Still a relatively new tattooing technique, Watercolour tattoos are beautifully expressive, colourful tattoos that closely resemble watercolour paintings.

Getting a Watercolour tattoo is not much different to getting any other type of tattoo, the only difference being the shading and colouring techniques. This popular tattoo style attracts people who appreciate the fusion of fine art and tattooing. This makes it a popular choice for art enthusiasts and those seeking something different from traditional tattoo styles.

Like a fine artist, Watercolour tattoo artists water down their pigments. This is so they can use multiple gradients of the same colour, allowing them to blend and layer the colours to achieve a range of different hues. This gives the artist much greater control over colour intensity, which means some Watercolour tattoos can be very heavily saturated while others can be much more delicate.

Many Watercolour tattoos have no outlines or have outlines that are barely there. This gives Watercolour tattoos their soft, signature appearance – helping to create the illusion of a painting. Other techniques that tattoo artists use are blurring, splashing, and colour running. This combination of techniques can make the design stand out even more. It offers a unique fusion of traditional and contemporary tattoo art.

Although natural themes such as flowers and birds will always be popular Watercolour tattoo themes, the Watercolour technique lends itself to a wide variety of designs such as portraits and animal tattoos. Some artists like to combine these designs with other tattoo styles, such as sketchwork or colour realism, Abstract and Illustrative, to name but a few.

For more Watercolour tattoo inspiration, check out some of our exceptional artists below or contact a studio today to book a free consultation.