When you hear "tattoo", are you still thinking about Japanese carp and old-school anchors? Hey, it's 2024! It's time to refresh your body art knowledge and dive headfirst into the whirlwind of colours and visions that define contemporary Ink Culture…
Between patches of colour reminiscent of French impressionists and metallic nightmares seemingly vomited from the twisted imagination of H.R. Giger, let's explore together the most important contemporary tattoo styles.
Dotwork: Precision, Steady Hand, and Lots of Patience!
Forget about thick lines and sharp outlines. Dotwork catapults you into a universe of micro-dots, creating sacred geometries, hypnotic mandalas, and dreamlike landscapes with surgical precision. An art inspired by pointillism and blackwork, elevating tattooing to a true form of pixel art.
Image above: a dotwork tattoo by artist Mahyar Traveler.
Watercolour: Delicate Strokes of Colour
Inspired by pictorial art and the delicate shades of 19th-century botanical watercolours. Subtle shades, vibrant tones, and fluid brushstrokes blend to bring forth blooming flowers, majestic animals, and landscapes evoking ethereal atmospheres. The key to this style lies in the mastery of the tattoo artist, capable of creating painterly effects of rare beauty that impart a dreamy and delicate vibration to the artwork.
Images above: mandala and bird watercolour tattoos by Deanna Wardin via Flickr
Biomechanical: The Cyberpunk Beauty of a Frightening Future
Born from the fusion of cyberpunk and body art, biomechanics celebrate the complexity of the human body and its hypothetical evolution in a future of human-machine hybridization. Its roots delve into scientific illustrations and futuristic visions of artists like HR Giger (the inventor of Alien's design, to put it in perspective), creating a disruptive aesthetic that often depicts gears, circuits, and artificial organs.
Image above: black and grey bio tattoo by Artistic Element via Flickr.
Blackwork: Graphic Minimalism for Bold Souls
Colour is not needed to communicate power. Blackout style is the essence of tattooing, where bold lines and sharp contrasts create evocative symbols, hypnotic geometries, and icons of pure elegance. An art inspired by tribalism and graphic design, perfect for those who desire a visually striking tattoo.
Image above: blackout tattoo by Giacomo @gwhitenoise
Handpoke: Rediscovering Roots Isn’t Going Backwards
No machines, just needles and hands. Handpoke is a return to the origins of tattooing, where each dot is an intimate and conscious gesture. Minimalist lines, small designs, and tribal symbols are the protagonists of this ancestral technique, which imbues the tattoo with a unique authenticity and timeless charm. Honourable mention to handpokes inspired by the Viking tradition, featuring runes, symbols linked to the Norse pantheon, and animals like wolves, ravens, and dragons.
Images above: hand-poked tattoos by Marcia Moreira @native.mar wearing Psylo’s BFB Top (left/middle) and Luke Top (right/bottom).
Neo-traditional: A Bridge Between Past and Future
Nostalgia for classic old-school tattoos merges with modernity in an explosive mix. Neo-traditional reinterprets icons like sailors (okay, so you hadn't gone that far with the anchor after all!), fierce animals, and broken hearts with an innovative and sometimes surreal touch. Clean lines, vibrant colours, and elaborate compositions create artworks that nod to the past while projecting it into a futuristic, dreamlike, and psychedelic dimension.
Image above: Shane showing off his neotraditional tattoos during Psylo’s Tribal Punk photoshoot.
Trash Polka: The Art of Chaos with Cyberpunk Influences
Born from the minds of Simone Pfaff and Volko Merschky, trash polka is an iconoclastic style that mixes graphic elements, collages, and lettering in a chaotic yet harmonious explosion. Inspired by underground culture, punk posters, and cyberpunk, this style is an impactful one thanks to the use of black and red colours.
Images above: Combination of photorealistic surrealistic motifs with abstract elements in black and red tattoo by Denis Moskalev (left/top) and trash tattoo elements (right/bottom) via Wikimedia.
Made by Tattoo Lover, for Tattoo Lovers
Our love story with tattoos can be seen on our bodies, but not only. Over the years, the relationship with the artist working on the body of Psylo’s creative director has grown into a beautiful collaboration. You can find artist Mahyar Traveler’s tattoo art adorning many of our best-sellers even today.
Image above: traditional Mentawai tribal tattooing of our creative director and designer, Ami Ganiel during the opening part of our Canggu shop, Bali.
Tattoos are also one of the biggest inspirations for the Psylo design team. Many of our printed artwork are directly influenced by tribal tattoos, or designed to match and even expose your body art. Plus, our tattoo-inspired designs are screen-printed on soft fabrics that are kind to you and the environment alike.
You are invited to [re]discover our tattoo clothing that feels like your second skin:
