Have you seen the sticker tattoo style? Tattoos that look like stickers have become really popular over the last several years. If you’re curious about this trend, keep reading to learn everything you want to know about the sticker tattoo style. I’ll tell you what it is, some talented artists who are doing it, and how to talk to your tattoo artist about getting your own sticker style tattoo.
All about the Sticker Tattoo Style
Here are answers to some of the most common questions about the sticker tattoo style.
What is a Sticker Tattoo?
In short, a sticker tattoo is a tattoo that looks like a sticker.
Sticker style tattoos have a design so clean and crisp that it looks like you could peel it right off the skin just like a sticker. Some sticker tattoos even have a design that looks like it’s being peeled up on the edge.
Sticker tattoos often have an outline of white, making the tattoo look like a real sticker that has been pressed onto the skin. Some also have shadows along the outside or certain edges of the tattoo to give the illusion of depth.
Do all Sticker Tattoos Have the Same Style?
Definitely not. Just like other tattoo styles, tattoo artists bring their own interpretation to the style and they each have their own way of designing and inking sticker tattoos.
And just like real stickers are varied and not all the same, sticker tattoo styles are varied as well. Some are bright with bold colors, some are muted or dark. Some are incredibly realistic with tattoo stickers that look like photographs and some look more like cartoon stickers.
Who Came up with the Sticker Tattoo Style?
It’s hard to say which artist first came up with the sticker tattoo style.
There are several tattoo artists who have been credited with starting the trend, namely Sergey Shanko and Luke Cormier. Both are incredibly talented tattoo artists who design and ink realistic sticker tattoos.
When did the Sticker Tattoo Trend Start?
The sticker tattoo style first became popular around the mid-2010s. Since then it has increased in popularity pretty steadily with more and more people getting sticker tattoos and looking for artists to complete them.
If you’re looking for a tattoo artist who can ink a sticker tattoo for you, check out some of the artists below!
Sticker Tattoo Artists
Sergey Shanko
Sergey Shanko is most often credited with inventing the sticker tattoo style. He’s a tattoo artist well known for using realism and vibrant colors in his designs. His tattoos are incredibly realistic and detailed.
Sergey Shanko’s combination of realism and vibrant colors make him a natural at the sticker tattoo style.
In his sticker tattoo designs, Sergey Shanko blends his talent for realism with pop culture to create realistic-looking sticker tattoos.
Sergey Shanko works at Monna Lissa Tattoo Studio. The studio is located in Los Angeles, California and is set to open on September 19, 2022. Visit his Instagram page to check out his work. Sergey Shanko has over 200,000 followers on Instagram.
Luke Cormier
Luke Cormier is known in the tattoo world as “Mr. Sticker Tattoo”. He is a true master at the sticker tattoo style. For years, people told him his tattoos looked like stickers, though that wasn’t his goal. He eventually decided to go with it and started to embrace the sticker tattoo style more intentionally.
Now, his work features a lot of realistic sticker tattoos, many in a cartoon style. In fact, cartoon characters are seen quite often in his work.
Luke Cormier works at 9th Gate Gallery in Sydney, Nova Scotia, Canada. You can see samples of his work on his Instagram page. His Mr. Sticker Tattoo account has over 150,000 followers.
Flipshades
Flipshades has a tattoo style that is colorful and vibrant. He specializes in sticker tattoos along with 3D tattoos, embroidery style tattoos, patchwork tattoos, and psychedelic styles.
His colorful tattoos have a unique style that looks very realistic.
Flipshades works in both Denver and Philadelphia. You can also find him at tattoo conventions across the country like Hell City Tattoo Fest in Phoenix, Arizona, Tattoo the Lou in St. Louis, Missouri, and Villain Arts in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; Baltimore, Maryland; Houston, Texas; and several more cities.
Check out his Instagram page to see some of his work. Flipshades has over 60,000 followers.
Talking to your Tattoo Artist about the Sticker Tattoo Style
Are you thinking about getting a sticker tattoo of your own? Having a good conversation with your tattoo artist is one of the most important parts of getting a new tattoo.
Making sure your artist understands what you want and listening to their artistic vision will help you come up with an amazing design together.
How to ask for a sticker tattoo
Use these tips to help you have a good consultation with your tattoo artist.
Think About What You Want Ahead of Time
Think about what kind of tattoo you want before booking a consultation. This includes not only the style and image itself but also the size and location of the tattoo.
Having at least a few ideas in mind helps the process go quickly and smoothly, even if you don’t know exactly what you want.
If you’re not sure what you want, that’s okay too. You don’t have to decide on everything before having a consultation. Let your artist know you’re open to ideas and you’re still thinking.
If you have some general ideas of what you want your tattoo artist can work with you to design something really amazing.
Communicate Your Vision
If you have something specific in mind, don’t be shy about letting your artist know. Communicate your thoughts and ideas about the tattoo design as clearly as you can.
A tattoo is something you’ll have on your body forever so you definitely want to make sure your tattoo artist understands what you want.
Bring Examples
Having a few pictures of similar tattoos helps your tattoo artist understand exactly what style you’re going for. Keep in mind that you shouldn’t ask a tattoo artist to create an exact copy of someone else’s work. Instead, use examples of work you like to help your artist come up with a unique design in a similar style.
If you want to incorporate a certain character, animal, or object in your tattoo, you can bring pictures of that as well.
It can also be helpful to bring more generic images that express the feeling, style, or colors you want for your tattoo.
Look for tattoo examples and pictures online or draw something yourself if you have the skills.
Listen to Your Artist
A good consultation includes listening, as well as talking. It makes sense that expressing what you want in a clear way is crucial to getting a good tattoo. What a lot of people don’t realize is that listening to your tattoo artist and what they have to say is super important as well.
Tattoo artists often have ideas to make your tattoo even better. They will also let you know what they can and can’t do or if there are certain limitations.
Keep an Open Mind
Let your tattoo artist bring their own artistic style to the tattoo. They are, after all, artists.
Keeping an open mind doesn’t mean letting your tattoo artist talk you into a tattoo you don’t want. If they’re suggesting ideas that you don’t like, tell them. Then work together to come up with a different idea.
Ask Questions
If you’re not sure about something, ask! Being on the same page with your artist means there will be less chance of an unpleasant surprise later on.
How to Find a Tattoo Artist for a Sticker Style Tattoo
If you don’t already have a tattoo artist who can do the sticker style, here are some tips for how to find a tattoo artist.
Search Online
Go on Instagram, Facebook, or Google and search for “sticker tattoo” or “sticker tattoo artist”. To find someone local, add your city. For example search for “sticker tattoo artist Minneapolis”. Take a look at what comes up and see if there are any artists that catch your eye.
Ask Friends for a Recommendation
If you know someone who has an amazing sticker tattoo, ask them where they got it! Word of mouth and recommendations from friends, co-workers, or neighbors is a great way to find a good tattoo artist.
Wrapping up the Sticker Tattoo Style
The sticker tattoo style is a cool trend with a fun style. Would you get a sticker tattoo? To learn more about different tattoo styles, check out the Ignorant Tattoo Style. If you’re interested in what different tattoos mean, don’t miss the Tattoo Meaning section on the website where you can learn about a lot of common tattoo images and what they mean.
