Humans have marked their bodies with tattoos for thousands of years. These permanent designs have served as amulets, signs of status, declarations of love, signs of religious beliefs, adornments, and even forms of punishment throughout different cultures all around the world. Tattoos have the ability to tell stories, celebrate life and memories, and link people together.

A picture speaks a thousand words, and in today’s culture, tattoos have become so common as purely decorative designs that a lot of us don’t even know the meanings behind some of the permanent designs on our bodies.  This guide will explain some of the most popular tattoo styles of today’s industry and briefly explain the history and cultural significance behind them.

1. Tribal

Tribal tattoos mark the beginning of the long history and evolution of tattoos. There are hundreds of different styles of tribal tattoos, the most well-known being from Celtic, Polynesian/Samoan, Filipino, Hawaiian, and Native American communities. The meanings behind tribal tattoos vary from culture to culture and between designs. They were used throughout the globe to indicate a tribe, ward off enemies, tell stories of the wearer’s heritage, or to symbolize power, strength, and protection. Tribal tattoos were combined with scarification in many cultures and tribes because there weren’t needles in many areas to place the ink nicely into the skin. The person getting the design would have incisions made into the skin,and ash or soot rubbed into the cuts. This healed, leaving a stained black or grey scar, with both texture and color.

Tribal tattoos are commonly known for their powerful history and cultural roots, and are used to link the tattoo owner spiritually, culturally, and through lineage to a group of people going back thousands of years. Most Tribal tattoos have bold black saturated lines and dots and they are known to be very balanced and symmetrical, with repeating patterns and seemingly abstract designs. 

2. Japanese

Japanese tattoos are among the oldest styles of tattoos, reaching back almost 5,000 years. Although tattooing was a form of expressive folk art, it quickly became perceived as a negative practice and was banned in the late 1800s. Although it was illegal, many people continued to practice the Japanese tattooing tradition underground, mainly people in the lower casts of society who fought against government control and laws, such as laborers and gang members. The ink was a symbol of courage and bravery, not only because of its illegality but because of the pain and lengthy process. Even with the depth of meaning, the high quality of artistic skill, and cultural and historical aspects of Japanese tattooing, there are still issues with legality of tattooing in Japan due to the current affiliation with gang members and criminal activity. 

Japanese tattoos are known for their blend of cultural significance and detailed line-work. This type of tattoo takes finesse and skill to pull off, with the intricate lines full of twists and turns, delicate shading, and unique use of negative space. Japanese tattoos often have a mix of black and grey and explosive contrasting colors. The subject of all the designs are rooted in Japanese culture and folklore, all with deep meanings and symbolisms. Some of the most popular designs are Japanese dragons, koi fish in water, phoenix, geishas, samurai, Fu dogs (lion with dog-like features), and tigers.  The dragon is the most iconic Japanese design, symbolizing a wise creature with strength to wield the universe in their favor and to bring blessings to the bearer. Koi are found in many elements of Japanese folk tales and symbolize courage, work ethic and the ability to flow, like water, through the hardships of life. 

3. American Traditional/Old School

Traditional tattoos are the artistic embodiment of wanderlust and freedom. Tattooing moved to America in the late 1800s and derived from the sailors tattooing traditions which marked achievements at sea. Tattoos remained within a small section of the culture spectrum until world war ll when Norman Collins, aka Sailor Jerry, came up with a new tattoo style, combining elements of American culture with the Japanese tattoo style to make Traditional Americana, symbolizing rejection of mainstream culture and the search for a different existence. Traditional tattoos represent a crucial moment in the evolution of tattoos, and led to the integration of tattoos we see in America today.

American Traditional tattoos, also known as old school tattoo style or classic tattoos style, is the easiest tattoo style to identify, known for its simplistic designs, bold black outlines, saturated blocks of color with a limited palette (red, blue, green, yellow), and minimal-to-no shading. Traditional tattoos often include symbols of American Patriotism, such as eagles, anchors, skulls and roses, crosses, pin-up girls, snakes and daggers, and nautical sailing designs. Old school designs may seem easy because of the  blocks of color,  bold outlines, and lack of shading, but they are some of the hardest tattoos to pull off because of the precision and technical skills needed to produce a clean, saturated tattoo.

4. Realism (Photorealism)

The Realism Art movement of the mid 19th century is what gave birth to realism tattoos. Realism came to be as a result of people’s desire to create images that look similar to a photograph or a 3D object.  Photorealism materialized as an evolution of Pop Art, and this is where some of the roots of stylings and techniques of realism in tattooing. 

Realism, or Photorealism tattoos, are detailed and accurate representations of real life imagery, and are meant to look as convincing as a photograph. Realism body art often features landscapes and scenery, animals, and portraits of people. There are two major types of realism tattoos: black and grey realism and color realism. Black and grey uses diluted black ink to create different levels of shading, dimension, and detail. Full color realism not only requires a lot of concentration and skill, but they are also usually very time consuming. They often require multiple detailed layers to achieve an accurate 3D depiction of the photograph. Realism tattoos take time, detail, gradual shading (not a clean outline), and precision to pull off an amazing image that jumps off the skin.

Portraits are one of the most meaningful tattoo styles, often serving as a memorial for someone lost, a reminder of the important things in life, and a tribute to someone you look up to or admire. They are also the most difficult to pull off because of the importance of precision, accuracy, detail, shading, and placement. If it doesn’t accurately portray the unique characteristics of the person’s face, it will lose all of its meaning.

5. New School

New School style originated in the late 70s but arguably came alive in the 90’s as mainstream pop culture began to take off.  The tattoos in that era included many cartoon and Disney influences, as well as graffiti. The style has roots in American Traditional tattooing with similar bold outlines and big designs, but otherwise it has a very unique style. The style was also heavily influenced by Japanese cultural aesthetics and techniques, as well as through video-game culture, comic books, and anime. Through the internet and TV, all of these influences reached Western fanatics who would then turn to New School tattooers to bring their dreams to life.

New School tattoos are some of the most recognizable because of their bright and saturated color schemes, bold line-work and exaggerated portrayals of the subject (cartoonish imagery). This style has a highly animated aesthetic that pulls from many different places. New school is centered around pop culture and many people who are attracted to this style are fans of gaming, comic books, and anime. However, this style is much less constrictive than many others, and practically anything can be turned into a vibrant New School design with the right artist.

6. Trash Polka 

Trash Polka Originated in Germany in the 90s, a product of Volko Mershky and his wife Simone Pfaff. The name Trash Polka is a reference to Gypsy and German folklore, and is described as a combination of natural and abstract images and the past and future. The style was born from collages of photographs and newspaper fonts, and then images were added on top of them. The style eventually evolved into Trash Polka as we know it today.

Trash Polka resembles a collage that combines elements of Photorealism and Realism, as well as geometry, graphics, and inscriptions. The style goes against all standards and uniformity and because of this, it is disliked by some, but others are drawn to its originality and powerful qualities. Trash Polka comes down to two colors: black and red, black usually being the base and red being an additive, often used as blood in the design. Trash Polka tattoos have no ¨light¨. Due to the dark and heavy energy of the style, these tattoos can create unpleasant emotions, but at the same time, this sense of unease the art can invoke adds to the power of the tattoo and the story it tells. 

There are a countless number of tattoo styles in the world, all of which have deep historical roots and cultural connections. From Tribal and Ancient Japanese tattoos, to Realism and Trash Polka, we can see how all of these styles connect to each other and how the industry and culture behind tattooing has evolved over thousands of years into what we see today.