Then they would make prints from the metal plates. Usually fairly minimalist and one colour which is often black.Įtching is a process in printmaking when acid cuts into the metal to create incisions where the ink would hold. In contrast, EJ shows a super cool snake and a traditional heart with shaking hands.Īrtists who do this style: EJ, Jon, Boshka EtchingĮtching, Engraving or linework tattooing is precisely that, made up of lines or dots. Sailor Jerry and Bert Grimm are considered the 'first wave' of traditional tattooing.īoshka shows us her take on a traditional leopard. Sailors and soldiers would travel collecting tattoos to either protect them or remind them of loved ones. These are all great examples of a traditional tattoo, usually with bold lines and bright colours. When you think of traditional American tattoos, you may think of snakes, skulls, hearts, swallows or eagles. The first two are from her paintings.Īrtists who do this style: Nikole Traditional You can see her paintings in our shop section and more of her tattoos on her page or Instagram.Īll the above tattoos are by Nikole. Nikole has been studying Chinese spontaneous painting since 2014. With minimal to no outline, it looks very similar to a watercolour painting. Usually, images are of nature like flowers and animals and very seasonal. The concept behind Chinese spontaneous painting is to do as few strokes as possible while capturing the essence of the subject. The key to an illustrative tattoo is that it retains a drawn feel rather than shaded to look realistic.Īrtists who do this style: Eszter, Jon, EJ Chinese PaintingĬhinese painting is becoming ever more popular as tattoos. They typically use a black outline and maybe colourful or simply black. Illustrative tattoos take inspiration from both realism and traditional. The first picture on the foot is by Kamila, the other two examples are superbly executed by EszterĪrtists who do this style: Eszter, Kamila, Martina Illustrative Nowadays, it is a trendy choice to get tattooed as it is so esthetically pleasing and a tattoo that lasts the test of time. For example, Hindu paint it on the hands and feet of the bride to symbolise pride, joy, beauty and spiritual awakening. Henna or Mehndi traditionally used for rites of passage and celebrations. ThistleĪrtists who do this style: Nikole, EJ Henna Nikole's peony and blossom branch were done freehand, which means it was drawn straight onto the skin. Often small pieces, but they also work well for large tattoos, fitting the shape of the body. The first botanical drawings date back to 512 from a Greek botanist to help identify plants for medicinal purposes.īotanical tattooing has grown in popularity over the past few years simply because it looks so good. Pio is a real master of the surreal.Ībove are examples by Hannah with the angels and Piotrek shows a coloured portrait of Catwoman and a surreal skull.īotanical illustration is the art of depicting the form, colour and details of plant life. Surrealism is about imagination, creativity, dreams or the surreal.

Often done in black and grey but looks equally good in colour. Realism is a technique that results in the tattoo looking like a photograph or a 3D object. While the maple leaves are done by EJĪrtists who do this style: Nikole, Piotrek, EJ

Here, Nikole shows a koi sleeve and dragon backpiece. And it's a genre mainly known for large images that cover the back, arms, and legsa Tattoo artists still create both traditional and new takes on these classic masterpieces. One that has maintained its popularity is the Japanese style Irezumi. There are centuries of history for the art of tattooing all over the world.

Goodtimes tattoo