Tattoos: 7 Common Styles

The Tattoos exhibition features many different kinds of tattoos both historical and contemporary. There are seven basic contemporary tattoo styles listed below. Let us know in the comments if you have ink that fit in one of these styles. 

1. Japanese  

Often derived from watercolour inspired artwork, as well as word and phrase tattoos.

2. New School

Wild, comic book style, featuring imagined worlds and vivid colours.

3. Tribal

Derived from ancient tribal art, usually solid black, somewhat random comilation of lines and curves.

4. American Traditional

Military themed, eagles, flags, pin-up girls and such, these tattoos offer basic designs and colours.

5. Black and Grey

These tattoos rely on shading and variation in tone and colour. Often depicting protrait style images, they have their roots in street culture.

5. Portraits

A realistic image of a person's face, based on a detailed photograph. Designs often portray a beloved relatve or celebrity.

7. Dotwork

These tattoos are created using only tiny dots of ink in place of shaded colour. Often geometric in design.

How To See It: Tattoos runs until September 5, 2016.