Straight answers to the things that stop people booking a tattoo — from the first idea to a healed tattoo. Each guide points you at real, credited work in the catalogue, and health guides quote dermatologists who specialise in tattoos.
What does a Japanese (Irezumi) tattoo actually look like?
Stand up, look in a full-length mirror, move around.
Start with visibility, not the design
1. Start with the style, not the name
Start with what you actually have
Patchy spots or thin lines once peeling is finished — common, and usually fixed with a touch-up after full healing.
Look at the stencil in a full-length mirror and from a distance; ask to move it if it sits wrong on the muscle.
Style and detail Styles that need long shading or colour packing — realism , New School , full colour work — take more hours than linework at the…
Realism tries to rebuild the entire photograph — full tonal range, shading, highlight and shadow, texture.
Browse the full guides hub, or see How to Choose a Tattoo Style.
Neo-Traditional tattoos: Old School structure with richer colour, depth and illustrative detail - fit, aging, cost and quality signs.
Cost scales with how much of the body the design wraps around — a contained accent piece is a quick, affordable option, while a full sleeve or back…
Nine stages from a vague idea to a healed tattoo. Every guide ends with a link to the next step, so you can read them in order — or jump straight to where you are.
The worries people mention most — and where the honest answer is.
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Health guides quote dermatologists who specialise in tattoos word for word. New to the words? See the tattoo glossary. How guides are written and corrected: editorial policy.