chicano tattoos often contain the image of the Blessed Virgin and Jesus Christ. This is due to the fact that technology appeared in poor neighborhoods - faith in God for their inhabitants was the only way to survive in a cruel world and not go crazy.

There are no typical sketches for tattoos using the Chicano technique. There is only a given vector of filling the image, which indicates that the picture belongs to Chicano. Therefore, in the most general sense, you can use absolutely any drawings that seem interesting to you. However, there is a group of plots that are more common than others.

Chicano tattoos are more suitable for men, since it was in an active male environment that the style was born. Such tattoos adorn guys who want to demonstrate their superiority and physical strength. Another group that can be attributed to the target audience is representatives of modern hip-hop culture. Less often, tattoos can be found on guys who are not alien to urban romance.

Typical plots include the following.

• Images of girls. Portraits filled with Chicano style cannot be confused with realism and other directions. They depict not the usual pretty ladies, but impudent beauties. Their faces are covered with masks, and they hold weapons in their hands. Images like this take up a lot of space, so they are most often used on the back, chest, and on the shoulders and hips. Usually they do not contain deep meaning and are a tribute to fashion. Unusual images of girls, whose faces are painted like a skull, have become the hallmark of the style.

• Weapon. It can be firearmed or cold - this is one of the obvious symbols of criminal romance, an attribute of the underworld. Nowadays, when Chicano is no longer associated with Mexican gangs, such images indicate a self-sufficient person who can fend for himself. For the sake of protecting their loved ones, such people are ready for anything. Works in which pistols are depicted along with masks and skulls look especially impressive.

• Money. At a time when Latin Americans were severely discriminated against and did not have the opportunity to earn honestly, it was money that served as the reason for their crimes. Therefore, today the image of a bill is considered a kind of talisman.

• Religious symbolism. This theme has been and remains one of the most common Chicano tattoo motifs.Life in difficult conditions, filled with hardships and obstacles, can break any person, destroy in him hope for a bright future and faith in his own strength. Finding themselves in such a life situation, many seek refuge in faith. Religion gives them the strength to continue on their difficult path. Images of a rosary, a small cross, palms and angels connected in supplication reflect the very essence of Chicano in the best possible way.

• Masks. They are one of the traditional elements of a tattoo. They are considered a symbol of secrecy and pretense, to which a person is forced to go for his own safety. Such a tattoo indicates a person who, in any situation, will hide their intentions.

• Cards. Gambling has always been a good way to get easy money. Such an image is chosen by men who are not afraid to take risks and put everything they have on the line.

• Inscriptions. Tattoos with inscriptions were originally used to support their owner in difficult life situations, to help him not to lose faith. Today they can contain any text filled with a typical Chicano font.

• Santa Muerte. Such a tattoo is associated with the cult of death widespread in Mexico and the Latin American part of the United States. Its history goes back to ancient times, it is associated with the rite of death and the subsequent revival of the Mayan tribes. Several millennia ago, it was customary for these peoples to bury the skulls of deceased relatives in their homes - in this way they paid tribute to them. Today, this cult has resulted in the holiday Dia de los Muertos, the Day of Remembrance of the Dead. It is a kind of symbiosis of Indian rituals with a touch of Catholicism.

As for the fair sex, Chicano is quite rare on their bodies. Nevertheless, this also happens. Such images look especially impressive on fragile and delicate girls. Such a symbol indicates that its owner is not a "good girl" at all, she is distinguished by a rude, brutal character. She does not accept the current stereotypes and decides for herself how to walk through life.

Chicano reflects the psychological state of its owner. With the help of a tattoo, girls try to capture the emotion they are experiencing at a certain stage in their life.

• Tattooing in the form of masks has become widespread. - they indicate the mystery, openness and isolation of their owner.

• Inscriptions in elegant fonts are popular. They are usually placed on the back of the hand and on the ribs. The text in this case reflects the girl's life credo or her favorite quote.

• Women who have managed to overcome serious life difficulties alone often stuff weapons on their bodies. Such a tattoo looks bold, defiant and dangerous. In this way, girls emphasize their determination and strength. This motif looks most impressive on the hand.

• Religious subjects can be seen on the bodies of sincerely believing ladies. They indicate that in front of you is a person who puts spiritual values ​​above material ones. In this interpretation, Chicano takes on the features of the Virgin Mary and female angels. Such images represent the worship of a higher power, faith in support and justice.

• Girls experiencing depression, loneliness and despair often pierce a skull pattern in flowers. So they pay tribute to the quiet charm of death.

If you study the sketches of Chicano tattoos or photographs of finished works in more detail, you will notice that tattoos of a compact size in this technique do not exist in principle. The plots used require large "canvases", so they are stuffed on large areas of the body - back, chest, leg and forearm. Less commonly, the tattoo can be seen on the hands.

Among men and women, the “sleeve” is very popular; in the Chicano technique it is performed in a monochrome palette. "Sleeves" descend in a spiral manner.

Women often fill the area from the shoulder to the elbow. This is a fairly voluminous location where you can create a stylish expressive tattoo. Representatives of the sterner sex on the forearm make a "half-sleeve", in this case they usually use a full-color palette.

Overweight and muscular men prefer a tattoo on their chest. There is enough space to tell the detailed history of the symbolic sign. But the real scope for imagination is given by the back - here you can place a large composition or even photographs.

Paired drawings on hands look good. In this case, the same plot is repeated, but contradictory elements are introduced into it. For example, one hand depicts a young girl with a wreath on her head, and the other is filled with a skull with the same decoration.

Today, Chicano tattoos have long lost their negative symbolism associated with the criminal world, and have become one of the most popular modern trends. In previous years, they were stuffed on the skin with a needle in unsanitary basements. Today in every large city there are certainly professionals working in this direction. Tattoo parlors offer many Chicano tattoo designs for boys and girls. They will help you draw inspiration and create a concept for your own tattoo.

The most popular subject is portraits of girls.

Religious themes remain at their peak.

Weapons, cards and money were and still are typical motives.

Initially, exclusively black paint was used in Chicano. But tattoo is not a type of art that is credited with following the canons exactly, so the drawings may contain colored elements.

For information on how to get a Chicano tattoo, see the next video.