A post shared by [email protected] (@emilymalice) on May 17, 2017 at 4:31am PDT

So Naive Yet So

“The ‘ignorant’ or ‘naïve’ style is one that originated from the world of graffiti and street culture. Using only fast, loose and crude black line work to make up street style imagery, it’s simple in its look but big on impact.

“Traphouse is the ‘ignorant’ style’s break-out artist in the UK this year, but Dicky and Sang Bleu’s Jack Watts are also flexing their muscles in this arena too.”

A post shared by THE PEOPLES CHAMPION (@traphousetattooer) on Mar 10, 2017 at 8:54am PST

Sex Appeal

“People will always get tattoos of sexy women, and the pin-up girl has been a popular icon for decades. But tattooing is about pushing the boundaries, so new versions are emerging.

“The latest trend for the humble pin-up has been to see her lose her clothes and get down and dirty in sex scenes. Ian Parkin has been one of the stand-out purveyors of this new type of X-rated pin-up girl.”

A post shared by Ian Parkin Tattooer (@ianparkintattoo) on Mar 22, 2017 at 2:58am PDT

Scar Tissue

“Over the years tattoos have been vilified in the media, but what is usually overlooked is that they can be a force for good in helping people to heal, gain confidence or express themselves in a new way.

“This is none more apparent than for cancer sufferers, often people who have had a mastectomy or large surgery on their torso. More and more patients are now turning to tattoo artists this year to decorate their post-op body to help them reclaim their identity.”

A post shared by Om Tattoo & Massage (@omtattooandmassage) on May 18, 2017 at 3:48pm PDT

Tech Tatts

“There have been plenty of attempts and fails in the past to create interactive tattoos – there was even a spate of QR code tattoos that are better left forgotten.

“This month, however, a tattoo went viral on the internet that used augmented reality technology to give the tattoo a bespoke soundtrack. This is the first example of an interactive tattoo that feels genuinely compelling and could inspire a whole range of creative applications of it. Watch this space.”