Glossary15 January 2026 · 1 min read

Chicano

The Chicano style arose in Mexican-American communities in California and typically uses black and grey with subjects such as female portraits, religious symbols, lettering and images of urban life. It is tied to a specific cultural history.

Why it matters: The term indicates a tradition with its own identity: it should be used with reference to its origin.

Related: Black and Grey, Lettering, Portrait, Shading.

Guide4 min readReading a style: six elements for looking at a tattooStyle labels help find one's way around, but they say little on their own: two tattoos called the same thing can be very different, and a work can sit between two styles. This guide proposes a method for looking at a tattoo by observing six concrete elements: line, colour, contrast, composition, depth and subject. With these elements the families of styles can be recognised, what is seen can be described, and one can understand from which traditions and influences they come. The styles mentioned have a glossary entry; here the interest is in how to look at them.

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Chicano

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