TATTOO STYLES
808 Studios is a Halifax tattoo studio home to artists specializing in a wide range of styles, from realism and fine line to blackwork, colour, illustrative, and more. Explore our specialties and find the artist and style that best fits your vision.
BLACK AND GREY REALISM
Realism tattoos are designed to recreate subjects with lifelike depth, detail, and dimension. From portraits and animals to statues, architecture, and natural imagery, the goal is to make each element feel as realistic and visually powerful as possible. The style relies heavily on accurate proportions, smooth shading, strong contrast, and a precise understanding of light and shadow. When executed well, realism creates bold, detailed tattoos that feel immersive, refined, and built to make an impact.
Our Realism Artists
FINE LINE
Fine line tattoos are known for their delicate detail, clean linework, and refined, minimalist appearance. Using precise, lightweight lines, this style works beautifully for florals, botanicals, ornamental designs, script, and subtle custom pieces that complement the natural shape of the body. Fine line tattooing requires careful control, thoughtful placement, and a strong understanding of spacing and composition to keep the design clear and balanced. When executed well, the result is an elegant, understated tattoo that feels personal, timeless, and beautifully refined.
Our Fine Line Artists
MICRO REALISM
Micro Realism brings the depth, detail, and dimension of realism into a smaller, more refined format. It is ideal for portraits, animals, objects, and meaningful imagery where subtle textures, highlights, and shadows help create a lifelike result without requiring a large amount of space. Because every small detail contributes to the final piece, micro realism requires exceptional precision, controlled shading, and careful composition. When executed well, it creates a clean, highly detailed tattoo with strong visual impact in a compact design.
Our Micro Realism Artists
COLOUR REALISM
Colour Realism combines lifelike detail, depth, and texture with a rich, natural use of colour to create tattoos that feel vivid and dimensional. It’s ideal for portraits, animals, nature, flowers, and meaningful subjects where accurate colour, lighting, and texture bring the image to life. Every shade, highlight, and transition plays an important role, making colour realism a highly technical style that requires precision and a strong understanding of tone and composition. When done well, colour realism creates a striking, lifelike tattoo with depth, clarity, and lasting visual impact.
Our Colour Realism Artists
ILLUSTRATIVE
Illustrative tattoos combine the structure and detail of realism with the personality and freedom of hand-drawn art. Inspired by drawing, graphic design, pop culture and visual storytelling, this style uses strong composition, intentional linework, shading, and creative interpretation to turn an idea into something distinctive. Illustrative tattooing is extremely versatile, making it well suited for characters, animals, symbolic imagery, and custom concepts that benefit from a more artistic approach. The result is a tattoo that feels expressive, personal, and full of character.
Our Illustrative Artists
BLACK WORK
Blackwork tattoos are defined by bold contrast, strong composition, and the intentional use of solid black ink. The style can range from geometric and ornamental designs to abstract, graphic, and illustrative work, making it highly versatile while still maintaining a striking visual identity. Successful blackwork relies on careful planning, clean execution, balance, and a strong understanding of negative space. When done well, it creates a powerful, graphic tattoo that remains clear, bold, and visually impactful over time.
Our Black Work Artists
PET PORTRAITS
Pet Portrait Realism captures the unique personality, expression, and details of your pet in a lifelike tattoo. From fur texture and eye colour to subtle markings and facial features, every element is carefully recreated to make the piece feel personal and instantly recognizable. Using strong reference photos, pet portraits can be created in colour or black and grey, making them a meaningful way to celebrate a companion and preserve their memory in a detailed, lasting piece.
Our Pet Portrait Artists
FLORAL
Floral tattoos use the natural shapes, movement, and symbolism of flowers to create designs that feel elegant, personal, and timeless. They can range from delicate fine line pieces to larger, more detailed compositions, with each design carefully arranged to complement the placement and flow of the body. Florals are especially versatile, allowing different flowers, leaves, and botanical elements to be combined in ways that carry personal meaning or simply create a beautiful visual balance. When designed thoughtfully, floral tattoos feel refined, natural, and uniquely suited to the person wearing them.