Welcome To Painted People Tattoo Co.

Visit Our Tattoo Studios Located In Toronto & Burlington. Appointments are encouraged. Walk-ins are welcome

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Painted People Tattoo Co.
Toronto - Burlington

A tattoo is a lifetime investment. A permanent piece of art that reflects who you are. A beautiful customization of a very personal possession: your skin.

It’s only natural that you want to find the best possible studio to take your ideas and turn them into a timeless, permanent piece of you, and if you’re in the Greater Toronto Area, Painted People Tattoo Co. is the tattoo studio for you!

The Tattoo Artists

All of the best tattoo shops in the world were founded by artists who combine passion, skill, creativity and professionalism, and Painted People Tattoos is no different. Asia (pronounced Asha) has been in the business for many years, and is the driving force, heart and soul behind our studio.

Even the best tattoo artist needs a team though, and ours is made up of the most talented people you will find as tattoo artists in the Toronto area (and beyond!) Each of these artists is handpicked for their skill, technique, creativity and love of the art, and we work hard to match the right artist with each client, to turn the tattoo you imagined into a permanent reality.

We’re an eclectic bunch, each with our own specialty, so whatever your ideas, one of the artists in our tattoo studio can make them a reality.

The Tattoo Studios

Our two studios are conveniently located in Burlington and Toronto, and you’ll find us not only fun, funky and professional, but our venues are also a comfortable place to spend an hour or few. We offer parking, tea and coffee, and free Wi-Fi, so our clients and guests have everything you need to feel right at home while we work on a custom tattoo that matches your style and design tastes.

The Experience

Many of our clients are die-hard tattoo fans who have loads of ink. But many are also first timers, who need a little help finding the right design, and a little help easing into the tattoo experience. We’re more than happy to work with every fan of art – your tattoo artist will make sure you get what you need, regardless of your experience with tattoos. Whether it’s a custom design, a cover up or a touch-up you want, or simply professional advice on aftercare of your tattoo, you’ll find it at Painted People Tattoo Company…

Our Promise

We promise to listen to our customers, do our best to translate your ideas into reality, and deliver service that’s always friendly, respectful and thoughtful. We promise to deliver the best quality tattoos, to the highest industry standards, and to make sure that you love your tattoo, and we’re proud to put our name on it. So, if you’re looking for some ink in the Toronto or Burlington areas, whether it’s your first or your fiftieth, stop by and visit our tattoo studio. Let’s add some colour to that canvas!

ART SHOWCASE
Our Tattoo Artists Will Bring Your Vision To Life
Tattoo Styles
Our Artists Can Create Your Special Style of Tattoo

Tattoo Style

Watercolor Tattoos

Watercolor Tattoos

Watercolor tattoos have become one of the most popular tattoo styles in recent years. Watercolor tattoo style minimizes the use of outlines and instead uses a fluid and organic
Read More

Tattoo Style

Blackwork Tattoos

Blackwork Tattoos

As the name indicates, Black and Grey tattoo style utilizes black ink and water. Heavier in shading, it differs from traditional tattoo styles as the lines may be more defined.
Read More

Tattoo Style

Hand Poke Tattoos

Hand Poke Tattoos

A Hand Poke tattoo is basically what it seems like it would be: tattoos that are created by poking your skin with a needle that is attached to a stick instead of a tattoo machine.
Read More

Tattoo Style

Geometric Tattoos

Geometric Tattoos

A geometric tattoo as the name indicates can be linked to geometry and be described by mathematics. Usually containing a shape / pattern, that is repeated throughout the tattoo to create a specific design, the tattoo pattern
Read More

Tattoo Style

Cover-up Tattoos

Cover-up Tattoos

Cover up tattoos are a viable option instead of choosing expensive tattoo removal. we recommend getting a tattoo cover up from one of our talented artists that you’ll want to show off, not camouflage.
Read More

Tattoo Style

Compare Tattoo Styles

Compare Tattoo Styles

Tattoos come in multiple different styles, many of which are available at our studios. There are many sources out there defining various different types of tattoos. ….
Read More
Meet our team
AMAZING ARTISTS
Our Talented Artists Can Transform Your Vision Into A Beautiful Tattoo

Artist

Asia

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Hannah

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Artist

Kristina

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Artist

Ashley

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Painted People Tattoos

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Junior Artist

Casey

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Tamara

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Nate

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OUR BLOG POSTS

April 12, 2021

Tattoos Burlington

Our downtown Burlington Tattoo Studio features some of the best tattoo artists Burlington has to offer. Painted People Tattoo

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What Our Clients Say
Wonderful experience. The front desk staff was very warm, welcoming, accommodating and ensure your comfort AND safety (esp in a pandemic) was a priority. The artist, Ashley, was friendly, paid attention to detail, took her time to ensure perfection and gave good energy all around. I was a little nervous about getting a tattoo, but Ashley took her time to walk me through and talk me through.The shop was clean and in regulation according to the health and safety guidelines. VERY reasonably priced as well. I would definitely go back for more work!
ClientSarah Baksh
It has been about a month since getting my tattoo done by Asia at Painted People tattoo co. and I love it more every day! My flowers done by Asia are beautiful and colourful and carefully incorporated around an existing tattoo I've had for a number of years. Not only was I thrilled with the work I also had a great time at the studio for the day. It is comfortable and welcoming and everyone I met was great! I hope to be back soon! Highly recommended!
ClientRiley Bristol
The experience was top notch. Asia is an amazing artist. Plus she is so kind and easy to talk to. I was having a really hard time deciding the direction I wanted to go with my tattoo. She sat with me for quite some time doing our design until it was perfect. I highly recommend coming here.
ClientLisa Cyr
My friend got a lovely tattoo done by Asia! Wonderful job with watercolours - she was nice and fun to work with. Store was clean and had a friendly atmosphere. Definitely will be coming back!
Clientomorowa
I have been to several different tattoo studios but painted people is hands down my favorite. Absolutely amazing service and everyone who works there is very friendly and makes you feel welcomed. I have gotten two of my tattoos from painted people and I definitely will be coming back for more
ClientJael Stewart
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CONTACT US
Located in two convenient locations of Toronto and Burlington, Ontario, Painted People Tattoo Company custom tattoo studios are some of the best tattoo shops that Canada has to offer. We do custom tattoos according to your style and design tastes.
Toronto
Monday - Saturday
12PM – 6PM
Appointment Only
BOOK NOW
Burlington
Monday - Saturday
12PM – 6PM
appointment only
BOOK NOW
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Watercolor Tattoo

Watercolor tattoos have become one of the most popular forms of tattoo styles in recent years. As the name indicates, Watercolor tattoo style minimizes the use of outlines, and instead uses a fluid and organic method of tattooing to produce a Watercolor painting look on your skin. Watercolor tattoo art isn’t as easy as it sounds. Tattooing on a human canvas instead of a traditional canvas is much more different, and difficult!

WHAT’S SPECIAL ABOUT A WATERCOLOR TATTOO

This style of tattoo differs from other styles because of its lack of a black outline, which makes creating a stunning tattoo that much harder.

The majority of tattoo artists begin by doing simple script or line work. The reason for this is that it’s difficult to get this type of tattoo wrong. Anything can happen when working with skin, of course, and there’s still the importance of applying the correct pressure, having a steady enough hand to trace the lines, and ensuring that all of the standard tattooing guidelines are followed, including applying the stencil or hand drawing, use of proper equipment, etc. It’s a fact that the simpler the design, the easier it is to achieve tattoo art that looks good.

Having the comfort of using tracing lines, in one colour especially, is the starting point. Think of creating a painting using Watercolor. You might have some light outlines on the page, but to create a true Watercolor look, you’re not confining yourself to outlines but colouring the canvas freely.

Creating a Watercolor tattoo design requires a special talent. Just as not all artists can do realism really well, or cartoon drawings (as you have to visualize them first), the same applies to Watercolor art. The artist must have the vision and an abstract view to first create a great Watercolor design.

Transposing the design onto skin is the next challenge. Tattooing skin, obviously, is very different from canvas. Not only is it not as forgiving (you can’t easily mask mistakes, for one), but even with the latest tattoo machines you’re confined to different types of shading, colour blending, and a living canvas that moves.

DOES A WATERCOLOR TATTOO AGE FASTER?

One of the most common questions and concerns raised about these tattoos is whether they fade faster. We know some clients that love the look of Watercolor tattoos, but are convinced they’re not worth getting.

Compared with traditional tattoo styles or black tattoos, it’s a fact that a Watercolor tattoo can fade faster. The reason for this is the general use of lighter or softer colours, which tend to fade sooner over time than hard black lines.

However, as this well-written article highlights, tattoo artists can use simple tricks and tips to emphasize the design and create a higher contrast using some black ink. By using these techniques and practicing proper tattoo aftercare, you can ensure your Watercolor tattoo can last a very long time.

Ultimately, since all tattoos can (and do) fade, irrespective of the style, how well they age simply depends on your tattoo artist’s skill and your ability to protect your tattoos.

To learn more about Watercolor tattoos, please visit Asia’s page, who is one of the best Watercolor tattoo artists in GTA and Canada.

Blackwork Tattoos

BLACKWORK, BLACK & GREY, GEOMETRIC AND REALISM TATTOOS

Blackwork tattoos are the name given to almost any tattoo style that is done in black ink only. Tattoos come in many different styles, and we offer most of these at our tattoo studios in Toronto and Burlington.

WHAT ARE BLACKWORK TATTOOS?

A blackwork tattoo is a bold work of body art created using solid swathes of black ink. These tattoos usually consist of abstract shapes and geometric forms, although some feature figurative silhouettes and identifiable scenes and subjects.

All-black body art dates back centuries and was originally used by ancient tribes in Polynesia, as a method of communicating their social standing, lineage, religious ideas and warfare principles. The style was introduced into Western culture by British explorer James Cook, who landed on Tahiti in 1769.

Various categories of blackwork tattoos exist, and our style guide presents a partial range we offer, including:

BLACK AND GREY TATTOOS

Black and grey tattoos are done with black ink and water, and they have more clearly defined lines than traditional tattoos. This style is believed to have originated in prisons during the 1970s and 1980s, where prisoners with limited access to materials used cigarette ashes or pen ink. Another possible birthplace of this tattoo tradition dates it back to a segment of the population living in Los Angeles which also had connections to prison life.

The technique used to create black and grey tattoos typically uses a single needle. Black and grey tattoos are achieved by diluting the ink with various quantities of distilled water. Alternatively, the artist can mix black ink with white, which results in a thicker medium that requires a slower application process. Both of these methods give the artist lighter shades to use, and the best tattoo artists have a high level of skill in working with these subtle materials.

Black and grey tattoos are heavier in shading and have more clearly defined lines. The method is often linked with Realism, the style used to create realistic portraits. Adding colours to any blackwork tattoos take away the black and grey style definition, but we believe it’s less about the tattoo style than it’s about the love of tattoos. For some examples of stunning black and grey tattoos, check out our artist Anita’s profile.

GEOMETRIC TATTOOS

These tattoos use mathematical lines and shapes to form larger shapes and are believed to represent spiritual concepts like the beauty of creation and the existence of the universe. Geometric tattoos are a form of blackwork that is currently increasing in popularity, since the development of “smart” hand-held devices that can deliver exceptional designs.

Our tattoo artist Mikhail specializes in creating geometric tattoos in unique and beautiful forms that work well with your body’s shapes and curves. Many of the designs are based on sacred geometry ranging from organic shapes in nature to ancient religious symbols.

The Flower of Life, for example, is a geometric shape made from equal-sized overlapping circles, which is traceable back to various cultures in history. The design is believed to embody the sacred patterns of life and existence.

Geometric tattoos have existed for some time, but technology now enables us to create stunning designs with straight and circular lines in minutes that would previously have taken days to deliver by hand. Producing these tattoos nevertheless require an expert hand, which can transpose a perfect line onto skin. We are proud to have Mikhail on our team. He is one of the best Toronto tattoo artists in blackwork, and he can create incredible geometric tattoos with a precision and passion that leaves us frequently in awe of his skill.

REALISM TATTOOS

You might wonder why we decided to bundle realism under blackwork. It is quite true that realism can be done in blackwork or in color. Color realism may arguably be a harder method of tattooing (see following link depicting an amazing artist’s color realism tattoos), our focus for this mini write-up is on blackwork given our own artist, Mikhail, who is an all things blackwork, really loves doing realism in this style.

Realism tattooing, being a form of art, can be traced back to the realism art movement. The movement shifted focus towards depicting objects and people with accuracy (ie. realistically). A section of realism is portraits. To write that a tattoo artist has to be extremely talented to accurately convey someone’s likeness onto skin is an understatement. As a style that is arguably the least forgiving (not something you can correct; coving-up realism, while possible, is challenging), ensure you’re cautious and very selective with whom you entrust to do portraits or realism for you.

Check out the various types of blackwork tattoos we offer and remember it’s completely acceptable to combine different styles to come up with a tattoo design uniquely your own. At Painted People Tattoos, we never compromise on quality, regardless of the style of tattoo you choose.

Hand Poke Tattoos

A hand poked tattoo – otherwise known as “stick and poke” tattoo or “stick ‘n poke” tattoo is, as the name states, a tattoo created by poking your skin with a needle that is attached to a stick instead of a tattoo machine.

These stick ‘n poke tattoos are becoming popular again, this style of tattooing was where it all originated from. There were no guns (machines) in ancient civilization as hand poked tattoos date all the way back to ancient history before the times of Caesar.

HISTORY OF HAND POKED TATTOOS

The art of hand poked tattoos gained less recognition as the advent of the electric tattoo machine came about in the 1890’s. Since then, most tattoo artists and tattoo shops have been using an electric tattoo machine to ink tattoos.

A renewed interest in this ancient art of tattooing saw a huge increase and upwards trend starting early 2013, which continues to grow more popular as more people become aware of this almost-lost art and its beauty.

Hank poked tattoos are done by a needle being dipped in ink and poked into the skin. They generally tend to consist of simpler designs, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t achieve beautiful and intricate pieces with a stick ‘n poke style of tattooing.

INTRICATE VISUAL ART

Most people love the simplicity a hand poked tattoo design introduces, although when carried out by a skilled master tattoo artist, the seemingly simple-looking designs become an intricate piece of visual art.

The next favorite item associated with hand poked Tattoos is the level of intimacy they provide between the artist and the person getting tattooed. It’s almost a primal experience, instilling thoughts of our ancestors getting tattooed in a similar manner. The stick entering the skin repeatedly is a spiritual experience, which many tattoo enthusiasts love.

Aside from the look of these tattoos, stick ‘n poke tattoos have a completely different sensation than the electric machine tattoos. Most people agree that hand poked tattoos are generally less painful to get, and feel more like how it would feel when your hair is getting plucked.

PERFECTING THE STYLE

There is a reason that this beautiful form of tattoo art is gaining more recognition, and now, you can get your own hand poked tattoo at Painted People Tattoos. Kristina is our resident expert in this tattoo style, and one of the best hand poke tattoo artists in Toronto. Having studied this ancient practice while traveling in Asia, over the past few years Kristina has truly perfected it, and is rapidly being seen as one of the best artists in North America with this skill.

Come in to Painted People Tattoos in the GTA’s Toronto / North York area, or contact us today to set up an appointment with Kristina to get your very own custom hand poked tattoo! Kristina, or one of our other Toronto tattoo artists will discuss your vision with you, help provide ideas, and will walk you through any questions you have so that you are comfortable and confident about your selected choice of art. We welcome you to contact us today.

Geometric Tattoos

BLACKWORK, BLACK & GREY, GEOMETRIC AND REALISM TATTOOS

Blackwork tattoos are the name given to almost any tattoo style that is done in black ink only. Tattoos come in many different styles, and we offer most of these at our tattoo studios in Toronto and Burlington.

WHAT ARE BLACKWORK TATTOOS?

A blackwork tattoo is a bold work of body art created using solid swathes of black ink. These tattoos usually consist of abstract shapes and geometric forms, although some feature figurative silhouettes and identifiable scenes and subjects.

All-black body art dates back centuries and was originally used by ancient tribes in Polynesia, as a method of communicating their social standing, lineage, religious ideas and warfare principles. The style was introduced into Western culture by British explorer James Cook, who landed on Tahiti in 1769.

Various categories of blackwork tattoos exist, and our style guide presents a partial range we offer, including:

BLACK AND GREY TATTOOS

Black and grey tattoos are done with black ink and water, and they have more clearly defined lines than traditional tattoos. This style is believed to have originated in prisons during the 1970s and 1980s, where prisoners with limited access to materials used cigarette ashes or pen ink. Another possible birthplace of this tattoo tradition dates it back to a segment of the population living in Los Angeles which also had connections to prison life.

The technique used to create black and grey tattoos typically uses a single needle. Black and grey tattoos are achieved by diluting the ink with various quantities of distilled water. Alternatively, the artist can mix black ink with white, which results in a thicker medium that requires a slower application process. Both of these methods give the artist lighter shades to use, and the best tattoo artists have a high level of skill in working with these subtle materials.

Black and grey tattoos are heavier in shading and have more clearly defined lines. The method is often linked with Realism, the style used to create realistic portraits. Adding colours to any blackwork tattoos take away the black and grey style definition, but we believe it’s less about the tattoo style than it’s about the love of tattoos. For some examples of stunning black and grey tattoos, check out our artist Anita’s profile.

GEOMETRIC TATTOOS

These tattoos use mathematical lines and shapes to form larger shapes and are believed to represent spiritual concepts like the beauty of creation and the existence of the universe. Geometric tattoos are a form of blackwork that is currently increasing in popularity, since the development of “smart” hand-held devices that can deliver exceptional designs.

Our tattoo artist Mikhail specializes in creating geometric tattoos in unique and beautiful forms that work well with your body’s shapes and curves. Many of the designs are based on sacred geometry ranging from organic shapes in nature to ancient religious symbols.

The Flower of Life, for example, is a geometric shape made from equal-sized overlapping circles, which is traceable back to various cultures in history. The design is believed to embody the sacred patterns of life and existence.

Geometric tattoos have existed for some time, but technology now enables us to create stunning designs with straight and circular lines in minutes that would previously have taken days to deliver by hand. Producing these tattoos nevertheless require an expert hand, which can transpose a perfect line onto skin. We are proud to have Mikhail on our team. He is one of the best Toronto tattoo artists in blackwork, and he can create incredible geometric tattoos with a precision and passion that leaves us frequently in awe of his skill.

REALISM TATTOOS

You might wonder why we decided to bundle realism under blackwork. It is quite true that realism can be done in blackwork or in color. Color realism may arguably be a harder method of tattooing (see following link depicting an amazing artist’s color realism tattoos), our focus for this mini write-up is on blackwork given our own artist, Mikhail, who is an all things blackwork, really loves doing realism in this style.

Realism tattooing, being a form of art, can be traced back to the realism art movement. The movement shifted focus towards depicting objects and people with accuracy (ie. realistically). A section of realism is portraits. To write that a tattoo artist has to be extremely talented to accurately convey someone’s likeness onto skin is an understatement. As a style that is arguably the least forgiving (not something you can correct; coving-up realism, while possible, is challenging), ensure you’re cautious and very selective with whom you entrust to do portraits or realism for you.

Check out the various types of blackwork tattoos we offer and remember it’s completely acceptable to combine different styles to come up with a tattoo design uniquely your own. At Painted People Tattoos, we never compromise on quality, regardless of the style of tattoo you choose.

Tattoo Cover Up

Many people these days are opting for cover up tattoos instead of choosing tattoo removal. Tattoo removal is expensive, time-consuming and not always as effective as you’d like. Often, you’re left with traces of the original tattoo that can only be hidden with a new, well-placed design. At Painted People Tattoo Company, we recommend getting a tattoo cover up from one of our talented artists that you’ll want to show off, not camouflage.

REASONS TO COVER UP A TATTOO

All tattoos should be beautiful, permanent pieces of art. They should be a reflection of who you are, and what you love or believe. But let’s be honest, many people have a tattoo that they’re not in love with. Maybe you no longer believe in the subject matter. Maybe you chose the wrong artist, and it didn’t turn out the way you wanted it to. Maybe you’ve just moved on, and you want something new.

Whatever your reason, whether you’re looking for a tattoo cover up in Burlington or a tattoo cover up artist in Toronto, we’ll work with you to turn the tattoo you don’t love into one you’re proud to put on display. Because it’s your skin, and you should be comfortable in all of it.

WHAT A TATTOO COVER UP ENTAILS

Most tattoos can be covered up, although some might need to be faded with two to three laser tattoo removal sessions first. Even if you have a large, solid and dark tattoo, a good cover-up tattoo artist will be able to work with you to come up with a design that covers it, and that you can get excited about.

The name “cover up” might actually not be totally accurate when it comes to this type of tattoo, because there are some things, like dark lines, that you cannot cover up. Those elements need to be skillfully woven into the design of your new artwork, so that they are disguised or become part of the new design. Of course, the bigger the existing tattoo is, the bigger your new one will have to be.

Once the design is finalized, it’s time to get into the chair, so our artist can turn the piece that you’ve fallen out of love with into something you’ll be happier with.

HOW TO AVOID FUTURE COVER UPS

It’s not always possible to avoid needing a tattoo cover up, but there are a few things you can do to make it less likely.

Try not to tattoo names or faces on your body, unless they’re your kids, parents, or dog. Romantic relationships don’t always last, and we find that many people looking for cover up tattoos are looking to erase the reminder of one that didn’t work out.

Think long and hard about the design of your tattoo, and the message behind it. Many cover ups are of tattoos that were chosen on a whim, rather than as a careful decision.

Finally, always get the best tattoo you can afford. Tattoos are an investment in art that will last a lifetime. They should never be something you get at bargain prices of someone who works out of their basement.

Even if you do all of those things, there may still be times when you need to refresh or alter your body art, and when you do, we’re always happy to use our extensive tattoo cover up skills to help.

Compare Tattoo Styles

Tattoos come in multiple different styles, many of which are available at our studios. There are many sources out there defining various different types of tattoos. They range from in-depth explanation of the styles of tattoos, to a quick glossary definition of each. Our Toronto tattoo shop has a style guide for potential clients to choose from the different tattoo styles that exist, which includes:

  • Black and Grey / Geometric / Blackwork Tattoo Style
  • Traditional or American Traditional and Neo-Traditional Tattoo Styles
  • Realism and Portrait Tattoo Styles
  • Watercolor Tattoo Style
  • Tribal Tattoo Style
  • Hand Poke (or Stick and Poke) along with Dotwork Tattoo Style

A quick google search will deliver a huge range of different tattoo types, tattoo style guides or tattoo art styles. Our aim is to showcase some of the styles for you, to enable you to differentiate between the various old and new styles available today. Before we begin, however, please see the following disclaimer:

  • This is our definition of the various tattoo styles out there, and it has developed from talking to various artists who practice these styles.
  • It is intended to serve the purpose of historic collection, as we will explain further below.
  • When deciding on a tattoo for yourself, first figure out what you want and why you want it. For example, ask yourself what you love, what drives you, why you want to get permanent ink on your body. After that, choosing from the various styles of tattoos will come more easily.

We are happy to say that with the amazing tattoo artists we have, we can offer any of the following tattoo styles that we describe here. Our tattoo designs are always custom. You are more than welcome to bring your own design or have one of our talented tattoo specialists design a concept for you.

It’s completely acceptable to combine different styles of tattoos to come up with a design that is uniquely your own. We never compromise in quality, regardless of the style of tattoo you choose – whether it is mixed, black and grey, geometric, blackwork, hand poke, watercolor, tribal, or any of the other styles that exist.

BLACK AND GREY / GEOMETRIC / BLACKWORK TATTOO STYLE

As the name indicates, Black and Grey tattoo style utilizes black ink and water. Heavier in shading, it differs from traditional tattoo styles as the lines may be more defined. Putting colors on a black and grey tattoo might take away the black and grey style definition, but really, it’s less about the style of tattoo than it is the love of tattoos.

Black and grey are often used to create realistic portraits, and some artists use gray washes or grey ink along with white for highlights. For stunning black and grey tattoos, check out our artist, Mikhail’s profile.

Alongside Black and Grey styles of tattooing, we should mention Blackwork style. While this is an umbrella term for many different styles, Blackwork tattoos as the name suggests are done using only black ink.

While we’re talking about Black and Grey and Blackwork tattoo styles, we should also mention geometric tattoos. Mikhail specializes in this type of tattoo style, which has increased in popularity with the relatively recent explosion of smart phones and tablets. Geometric tattoos, as with geometry, have existed for some time. Now, we are able to create stunning designs using straight and circular lines in hours, as opposed to what would have previously taken days to deliver by hand. Geometric tattoos require an expert hand that can transpose line perfection on skin. We are very proud to have one of the best Toronto tattoo artists in our shop, who does this repeatedly without fail.

TRADITIONAL OR AMERICAN TRADITIONAL AND NEO-TRADITIONAL TATTOO STYLES

The Traditional style of tattoos originated well back in the 1700s and was born out of sailors encountering native communities with tattoos. As with any style, it was practiced and further perfected for years. In fact, “Sailor Jerry” (after whom the deliciously strong rum was named) was referred to as the father of old-school, traditional-style tattoos. This style consists mostly of primary colors, and traditional imagery includes roses, knives and skulls.

Another similar style of tattooing is the Traditional Japanese style, which was made famous by the Yukuza (the Japanese underworld). Similarities in the two styles are evident through the black outlines, which are usually bold, and minimal shading with depictions of Japanese art.

Considering the many different tattoo styles available, many artists still embrace the traditional tattooing style and appreciate it for a true staple that made tattoos as popular as they are with today’s millennial generation.

It’s not completely accurate to say Neo-Traditional tattoos are an evolution of traditional style, even though it is common phrasing often used on prominent websites. It’s more correct to say the Neo-Traditional style of tattoos starts with the Traditional style of tattooing and adds more realism, colour, shading, and detail, to make it a Neo-Traditional tattoo.

This doesn’t mean that Traditional tattoo style is obsolete. Instead, it indicates there is yet another style of tattoos for people to choose from based on their preference. For a solid Neo-Traditional artist, look at some of the work Brooke, our Burlington studio artist, is doing to perfect her own Neo-Traditional style.

REALISM AND PORTRAITS TATTOO STYLES

Often linked to Black and Grey tattoos (realistic tattoos and portraits are delivered with or without color of course), Realism and Portrait tattoos have come to be more prominent in recent decades. Practiced by tattoo artists who pushed the boundaries of what can be done on living canvases, Realism strives to recreate images as they would appear in real life. Realism tattoos may not have the bold outlines that you would see in Traditional-style tattoos, but instead utilize shading and color contrasts to show the image.

Because of the nature of this style of tattooing, Portrait tattoos are therefore typically done in realism style, as a portrait of someone recreated as a tattoo and can be in color or black and grey. As with certain other tattoo styles realism can be particularly unforgiving, as the artist needs to have the ability to not only trace a good picture, but also to recreate it on human canvas. This sort of tattooing requires an expert tattoo artist. Sacrificing quality for price or convenience can end up disastrous. We highly recommend you find an experienced artist like Mikhail or Asia (who will only tattoo realism if they are 100% confident, and they can deliver it perfectly), or one of the other select few artists in the Greater Toronto Area who have done stunning portrait tattoos in the past.

WATERCOLOR TATTOO STYLE

One of the most popular tattoo styles in recent years is, undoubtedly, watercolor tattoos. As the name indicates, this style of tattooing gives the effect of a watercolor painting on a human canvas. It may sound simple, but creating this effect requires a trained eye and a master artist to deliver a quality outcome. Our head artist, Asia, specializes in watercolor tattoos.

TRIBAL TATTOO STYLE

Tribal tattoos are the oldest known tattoo style, which is typically linked to indigenous body art. Tribes in Peru, Africa and other regions have been utilizing it for a long time and still practice this style within their tribes. There are many different kinds of tribal tattoos (such as Polynesian), and what’s common among them is that their elaborate patterns are typically done in black ink. One of our artists, Kristina, specializes in Tribal tattooing and has perfected the art during her long research and studying under some of the best artists in South East Asia.

HAND POKE (OR STICK AND POKE) AND DOTWORK TATTOO STYLE

When covering tribal tattoo styles, we have to touch on Hand Poke tattoos. Delivered by a needle dipped in ink, this tattoo style has seen resurgence as many tattoo lovers are looking to get back to more traditional origins of this art. Alongside Hand Poke tattoos, we have to cover Dotwork tattoos. Dotwork tattoos can be portraits, patterns or designs and are done entirely through dots. We’re blessed to have one of the best Hand Poke and Dotwork tattoo artists around, and to read more about this style of tattoos check out Kristina’s profile or our page on Hand Poke tattoo style.

There are many other tattoo styles out there that we don’t cover, including biomechanical or biomech tattoos (these are typically free handed tattoos based on your body’s flow with designs that are meant to be mechanical looking), bio-organic tattoos (tattoos with patterns that may be closer to organic things), horror tattoos (in color or black and grey), lettering, New School tattoos (comic / cartoonish designs usually with color), Surrealism (a mashup of styles depicting imaginary images), and Trash Polka (tattoos entirely of black and red color schemes which Asia is a huge fan of doing) just to name a few.

It’s less about the style of tattoo, because styles emerge, morph, blend and reinvent themselves. What’s more important is your love for tattoos and how they represent you. Your Style. Your Reason…

Asia

ABOUT ASIA

Asia, pronounced like Asha rather than like the continent, is the head artist and proud co-Owner of Toronto’s Painted People Tattoos Salon.

Asia has been tattooing for over 15 years. Her rich resume, apart from owning a tattoo studio, includes roles such as painter, volunteer, designer, music dabbler, and more. Finding her calling at the age of 16, she studied tattooing, first independently, and then as an apprentice to a number of celebrated artists before becoming one herself.

Tattooing is a passion for Asia. She loves creating livable, permanent art through that passion. When she’s not creating, Asia enjoys carrying for her pets, spending time with her family, watching movies, playing old video games, sucking at soccer (or football if we’re being all European) and unloading cat sounds with her husband Nick for general amusement of herself and others.

WATERCOLOR TATTOOS

As the name indicates, watercolor tattoos essentially represent using the human canvas and drawing on them with tattoo ink making them look like watercolors.

Watercolor tattoos require the same expertise and initial process that other tattoo techniques require (you may or may not do a stencil and mix shades of color), but where they really separate themselves from other tattoo techniques is the final outcome. A fresh watercolor tattoo can often appear as splashes of watercolor paint on your body.

Created with a lot more gradual coloring (unlike, for example, traditional tattooing where solid colors are merged together), the subtle gradients help create the characteristics and design of a classic watercolor painting. The other differentiating factor is outlining. Watercolor tattoos pride themselves on often not having a solid outline which is then colored in. The free flowing colors are meant to represent a painting – which they most definitely do.

Asia, while doing every style from black and grey, traditional, tribal, realism, neo-traditional, new school, etc, has really specialized in watercolor tattooing recently. Outside of loving the look and feel of them and genuinely enjoying creating unique watercolor designs, she is quickly becoming known Canada wide for her passion of watercolor tattoos.

One of the common misconceptions around watercolor tattoos is that they fade very quickly. Putting it simply, all tattoos fade overtime. In the hands of a professional tattoo artist (such as Asia), watercolor tattoos are safe from fading for years. How many years heavily depends on various factors such as maintenance of the tattoo / skin care along with placement of tattoo as not placing it on an area where there may be constant rubbing will make it last longer. Watercolor tattoos can fade just slightly quicker due to use of lighter colors, so if one of our tattoos does start to fade you can come back after a few years for a quick touch-up to get it looking vibrant again.

For tips on how to maintain your watercolor or any other tattoos, check out our healing instructions page here

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Hannah

ABOUT Hannah

Hannah is a Burlington tattoo artist who has been with us since 2019. As an accomplished artist and Illustrator who finished Sheridan college’s coveted Bachelor of Illustration program with honors, we’re blessed to see Hannah quickly grow from her junior artist title back in 2021 to a full time extremely capable artist today.

From a young age, Hannah had been passionate in art and illustration, designing album art and YouTube banners for her friends during middle school. Her passion for art contributed towards her receiving the Burlington Art in Action award.

Hannah has been steadily perfecting her tattoo skills. For someone that at first appearance may appear shy or timid, she truly lets her tattooing skills speak for her. The amount of confidence she exurbs doing her art is truly something remarkable. Hannah’s first tattoo on human skin (she initially practiced on fake skin and oranges) was a geometric black and grey shading piece she did on Nick back in 2019. The first ever tattoo – a geometric piece requiring expertise precision (straight lines) and shading! And she absolutely blew all of us away by how quickly she adopted to the tattooing medium, taking less time to deliver her permanent art that many seasoned artists would have taken much longer to do. Her tattooing is very much like her art – very bold (even when she’s doing delicate lines which she specialized in), unapologetic, confident and nearing perfection in projecting her expressions onto the canvas (tattoos in this case). We’re so proud of her growth and we’re thrilled to have helped her quickly rise as a full time permanent artist, now expertly working on complex designs including stunning custom watercolor tattoos she’s progressed towards specializing in. 

You can check out a lot of her growing tattoo portfolio and drawings via her Instagram page or stop by our Burlington tattoo studio to say hello. Her work on a daily basis impresses us and we can’t wait to see where her tattoo skills take her next.

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Kristina

ABOUT KRISTINA

Kristina Guison, who is an emerging sculpture, installation and performance artist, is a Hand Poke tattoo artist specializing in stick and poke tattoos.

Kristina is an all-round great artist. She plays a number of traditional instruments, does amazing sculptures and on top of that is a very gifted tattoo artist.

What separates her from other good tattoo artists (apart from the obvious) is that based on her travels across South East Asia and learning about culture of tattooing, she has become an established Hand Poke tattoo artist. As the name indicates, hand poke, or stick ‘n poke tattooing, is a non-electric method of tattooing that is done in freestyle with needle and ink. This style of tattooing is in high demand, and we’re very proud to be associated with one of the best artists in all of Canada for this old style and traditional method of tattooing.

So how did Kristina’s passion for Hand Poke tattoos flourish? Her love for this traditional art led her on a very long journey in her home country of the Philippines and rest of South East Asia where, for a number of months, she conducted independant research on culture of tattooing.

Having researched and received multiple tattoos by the oldest living and world-renowned Kalinga artist, Whang-od, she also studied Sak Yant tattoos in Thailand and Cambodia, Iban tattoos in Malaysian Borneo and Mentawai tattoos in Indonesia.

Perfecting these styles over years of practice, her amazing Hand Poke tattoos speak for themselves.

Hand Poke tattoos are special in how they look. Some relate them to looking more organic, but either way, there is no mistaking that you cannot achieve the look and feel of a well-done Hand Poke tattoo by even the most skilled machine tattoo artist.

Apart from Hand Poke tattoos looking special and unmistakable, they generally are known to hurt less as they are less invasive than machine needles, and they tend to heal faster than from any other tattoo style.

 

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Ashley

ABOUT Ashley

Ashley is an experienced tattoo artist working out of our Toronto tattoo studio. As an extremely passionate artist with over 10 years of tattooing experience, Ashley is one of the best cover-up and watercolor artists we’ve come across, although she’s quite great when it comes to black and grey or any tattoo style work.

Ashley’s commitment to perfecting her art is inspiring to us. As a very positive, although at first sight generally shy person, her art is quite daring, bold and confident. We instantly made a bond with Ashley due to her general positive aura and are happy to have her as a member of our family.

A reason why we’re excited about Ashley, outside of her being a genuinely nice person and artist, is her cover-up ability. Cover-ups are a special talent requiring absolute precision, patience and imagination. Only a few artists handle cover-ups, and even less truly enjoy doing them.

Drop by anytime in our Painted People Tattoo studio in Toronto, check out her work via Instagram link below or drop her a note at [email protected]

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Casey

ABOUT Casey

Casey is a junior tattoo artist joining us in our Burlington location. We’re so blown away by Casey’s artistic prowess (read below on why) and general pleasant demeanor! Casey was one of our clients and we absolutely had to take him up on his offer to apprentice back in 2020. For anyone wondering what is a way to get into the tattoo industry, Casey collaborated with an artist on a custom tattoo design that he helped create, spent time in the studio not only during the tattoo but stopping by occasionally showing off his illustrative work and paintings until it became impossible for us not to give him a chance to tattoo.

Casey has been teaching art to school kids for over 15 years in Burlington. Having completed his bachelors degree with honors in Visual Arts and Interactive Arts and Sciences, he enjoys comic book style and animated characters along with Neo Classical and black and white art. He is a true art nerd in every possible positive way. As someone that loves art in all its forms, we’re confident all of you guys will appreciate his customer care and already vast tattoo knowledge.

Casey also enjoys anything sci-fi (feel free to get him started on Star Wars or Star Trek), documentaries and drawing in his spare time.

Drop by anytime in our Painted People Tattoo studio in Burlington, check out some of his work below or drop him a DM on instagram.

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Tamara

ABOUT Tamara

Tamara is the newest addition to our family joining us in our Toronto studio starting with 3 days a week. What really made us excited about Tamara, outside of her personality and down to earth nature, is her rich and interesting tattooing experience.

Tamara did her apprenticeship in Seoul, South Korea, learning under an incredibly talented master tattoo artist. She started tattooing full time in Toronto back in 2014 and quickly honed in on her preferred tattoo style of illustrative / old school. She is inspired by vintage cartoons, comics, animation and illustration. 

Tamara is a graduate of the Bealart program and received her BFA in Studio Arts in 2007. In university she focused on drawing and sculpture, with her art being shown internationally in both solo and group exhibitions. Despite focusing primarily on machine tattoos now, Tamara has a deep rooted obsession with body modification and has also studied Bamboo tattooing in Chang Mai, Thailand.    

Tamara tattooed in British Columbia for a number of years. She continued to develop her individual style, expanding on her love of bold lines and colors that make her tattoos stand out further today.

Following a small break from tattooing while living in Kansas, Tamara made her way to Ontario in 2022 which brought her to our studio. We’re honored to have her talents contributing to our studio and are excited to see her already rich tattooing experience further grow.

Drop by anytime Thursday, Friday or Saturday in our Painted People Tattoo studio in Toronto, check out her work below or drop her a note at [email protected]

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NATE

ABOUT NATE

Nate is a multidisciplinary artist who likes to think of himself as hailing from a meteor originating via darkest depths of space. Graduating the special effects program at Sheridan College, he has developed a wide background in multiple media. After developing a “slight” caffeine addiction while working in film, he decided to pursue his lifelong passion for tattooing. Creating detailed art is a deep burning passion while he pushes himself to meld multiple styles together to create a blend of gothic, horror and neo-traditional. 

 

While gothic and horror are his main focus he loves jumping outside of his comfort zone to become a jack of all trades, master of none. Whether it’s simple line work or a wide array of colour, he wants to push the envelop on what he can do. We’re proud to have had him apprentice with us for the past year, his hard working ethic and love of art is a great addition to our family and we’re thrilled to see him tattooing / sharing his art with more clients.

Estimates/Booking

Use the form below to describe your vision for the tattoo, or to request a consultation / booking. If looking for an estimate, please be descriptive and tell us about what you want to have tattooed. For bookings, review our Pricing & Payment page; we start with a free consultation; in order to begin your custom drawing a deposit is required.
  • (416) 551-2233 (Toronto)
  • (905) 637-7277 (Burlington)