Most Popular Tattoo Styles: Tattoo Styles List

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Thinking about getting a tattoo, but aren’t sure which style you want to get?

Well, you’ve come to the right place, my tatted-up friend, because we’ve created the ultimate tattoo styles list!

Below, you’ll find an in-depth analysis and comprehensive breakdown of the many different tattoo styles originating from different regions and cultures around the world.

By the time you’re done reading through this list, you’ll have a solid understanding of what different tattoo styles looks like to help you plan out the perfect tattoo for your next ink fix.

Let’s jump in!

Black And Grey Tattoos

Done entirely with varying shades of black ink, black and grey tattoos are in some ways the most basic form of tattooing. No fancy colors needed.

To achieve this style, the artist uses black ink diluted with water to create varying shades of grey. They may also use pre-mixed grey and black inks. But most tattoo artists we’ve spoken to tend to use black ink and water, rather than dishing out the extra cash to buy pre-mixed greys.

Overall, black and grey tattoos are relatively simple. But that doesn’t mean they’re any less stunning.

A skilled tattoo artist can still create stunning tattoo pieces using a blackwork tattoo style by putting an emphasis on their shading work.

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Dotwork Tattoos & Geometric Tattoo Styles

Dotwork tattoos are an unique tattoo style where the artist uses nothing more than small dots to create their piece. Instead of using lines, small dots can be spaced at different intervals to create the illusion of depth and differing textures.

Dotwork is often done with black ink, but some artists might choose to create this style using colored inks.

Geometric tattoos are done using different shapes, patterns, linework and designs.

Similar to dotwork, geometric tattoos style is often done using only black and grey ink, but it can be done with colored ink too.

Realism Tattoo Styles & Surrealism Style Tattoos

Realism tattoos work to replicate real-time subjects with a high-degree of precision. The subject can be anything from a person or their face to outdoor scenery, trees or flowers.

The thing about realism tattoos is that not all tattoo artists are skilled enough to re-create lifelike objects. So if you’re thinking about getting a realism tattoo, it’s best to carefully research artists and find someone with a proven track record of doing high-quality realistic tattoos.

Horror tattoos and portrait tattoos are just a couple types of tattoos that look awesome using a realism tattoo style.

Surrealism style tattoos are similar to realism tattoos in that they aim to achieve a high-degree of detailed precision.

But they generally use more abstract themes, dreamlike imagery, and bizarre fantastical elements that give the tattoo a totally unique look. Surrealism tattoos can use geometric shapes and bold lines to blend realistic themes into cool abstract tattoos.

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Tribal Tattoos

Tribal tattoos have their roots in ancient cultures, like those from South America, Samoa and many other Southeast Asian countries.

In many instances, tribal tattoos aren’t only decorative, but they often have deep religious or cultural significance as well.

Tribal tattoo designs come in many different shapes and sizes. But they often incorporate geometric patterns and designs created using basic black and grey tattoo inks.

Japanese Tattoo Styles

Also known as Irezumi, Japanese style tattoos are often highly illustrative tattoos portraying dragons, snakes, tigers, koi fish, and other Japanese animal imagery.

They’re often done as larger tattoos that use vibrant colors and deep shading to recreate scenes from nature, or Japanese folklore and mythology.

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Trash Polka Tattoo Styles

Trash polka tattoo style is a unique style that is attributed to being created by two tattoo artist from Germany.

It’s typically done using red and black ink, and can combine a wide range of design elements, such as realism and surrealism, lettering, calligraphy, and virtually anything else the client wants added into their design.

Traditional Or Old School Style Tattoos

Also known as American traditional tattoo style or classic tattoo style, this type of tattoo is defined by its thick, bold lines, limited ink colors, and traditional imagery.

Think about tattoos that you might see on a sailor back in the day, such as hearts and skulls, knives or swords, pinup girls, eagles or swallows, anchors, ships, and other nautical motifs.

Americana is often believed to have originated in the late 1800s and early 1900s, gaining popularity from people who traveled the world. It may not be the first style that tattoos originated from. But it’s certainly one of the older tattoo styles out there.

Similarly, neo-traditional style tattoos are often using the same themes and motifs, but they often incorporate more New School tattoo technique, which we’ll explore next.

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New School Tattoos & Art Nouveau

Similar to old school tattoos, new school styles often use heavy outlines consisting of thick and bold line work. The main difference is that new school tattoos often use more modern imagery and brighter, more vibrant colors.

New school tattoos can be done to illustrate cartoon characters, aliens, or nautical themes, but they’ll typically borrow drawing techniques or themes from old school or neo-traditional works.

Watercolor Tattoo Styles

Watercolor tattoos are designed to mimic the same effects as a watercolor painting.

These tattoos use softer, blended color palettes, pastel inks, and fluid designs that created truly unique tattoo pieces. Watercolor tattoos often use negative space tattoo styles to create different imagery effects without using lines or shading.

Watercolor tattoos are truly amazing to look at. But the one bad thing about them is that, because they’re done using lighter colors, they often fade faster than other tattoo styles that use darker colors and bold lines.

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Minimalist Tattoos

Minimalist tattoos are often small basic designs, that only use a limited color palette. They’re generally done using clean lines, dotwork, and relatively little shading.

That said, minimalist tattoos don’t have to be simple. They’re often done with an emphasis on personal meaning.

So they can carry a lot of weight, without all the flashy colors or bold design themes.

Fine Line Tattoos

Fine line tattoo style can be defined as tattoo work, where the artist uses thin, delicate lines to create intricately designed tattoo.

They’re typically done using a single needle, which allows the artist to achieve very fine details in their work.

Fine line tattoos are sometimes combined with minimalist tattoo styles, geometric tattoo styles, or negative space tattoo styles to create larger pieces.

They can look pretty darn cool, if you ask us. But because they’re done with thin lines, they’re prone to fading a bit quicker than tattoos done with bold, black lines.

Script Tattoos

Script or word tattoos refer to tattoos of written words, lyrics, or prose on a person’s skin.

They can be done in virtually any font you can get your hands on, ranging from curly, cursive wording tattoos to your basic Times New Roman font.

The beautiful thing about script tattoo is that you can get any type of wording that you like or that has a special meaning to you.

Whether it’s a single word, a Bible verse, song lyrics, or a poem, a script tattoo might be just what you want for you next ink fix.

One important note about script tattoos is that they cannot and should not be done too small.

The smaller the font is, the more likely it is to fade and blur over time. So if your script tattoo is too small, after a handful a years, you might not be able to clearly read what it says anymore.

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Chicano Tattoos

This unique style of tattooing emerged from the Chicano movements in the mid-1900s, and often reflect imagery from that time period.

Chicano tattoos are heavily influenced by Mexican-American designs, with bold line work and fine details.

A chicano style tattoo can be done of virtually anything. But they often feature women, candy skulls, flowers, the Virgin Mary, a crucifix, or other religious symbols.

Choosing The Best Tattoo Style For Your Next Piece

As you can see the tattoo world is one thick with cultural influences and a wide range of personal significance. And there are many tattoo styles that you can choose for your next piece.

In fact, there are so many tattoo styles out there that it really can be hard to decide which one you want to choose.

On the bright side, you don’t necessarily have to choose just one.

Some of the coolest, most unique tattoos we’ve seen incorporate themes and design elements from a range of different styles.

Mixing different styles can often create a tattoo that’s entirely unique to you.

If you’re thinking about designing a tattoo but aren’t sure which style to choose, we recommend talking to a tattoo artist who can help point you in the right direction.

Furthermore, different tattoo artists might specialize in different styles.

So it’s best to talk to different artist, visit different shops, check out artist portfolios, and scan through as much reference material as humanly possible, before you settle on a tattoo style for your next piece.

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Frequently Asked Questions – The Ultimate Tattoo Styles List

From basic black and grey tattoo styles to realism, surrealism, and so much more, the world of tattoo styles is truly a wonderful places for tattoo fanatics to lose themselves.

If you’re still having trouble deciding on a tattoo style for your next piece, check out these frequently asked questions for more tips.

What is the most popular tattoo style?

Traditional and neo-traditional tattoo style are extremely popular and at least the traditional tattooing style has been around for a long time. However, due to improved tattoo machines and artists that are getting better at their craft, styles like realism, hyper-realism, and surrealism are becoming increasingly popular.

What is the most cliche or overused tattoo style?

While there are many tattoo styles and designs that a lot of people get. We don’t ever like to think about tattoo styles as being cliche or overused. We believe that every tattoo is truly unique and personal to the wearer, even if it’s done in a style that’s been tattooed on a million other people.

What tattoo style takes the longest time to complete?

Realistic tattoos often take longer to complete due to their complexity. The artist doesn’t only need to create an outline and color it in. They need to carefully blend colors, create gradient shading, and tattoo fine details which takes time, patience, and an incredibly steady hand to complete.

Having trouble settling on a design? Check out our innovative AI Tattoo Generator that lets you play around with different tattoo styles, designs, and themes to create designs that are entirely unique to you!