The importance of flash.

Why is flash important? Well, for a myriad of reasons, of course. In this brief passage of unadulterated and uneducated opinion, I shall attempt a discussion and who knows, maybe even a conclusion.

So, what is Flash? Tattoo flash is sheets of ready-made drawings that a customer would walk into the local tattoo parlour, browse, point at and say “I want that one.” The artist would then redraw the design, verbatim, onto their customers skin. Flash helps to give walk in customers inspiration for their tattoo.

Why is tattoo flash relevant in today’s electric tattooing culture? Flash is important because it helps to develop skill and ideas. Artists sit down and repeatedly redraw the same flash designs to hone their composition, lining, shading and colouring skills. It’s far better to practice on paper than on skin. 
Flash is a vehicle for change. Traditionally, sheets of flash are made and then posted to other artists around the world via sale or trade. Flash trades are a great way to share common ideas in a way in which artists can develop their own individual style.
Crucially, Flash sheets are a desirable product in their own right. Flash can appeal to a person whether they are a tattoo enthusiast or simply an art enthusiast. Flash is a great way to draw the metaphorical moths to the tattoo trade’s light. Sheets of flash are a secondary stream of income - they can and do support artists who would struggle otherwise to stay in the expensive race that is tattooing.

Someone who pioneered the “flash as a product” idea was Percy Waters. He was born in 1888 and began tattooing sometime before 1917 after seeing, legend has it, tattooing at a sideshow in the United States. Waters was vital to the tattoo industry as, in the late 1930’s, he started a tattoo supply business. He brought tattooing to a much wider audience as his business was based on selling sheets of flash to tattoo artists all over the US. He would print his flash designs on blueprint paper (because they were the largest size of paper available and he was able to fit more designs onto it) and he would then sell those sheets of flash to an artist. They would then redraw his designs and tattoo them onto their own customers. Percy Waters really was one of the innovators of tattooing and more importantly, tattooing as a commercial craft.

Let us cast our minds back to when western traditional tattooing became relatively mainstream. Way back then, when bespoke tattooing didn’t exist, a patron would simply walk into a parlour select (predominantly) his or hers desired eagle/dagger/pin-up and away they went.  Jump forward in time and what kind of imagery are we seeing being used today? You guessed it, eagle/dagger/pin-up.
Since the 1900’s when the western traditional style came to fruition, there have been five generations of tattoo artist perfecting the same designs. That’s five generations worth of drawing knowledge being passed on. Right now, tattooing is of a higher standard than it has ever been, all because of flash.

For my money, traditional flash is over looked and over emphasised in equal measure. There are those that snub the thought of asking for a piece of flash on their skin, the assumption being it isn’t as a good a tattoo as something custom designed. They see a flash design not as a classic, mastered piece of art but rather a generic “obvious” choice.
Equally, there are purists who think that an artist who hasn’t cut their teeth drawing traditional flash isn’t worth their salt. They feel that a refusal to learn and master the essential basics smacks of arrogance. I suspect my own feeling lies somewhere between these two extremes.
Flash is rooted in the 1900’s but it’s nevertheless the lifeblood of the industry. The biggest testament to its relevance is that it’s still here today. In one capacity or another, flash remains as prevalent as ever, some one hundred years on.
Flash teaches. Flash earns. Flash promotes.

Written by Thomas Smith.