Navigating the wide world of tattoo styles can get a bit overwhelming.
Here’s the most complete guide you’ll ever need to get inspired for your next visit to the ink parlor.
Old School / Traditional / American Style
Also known as Americana, this style is rooted in sailors’ traditions. Think bold black outlines, straightforward shading, and a limited color palette. These tattoos keep it 2D with symbols like eagles, flags, clovers, pin-up girls, sailors, daggers, skulls, roses, and dice. It’s your classic ink playlist, telling timeless tales of the sea and embodying the grit of traditional American tattooing.
New School
Channeling the vibes of graffiti, cartoons, hip-hop, and pop art, this style emerged in the ’70s. Unlike the simplicity of old school, this style embraces complexity with shading, depth, and 3D effects. Vibrant colors, gradients, irreverent themes, and intentional disproportions are some elements that set this style apart. Cartoon references are usually common.
Neo Traditional
Also known as New Traditional, this style takes a detour from the vivid hues of New School. Instead, it opts for a palette leaning towards more subdued tones, emphasizing natural shapes and gradients. It’s a nod to Old School imagery with a twist, adding themes that include Native Americans, portraits, art deco, and skulls.
Tribal
The Tribal style embraces various indigenous and primitive tattoo traditions. In ancient times, indigenous tribes utilized symbols to signify rituals, denote social status, indicate group affiliation, commemorate wartime achievements, and serve spiritual or ceremonial purposes.
Additionally, the term is applied to contemporary tribal tattoos that draw inspiration from these ancient traditions.
Characterized by the exclusive use of black ink and straightforward patterns, Blackwork finds its roots in the Tribal tradition. This evolution naturally unfolded, with a departure from strict adherence to ancient traditions, empowering individuals to craft their own designs and imbue them with personal meanings.
Dotwork
At its core, every tattoo comprises dots, intricately layered with pigments to form a larger image. What distinguishes Dotwork as a style is the artist’s skill in skillfully employing dots of varying sizes to evoke a sense of depth, contrast, and flow.
This technique involves precise coordination of dot quantity, spacing, positioning, and size, in contrast to the conventional strokes typically used for solid areas or lines. Exclusively utilizing black and grey ink, Dotwork gained prominence in the ’90s, drawing inspiration from post-impressionist techniques like Pointillism.
Geometric
Geometric tattoos thrive on repeating patterns, symmetry, real objects, and figures – all within the bounds of a structured design. Harnessing the prowess of geometry, this style crafts a visually captivating entirety.
The illustrative style isn’t confined by specific shapes, symbols, or colors; instead, it’s defined by the emotions it conveys. Artists achieve these emotions by typically minimizing shading details and constraining color gradients. Embracing a 2-dimensional approach, they establish clear boundaries with bold black outlines.
Similar to American traditional, this style often features tangible elements like figures, animals, and plants. However, the distinction lies in these elements being either faithful reproductions of original drawings (from TV, books, or fantasy) or unique artworks crafted through the artist’s individual style and imagination.
Sketch
This style mirrors hand-drawn aesthetics with overlapping lines, incomplete strokes, and elements intentionally left open. Bold and rough shading, coupled with negative space, adds to the style’s charm, steering clear of perfection in favor of a natural, creative process.
Primarily employed for portraying animals, plants, and landscapes, it effortlessly infuses emotional depth and a sense of movement. Unlike minimalist styles, it excels in depicting multiple objects, introducing complexity, and embracing the repetition of lines.
Watercolor
The watercolor style stands out with vibrant colors that cascade across the skin, resembling spilled ink on a canvas. These colors often accompany a figure outlined in black, and the hues frequently spill beyond the boundaries of the main image.
While colors take center stage, it’s the interplay of shading and contrast that defines this style. The gradients, the fluid movement through space, and the intentional crossing of black outlines almost make us overlook the fact that it’s crafted with a needle, not a brush.
Irezumi / Japanese
“Irezumi” translates to tattoo in Japanese and stands out as the most prominent style rooted in Japanese culture. Its origins trace back to the practice of covering penal tattoos, used to identify criminals. Initially crafted by hand with wooden handles and metal needles connected by silk thread, this style gained momentum in Japan around 1827.
The turning point came with the popularity of paintings and woodblock prints by Utagawa Kunioshy, a trailblazer in the world of manga precursors. Utagawa’s depictions of criminals adorned with tattoos, sprawling across their backs and arms, catapulted the style into mainstream recognition.
Despite being prohibited until 1948 and closely linked with the Yakuza, Irezumi has retained its traditional aesthetics. The significant shift lies in the evolving design process, with modern iterations influenced more by clients’ preferences rather than the traditional approach where artists dictated the composition and design.
Yakuza
The Yakuza style closely mirrors Irezumi, with the key distinction that it is uniquely associated with the Japanese mafia. Although these two styles often get used interchangeably, they carry distinct ideologies. Yakuza tattoos initially developed as a means to cover penal tattoos and later became a prominent method of signifying affiliation with criminal organizations. Even today, these tattoos persist as rituals of initiation and markers of unwavering commitment to the group.
Within this style, individual Yakuza groups may adopt their own set of symbols and compositions, further distinguishing their members.
Anime / Cartoon
This style brings characters and memories from manga, cartoons, video games, and animations to vibrant life. Enthusiasts, often fans of the genre, use these tattoos to express their love for specific characters and shows, encapsulating nostalgic feelings and impactful moments from series like Dragon Ball, Naruto, Death Note, Pokemon, or My Neighbor Totoro, among others.
It’s important to note that while Anime tattoos may feature Japanese manga, this style is distinct from traditional Japanese tattooing.
Lettering
The lettering style pertains to the textual content within a tattoo. It spans across various writing systems, be it Latin letters, the Arabic alphabet, Cyrillic, or Kanji. This style is defined by its emphasis on conveying written meanings, allowing for the incorporation of numbers, words, and symbols in a diverse array of fonts.
Minimalism
Typically crafted as standalone pieces, these tattoos undergo deconstruction into their fundamental components.
Primarily featuring black ink, these designs rely heavily on fine lines. Strategic use of empty space complements the main theme, enabling the inclusion of details and secondary themes without explicit illustration.
For a tattoo to be considered minimalist, it’s not so much about its size but rather the philosophy of simplification—it’s all about distilling the essence to its most basic form.
Realism
Realism style tattoos commonly feature portraits and animal depictions, with the former posing a particular challenge due to the crucial emphasis on proportions, asymmetry, and replicating light sources for a truly lifelike appearance.
To master this style, artists rely on fine lines, careful use of contrast, and meticulous shading. Achieving a three-dimensional effect is essential. Artists may interchange needles of different sizes, and in the case of colored tattoos, a broad spectrum of tones, including white ink, may be employed. For black and grey tattoos, artists either utilize grey wash or incorporate a grayscale color palette to breathe life into perspectives and enhance contrast.
Fineline
The Fineline style stands out for its use of slender lines, a lack of color, and a tendency toward 2D representation. These tattoos may feature abstract shapes or minimalist renditions of objects and beings. Despite their potential for intricate detail, they maintain a light and almost minimalist appearance. This style is frequently employed for portraying delicate subjects such as flowers, gentle animals, and serene scenarios.
The patterns and figures in this style are closely tied to the imaginative realms experienced during LSD and DMT trips, as well as other hallucinogenic drug journeys. The designs can stem from the creative minds of both the artist and the client, encompassing a range from fractals and mushrooms to aliens and third eyes. The goal is to encapsulate the hallucinatory state of mind where limitless visions and sensations unfold.
Distinctive for its vibrant and expansive color palette, this style embraces freedom from conventional design rules. Optical illusions are not just accepted but actively welcomed, contributing to the overall psychedelic aesthetic.
Surrealism
In the realm of tattoo styles, this particular approach is frequently employed to capture dreams, jumbled thoughts, and imaginative ways of interpreting the world. It intentionally challenges conventional logic and order, prioritizing creativity and a sense of wonder. Tattoos in this style often serve as expressions of individuality and critical thinking.
The surge in popularity of this style occurred towards the end of the 20th century when tattoo artists began crafting their own surrealist images on skin. These tattoos may emulate the works of renowned artists like Salvador Dali, Frida Kahlo, or Max Ernst, or they might manifest as a fusion of various elements, creating an unconventional and seemingly disjointed narrative based on the client’s fantasies.
Crucially, surrealist tattoos aim for aesthetic coherence. While they push the boundaries of reality with elements of fantasy, they avoid complete chaos or a lack of meaning. Striking a balance between realism and fantasy, these tattoos breathe life into an unreal yet comprehensible world, sometimes serving as a visual representation of the unconscious mind.
Portrait
Typically crafted with a focus on realism, these tattoos often serve as faithful reproductions of photographs featuring a loved one, a celebrity, a historical figure, or a pet. The essence of this style lies in skillfully capturing the facial details and distinctive features of the person or animal being honored.
Chicano
Initially used as a derogatory term, “Chicano” gained popularity in the 1960s to describe Mexicans born in the USA. The Chicano style embodies the tattoo choices made by Hispanics to express their identity and gang affiliations, akin to Yakuza tattoos. These tattoos feature elaborate compositions with religious imagery, angels, guns, quotes, and portraits. In some gangs, specific tattoos symbolize achievements, reminiscent of Tribal and American traditional styles.
Presently, owning a Chicano-style tattoo doesn’t require gang affiliation in Central America, but it demands a commitment to a substantial composition and several hours of dedicated inking to pull off.
Pinup / Pin-up
This style incorporates pin-up art, a pop culture symbol originating in the 1940s that portrayed curvaceous females in alluring poses. Typically, these tattoos showcase women in seductive stances with semi-realistic features.
Tattoos inspired by traditional comic books and manga. Whether in color or black and white, these images are commonly divided into frames, usually squares, creating a sense of motion and narrative akin to a physical book.
These tattoos employ 3D illusions to create the impression that beneath your skin lies a concealed world of mechatronic gears ready to be revealed. They impart a human cyborg appearance by incorporating metallic and electric elements intricately drawn on your skin.
While not a distinct style, art fusion emerges as a result of blending different styles within the same tattoo. This occurs when multiple tattoo artists collaborate on a single piece, each applying different styles or techniques. For example, if the left side of a tattoo features the new school style and the right side employs dotwork, it would be categorized as art fusion.
Drawing inspiration from Greek, Roman, and Indian ornamental art, these tattoos incorporate elements of mandalas, jewelry, and feathers to create a meticulously organized design. While resembling geometric tattoos, this style is more prevalent among women, with placements typically following the contours of the body, often found under the breasts, on the upper back and neck, or the arms.
Referred to as the botanic or flower style, this involves intricately detailing botanical elements like flowers, petals, fruits, and other plant features. Predominantly favored by women, it demands a high level of specialization, whether incorporating color or not. Given its widespread popularity, numerous artists exclusively dedicate themselves to mastering this style.
Inaugurated by Simone Plaff and Volko Merschky in 1998 at their Buena Vista Tattoo Club in Germany, this style is distinguished by the inclusion of detailed, realistic portraits or compositions. It is marked by the prominent use of black ink and accents of red, occasionally accompanied by blue strokes.
Trashy style tattoos intentionally embrace a subpar, unattractive, or poorly executed technique. This deliberate choice may serve as a provocation, a means to express a philosophy, nihilism, or self-destructive tendencies. This style is sometimes known as ignorant.
An artistic style that mimics the shapes found in Asian religious and cultural mandalas. Comprising circles, squares, and triangles, it purportedly conveys the sacred connection between humanity and the cosmos.
Bold compositions that heavily utilize black ink in various shades of grey. This style is versatile, allowing for the depiction of multiple distinct elements or the creation of a unified painting. Despite frequent confusion and interchangeability with blackwork, these are distinct styles.
These tattoos, originating in the early 20th century among seamen, served to commemorate maritime achievements. Distinguished by the incorporation of nautical elements and associated symbolism, they conveyed specific milestones. For example, crossing the Equator might be marked by tattooing King Neptune, while earning a Sparrow symbolized covering every 5,000 nautical miles (approximately a quarter of the Earth’s circumference).
The popularity of these tattoos surged significantly with the work of Sailor Jerry.
Tattoos created while incarcerated, commonly known as prison tattoos, bear a distinctive appearance due to the absence of proper equipment and, at times, the limited skill of the artists. In the prison subculture, the number of these tattoos on a convict often corresponds to the duration of their time served and correlates with the level of respect they command among their peers.
Describing tattoos that signify a lifelong commitment to an organized criminal group, these inkings hold deep connotations of status, family, and loyalty within the group. The intensity of these tattoos, both in size and visibility, often corresponds to the level of commitment and seniority within the organization.
Distinct criminal groups have their own symbolic imagery. For example, handguns are prevalent in Mexican cartels, stars in the Sicilian mafia, Orthodox churches in Russian Bratva, mythological creatures in Yakuza, eagles in Polish mobs, and teardrops in North American gangs.
Utilizing a drawing technique to generate the illusion of three dimensions, this style is commonly employed in representing realistic objects and animals, optical illusions, and geometric figures.
Despite being prohibited in numerous religious and spiritual traditions, this style remains popular as many devotees opt to etch their favorite passages, imagery, or elements onto their skin. Inspiration often derives from paintings, scriptures, and symbols of faith.
Grim, unsettling, and shocking tattoos define this style. From movie villains and skulls to naked bodies, portraits of serial killers, bloody scenarios, and horrific compositions, anything with a dark and shocking impact finds a place in this genre.
Maori (Tā Moko)
Originating with the indigenous Maori people of New Zealand, this type of tattoo art involves symbols on the body that delineate an individual’s social position within the tribe and commemorate life achievements.
In this cultural tradition, the face serves as the paramount canvas for tattooing. Consequently, the more face tattoos a Maori person had, the higher their social standing within the clan.
Presently, an aesthetic emulation of this style is recreated in tattoo parlors worldwide, although the original techniques, images, and meanings may not always be faithfully preserved.
A form of indigenous tattoo art that traces its origins to the Australian Aborigines. Drawing inspiration from the paintings of the Aboriginal Dreamtime tradition, which encompasses the spiritual beliefs and existence of the Aboriginal people, this style reflects the notion that everything was created by spirits now inhabiting the land, rocks, rivers, and dreams. Characterized by vibrant and almost psychedelic depictions, it incorporates natural elements and animals.
A form of indigenous tattoo art with origins in Polynesia, it evolved into a sacred practice for the Hawaiian people. Primarily employed to signify one’s hierarchical position in the social structure, it holds significant cultural importance. Despite its recognition as a vital aspect of Hawaiian tradition, this art form nearly faced extinction on the island, experiencing a resurgence only in recent years.
An indigenous form of tattoo art with roots in Polynesia, it gained widespread popularity in Samoa. Flourishing prior to the arrival of European settlers and missionaries, who sought to eliminate the tradition by deeming it barbaric and unchristian.
The term “tattoo” itself originates from the Samoan word “tatau.” The Samoan tradition encompasses various forms, ranging from the Pe’a, a male tattoo covering the waist to the knees, to the Malu, a female tattoo spanning from just below the knees to the upper thighs, just below the buttocks.
Despite historical challenges, this tradition persists in diverse ways today. Tattoo artists, using both modern and ancient techniques, continue to keep it alive.
Originating in the British Isles, this tattoo style harkens back to the ancient tattoos of Celts and Picts. Predominantly featuring depictions of knots, braids, spirals, and crosses, these tattoos, while not often recognized as tribal art, trace their roots to an ancient tattooing tradition.
New Styles Will Keep Developing
Tattooing is an ancient art. And as any art form, it’s constantly evolving and reinventing itself. We identified 42 unique styles today, but maybe tomorrow 42 more will develop and take shapes we can’t even imagine today.
And that’s what makes tattoos so amazing.
Self-expression knows no boundaries and we hope this article helped you get inspired to express yourself most uniquely.
Got a New Tattoo in Mind?
If you still don’t know, we can help you create a unique design inspired by all the different styles you’ve just learned. Or if you already know what you’re looking for, maybe you can find it in our flash tattoo catalog.
Our mission is to help the world get tattooed the right way, so feel free to reach out to us at [email protected] if you need help in any way.
Other Articles
8 Tips to Make More Money in Your Tattoo Shop Today
How to Open and Grow A Tattoo Studio
[…] you’re feeling lost, start by browsing our styles guide so you can visualize all the different possibilities that exist in the world of […]
[…] you need help understanding what type of work these categories encompass, refer back to our styles guide and learn the names of your favorite genres – or discover new loved […]