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1453 Garnet Ave · (858) 483-7828

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1440 Garnet Ave · (858) 291-8833

A black and grey Japanese dragon coils among flowers and rocks on the arm.Color illustrative horned beetle with a skull body and faces on its wings sits on the thigh.

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Tattoo styles

15 styles, each with the artists who work in it and the shops' own work to look at. Pick the style, then pick the hand.

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PolynesianTraditionalNeo traditionalJapaneseHorrorBiomechanicalBlack and greyFloralIllustrativeRealismWatercolorGeometricDot workCover-upsPortraits

Can't pick? Spin the wheel

Give it a spin. It lands on one of the 15 styles and lights that style's tile below, with the artists who tattoo it.

  • A black and grey illustrative dragon coils around flowers and a sword beneath a crescent moon down the spine.
  • A traditional sailing ship rides blue waves above a red flower on the thigh.
  • A black and grey illustrative wolf silhouette filled with forest and mountains covers an inner upper arm.

If you do not know the name of the style, bring the pictures

Most people arrive with a feeling and a few saved images, not a category. That is enough. The artist reads the references, tells you which style they belong to, and says who here does it best.

A black and grey woman's portrait in an ornate plumed helmet fills the inner upper arm.
A black and grey realism hiking scene with backpackers and mountains covers a forearm.A black and grey realism bearded statue sits beneath an ornate circular window on a forearm.

Styles mix. A floral piece can be traditional or fine line; a portrait can be color or black and grey. The pages here describe the usual version of each style and show how our artists do it.

A black and grey realism sleeve combines bearded statues, columns and ornamental shapes.
Wooden partitions, tattoo chairs and framed artwork fill the Funhouse Tattoo interior.

Flash on the wall

  • A black outline flash sheet shows a dagger, claw, coffins, fanged mouth and rose inside a barbed wire heart.
  • A black outline flash sheet shows a heart-shaped web, jack-o'-lantern, flying bat and potion bottle.
  • A black outline flash sheet shows a stitched scarecrow, fangs, a candle and a bat face.
  • A black line flash sheet shows flowers, fruit, padlocks, hearts, a cactus and a paper plane.
  • A black outline flash sheet shows symmetrical ornamental designs with lotus petals and hanging teardrops.
  • A color traditional flash sheet displays an owl, skulls, a spider woman and a carnivorous plant.

Questions people ask

A black and grey realistic woman with clown makeup, cracked skin and a wide grin covers the forearm.

Which styles age best?

Bold lines and solid black age best: traditional, Japanese, Polynesian and black and grey with strong contrast. Fine line and watercolor hold up when they are placed well and kept out of the sun.

Can one artist do every style?

Most can do several well and one or two exceptionally. We match you to the artist whose portfolio shows the style you want, not to whoever is free.

Polynesian shoulder piece with the Guam seal at its center, tattooed by Seth Reynolds

Do you do cover-ups?

Yes. Cover-ups are their own style page because they follow their own rules: darker, larger and busier than the piece underneath. The consultation is free.

Polynesian full sleeve with fine geometric patterns on a man's arm, tattooed by Seth ReynoldsPolynesian forearm piece with spirals against a wooden map wall, tattooed by Seth Reynolds

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Your name, mobile and email. We call you back, usually the same day.

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