There is nothing typical about watercolor tattoos. With these artworks, the artists intentionally let the colors bleed outside the black outlines to create mesmerizing and beautiful watercolor effects that challenge gallery-quality artworks.
Experts claim the watercolor tattoo culture has been popular for about a decade now. That means a number of tattoo artists have specialized in this style of tattooing by now.
Still, you probably understand that nothing kills the excitement of getting a new tattoo than realizing that you have gotten a bad tattoo. That is why it pays to shop around for the best tattoo artists in the game.
Here are the top watercolor tattoo artists in the world for those who want the best of the best. They might cost a lot more than you might have expected, but the quality will be worth the extra bucks.
1. Eric Cantu
Based in Lewisville, Texas, Cantu works at the Rebel Muse Tattoo. He has been doing this for over 10 years, and his specialties include watercolor and realism.
His tattoos will take your breath away, and if you want colorful and incredible tattoos of this nature, he is definitely your man.
2. Amanda Wachob
Amanda swears that she loves her job, and it has to be true because she has been doing this since 1998. She has attained fame for her ability to not only tattoo skin but also fruit.
Amanda has a private studio in Brooklyn, New York, and people describe her style as "fine art." She does almost every tattoo style you can think of, and she always creates something stunning.
3. Jenny Vidovic
This great artist is based in Seattle, Washington. She works at Damask Tattoo, and she got fine art and graphic design training at Northwest College of Arts.
The training has certainly paid off since Jenny has become one of the best watercolor tattoo artists in the world. If you hate tattoo regrets and have a preference for watercolor tattoos, then you should pay Jenny a visit.
4. Candelaria Carballo
The South American tattoo artist is popular for posting tattoo sketches on Facebook to allow clients to choose what they want to be tattooed on them. She swears that she only does a piece once to maintain its originality.
Candelaria is among the first artists to get the watercolor tattoo trend going, and she believes in passing on that knowledge.
5. Britta Christinansen
If you are in New York City, you can head out to lower Manhattan and check in to Sacred Tattoos, where Britta works. She has been doing this job since 2003, and she has built a great reputation for herself with her amazing skills.
This lady has the ability to turn fantasies into reality with her watercolor skills.
6. Aura Dalian
Aura is based in Plymouth, Miami, where she works at North Main Tattoo Studio. She has the incredible ability to change any skin into a beautiful work of art.
With her immense talent, she has created many wonderful masterpieces that have made her a highly sought-after tattoo artist.
7. Alexis Witt
Alexis Witt works out of Seattle, Washington. Her tattoos are artistic masterpieces that also stand out for their uniqueness.
8. Charity 'Cake' Hamidullah
Charity is based in New York, and she does both tattoos and paintings. She tries to develop art pieces that will catch your eye both when you are close and when you are far away.
So, it's all about making everything large and bold for Charity, which is why she does not use a stencil first. That gives more artistic freedom.
9. Julia Dumps
This lady works in Austria, and her specialty is dot tattoos. She is recognized as a top tattoo artist in the country for her incredible work.
She loves her job, and so do her clients.
10. Dre Garcia
Although most people associate watercolor tattoos with simplicity, Dre can do very complex yet colorful art pieces that will leave you mesmerized and intrigued. The artist is based in Tucson, Arizona.
11. Koro
You will find Koro at the Adpancho Tattoo Studio in the Netherlands. This artist tries to balance coexistence with abstract expressionism.
The work is meticulous and demonstrates an unreal understanding of contrasts that makes the tattoos uniquely vibrant.
12. Phil Kwan
Phil strongly believes that everything around you is art. He owns a tattoo shop in Vancouver, British Columbia.
Thanks to his meticulous work, people often feel very fortunate to get an appointment with him. His skills are also quite diverse.
13. Hunmin Nathan Ji
Ji is a highly talented watercolor tattoo artist based in Portland, Oregon. He is based at the Rain and Forest Tattoo, and he is popular for his vibrant artworks.
Ji is very flexible as an artist, and you will have lots of designs to work with once you make the decision to have him work on you.
14. Joel Wright
Joel works on watercolor tattoos and color realism. He is one of the most popular artists in this space on the web, and his tattoos have earned him a lot of notoriety in the field.
He has been a watercolor tattoo for 8 years.
15. Ariel Fender
Ariel Fender is based in Graham, WA. She works at Vigil Tattoo and is an incredible artist with amazing masterpieces.
The artist is very creative and talented, and she often creates breathtaking artwork for her clients.
16. Russell Van Schaick
Russel operates Find Your Smile tattoo parlor in Orlando, Florida. He likes to create beautiful and colorful watercolor tattoos depicting pop culture.
17. Jasmine Waller
Based in Charlotte, North Carolina, Jasmine is a multitalented tattoo artist with a lot to offer her clients. She does everything from floral designs to more complex pieces.
18. Chibi
Chibi is very proud of the fact that her work focuses on nature, color, and femininity. She is based in Baltimore, and she posts her mesmerizing work on Instagram.
She claims that she loves to show people how bright colors can work perfectly with darker skin tones. In fact, she argues that most of her themes focus on Black women because this is unique to them.
19. Jay Freestyle
Jay has won far more awards than we can mention here. He strongly believes that no tattoo should look like another.
To him, every tattoo has a special meaning. He draws everything from flowers, skulls, portraits and even 3D patterns.
20. June Jung
June is a watercolor artist based in Los Angeles, and she is known for her unique mastery of this form of art. She has been doing this for over a decade.
21. Laura Davi
Laura is based in Seattle, Washington and her work is among the best you can find in this genre. Her tattoos are very realistic and colorful.
22. Skinny Chabo
Chabo works at Blitzstich Tattoo in Frankfurt, Germany. He likes to combine watercolor tattoos with strong outlines and geometric designs.
23. Wiji Lacsamana
Wiji creates incredible watercolor tattoos using bold outlines. Her background as a watercolor illustrator certainly helps, and that helped her figure out how to make perfect tattoos that never fail to impress.
24. Ondrash
Getting an appointment with Ondrash is not easy, but getting one of his tattoos is worthwhile. He stands out for giving his clients special attention to understanding their needs fully.
25. Nathan Galman
Not many watercolor tattoo artists in the world have the technical skills displayed by Nathan Galman. However, he makes complex art pieces look incredible, and he does both watercolor and blackwork tattoos.
Nathan has the talent to turn watercolor critics into fans with his skills.
26. Chelsea Youngblood
Chelsea's work borders on realism, and that makes it incredibly unique. If you want a watercolor tattoo unlike anything else you have seen, then you will love what she can do for you.
27. Jan Mraz
Jan is based in Prague, and he does dotwork, line, and watercolor tattoos in addition to amazing realistic portrait tattoos. He works out of Bobek studio.
28. Marcus Lund
Marcus is from Lisbon, Portugal, and he works at 1603 Tattoo Collective Studio in Florida. He can combine many styles to create satisfying masterpieces.
To him, a tattoo is a painting, and therefore, it has to be a worthwhile piece of art to serve its purpose.
29. All N Tattoos
If you are in Las Vegas, then you should visit this artist and see what a difference in 20 years of experience can mean to someone in need of a tattoo. The artist can make portrait tattoos, full-color realism tattoos, and even American traditional tattoos.
30. Magdalena Bujak
Magdalena is based at Ink Minors Tattoo in Katowice, Poland. After seeing her tattoos, you will think someone used a paintbrush to create them, a style that makes her watercolor tattoos stand out.
31. Cortni West
One of the best tattoo artists is Cortni West, who is based in Orlando, Florida. She works at Hart & Huntington Tattoo Co.
She has been doing this for several years, having started the journey since 2007.
Cortni mastered her skill after working with several people and now she uses all these experiences to create incredible tattoos. Her specialty is realism and animals, and she always delivers a masterpiece.
32. Rodrigo Tas
The Brazilian artists like to mix up his work a bit. He combines dot-work with watercolor to create magnificent masterpieces.
33. Baris Yesilbas
You could argue that Baris is one of the best watercolor tattoo artists in the world, and you wouldn't be crazy to make this claim. He is based in Brooklyn, New York City, and he is, without a doubt, one of the most talented tattoo artists you will ever meet.
His talent is not just tattooing. Baris also understands his clients' needs better than most artists because he hears them out.
That is why many people are always trying to get an appointment with him.
Tips About Watercolor Tattoos
There has never been a better time to move on from traditional black-ink tattoos. Watercolor tattoos have already made their beautiful and eye-catching splash in the world.
Luckily, caring for a watercolor tattoo is similar to taking care of a traditional tattoo. You have to keep it moisturized and clean and away from direct sunlight.
On the plus side, many people think watercolor tattoos age better since they don't have any defined lines. Similarly, if you want one of these tattoos, there are plenty of artists to pick from.