“Delft Blue” is the name given to a style of pottery painting that began around 1600 in the Dutch city of Delft. The ceramic painting style was based on the use of cobalt oxide which turned blue after exposed to high temperatures. Artists of the time painted animals, flowers and iconic Dutch imagery such as windmills, clogs and kissing couples onto crockery that was highly prized throughout Europe and its colonies for centuries to come.
Tattooer Christopher Swain has used cobalt blue color tattoo ink to create this traditional Delft Blue porcelain painting tattoo. The tattoo artist has done a great job of tattooing the windmill and flowers on the top of the foot, which is a lumpy bumpy area to tattoo and quite painful for the client which means the client might twitch or squirm and ruin a smooth line. [source]
Delft Blue floral tattoos
A lot of antique pottery that was painted in the 17th century contained nature-based decorations, especially flowers, berries and leaves. These floral motifs brought the Dutch people’s love of nature right into their homes, and using their beautifully painted crockery during the drab winter months reminded them of the pretty spring and summer months to come.
In Dutch, Delft Blue is called “Delfts Blauw” and many people who choose to get a Delft Blue tattoo choose their tattoo design from existing designs painted on Dutch pottery; designs that show the original hand-painted brush strokes of the long-dead artists. These tattoos are often a symbol of Dutch heritage and a symbol of a person who appreciates the finer things in life; such as hand-painted porcelain.
Nelson Daboud was careful to include the appearance of brushstrokes in the outlines of this Delft Blue tattoo, which mimic the painted lines of the antique porcelain art. In this Delft Blue tattoo design, we see a lot of tiny leaves and foliage around the flowers. These are used to add a lacy, feminine appearance to the scene, as well as a feeling of fullness; despite there being little depth in the design. [source]
Andrea at Relegation tattoo has used a few touches of white ink to add a pop of contrast to this pretty Delft Blue flower tattoo. [source]
Patrícia Mara has used a deep cobalt blue tattoo ink that creates a high contrast against her client’s porcelain white skin. Flower tattoos like this one are inoffensive and even people who don’t like tattoos are less likely to be shocked by such a pretty and feminine tattoo. [source]
A small spray of wildflowers and foliage are the subject of this feminine neck tattoo by Patrícia Mara. [source]
Dutch iconic images make great Delft Blue tattoos
The use of cobalt oxide in porcelain painting is a part of the heritage of Dutch people, as is the use of windmills for grinding grain, exploring the world with sailing ships, growing tulip flowers, wearing clog shoes and a near-obsession with cute porcelain figurines and pretty painted tiles. These iconic images are all used in tattoo art as a symbol of Dutch heritage or, for those who don’t have Dutch blood, these icons are worn as a symbol of what they represent; the kissing couple is a universally-recognized symbol of innocent love, windmill tattoos symbolize human ingenuity and the sailing ships are a symbol of an adventurous spirit.
Just as the porcelain painters of the 17th century would water down their cobalt oxide paint to create different blue shades, tattoo artists will water down their blue tattoo ink to create softer, lighter shades of blue in their tattoo design. Because there are so many shades of blue tattoo ink to choose from, tattoo artists often embellish their Delft Blue tattoos with other blue inks. And because the art style of Delft Blue painting has evolved over the centuries, modern Delft Blue tattoos often reflect this with the inclusion of modern symbols and styles.
Nikola Boskovic has used blue and white tattoo inks to give these two wrist tattoos of the adorable Dutch kissing couple a modern twist. [source]
Kristina Stepanic has hand poked this Dutch windmill in a Delft Blue style, even adding tiny painted flowers to the windmill’s sides. [source]
This cute Delft Blue tattoo is of a pair of Dutch clogs painted with tulip flowers. In Dutch, clogs are called “Klompen”, a word that is based on the sound that the wooden shoes make when a person walks in them. [source]
Tattoo artist Guen Douglas has used different colors of blue ink to create this Delft Blue tattoo of a Dutch sailing ship from the 17th century. [source]
These tattoos are a modern take on an antique style
Delft blue is a style that remains popular more than four centuries after it first began being used on fine china in Delft, The Netherlands. It has become internationally recognised and it is being used in contemporary tattoo designs as a symbol of luxury, an appreciation of hand-made crafts and a love of the finer things in life. The Delft Blue painting style is very playful, too, and so it is a symbol of sophistication while also remaining light-hearted. Delft Blue ceramics are the kind of crockery that you’d serve tea to your family friends in, and so it is also a symbol of family values and appreciating your relationships with friends and family. Here are a couple of modern tattoo designs that incorporate the Delft Blue style into modern tattoo styles:
Decorative Delft Blue flowers frame a beautiful mermaid in this tattoo by Krystel Ivannie. The mermaid is designed in a modern cartoon style that wasn’t used in the 17th century. [source]
Eric at Cherry Street tattoo studio has created contrast between the floral Delft Blue skull and the bright red and yellow flowers behind it. Sugar skulls have only really been seen in tattoo art beginning in the 20th century, and usually they are adorned with patterns that were popularised in South America, not Holland. [source]
This stunning tattoo of a pink rose with Delft Blue floral ornaments is by Andres Acosta. The subtle shading of the rose’s petals is only possible thanks to modern tattoo inks and tattooing equipment, so ultra-realistic roses like this one have only been around for a few decades at most. [source]
