STYLE GUIDE
Tattoo styles, explained
If you know the idea but not the style, start here. These are the styles we tattoo week in, week out, what each one is best suited to, and the price band it usually falls into.
Fine-line
$450
Thin single-needle linework with little or no shading. It reads clean and quiet on the skin, and it suits forearms, spines, collarbones and ribs. Because the lines are so thin, placement and aftercare matter more than in any other style.
Best for: Small botanicals, script, delicate symbols, first tattoos.
Black and grey realism
$700
Built from smooth grey washes rather than hard outlines, so a photo reference translates to skin. It needs time in the chair — this is the style where hours, not size, drive the price.
Best for: Portraits, animals, moths, statues, photo references.
Geometric blackwork
$600
Heavy solid black, symmetry and repeated pattern. It ages extremely well and it is the strongest option when we are covering older ink.
Best for: Mandalas, ornamental panels, bold graphic shapes, cover-ups.
Japanese-style large scale
$2,500
Designed as one flowing composition around the limb rather than as separate tattoos, and planned session by session from the start.
Best for: Sleeves, back pieces, thigh panels, dragons, koi, waves.
Colour and ornamental
$600
Layered colour packed over a clean base. Expect more passes than black and grey, and a longer heal.
Best for: Butterflies, florals, animals with colour accents.
Lettering and script
$400
Spacing and letterform do all the work here. We redraw script to fit the curve of the body part rather than dropping a font onto skin.
Best for: Quotes, names, dates, handwriting.
Not sure which style fits?
Send the idea and any reference pictures you have saved. We will tell you which style will hold up best on that part of the body, and quote it from our published price list (4 size bands, from small pieces to full back projects).