We’ve seen the celebrity trend of micro tattoos, whether it’s on Hailey Bieber, Bella Hadid, Vanessa Hudgens, or Selena Gomez, who have tiny tattoos on their wrists, ankles, or shoulders. Now, as we’ve entered 2024, tattoo artists are seeing women ask for large-scale tattoos.
According to one Vancouver tattoo artist, we can expect to see larger tattoos that accentuate a woman’s form. “Compared to the micro tattoo trend we saw bubble up a few years ago, I’ve now seen an emerging style that embraces larger and more impactful designs with vivid colors,” said Daye Kang, who works under the moniker Chou Tattoo.
“With options like the back piece, full sleeve, and full leg, there are no limits on how a large tattoo can flatter your body,” she said.
It’s a win-win for tattoo artists, too, who love a large canvas to ink out their detailed artwork. “There’s an increasing number of tattoo artists who love to not only fill empty space but use body lines in a more creative way,” adds Kang.
Kang recommends creating at least a seven-inch space for your tattoo. She has inked large-scale tattoos from hip to thigh, or others that wrap around a bicep in an elegant way. She has also worked on tattoos that wrap around a thigh, and ink around a kneecap.
Just like we’ve seen Pantone’s color of the year as Nude Peach, this peachy hue has influenced a certain crop of hues for tattoos this year. “Pantone’s Nude Peach color is a stark contrast to their 2023 hue, which was a vibrant pink called Viva Magenta,” said Kang.
“A lot of women are asking for pastel-hued tattoos in line with Nude Peach. I also have noticed a trend among many customers preferring soft pink tones, with an increasing number of inquiries for colors similar to ‘white pink.’”
While light hued tattoos offer a sleek, icy look for detailed linework, they sometimes can fade over time, depending on placement. Kang personally loves using dark, dramatic, hues for her tattoos. “I prefer low-saturation, mid-to-dark, and weighty antique colors,” she said. “It’s theatrical, and it stands the test of time.” Some of her latest pieces include floral boughs, crows, antique Easter eggs, and 18th century gold goblets.
It can be challenging to cram in tattoo details into small designs. “The spectrum of colors and details that can be expressed in a tattoo varies depending on its size,” said Kang. “I tend to recommend a size around the size of a woman’s hand. No smaller than that.”
Some of the most popular designs include flowers, underwater creatures, and animals, alongside plants. “I incorporate a lot of plants, because plants flow with natural curves,” she said. “My interest in plants naturally led me to beautiful animals that complement them, like birds, whose feathers are captivating to create on someone’s skin.”
It also comes down to symbolism, too. “Cranes symbolize nobility in the east, ravens represent wisdom, and hummingbirds symbolize hope and vitality,” she said. Kang combines these designs with flowers that are trending in tattoo design right now, which include peonies and chrysanthemums. She also inks underwater creatures, like fish and seaweed, and Kang counts Claude Monet and Jenny Saville as her biggest influences.
Recently, Kang collaborated with tattoo artist Taeseok Park on a delicate, flowing series of tattoos based on Greek master marble sculptures. “Since he is meticulous in his work, we carried out this collaboration in two stages,” said Kang. “After he completed the central sculpture design, I worked on embellishing them with color in the subsequent stages.”
Next up, Kang is going to be a guest spot tattoo artist at the Sans Patrie studio in London starting March 12, then tours three cities in Germany beginning mid-April through May.
No matter what tattoo clients opt for, she hopes they think it through. “Tattoos inherently possess a sense of eternity,” she said. “Through tattoos, clients come to love themselves more, and when I successfully express what they want to symbolize, I consider it as achieving ‘timeless quality.’ Tattoos age with us over time, and they can even add a vintage touch.”
Follow @chou_tatt on Instagram