The 14 types of tattoos that exist (according to their style)
For those of us who love tattoos, did you know that there are different styles and types of tattoos according to the technique and the design that is used? There is much to learn behind this beautiful form of body art that has more and more followers.
Tattoos have been present in our lives since the beginning of civilizations and there are some techniques, styles and characteristics that we continue to use today. The truth is that more and more people are being encouraged to put a little ink on the body for different reasons; And whether it is a small tattoo or another quite visible, the important thing is to have a body art work that is specific to each one and that identifies you.
- Related article: "21 small tattoos for women and their meaning”
These are the different types of tattoos according to the style
Knowing all the types of tattoos can be very useful to know a little more and choose the type of tattoo that best suits you; After all, getting a tattoo is a way of expressing yourself, so tattoos can tell a lot about who we are.
And if you are not thinking of getting a tattoo, with this guide on the different styles and types of tattoos you will be able to appreciate much more those you see in others.
1. Realistic (or hyperrealism)
The types of realistic tattoos are those that when you look at them look absolutely real, hence their name. There are those who call it hyperrealism or photographic realism, because at the end of the tattoo they compare it with a photograph and both have to look identical.
This category also includes 3D tattoos. This is actually one more tool to achieve hyper-realism, but you are going to find places that take it as a different type of tattoo.
The themes for these tattoos can be very diverseFrom portraits and movie characters to animals or landscapes. These types of tattoos usually require several sessions to intensify colors, shadows or blur. Many times they even have to tattoo again on areas that have already been tattooed to achieve the hyper-realistic effect. Different types of needles are also needed to perform them.
2. Trash polka
Buena Vista Tattoo is the studio in Germany that invented this tattoo style in 2014, more specifically, artists Simone Plaff and Volko Merschky. To achieve a trash polka tattoo you they only use red and black in a mixture of brush strokes, geometries, ink-free areas, letters, objects and loose lines that together create harmony.
With this tattoo technique what is sought is to achieve a balance between order and disorder, between "realism and garbage" in terms of its creators. If you like this type of tattoo, keep in mind that you need to do it in a large area of the body so that it has the strength and impact of trash polka that in a small format are lost.
3. Tribal tattoos: Polynesians and Celts
When we talk about the types of "tribal" tattoo we are referring to one of the oldest tattoo forms; They are characterized by being tattoos in black ink with geometric shapes and repeating patterns.
The tribals have different origins. On the one hand we can talk about the Polynesian civilizations, which used them as a form of spiritual art to tell stories. On the other hand, there are the Celts, who also used geometric patterns, with the particularity that these are intertwined.
4. Japanese tattoos: Irezumi
These are other of the oldest types of tattoos, which began to be done for decorative purposes. They remained clandestine for a good period of time, since in Japan they were related to crime and the Japanese mafia.
Nowadays Japanese tattoos decorate large areas of the body of many people for their visual quality and for the infinity of details and colors they have. Of course, you should know that Japanese tattoos have strict rules on how they should be used colors or shapes, as well as which animals can be mixed with the different types of flowers.
If you have seen full backs, sleeves or legs with highly decorated Koi fish, dragons, snakes and lotus flowers, it is surely these types of tattoos.
5. Old school
The tattoos Old school They are the traditional North American tattoos and are easily identifiable, because they mix characteristic elements of sailors such as anchors, ships, sirens or bottles of alcohol with icons of the old school culture of the United States, such as eagles or some typefaces, among others.
They say that these types of tattoos were inspired by the Japanese technique, so it also has strict rules on the composition of the tattoo. A trick to identify them is that you pay attention to the outlined with thick black lines and the use of bright colors.
6. New School
If old school tattoos exist, then there are new school tattoos. In this type of tattoos, the excess of color, contrasts and effects to give volume predominate. It is a very youthful and lively tattoo style, which is inspired by graffiti culture and uses more fantastic elements.
So that you do not get confused with other types of tattoos with a lot of color, keep in mind that the new school maintains the thick black outline of the style old school.
7. Neotraditional tattoos
We could say that this is the evolution of tattoos old school without going to the extreme of tattoos new school. Neo-traditional tattoos maintain the characteristics of vivid colors and the old-school black outline, but they include new, more current themes for tattoos. They also look a little more three-dimensional because they make light and shadow effects.
8. Watercolor
This is a tattoo style that has become quite popular in recent years, especially among girls. As its name suggests, looks more like a watercolor painting than a tattoo.
The watercolor It is one of the types of tattoos that does not delineate the shapes, but rather gives a "freehand" effect in which the dyes achieve "water" transparencies in the colors.
If you want to get a watercolor tattoo, it is very important that you look for an expert artist in this technique, as it is not easy to do.
9. Pointillism or Dotwork
Another type of tattoo transferred from art and painting techniques is the dotwork. This type of tattoos composes the figures with thousands of dots of different shades instead of covering the entire area with ink. Black and gray tones are normally used, and require long work sessions due to the precision with which they must be done.
10. Geometries
A style that has become very fashionable is that of geometries. These are very clean geometric figures of black color and that are usually only delineated. Larger compositions are also made using various geometric figures, inspired by designs from nature and some more spiritual ones. They work well on both large tattoos and small, inconspicuous ones.
11. Blackwork
The blackwork technique consists of covering entire areas of the tattoo with black ink. These black-painted areas are part of a more complex design based on geometries, which is why some call them “neotribal”.
12. Sketches
Another of the types of tattoos that has been inspired by illustration and painting and that has become super trendy. Sketch tattoos simulate those preliminary drawings that are made before finishing an illustration or artwork. It is characterized by having several delicate strokes or guide lines.
13. Biomechanical
This is the perfect tattoo style for sci-fi lovers with a very transgressive visual impact. It is about including mechanical and robotic parts in areas of the body, giving the effect that they exist under the skin.
14. Handpoked
This is one of the types of tattoos that brings us back to the origins of this body art, since no machines are used and they are done by needle and pulse. Another of the most popular tattoo styles of the moment, which although it could have some similarity with pointillist tattoos, the truth is that with this technique the result is unmatched.
They are generally made with black ink, since it is not advisable to use colors; however, new techniques and different uses are being derived from this type of tattoo. For example, there are those who practice the handpoked without any ink and in a spiritual way.