Tattoo Styles We Do

At Bad Apples Tattoo Emporium, we pride ourselves on versatility and mastery of diverse tattooing traditions. Whether you're looking for a delicate fine-line piece or a bold traditional sleeve, our team has the expertise to bring your vision to life. Here are the styles we specialize in.

Fine Line & Minimalist

Characterized by thin, precise lines and subtle shading, Fine Line tattooing requires an incredibly steady hand. This style is perfect for delicate florals, script, and small-scale illustrative work. Our artist Izzy specializes in this technique, creating elegant pieces that age beautifully without blurring.

Portrait Realism

Realism focuses on transferring an image onto skin with photographic accuracy. This style avoids hard outlines, instead using shading and contrast to create depth and dimension. Senior Artist Squid is a master of this style, particularly black and grey portraits that capture true likeness and emotion.

Traditional American

'Bold will hold.' Traditional American (or Old School) tattoos are defined by bold black outlines, a limited color palette (red, green, yellow, black), and iconic imagery like roses, eagles, and anchors. Senior Artist Dylan keeps this tradition alive, creating timeless pieces that look tough and last forever.

Japanese Irezumi

Rooted in centuries of history, Japanese tattooing focuses on flow and storytelling. Using motifs like dragons, koi, and floral backgrounds, these tattoos are often designed to cover large areas of the body (sleeves, backpieces). We focus on respecting the traditional rules of composition while adapting them to your body.

Illustrative Blackwork

This style uses black ink to create image-based designs that resemble illustrations on paper. Ranging from etching/woodcut styles to dark art, this versatile style focuses on texture and line weight. Studio Owner Sarina specializes in this dark, atmospheric aesthetic.

Watercolor

Flowing, artistic watercolor-style tattoos mimic the look of brushstrokes and paint on canvas. This style creates vibrant, ethereal pieces with splashes of color and soft edges, perfect for those wanting a more painterly aesthetic.

Geometric & Dotwork

From sacred geometry to intricate stippling, this style relies on mathematical precision and symmetry. Dotwork uses thousands of individual dots to build shading and texture, creating depth and dimension in mandalas and patterns.

Neo-Traditional

Taking the core rules of Traditional American tattooing and expanding them. Neo-Traditional keeps the bold outlines but introduces broader color palettes, more intricate details, and illustrative depth.

Biomechanical

A futuristic style that blends organic anatomy with mechanical elements like gears, pistons, and metal plates. Designed to look as if your skin has been ripped away to reveal machinery underneath.

Ornamental

Focused on decoration and flow, ornamental tattoos often draw inspiration from jewelry, henna, architecture, and lace. These designs are meant to enhance the natural curves of the body.

Surrealism & Abstract

Breaking the rules of reality. Surrealism creates dreamlike imagery that defies logic, while Abstract tattooing uses form, color, and composition to express emotion without strictly representational subject matter.

Lettering & Script

From bold gothic calligraphy to delicate handwriting. Custom lettering is an art form in itself, ensuring your meaningful words look legible and artistic.

Cover-Ups

We believe you shouldn't have to live with a tattoo you don't love. Expert cover-up work requires strategic planning to completely hide an old design with a beautiful new piece, not just a dark blob.

Not sure which style fits your idea? Book a consultation with us, and we can guide you towards the best approach for your design.