Squaw Tattoo Photo #18643

These designs often highlight braided hair, feathered headdresses, facial markings, and natural settings. The subject requires sensitivity to avoid reducing a living culture to a costume.

By placing thousands of tiny dots at controlled spacing, dotwork artists achieve smooth gradients and intricate patterns. This labor-intensive method gives tattoos a unique texture that stands apart from traditional line-based work.

Forearm tattoos benefit from a natural canvas that follows the arm's long shape. Designs can wrap around the arm or sit on the inner or outer surface, giving flexibility in how the tattoo is displayed.