Glossary15 January 2026 · 1 min read

Illustrative

The illustrative style brings the language of illustration onto the skin: a recognisable stroke, a drawn composition, sometimes with textures and hatching. It includes very different approaches, from clean to sketch-like.

Why it matters: It is a broad, loosely defined category: the term describes the graphic character of the work rather than a precise technique.

Related: Linework, Neo-Traditional, Sketch, Engraving.

Guide4 min readReading a style: six elements for looking at a tattooStyle labels help find one's way around, but they say little on their own: two tattoos called the same thing can be very different, and a work can sit between two styles. This guide proposes a method for looking at a tattoo by observing six concrete elements: line, colour, contrast, composition, depth and subject. With these elements the families of styles can be recognised, what is seen can be described, and one can understand from which traditions and influences they come. The styles mentioned have a glossary entry; here the interest is in how to look at them.

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Illustrative

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