The first documented account of tattooing is believed to have been found in 3370 BC, well before any other art form was expressed on the body during these early time periods. Since 5,394 years have passed, tattooing has become increasingly diverse with different methods having emerged, alongside different styles. A tattoo style is how it is applied and the overall look of the tattoo, not the subject matter. Here is a curated list of the most popular tattoo styles in America and what makes them unique.
American Traditional Tattoos
Originating in America around the 1900s by sailors, this tattoo style was first used to defy societal norms through an act of “rebellion”. They are very simple illustrations as sailors only used homemade needles and ink. They are made up of thick bold outlines and a bright application of color. This style’s iconic imagery includes American eagles, roses, snakes, and skulls.
Japanese Traditional Tattoos
Originating in Japan as early as 5000 B.C., this tattooing style expresses Japanese culture through the various symbols and illustrations used with vivid colors and bold outlines. These include lions, Geishas, Koi Fish, dragons, and more. Before the tattoo machine existed, Japanese artists used Tabori, “hand tattooing” of sorts, where a bamboo needle met with a metal needle to pierce the skin one poke at a time.
Neo Traditional Tattoos
These tattoos take concepts from traditional styles of tattooing while adding a more diverse color palette, as well as adding a multitude of details to contrast the colors with the skin. They mix realism with illustrations to construct an elaborate image.
New School Tattoos
One of the most bright and vivid tattoo styles, New School tattoos are exaggerated depictions of normal subjects. They are cartoonish in nature with thick bold black outlines with bubbly, yet detailed drawings.
Tribal Tattoos
This style combines beautiful outlines with a culture’s unique style of art. They depict intricate patterns, with the most popular styles
Smithsonian American Art Museum, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://americanart.si.edu/collections/search/artwork/?id=78738 )
including Native American, Polynesian, Samoan, and Hawaiian.
Realism Tattoos
These tattoos are photo-like in depiction. Either composed of color or black and gray ink. There is hardly any illustration used in these tattoos because they are, well, realistically tattooed on the skin.
Pointillism Tattoos
Like how the name alludes to the style, these tattoos utilize a fine-line applicator to apply an array of dots. This style blends all of the dots to create a unique illustration of art, being diverse in imagery.
