Glossary15 January 2026 · 1 min read

Portrait

A portrait is a tattoo that reproduces a person's face, real or depicted in an artwork. It is usually done in a realistic style, in black and grey or colour, though illustrative interpretations also exist.

Why it matters: It is a subject more than a style, and requires great attention to proportion and gradients. In products it is associated with configurations and inks described for shading.

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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Portrait

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