If you’re looking for truly bold tattoos for men, blackwork tattoos are some of the loudest body art statements around. Some of the simplest ways to tattoo, blackwork has been around for centuries, especially in Indigenous cultures like Hawaii or Samoa. These days, the art style has expanded tremendously to include almost any style or design you can think of.

If you came here because you’re a fan of black and grey style tattoos, you should know that blackwork tattoos are NOT black and grey. Unique from any other tattooing style, there are no lighter pigments involved in blackwork at all. You’ve only got one color option, and you can probably guess what that is.

There are plenty of awesome options out there, so we gathered some eminent blackwork tattoo ideas to be your muses before you sit down in the chair.

1. Traditional Blackwork Tattoo

Norman Collins (a.k.a. Sailor Jerry) is credited with creating the ‘traditional’ style by combining tattoos from Japan with his own American style. American traditional tattoos are known for strong linework and sharp contrast. Some of the most popular traditional blackwork tattoos are snakes, roses, daggers, skulls, and clipper ships.

2. Blackwork Tattoo Flash

If you’re unfamiliar with the term, all those little pictures hanging in tattoo shops are called flash. They’re meant for anyone undecided on an image; you browse, pick something you like, and either get that picture inked or something similar. Most flash is simple, and even if it isn’t blackwork tattoo flash, it’s probably easy enough to convert into blackwork. Just talk it out with your artist and see what they can do for you.

3. Blackwork Flower Tattoo

Blackwork flower tattoos can be absolutely stunning, or a jumbled mess. The more complicated a blackwork tattoo idea is, the easier it is for it to become confusing. If you’re going bigger, the layout becomes even more important, so make sure you find a great artist. In the right hands, you will have blackwork flowers guaranteed to get attention.