Tattoo designs for men - a selection of styles, choice of location, inspiring photos of work

Every fourth man has at least one tattoo. A selection of styles, choice of location, tips on choosing a sketch + photo. In today's world, applying an artistic tattoo, is no longer something strange. This case has become quite commonplace. The tattoo industry is growing like a snowball.

Choosing the place of application

When choosing a location, consider solely your preferences. Whether you want the tattoo to be visible to others or leave it inconspicuous, whether you choose the scale or not, it's all up to you. Places of application:

  • Forearm;
  • upper arm;
  • calves;
  • back;
  • abdomen;
  • ribs.

 

The most popular place for a tattoo is the forearm. It is chosen by both men and girls. An excellent choice for the first tattoo. First the forearm, then the shoulder, and now it is possible to assemble the sleeve, adding smaller details and the background.

The same goes for the legs. You can start with calves, then tibia, thigh, details, background, and here you have a stocking. That's what they call a fully rolled leg. Men choose the back for large-scale sketches. The process will be long and painful, but the outcome is sure to make you happy, now that you've ventured into it. The stomach and ribs are universal places. Any kind of sketches will look great, from lettering to blackwash to large-scale dot-wrench style mandalas.

Map of Pain

The tattoo industry invented painkillers long ago. Mostly tattoo artists use ointments. Forty minutes under the film, and you hardly feel anything anymore. Of course, depending on your pain threshold, and susceptibility to the composition of the anesthetic.

If you decide to be patient, it is important to know that the needle in the tattoo machine goes about six thousand strokes per minute. Tattooing, a priori cannot be a painless process. But there are places where you can safely tolerate, and there are the most painful places. Again, it all depends on the sensitivity of each person, so do not take this list as the only true one.

Pain Map:

  • Forearms, calves, shins, outer side of shoulder, front side of thighs-not pleasant, but bearable.
  • Ankles, wrists, collarbones - painful, but not too much, still bearable.
  • Chest, neck, back and inner thighs, hands - very painful, some can bear it, some can't.
  • Knees on both sides, elbows on both sides, back, abdomen, ribs, face, groin area, palms and fingers, head, ears, lips, lower buttocks, inner shoulder - hurts like hell. Without anesthetic, it is better not to beat, so as to reduce the risk of twitching during the session.

Tattoo Styles

Before the session, we advise you to study the styles of application, and choose the one you like best. The variety is huge:

  • watercolor;
  • bio-organic;
  • lin vork;
  • neo-tradition;
  • realism;
  • oriental;
  • chicano;
  • biomechanics;
  • old skool;
  • tribal;
  • thrash polka;
  • DotWorks;
  • polynesia;
  • new skool;
  • traditional;
  • black vork;
  • ethnica;
  • sketch;
  • lettering;
  • organics

and many other styles. Let us tell you about the most popular of late.

Old School.

Not aging classics, a style that will always be popular. The first bearers of such tattoos were sailors. From them, the fashion for this style went to the masses. Often these are images of ships, waves, anchors, beautiful women, mermaids, birds, roses, crosses with the addition of a ribbon on which is written a meaningful phrase for the person.

Standard colors are used for application. The pigment is applied densely, smooth transitions and shadows are possible. The outline is quite bold. Old skool style tattoos always look very bright and clear. They look great in any location.

Realism

Here everything is more or less clear. Realism is a drawing as close to reality as possible. The tattoo master should be artistically educated in order for such tattoos to be of high quality.

If you have found such a tattooist, then for him it will not be a problem to score you a portrait from a photo, or any other sketch with maximum attention to detail. Any animals in this style look amazing.

The main thing is to be prepared for several fairly long sessions, because art takes time, and money, of course. Suitable places: shoulder, calf, thigh, back. Sketch.

A style that is gaining popularity at a tremendous rate. It is like a pencil sketch, the lines are not necessarily straight, on the contrary, carelessly, sweepingly. The paint should not be dense, at most a light semi-shadow, mostly done by whipshading technique. The contours may be double, a sharper outline together with a thin interrupted line. Consult with the master if he can develop such a sketch himself, if yes, then you can choose absolutely any drawing or photo and the tattooist will perform it in sketch style. It is easier than sketches in realism. Under the sketch more often choose the forearm. Dot wrench.

Rather popular style of application. The work is done exclusively with dots. It is important for the master to be experienced, in order to regulate the density of application. Sketches in the style of dotwork should not be small, because in small sketches it is impossible to make smooth transitions from dense paint to less dense. The master must understand the technique of application, otherwise short strokes are possible instead of dots, and this will spoil the whole picture.

If the master is not qualified, the dots may be different in size, somewhere fat somewhere not, it will look sloppy. Tattoos are usually performed with black pigment, less often red. In this style great look mandalas - these are symmetric, geometric shapes, patterns. In dot vork obtained beautiful sleeves, stockings, full back or chest.

Black vork.

For those who like black and dense coloring. Ordinary contour black tattoo is not blackwork, completely filled in with black pigment forearm, or any other part of the body, this is blackwork. Often, dense black ink is combined with dotwork. It looks very nice, because of the well-defined contrast. Also, if you want to overlay an old tattoo that is not done well, this style is perfect for you. The place of application is absolutely any.

Biomechanic

A stunning, trendy, unusual style, great for men. More often than not, it looks like a skin tear, with mechanical parts, various wires, screws, and other things underneath. Difficulties of application as in realism. For a biomechanical style tattoo to look good, the master must understand the style, because you need a well-developed transition of the skin to the metal parts. The area of application should be sufficient for it to be clear what is depicted. In color this style looks much better than black and white sketches. Places of application: arms, legs, neck, back.

Bioorganic

For connoisseurs of tattoo art. Bioorganic is a kind of abstractionism. It is most often performed by freehand, that is, the master draws the sketch himself, immediately on the body. This, correlated with biomechanics, can look like torn skin, only from it peek out bones and eyes, not metal. Tattoos in this style are embossed, vibrant, and saturated. There's like a glow coming from underneath the design. It looks very epic overall. It looks incredible on the neck, as well as on the arms, legs and chest.

Of course, you can choose any style other than those described above. Minimalism, for example, is chosen by young people as often as the old skool. Thresh-polka is chosen by fans of gothic and gloomy sketches. Japanese-themed tattoos are chosen by those who like oriental motifs: geishas, lotuses, dragons. Everything, ultimately depends on your preferences.

Interesting photo ideas of male tattoo designs

We advise to read

For girls

For men

Styles