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 ornamental looks like
Ornamental pieces bring in pattern-based structure without necessarily following a specific tribal lineage.
Japanese (Irezumi) tattoos: large-scale compositions of dragons, koi, tigers and waves - fit, sessions, cost and how to spot good work.
Designs with texture — florals, animals with fur or feathers, Japanese backgrounds, dark ornamental work — hide old lines well.
New School tattoos explained: exaggerated cartoon shapes, saturated colour and bold outlines - who they suit, how they age and what to look for.
Blackwork, dotwork and tribal compared side by side with real examples: how each looks, ages and which one fits your idea.
How to choose a tattoo placement: visibility, pain, how each area ages, working with body shape, and how size and placement go together.
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.
11 guides
10 guides
4 guides
6 guides
4 guides
4 guides
5 guides
1 guide
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.