You’ve found the perfect shop and booked your first appointment. Now it’s time to learn more about tattoo styles. You may not be able to tell the difference between American Traditional and Neo-Traditional tattoos if you are new to the industry. It’s important to specify the style you are looking for when you are looking for an artist. You might be surprised if you bring a watercolor piece and are booked with a horror specialist.
There are more than a dozen tattoo styles available, and new ones are constantly being created. Tattoo artists are always pushing the boundaries in this art form. This guide will cover the basics, as well as the most famous and well-known styles.
AMERICAN TRADITIONAL OLD SCHOOL
This type of tattooing was popularized by Sailor Jerry and others. This style is known for its limited color palette, bold lines, and iconic Americana images such as flags, pin-up girls, roses, and hearts. Although it is considered old-fashioned, many still love this style.
NEO-TRADITIONAL
Neo-traditional blurs the lines between old and new. This style embraces traditional tattoos, with bold lines and experimentation with colors and blending. These designs are more detailed than ever, but still, pay homage to the past.
REALISM
Realistic tattoos look exactly like photographs on the skin. A good reference picture is important, as well as a skilled artist. This style can shine for many years if you choose the right artist.
PORTRAIT
A tattoo that depicts someone’s face. This could be a loved one, a character, or a celebrity. Although this style is very similar to realism it doesn’t have to be a real portrait. You could make it a caricature, or something similar.
WATERCOLOR
This style is very popular at the moment. This style is meant to imitate an experimental artistic process that uses streaks and splashes of color to create the impression of paint on a wall. It is very pleasing to the eyes and should last a lifetime if done correctly.
NEW SCHOOL / NU SKOOL
New School tattooing is a style that originated in the 1970s. It has some elements of old-school tattooing. This style often features heavy outlines and vivid colors as well as exaggerated depictions.
JAPANESE
This type of tattooing dates back 10,000 years ago and is considered one of the most sacred. These intricate designs cover large areas of your body and follow a strict set of artistic rules. The usual imagery is cherry blossoms and lotus flowers, koi fishes, lotus blooms, dragons, war dogs, and geishas.
BLACK AND GRAY
It’s made using black and white in different shades. The black ink is mixed with distilled water to make it. This design is believed to have originated in prisons, which had limited access to different ink colors.
This post was written by J Michael Taylor. J Michael Taylor is an artist and owner of Black Amethyst Tattoo Gallery. Black Amethyst is the best amongst St Pete tattoo shops. They provide an art-first approach to custom tattooing in a gallery setting.