ORIENTAL TATTOOS

The Golden Rule: Less is More. Simple, understated, and small; these are the defining characteristics of minimalist tattoos. You can make big statements without elaborate designs. Fine line tattoos leave your admirers wanting more, wondering what endless possibilities lie in between the fine lines of your ink.

These tattoos are a great way to introduce yourself to the world of ink. They’re easy to choose, easy to hide, and maybe the best thing about them is they’re over in minutes. Or, if you’re an experienced tattoo enthusiast you may opt for ink in less traditional places like in between your fingers, on the ears, or in your mouth.

If you love the philosophy of short and sweet, you know what to do.

Mandalas have been around for centuries, both as a form of meditation as well as art in the Hindu, Buddhist and Christian religions. A beautiful and intricate pattern of geometrical fine lines, mandala tattoos are composed of shapes and symbols that radiate from the centre outwards. When you tattoo a mandala onto your body, you’re inviting peace, love, and mindfulness into your life. You’ll be able to spot one right away:

• Fine lines in complex geometrical patterns.
• Oriented towards a centre design, such as a star or flower.
• Circular in nature, but can be oval or lotus shaped.
• Symmetrically balanced.

Our artists begin from a fixed point, drawing the heart of the mandala and carefully constructing layer on layer as they go along. Each mandala should be as unique as the individual wearing it, so work with your artist to build the perfect tattoo together. For a taste of divine cosmic infinity, opt for a mesmerising mandala tattoo.

Fine Line tattoo style consists of straight and/or thin lines with no gradations, mainly emphasising form and outline. They are incredibly detailed and often drawn with no other colours apart from black and grey.

Elegant, discreet, and generally small, fine line tattoos have been increasing in popularity. For this style, artists usually use a single needle or three, depending on the design. Making it less painful and with a faster healing time.

Traits of Fine Line tattoos:

• No gradations in shade or colour.
• Thin black outlines.
• Simple and minimalistic design.

Forget symbolism, get your message across with a custom script tattoo. Choose initials, one word, or an entire quote to spell it out: there’s no disguising what your tattoo says. But that doesn’t mean your script tattoo doesn’t have a special significance to you. In fact, custom lettering is often one of the most personal tattoos you can get, aside from a portrait tattoo of a loved one.

Popular tattoo styles include Latin letters, the Arabic alphabet, Cyrillic or Kanji, but your script tattoos can also be in Japanese or other languages. Together with traditional tattoos, lettering and numbers are one of the oldest tattoo styles.

Examples of modern custom script tattoos include;

• Names or initials
• Numbers, dates, or coordinates
• Words, phrases, mottos, etc.
• Quotes, expressions, sayings, statements, poems, etc.
• Passages, scriptures, paragraphs, oaths, stories, etc.

A realism tattoo is a true commitment to great body artwork. And it should be, because the artist is literally engraving the world as you see it onto your skin. Photo-realistic tattoos (the ones you could confuse for an actual photo of something real) are an investment in time and money. But don’t let that scare you off. The realism tattoo style is an absolute classic, and perfect for capturing something or someone very specific. Realistic tattoos portray anything from people and animals, to nature, scenery and objects. They come in all sizes, black and grey, full colour, or a mixture of the two which has incredible visual impact when done well. As time goes by, this style is more and more refined, with experts in realism easily identifiable. Our artists that specialize in realism have a critical eye for detail, taking as much time as necessary to accomplish the desired effect of etching a photograph on your skin. Through the use of fine lines, contrast, shading, and 3D effects, as well as different sized needles and a range of tones, your artist will bring your tattoo to life.

Also known as Classic Americana, traditional tattoos are among the most well known Western tattoo styles. It’s the first style your parents (or grandparents) will think of when you say you’re getting a tattoo. Traditional tattoos represent defiant counterculture and the industry’s tough-guy history. Traits of traditional tattoos:

• Bold, saturated colours
• Simple colour palette
• Simple shading, if any
• Thick black outlines
• Precise and crisp two-dimensional images
• Elemental, clean designs (symbols and motifs)

This style is attributed to Norman Collins, aka Sailor Jerry, who learned the craft from Japanese hand poke tattoo artists. They’re closely tied to the ocean and nautical imagery, pinup girls, fierce animals, hearts, roses, and daggers. When you think of flash tattoos on the walls of a tattoo studio, think traditional tattoos. Choose this style for a tattoo that will age well and likely never go out of style (they haven’t yet!).

The Tribal tattoo style is one of the most popular styles in the world. Traditionally, this style of tattoos were mostly drawn in solid black ink with continuous lines. Today, colours can also be incorporated into these designs.

The origin of this style of tattoos goes back to tribal communities, and were used as a way to mark an individual’s membership in a specific tribe, social standing, and achievements.

Traits of tribal tattoos:

• Usually inked in black.
• Large pieces.
• Simple patterns, geometric shapes, and repetitive figures.

Tattoo styles come and go, but one style continues to maintain its popularity throughout the centuries. And that’s traditional Japanese, or Irezumi, AKA Oriental style tattoos. Originating during the Edo period (1603-1868), Japanese style is rooted in folklore featuring heroes from the Suikoden and mythological. Think creatures of legend, lotus flowers, characters from the Japanese language, and tsunami waves. Every tattoo tells a powerful story. Traditional Japanese tattoos are not just for the Yakuza, just like traditional Americana tattoos are not just for sailors or criminals. However, Irezumi was born from covering up tattoos that Japanese criminals received in prison. To that end, tattooing was associated with the Yakuza mafia which led to the practice being outlawed until 1948! The practice of penal tattooing died out in the 17th century, but the art of decorative Irezumi has proven eternal. You better be committed if you’re going for an Oriental tattoos, and prepared to sit for a very long time. Japanese tattoos are a work of art and your skin is the canvas.