The first step in the process is creating the ink that will be used to produce the designs. As there is no access to legitimate tattoo ink in prison, any number of different approaches can be used create pigments, from melted Styrofoam and plastic, to burnt ash mixed with shampoo or soap. The next step is to create a way to apply the ink. The simplest of methods uses a sharpened implement—often a paper clip or safety pin—to puncture the skin and then rub the ink into the wound in the classic stick and poke process.
While this is the easiest way to get a tattoo, the ingenuity of prison tattoo artists is a thing to behold. Prisoners can produce surprisingly innovative tattoo machines from radio transistors, scavenged magnets, and repurposed mechanical pencils.
Sharpened guitar strings make for some of the most popular tattoo needles for their length and flexibility. The variety and complexity of machines that guards have confiscated are a testament to the determination of artists to practice their trade, even when locked up.
Given their improvised nature and the notoriously poor hygiene in American prisons the risks of blood borne pathogens and infection are extremely high in these clandestine tattoos. There are a variety of common designs in the world of American prisons and here a few more typical pieces. Besides the teardrop, perhaps the most instantly recognizable prison tattoo is the increasingly popular spider web design.
The webs represent being trapped and these pieces are usually placed on the elbow. This tattoo is made up of four dots in the shape of a square, with the fifth dot placed in the center. While it may look similar to the three dots of the mi vida loca design, this piece has less to do with a wild, gangbanging lifestyle and more to do with time spent behind bars. Usually located on the hand, the four dots represent the walls of a cell with the central dot symbolizing the wearer, locked in a box.
Most common in the world of hip hop, with its glorified depictions of street life and criminal enterprises, there are quite a few artists that sport teardrop tattoos. Lil Wayne is probably the most famous of all celebrities with teardrops on his face, although Californian rapper The Game also sports a teardrop below his eye.
Both artists have stated that their tattoos represent friends they have lost to the violence of the streets. Due to its associations with bad boys and sad boys, the teardrop tattoo is sometimes an object of admiration—or source of humor. Some days I just want to get a teardrop tattoo to look rebellious. Getting a teardrop tattoo on my face because she fed me hotdogs for dinner. The gang and criminal associations of the teardrop tattoo make it sometimes referenced as an object of fear—perhaps as originally intended.
Wonderful start to the week. Maybe I'm odd but i find a steroid pumped skinhead with a teardrop tattoo swigging larger shouting insults at random people in a city center far more scary than a Muslim woman in dress.
Some take it upon themselves to warn others of those negative connotations of the teardrop tattoo. Risks aside, many find the morose meanings of the teardrop tattoo an attractive look. A post shared by plug on Jul 14, at pm PDT. This is not meant to be a formal definition of teardrop tattoo like most terms we define on Dictionary. Feedback Tired of Typos? Word of the Day. Meanings Meanings. Be sure to check out more of our coverage on prison tattoos, including 15 more prison tattoos and their meanings , 12 Russian prison tattoos and their meanings , and a collection of inmate takes on prison ink.
The numbers 14 or 88 on their own can also be used, which sometimes creates confusion. Typically, these tattoos can be found anywhere on the body. Cobwebs typically represent a lengthy term in prison.
The symbolism is associated with spiders trapping prey; or criminals trapped behind bars. This tattoo is commonly found on the elbow, signifying sitting around so long with your elbows on the table that a spider made a web on your elbow, though it can also be located on the neck.
Teardrop Photo trendfashion In some places, the tattoo can mean a lengthy prison sentence, while in others it signifies that the wearer has committed murder. If the teardrop is just an outline, it can symbolize an attempted murder. The teardrop has been popularized recently by rappers and other celebrities, but still remains a staple in prisons. Those who are newbies behind bars with a teardrop tattoo will make a lot of enemies, fast.
This is the symbol of the Latin Kings gang, which is one of the biggest Hispanic gangs in the U. The five points are due to the Latin Kings being an affiliate of the People Nation gang, which is represented by the number five.
Latin Kings have a huge presence both in and out of prison, and their roots go back to the s. Other details of the crown, such as the colors of the jewels in the points, can have a whole other level of hidden meanings. Three dots Photo Whiserkino. This tattoo is typically found on the hands or around the eyes. The three dot tattoo is often created using a stick-and-poke method, requiring very rudimentary tools. Five dots Photo My Sarisari Store.
These dots differ greatly from the previous tattoo — five dots represents time done in prison. Also known as the quincunx, the four dots on the outside represent four walls, with the fifth on the inside representing the prisoner. This tattoo can be found internationally, among both American and European inmates. Five dots on other parts of the body can have different meanings, such as an association with the People Nation gang.
The clock with no hands Photo Tattoo Me Pink. Those serving a longer sentence might get this tattoo done on their wrist, with watch straps and all, much like a real watch. The clock face itself can come in a few forms, such as the face of a wall clock or a grandfather clock.
Not all clock tattoos are tied to prison; generally just the ones lacking hands. Aryan Brotherhood Photo Media Lib. The Brotherhood makes up 1 percent of the inmate population, but are responsible for 20 percent of murders inside of U.
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