Tears Tattoo Photo #17779

Depending on context, it can represent mourning for a lost loved one, time served in prison, or a personal experience with grief. The meaning shifts from wearer to wearer, and assumptions based on appearance alone are often wrong.

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.

The collarbone's clean horizontal line provides a natural guide for elongated designs. This placement adds a subtle accent to the upper body and works especially well with fine-line and minimalist styles.