A Guide to Tattoo Styles
By Matt Libassi, April 30, 2013
Fine line, biomechanical, old school, new school, Asian, lettering — in the world of tattoos, the options are endless. And with more and more people going under the needle, the push for custom art is a must.
Thinking about getting inked? Perhaps you want to add to an existing piece, or you’re a clean-skinned newbie looking for that perfect first design. Either way, where do you start?
READ: Guidelines for a Tattoo Virgin
We talked to two of the top tattoo artists in the industry — John Rizzi of Unique Ink in Connecticut and Diego Mannino of Daredevil Tattoo in New York City — for their take on the most common styles on the market.
Check out our first installment of our tattoo style guide below.
(First row, l to r: Gerard Feliciano, East Side Ink (ESI); Jessica Mascitti, ESI. Second row: Mascitti, ESI; Lara Scatton, ESI. Third row: Lara Scatton, ESI; Jon Clue, ESI (skull); John Rizzi, Unique Ink (woman); John Rizzi, UI (car); Lara Scatton, ESI )
As the name implies, a black and gray tattoo is just that, working within the grayscale color palette and using various needle sizes to achieve a highly detailed tattoo. “You are using a black and gray tone, similar to a photograph, to achieve contrasting colors and show casted shadows,” explains John Rizzi. “A lot of the time, the ‘gray wash’ style is used for a portrait. It has a very smooth appearance and a lot of grace. It applies a tone of antiquity.”
(Top left: Reuters; bottom right: John Rizzi, Unique Ink)
One of the most common designs on the market, the true tribal dates back thousands of years and features very distinct and intricate line work and connected patterns. “Usually done only in black, and very flat and graphic. Sometimes, ‘pointillism’ is used to create the same type of designs. It’s called tribal because the designs stem back to pre-colonial times. Cultures from around the world — i.e. African, Polynesian, Maori, Incan, Egyptian, etc. — can all be within this realm,” says artist Diego Mannino.
(Clockwise from top left: Jon Clue, ESI; Jon Clue, ESI; Jon Clue, ESI; Needles, ESI)
A truly unique style, biomechanical tattoos feature robotic parts, working gears and 3D skin illusions. “Biomechanical combines the attributes of a human and machine, incorporating it together,” says Rizzi. “When we think of life, we think of nourishment distribution, blood flow. When you’re talking biomechanical, we’re taking mechanics and applying it to the skin: tubing or hose-work connected to arteries, connected to hydraulics or engines — racks and pins and gears,” he explains.
(Clockwise from top left: Cheo Park, ESI; Needles, ESI; Cheo Park, ESI; Needles, ESI; Cheo Park, ESI; Cheo Park, ESI)
Koi fish. Cherry Blossoms. Dragons. This is a rich tattoo style with a deep history, and it’s in popular demand. “This style originates from the Ukiyo ‘floating world’ woodblocks of the Edo period (1603-1868). The designs are very flat — two-dimensional, almost like a textile. [They] can be done in full color or black and gray,” explains Mannino.
(Top row: Diego Manino, Daredevil Tattoo. Second, third and fourth rows: Gerard Feliciano, East Side Ink (ESI))
When talking tattoos, a “Sailor Jerry” reference may get tossed around a few times. This classic style, also called “old school” or “traditional,” is a throwback to the art form’s golden age. “It’s been around for only 150 years, give or take,” explains Manino. “Very Western in design, typically done in three parts; one part black, one part color and one part skin. Thick lines are always used, and the motifs are typically nautical and military in theme. Eagles, anchors, swallows, hearts and banners, etc.”
(Top row: Jon Clue, ESI. Second row: Cheo Park, ESI. Third row: Jon Clue, ESI; Needles, ESI; Todd Woodz, Magic Cobra Tattoo Society)
We’ve got old school down, but what about new school? “When you do old school, you are using traditionalism — where tattooing originated two-dimensional imagery or low intricacy. With new school, it’s all about freestyling,” says Rizzi. “New school veers away from traditionalism; it’s all unique patterns [and] custom ideas that haven’t been used before. It almost references a hip-hop and graffiti style: jagged edges, bubble lettering.” With new techniques, modern equipment, and fresh ideas, the new school style is becoming more and more prevalent.
(Clockwise from top left:Jessica Mascitti, East Side Ink (ESI); John Rizzi, Unique Ink (UI); Diego Mannino, Daredevil Tattoo; John Rizzi, UI; Gerard Feliciano, ESI; Lara Scatton, ESI)
Seems like an obvious style, but with so many different variations and shades, there’s a lot to consider before getting a color tattoo. “The pigments of people’s skin plays a huge role when coloring. On someone who is pasty white, the color will show. If you have more melanin, I may suggest going with a grey wash tattoo,” Rizzi notes. But if you’re dead-set on color ink, there’s a wide spectrum of options. “There is an endless amount of colors you can create. from earthy tones to even smoother watercolor touches without any hard outlines. There’s even UV light ink, where the tattoo only shows up when you shine a blacklight,” explains Rizzi. But, as with any tattoo, color ink is prone to fading with time. “Tattoo aftercare can help prevent fading. The way you heal it is the way you’re going to remain. A tattoo is a living, breathing thing; if you scrape or cut your tattoo, ink will come out,” Rizzi warns.
The use of lettering and fonts has always been a popular ink choice. With so many different options out there, finding that perfect font is key. “There are numerous different fonts you can use,” says Rizzi, listing old English, constitutional type, handwritten lettering, paint splatters, etching, and even fonts that give the effect of incisions in the skin. “One of the biggest things, when getting a lettering piece done, is the cleanliness of the word, and of every letter. You can tell [the difference between] an artist who cares and someone who doesn’t,” notes Rizzi. Also popular are ambigrams. “This is when you can incorporate two words together — a composite in one tattoo. If you flip the tattoo, or look from a different angle, you can see the two different words.”
Flash is NOT a tattoo style, but more of a term. “[Tattoo shops] have billboards hanging on the wall — or booklets — that have images [of designs] that were used in the past,” explains Rizzi. “This is ‘flash art’ that has been generated to be mass produced,” notes Rizzi. “There no passion in taking a template out of a drawer and transferring it to someone’s body. [I’d rather] go to sleep at night knowing I helped someone derive a beautiful, custom image.”
So what’ll it be? Did any of the above styles pique your interest?