Anime Tattoo
What is an Anime Tattoo?
What is an Anime Tattoo?
Anime is the Japanese word for animation, and in English it means animation from Japan. Its modern look took shape on television with Astro Boy in 1963. A generation later, Dragon Ball, Pokémon and Naruto put that look in front of kids all over the world, and those kids are now the people booking tattoos.
Anime suits skin better than you might expect. It was built to read fast: strong outlines, clear shapes, a few bold colors, faces you can recognize from across a room. Those are the same things that make a tattoo read well. The hard part is the face. Move an eye a millimeter and it stops being the character, so this is a style where the drawing matters as much as the needle work.
Fans also know exactly what they're looking at. Nobody will forgive the wrong hair on Goku. A good anime tattoo artist watches the shows, knows the difference between a series' early and late art, and asks which version you mean.
Anime Tattoo Ideas
The right idea usually comes from one question: what moment or character do you still think about? From there, these are the formats that work best.
Character Portraits
A single character, from the chest up or in a signature pose. It's the most popular choice and the easiest to read. Hansan's Sasuke below sits in a tall frame against a purple sky, so the background does as much work as the figure.
Manga Panels
A panel tattoo copies the layout of a comic page, with hard borders, speed lines and sometimes a speech bubble. It suits a key moment from a story, and the frame gives it a clean edge on the skin. A row of panels can also turn into a sleeve over time.
Anime Symbols
Clan marks, village symbols, crests and curse marks are for people who want something quieter. They're small, graphic and mean a lot to anyone who knows the show, and nothing to anyone who doesn't. That's often the point.
Anime Eyes
Eyes carry a huge part of a character's identity in anime. A single eye or a pair of them, cropped tight, makes a striking small piece and works well as a horizontal strip.
Scenes and Backgrounds
You don't need a character at all. A landscape, a weapon or a sky from a favorite series can say the same thing. The sword piece on this page works this way: one object and a wall of flames.
Small Anime Tattoos
Small anime tattoos work when the design is simplified for the size. A face, a symbol or a small framed panel holds up well. A crowded group scene doesn't. If you want something simple, choose one strong shape and let it stand alone. For more on going small, see our guide to small tattoo ideas.
Subtle Anime Tattoos
Subtle designs skip the character and use something only a fan would catch: an item, a line of dialogue, a silhouette, a color combination. They're a good way in if you want a reference that doesn't announce itself.
Anime Tattoos in Fine Line
Fine line work reduces a character to thin, clean strokes. It looks like a page from a sketchbook and suits people who prefer a lighter touch than full color.
Anime Sleeve Tattoos
An anime sleeve builds a whole arm around one series or several. Plan it as a single composition from the start: one main image, a few supporting ones, and quieter areas in between so the eye has somewhere to rest. Clouds, flames, energy and speed lines are useful for tying pieces together. Our sleeve ideas guide covers how to plan the layout.
Anime Tattoo Placement Guide
Forearm: The most popular choice, and it suits tall frames and standing figures. It's easy to see and easy to show. Our forearm tattoo guide has more.
Upper arm: A good home for framed panels and portraits, with room for color and detail.
Hand: Anime hand tattoos are popular for symbols and small characters. Keep the design bold and simple, because the hand moves constantly. See hand tattoo ideas.
Shoulder: The round surface works for circular compositions, like the ghost Pokémon piece on this page.
Back: The only place that can hold a full scene with several characters. Our back tattoo guide walks through it.
Leg: Long and open, and a good alternative to an arm sleeve for larger characters.
The Anime Tattoo Process
Anime Tattoo Styles: Which Look Is Right for You?
The same character can look completely different depending on how it's drawn.
Full Color
Closest to the screen. Bold palettes and clean shapes, like the Naruto and Goku pieces here. See our color tattoo guide for how color is planned on skin.
Black and Grey
A good match for manga, which is black and white to begin with. Shading gives weight without losing the graphic feel.
Realistic
Some clients want a character treated like a real portrait. This leans on micro realism skills and ends up somewhere between the show and a painting. Hansan's Pikachu, painted like a Van Gogh self-portrait, plays with exactly that idea.
Anime Tattoo Artist in Brooklyn, NYC: Monolith Studio
Monolith Studio is a contemporary tattoo studio at 77 Washington Avenue, Brooklyn, NYC 11205. Every piece here is drawn by the artist who tattoos it, for one person and one placement. The anime work on this page is by Hansan, who works at Monolith as a resident guest artist and is known for small, detailed color pieces.
What to look for in an anime tattoo artist:
- Healed and fresh photos of real anime work in their portfolio
- Faces that are accurate to the character
- Clean, confident outlines
- Willingness to talk about the series, not only the image
A good anime tattoo is a piece of something you grew up with, redrawn to last. At Monolith Studio in Brooklyn it starts with your references and your story. Fill out the booking form and tell us which series you want to carry with you.
FAQ
An anime tattoo is a tattoo based on Japanese animation or manga: a character, a scene, a symbol or a panel. It can follow the clean line and flat color of the show, or be redrawn in another style. Most people pick something from a series that means a lot to them.
Yes, as long as the design is simplified for the size. A single face, an eye, a symbol or a small panel all work well. Detailed group scenes need more room. Tell your artist how small you want to go and they will tell you what the image can hold.
Yes. Bring screenshots or manga pages as references and say which moment you want. Your artist will redraw the character for your body and placement instead of tracing a frame, so the tattoo fits you and still reads as the character.
Yes. Bring screenshots or manga pages as references and say which moment you want. Your artist will redraw the character for your body and placement instead of tracing a frame, so the tattoo fits you and still reads as the character.
The forearm is the most popular choice, because it suits tall frames and standing figures and it's easy to show. The upper arm works well for panels and portraits, the hand for small symbols, and the back for full scenes with several characters.
It depends on size and detail. A small symbol or simple character can often be finished in one short session, while a detailed color panel takes longer. Sleeves are planned across several sessions. Your artist will give you an estimate once they've seen your idea.
It depends on the artist, size, placement and detail, so there's no single price. At Monolith Studio each artist sets their own rates and gives you an estimated range. A deposit holds your date. Send your idea through the booking form for a quote.
Hansan works at Monolith Studio in Brooklyn as a resident guest artist, and her anime pieces are the ones shown on this page. She is known for small, detailed color work. Send your references through the booking form and ask for her by name.
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