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Tattoo Styles Explained
Every tattoo on TattMe gets tagged with the styles its artist specializes in. Knowing what each style actually means — and which artists nail it — is the difference between booking a piece you love and one you live with regretting.
Below: every major style with a quick rundown of what it is, when it works, and how many TattMe-verified artists specialize in it. Click any style to browse those artists. If you’re early in the process and not sure what you want, start with the family descriptions — they map the major lineages of modern tattooing and will help you narrow before you scroll.
The major style families
Most tattoo styles trace back to one of these seven families. If you know the family, you’ll recognize the style even when artists put their own spin on it.
Traditional & American
Bold outlines, solid color, iconic imagery. These styles were built to age — pieces from the 1940s still read clean today.
Realism
Photographic detail in skin. Demands canvas size — sleeves, backs, thighs. The hardest style to do well.
Black & Grey
No color, just contrast. Diluted black ink for gradients and shadow. Dominates portraits, religious imagery, and chicano work.
All styles on TattMe
73 styles, sorted by how many verified artists work in each.
Black & Grey517 artists
Browse 517 verified black & grey tattoo artists on TattMe.
Cover-Ups311 artists
Browse 311 verified cover-ups tattoo artists on TattMe.
Line-work308 artists
Browse 308 verified line-work tattoo artists on TattMe.
Cartoon296 artists
Browse 296 verified cartoon tattoo artists on TattMe.
Floral279 artists
Browse 279 verified floral tattoo artists on TattMe.
Fine Line273 artists
Single-needle precision for delicate, detailed work.
Still not sure?
Picking a style is the first step. Picking the right artist within that style is the harder one — and it’s where TattMe earns its keep. Every artist on the platform is identity-verified, publishes transparent pricing, and shows their full portfolio tagged by style, body part, and size. Browse artists directly if you’d rather work backwards from the work itself.
Browse all artists →