If the clock strikes midnight on New Year’s Eve and you find yourself in the mood for change, then don’t be surprised if you catch yourself eyeballing the many chic tattoo trends of 2023. There are so many options to choose from that you may be inspired to get your tattoo. first tat — or add to your already-growing collection.
There are many ways to make money. designs that reigned supreme in 2022 will continue into the new year, there’s a fresh crop of inspo for 2023. According to the norm, many ink trends originate from celebrities and influencers sharing their tattoos online. Jingxi Gu, the owner of and lead artist at Patch Tattoo Therapy. “But we are also now seeing more and more tattoo artists taking any art style from drawing and painting, such as surrealism, realism, impressionism, abstract, pop art, charcoal, oil painting, etc., and creating tattoos of that art,” she tells Bustle.
The final result? You’ve got a wide range of fun tattoo ideas to choose from, whether you’re feeling something small and daintyYou can be bold, unique or all three. And it’s totally OK to mix and match and get whatever catches your eye so you end up with art that’s uniquely yours.
Keep scrolling for 10 tattoos you’ll see everywhere in 2023 to help get your body art ideas flowing.
1. “Ignorant” Style Tattoos
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You may know the look of a friend who has a lot of unmatched tattoos on their legs or arms. According to Kasia, a resident painter at High Hopes TattooThis kind of tat was popularized by the graffiti artist Fuzi, and it’s all about that simple, one-off, hand-drawn, I-got-this-at-a-party aesthetic.
Many celebs have ignorant tattoos, from Scarlett Johansson’s horseshoe tat to the ink all over Harry Style’s upper body, which looks like it’s covered in stickers. “Those who like the style come for the context and simplicity, but also like how different it is from typical styles you’d see,” Kasia says. If you jump on the bandwagon and get an ignorant tattoo in 2023, simply choose whatever scribble, shape, or sentence you want — the more out there and random, the better.
2. Surrealism
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In 2023, a combination of surrealist and ignorant tats will be popular. “Now that the [ignorant] style is growing, collectors will look to differentiate themselves from others with ignorant ink,” Kasia says. “A surrealistic spin seems like the logical next step.” Think drawings of things you wouldn’t actually see IRL, like the flower-slash-record player in the above sleeve.
3. Hand Poke Tattoos
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Stick and poke tattoos, also known as hand poke tattoos, are a popular choice for those who want something easy. Instead of using a machine, “artists hold the needle directly and go dot for dot to create the image,” Kasia explains. “A quality hand-poke should be indistinguishable from ones done with machines.” There’s something charming about the organic, homemade style of these.
4. Micro Realism
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For a fun take on this trend, ask your tattoo artist about micro-realism. “Micro realism tattoos, which are realism tattoos done on a smaller scale, will be popular for at least the next 10 years,” Gu says.
Gu says that this style is possible because of improvements in ink and tattoo machines. They allow people to draw smaller designs than ever before.
5. Abstract tattoos
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Gu also mentions abstract tattoos which she believes will be popular due to their unique and creative designs. “In recent years [this style] has started to gain traction in popularity as more clients start to select tattoos that reflect art forms they like, instead of only picking the standard tattoo styles,” she says. This cat tattoo that looks like it is floating in the clouds has some inspiration.
6. Painting tattoos
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In 2023, painting tattoos will be all the rage. “Painting tattoos are just another example of an old art form converted to a tattoo style,” Gu says of the trend. “They are popular because they take a stiff style of realism and micro realism and make it more soft and flowy.” It ends up looking extra pretty with nature-inspired designs like flowers, which really pop when done in colorful ink.
7. Cultural Tattoos
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According to Gu, there will be a big draw towards cultural tattoos that showcase one’s roots. “[This trend] comes from people being comfortable with themselves, who they are, and wanting to express it in a permanent way on their body,” she notes. These designs also guarantee you get a super personal tattoo that’ll never lose its meaning, so bonus points for the fact you won’t regret it in the future.
8. Cyber Sigilism
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Tattoo artist Cassie May says she’s been noticing a lot of cyber sigil tattoos lately, and she expects them to be even bigger in the new year. “People love nostalgia, and this style is kind of how the teens of Y2K predicted the futuristic cyber punk era of today would look like,” May tells Bustle. “Growing up, a lot of games set in the future had options of customizing tattoos and these are comparable to the presets. We’re really just customizing our characters but in real life.”
9. Watercolor Tattoos
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Lorena Lorenzo, tattoo artist and owner Indigo ArTattoosAccording to, watercolor tats are gaining popularity due to social media. Celebs and influencers are sharing tons of colorful abstract designs through the site.
10. Geometric Fine Line
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Fun options for the new year include anything fine line Gu calls it geometric. Gu says that you should think of shapes, designs and lines as well as intricate details. “These tattoos look great whether they’re small or very large,” she says.
Sources:
Jingxi GuOwner and lead artist Patch Tattoo Therapy
KasiaThe resident artist at High Hopes Tattoo
Cassie MayA tattoo artist
Lorena LorenzoOwner of a tattoo studio,. Indigo ArTattoos