The Top 5 Most Talked About Tattoo Trends Of 2018

With a surge in talented artists and advances in technology, tattoos have come a long way since their early beginnings in indigenous tribes. Once reserved for soldiers, sailors, punks and convicts, tattoos are now more socially acceptable and are worn proudly by the masses. It is now estimated that around 1 in 5 of the UK population is tattooed, rising to 1 in 3 in young adults. Tattoos trends of 2018 can be used to document your experiences, create memories, boost your confidence or to express your creativity through the permanent artwork you put on your body. Whatever the reason, with a wide variety of styles on offer, tattoos are now more popular than ever before! So, if you’re a tattoo enthusiast or you’re considering getting inked for the first time, read on to find out more about the top 5 tattoo trends of 2018 so far:

1. Traditional

Traditional tattoos are characterised by bold, clean black lines, a limited range of vibrant colours including red, green, yellow and blue and a cartoon-like style. Norman Keith Collins, better known as “Sailor Jerry” is considered the founder of this style of tattooing. He was a prominent American artist who became famous for tattooing sailors in Hawaii from the 1930s until the 1950s and he also introduced one use needles! Common traditional style tattoos include swallows, which were originally used to signify that a sailor had travelled 5000 nautical miles, anchors, pin-up girls, snakes and panthers. To this day, traditional tattoos remain a popular tattoo trend of 2018 due to their distinctive colourful style and vintage appeal.

2. Minimalist/ ‘Fine Line’

On the other end of the spectrum, this is one of the newest tattoo styles for 2018! Minimalist ‘fine line’ tattoos rely on varying needle sizes to create intricate designs with distinct lines or curves. These tattoos are simplistic with no shading and a similar level of detail to pencil drawings. However, they require a skilled hand to create them as their fine lines leave little room for error. Minimalist tattoos tend to be small, delicate designs which are generally monochrome. Floral and nature elements are popular in this style, as are scripted lettering designs. These designs will take less time to heal than colour tattoos, but they may not last as long!

3. Dotwork

Dotwork tattoos are made up of tiny dots that can be used for shading or line work, creating an overall, complex piece of art. They are typically done in black and grey ink and colour accents can also be added. Some artists will create dotwork designs using a hand-poking stippling technique, instead a normal tattoo machine, for the best results. These tattoos take a long time and a lot of effort to create, but when done right, these intricate designs can look beautiful. Dotwork is often incorporated with other tattoo styles such as geometric – think the current mandala tattoo trends of 2018!

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4. Watercolour

This is a relatively new and revolutionary style of tattooing, inspired by watercolour paintings. The coloured ink in watercolour tattoos doesn’t have borders and therefore flows more freely than other designs. Their vibrant colours appear to almost melt into the skin of the wearer and fade out at the edges. With little to no black, watercolour tattoos are popular with those who want a softer, more feminine design than traditional tattoos with thick black lines. Due to their unique, creative style, it is no wonder that watercolour tattoos are a big trend of 2018!

5. Realism

Realism’s popularity has surged in recent years! This style of tattooing takes inspiration from detailed photos and its aim is to be as lifelike as possible. A well-done realistic tattoo, will have incredible attention to detail and a greater level of artistry than traditional designs. Popular realism tattoos include portraits, animals, flowers and even religious images. Realistic eyes and anything reflective like water are also common and are particularly striking! These tattoo designs are usually custom done so that the individual has an original design, are made to look 3D to help them come to life and can be either colour or black and grey. This style of tattooing is great for anyone who wants to ‘wear’ a photograph on your body and realism also shows how much tattoos have advanced over time. A good realism tattoo will impress even tattoo cynics!

These are my top 5 tattoo trends of 2018 so far – can you think of any other styles to add to the list? Leave your favourite in the comments below.

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