BELFAST CITY SKINWORKS

TATTOOS ARE Anything but ordinary

So we decided, we shouldn’t be either.

Tattoos for the well informed.

Belfast City Skinworks, with a legacy of over three decades, is nationally recognised for extraordinary custom tattoos, and an exceptional customer experience.

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Belfast City Tattoo
Style Library

Would you like to get a tattoo and bring your ideas closer to our artists? Or are you looking for tattoo ideas? In any case, it helps that you are familiar with the different tattoo styles.

You should know in advance: It’s like music genres here. There are no official norms or standards that clearly define the different types. In reality, the boundaries between genres and styles are fluid.

Anime

Anime tattoos feature characters and scenes from Japanese animation with bold outlines, vibrant colors, and exaggerated features like large eyes and wild hair. They capture the excitement and fantasy of anime worlds.

Japanese

Japanese tattoos utilise intricate designs like dragons, koi fish, samurai and geishas. Inspired by traditional Japanese art, they convey subtlety through delicate linework, ornate patterns and symbolic iconography. Rich in culture and meaning.

Neo Japanese

Neo Japanese tattoos put a modern spin on traditional Japanese iconography using bold graphic styles, abstract interpretations and contemporary colour palettes. Blending classic Eastern designs with Western style, they resonate with both heritage and modernity.

New wave pop art

New wave pop art tattoos feature graphic illustrations of iconic pop culture references with bold outlines, solid blocks of colour and exaggerated dimensions. Capturing the spirit of indie art, they transform mainstream icons into edgy, avant-garde designs.

Pet portrait

Pet portrait tattoos capture the likeness of beloved pets using realistic detailing, expressions and lifelike textures. Custom designed to memorialise furry friends, these tattoos are heartfelt tributes that immortalise animals with artistic flair.

Polynesian

Polynesian tattoos feature intricate tribal patterns composed of black curved shapes and spirals. Inspired by South Pacific Islander art, these designs symbolise cultural heritage through protective motifs and customary rites.

Portrait

Portrait tattoos, a timeless art form, meticulously capture the essence of individuals. Skilled artists use shading and detail to immortalize faces, creating personal and emotionally resonant body art.

Realism animals

Realism animal tattoos showcase nature’s beauty with lifelike precision. Talented artists skillfully render intricate details, capturing the spirit of animals on skin through meticulous shading, creating captivating and immersive body art.

Realism portrait

Realism portrait tattoos elevate portraiture to a new level. Exceptional artists meticulously craft lifelike renditions, capturing nuances of expression and personality with remarkable detail, creating powerful and emotive body art.

Script

Script tattoos convey profound messages with elegant lettering. Each stroke is a brushstroke of meaning, as skilled artists transform words into art, creating timeless and personal expressions on the skin.

Stonework Norse Knotwork

Stonework Norse Knotwork tattoos evoke ancient Norse craftsmanship on the skin. Artists intricately weave powerful symbols into stone-like patterns, capturing the essence of Norse heritage with bold and enduring body art.

Surrealism

Surrealism tattoos plunge into the depths of imagination. Talented artists conjure dreamlike scenes, blending reality and fantasy with intricate details, creating mesmerizing and thought-provoking body art that transcends the ordinary.

Traditional Japanese

Traditional Japanese tattoos embody cultural heritage on skin. Bold, vibrant designs, often featuring mythical creatures and symbols, honor the rich history of Japanese art, creating timeless and striking body expressions.

Traditional

Traditional tattoos celebrate timeless artistry. With classic techniques and iconic imagery, skilled artists craft enduring designs, preserving cultural heritage on skin, creating bold and meaningful body art.

Illustrative

Illustrative tattoos feature colourful, imaginative designs like dreamscapes, mythical creatures and nature scenes. With a whimsical storybook feel, they use vivid pigments and artistic interpretations to create magical narrative driven imagery.

Horror

Horror tattoos use sinister imagery like zombies, vampires, skulls and demons to create dark, macabre designs. With gruesome, unsettling illustrations often involving blood and gore, they encapsulate the creepy, shocking themes of the horror genre.

Biomechanical

Biomechanical tattoos depict anatomical elements like muscles, bones, and organs with a fusion of human physiology and machine-like mechanical parts. With a science fiction edge, they visualise a cyborg-like hybrid of technology and biology.

Black and grey Japanese

Black and grey Japanese tattoos utilise intricate monochrome designs like dragons, koi fish, samurai and geishas. Inspired by traditional Japanese art, they convey subtlety through delicate greyscale shading rather than vibrant colours.

Black and Grey Portrait

Black and grey portrait tattoos depict photorealistic renderings of faces using intricate monochrome shading and textures. Masterfully capturing depth and emotion, these portraits showcase an artist’s technical skill in greyscale inks.

Black and grey realism

Black and grey realism tattoos portray realistic scenes and objects like animals, flowers or landscapes using precise detailing and greyscale shading. With a monochromatic palette, they evoke a three-dimensional lifelike quality.

Blackwork

Blackwork tattoos use solid black ink with no shading to create bold designs with negative space. The stark contrasts make the intricate geometric patterns and floral motifs pop. Clean lines and high impact define this dramatic tattoo style.

Cartoon

Cartoon tattoos feature whimsical designs of well-known animated characters and imagery. With bold outlines, bright colours and exaggerated features, they encapsulate a playful, light-hearted aesthetic. These vibrant, nostalgic tattoos recall the silly fun of childhood cartoons.

Chibi cartoon

Chibi cartoon tattoos depict cutesy characters with oversized heads and tiny bodies in fun, exaggerated proportions. Featuring simple designs with strong outlines and bright colours, these charming mini caricatures embody a sweet, innocent anime-influenced aesthetic.

Colour floral

Colour floral tattoos feature vibrant, intricate blooms and botanicals like roses, lotuses, and peonies. With lush saturated hues, delicate gradients, and floral patterns they embody the beauty of a lush flowering garden. Vibrant colours bring these flowers to life.

Colour Japanese

Colour Japanese tattoos utilise vivid hues and intricate patterns like dragons, koi fish, samurai and geishas. Inspired by traditional Japanese art, they convey vibrancy and movement through saturated colours instead of subtle greyscale shading.

Colour pet portrait

Colour pet portrait tattoos capture the likeness of beloved pets using bright vivid pigments and lifelike detailing. Masterfully depicting fur, eyes and expressions, these custom tattoos memorialise animals with artistic splashes of colour and personality.

Fine line floral

Fine line floral tattoos feature delicate botanicals and blooms like wildflowers, leaves and ferns. With intricate thin lines and minimal shading, they have an elegant, understated look. This feminine style uses precision to create dainty, beautiful floral designs.

Fine line ornamental

Fine line ornamental tattoos use thin precise lines to create intricate geometric shapes and patterns like mandalas, circles and dots. These delicate designs often feature symmetry and negative space for an elegant minimalist look with detailed ornamental flair.

Gamer

Gamer tattoos feature iconic imagery from video games like character skins, health bars, power-ups and retro pixel art. Representing a passion for gaming, they transform digital elements into cool tattoo designs with nerdy nostalgic vibes.

Trash polka

Trash Polka tattoos embrace chaos and creativity. This avant-garde style combines bold black elements, chaotic collage, and splashes of red, creating a visually striking and unconventional narrative on the skin.

From Regret to Redemption

Our skilled tattoo artists possess the talent and expertise to transform your inked regrets into stunning masterpieces. Don’t let the past define you; embrace the opportunity to rewrite your story with our transformative cover-up services.

Drag

"Amazing experience from start to finish. Donal was great to consult with and provided me with lots of information. Mark is a legend and a real master of his craft. Could not be happier with my samurai chest piece cover up. Would highly recommend!"

James Johnston

BODY PIERCINGS BODY PIERCINGS BODY PIERCINGS BODY PIERCINGS BODY PIERCINGS BODY PIERCINGS BODY PIERCINGS BODY PIERCINGS BODY PIERCINGS BODY PIERCINGS BODY PIERCINGS BODY PIERCINGS BODY PIERCINGS BODY PIERCINGS BODY PIERCINGS BODY PIERCINGS BODY PIERCINGS

Northern Ireland's first and longest-established body piercing studio.

We have a completely private, purpose built piercing room in which our fully trained body piercers operate to the highest standards of quality and hygiene. Every piercing is performed with single-use, pre-packaged needles which are carefully disposed of after every procedure. All our instruments are put through a sterilisation process in our state of the art sterilising room after every use.

Inked & Inkredible

Real Reviews from Our Tattoo & Piercing Tribe!

Karen was so lovely. Very professional and made me feel very at ease all the while having a laugh. Would highly recommend Karen and Belfast Skinworks. The studio is very clean and great location.

Got my septum pierced here by James, he was so nice. Explained everything before I got the piercing and got a free spray after to keep it clean! Will be back to get my piercing changed

Really pleased with the experience. My piercer (Karen) was lovely and very professional. Somehow I felt at peace getting stabbed.

Very good experience from the minute I walked in! Thank you so much for the good energy and spirit you bring to your craft Helena! Truly talented, professional and lovely people in Skinworks!

Great bunch of people. Everyone very friendly. Made me feel extremely calm before getting my 1st tattoo. Mark who done mine was fantastic 👍

Jim done my tattoo yesterday man is a artist in his own Wright. Definitely be back again very warm welcome from the 2 ladies on the front desk till u leave by all staff excellent folks well done

TATTOOS ARE Anything but ordinary

From Regret to Redemption

James Johnston

Northern Ireland's first and longest-established body piercing studio.

Inked & Inkredible

Real Reviews from Our Tattoo & Piercing Tribe!

@bcskinworks

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