Fine line tattoos,
what you need to know:
The famous artist Bang Bang introduced the fine line tattoo to the general public through his work with celebrities such as Miley Cyrus and Selena Gomez.
It isn't very shocking to you, that this minimalistic style is often popular with people who are looking for something simple and unique in their body art collection. They are stylish, versatile and perfect for all skin tones.
What is a fine line tattoo?
Fine line is an illustrative tattooing technique in which variations of line thickness bring depth and movement in the tattoo. This style uses the smallest needles to create these simple and elegant designs. Fine line literally means 'fine line', but sometimes they choose for the combination of using thick and thin lines. All this forms a nice contrast.
Unlike normal tattoos, fine line tattoos are mostly designed very delicate so they can be placed everywhere on the body. So if you are looking for a unique tattoo with fine linework and minimalistic, based on nature designs, this design might be perfect for you! Very delicate designs that can be placed anywhere on the body. So, if you're looking for a unique design with fine linework and minimalistic designs inspired by nature, this style might just be the perfect fit for you!
fine line tattoo designs
Tattoos in the fine line style are often put as minimalistic tattoos who have an elegant aura. Almost every design can be put in this style like names, animals, flowers and even organs.
The attraction of small fine-line tattoos is that they can be tattooed quickly and that they are easy to hide. If you are not sure about the pain, or you would rather start with a small, fine tattoo? Then is fine-line probably something for you.
Also interesting: fine-line tattoos are not small, and they are not always black and grey.
The difference between fine line and single needle tattoos
The difference between fine line tattoos and single needle tattoos is with the usage of needles. Like the name "single needle" suggests: with single needle tattoos, the artist only uses one needle.
With the fine line tattoo style, it's possible to use more needles, where the artist can use the combination of the thick and thin lines to create depth and movement in the tattoo.
Does a fine-line tattoo fade?
Whether the tattoo fades a lot or just a bit is up to the aftercare and the quality of the tattoo placement itself. Also, a fine-line tattoo (or any tattoo, for that matter) on the fingers or hand will fade faster than a tattoo on your upper arm.
You should also protect a new tattoo from the sun by covering it up. Once the tattoo is fully healed, you should always apply a good sunscreen on it, just like the rest of your skin.
Want to get a fine-line tattoo? Our Inksane artists specialize in a variety of tattoo styles, including fine-line tattoos. Click here to make an appointment.
More tips for the aftercare of your tattoo
FAQ
Where are you located?
Inksane, meanwhile, has five studios:
Roeselare: Ardooisesteenweg 166, 8800 Roeselare -. roeselare@inksane.be
Sint-Niklaas: Casinostraat 39, 9100 Sint-Niklaas -. sintniklaas@inksane.be
Brussels: Press Street 3, 1000 Brussels - brussels@inksane.be
Ghent: Onderstraat 51, 9000 Ghent - gent@inksane.be
Sint-Truiden: Cicindriastraat 3, 3800 Sint-Truiden -. sinttruiden@inksane.be
Some of our guest artists visit every studio, but most of them stay with one.
Every studio has a separate schedule.
When are you guys open?
All studios are open from Tuesday till Saturday, between 11:00h and 18:00h
Appointments with guest artists can also take place on Sundays and Mondays
Do I send my examples to the artist or to the reception?
Our reception takes care of the bookings, organization and appointments.
Often the high artistic qualities of our artists are accompanied by a lack of social and organizational skills 😉
That's not always the case though, but it's a handy guideline.
Are you open during holidays?
Most of the time we are indeed, but don't hesitate to contact our reception to be sure!
My appointment is on a Sunday, is that correct?
Our reception is open from Tuesday until Saturday.
You can walk in without appointment, with all your questions.
Appointments with our guestartists could be on a Sunday, Monday or holiday because they usually work 7/7 for the short period they are here.
Can I come and check my design beforehand/will the design be forwarded to me?
A guest artist is a high level artist from another country coming to our shop for a short period of time (for example 3 weeks).
Checking the design always happens in our shop. We don't send the design by e-mail. Because your guest artist is not in the shop permanently, checking your design beforehand is not always convenient. If you really want to see your design beforehand, we could for example schedule an appointment of 15 minutes on day 1 and have you tattooed on day 5.
We schedule one client per guest artist a day. On the day of your appointment you will have enough time to discuss and adapt your design if necessary.
Would you like to see the design beforehand? Be sure to let the reception know when booking your appointment.
Can I just get a design from you guys?
No, that is not an option.
Can I pay with card?
You can pay with cash, card and Inksane gift vouchers.
Can I buy gift vouchers?
You can! Visit our shop online or buy one at the reception!
You can choose the amount you want to put on it yourself.
Gift vouchers are valid for 1 year (the appointment has to be made within 1 year, the tattoo can be placed afterwards).
During the pandemic we obviously don't pay attention to the expiration date. 😉
You can use this voucher for tattoos and piercings in all of our studios.
Do you have a price list?
There is no general price list. We work with a wide range of different tattoo artists: each of them has its own price rates and waiting period.
Some artists work with an hourly rate, others prefer a set price.
Our guest artists mostly have a day session price rate.
If you send us an e-mail with the tattoo you have in mind, we can give you a price estimation. In order to do this of course, we have to know what you want, which style, size, color or black and grey and body placement. If you don't know how big the tattoo should be or where to place it.. don't worry, our reception is happy to help you!
With the necessary information our reception can hook you up with the right artist and give you a price estimation. All this with a smile and free of charge.
Can I come in the shop without an appointment?
For sure!
Every Inksane shop has a reception ready to answer your questions. You don't need an appointment to come in.
If it seems necessary to have a chat with the artist, we'll check if that is possible. If not, we will book in a short appointment to discuss your idea with the artist.
What is the price range for a sleeve?
That depends on several factors:
- The style (and thus the fitting artist. Every artist has their own price).
- The size of your arm.
- The complexity (or simplicity) of the design.
- Color or black and grey.
- Your skin type: We only know this when we start tattooing. Some skin types take the ink easily, for other skin types it can take up to 3 times more time before the skin takes the ink well.
A couple of ground rules:
- expect around 4 sessions with styles such as biomech subgenres, scripting and other classic allround.
- 5 to 7 sessions with black and grey photorealism.
- 9 sessions for full color realism.
Our reception is professionally trained in estimating the amount of sessions needed for any given tattoo.
If you mail us (or show us in person) your idea, we will ask the necessary questions in order to then point you towards one or more artists and give you an estimation of the price and waiting time.
Is there a price difference between color and black and grey tattoos?
A day session with the same tattoo artist has the same price, whether it's color or black and grey.
An artist specialized in color is not more expensive than an artist specialized in black and grey.
Though black and grey tattoos go faster, so you will see more result after one day session.
Fun fact: our realism artists almost always prefer to do full-color 🙂
Do I need to pay a deposit?
Yes, when booking an appointment we ask to pay a deposit.
With a guest artist that's usually around 150 euro.
If you book in via e-mail , you will receive an automatic e-mail with a payment button.
Via this button you will go to our deposit section and you can pay online.
If you book in via the reception, you will have to pay the deposit in the shop. This is possible with cash, card or an Inksane gift voucher.
Can I bring someone to my appointment?
You may bring maximum 1 person to your appointment.
If you are booked for a day session, we do not recommend you bring anyone along. It will be a long day for your partner.
What is the difference between regular artists and guest artists?
Regular artists are our Belgian (local) tattoo artists, that are in the shop every day.
Most of the time these artists are trained by us. They also speak (most of them) Dutch.
Guest artists, on the other hand, are highly skilled artists that we select from all over the world.
They almost never speak Dutch, but most of them can speak English.
A guest artist is only here for a limited period. For example 3 weeks.
95% of our guest artists return on a regular basis, so you can book in bigger projects with them and spread that over a longer time period.
What happens to my deposit if I can't make my appointment with a guest artist?
If you don't show up to your appointment, your deposit will be lost.
This is also the case when you cancel less than two business days before your appointment.
Guest artists are only here for a limited time, and their Inksane schedule has been fixed for a while. They count on you to show up to the appointment, since it is not possible for them to find another client last minute.
What happens to my deposit if I can't make my appointment with a resident artist?
When did you cancel?
- No show = deposit lost.
- Cancelling less than two business days before (business days = Tuesday until Saturday) = deposit lost.
- Cancelling more than two business days in advance (business days = Tuesday until Saturday) = deposit stays.
What if you cancelled on time?
- You can leave the deposit in our system until you book in again or you can receive it back as a gift voucher. The gift voucher doesn't mention a name so you can give it away as well.
- If you book in again immediately after moving the appointment, we will transfer your deposit.
- If you change from Inksane shop or Inksane artist, your deposit stays valid.
A deposit is never refunded in cash or by bank transfer.
How long does one day session take?
This, again, is different for every artist, but here are some ground rules:
- The session starts at 11h.
- then about an hour is spent on consultation, design, anatomy, placing the stencil, setting up booth ...
- After that, your tattoo artist will continue until your design is ready. This could be at 15.00h but this could also be at 18.00h.
- So don't plan your day in a way that you need to be home at a specific hour.
The hour at which your session is finished does not affect the price. Your price is a fixed daily price, and serves to finish that day's design. Some clients' skin absorbs ink easily, so we finish quickly, but it may as well be the other way around.
Do you also do cover-ups?
Some of our artists do cover-ups, some do not.
If you want a cover-up, say this from the start.
Most artists can cover a small tattoo with a much larger design. That being said, we have 2 cover-up specialists available: if your old tattoo took up your entire upper arm, your new tattoo obviously can't be much bigger. Our specialist will show you what is possible.
What you need to know about cover-up tattoos
- A cover-up is always darker than your original tattoo.
- You cannot use light elements or styles to cover (for example a portrait or a rose).
- Give your artist as much freedom as possible. This way you will get the best result.
- Ideally you laser your old tattoo a couple of times. The tattoo doesn't need to be gone completely but if the tattoo is already a little bit lighter, a lot of new possibilities open up for your new design.
Are you looking for a good tattoo laser company? Ask our reception.
Is it possible to retouch a tattoo that was done by somebody else?
Yes, but for that we need to see your old tattoo first. Through clear photos if you want to book via mail , or even better if you come by the shop. Our reception will then estimate which Inksane artist is suitable for this.
Can I swim/work out with a new tattoo?
If your tattoo is still fresh, it is important that your skin doet not get too moist.
Moist skin holds less ink, resulting in a faded tattoo.
Bathing, swimming, sauna, sweating, though work outs... they make your skin soft and moist. So we recommend you do not practice any of said activities before your tattoo is fully healed.
We recommend about 3 weeks of carefully taking care of your new tattoo.
Can I walk in the sun with my new tattoo?
No: we do not recommend you go out sunbathing. Not only during the first weeks after your tattoo, but also afterwards: a tattoo is only fully healed after 3 months.
Moreover, a tattoo is based on contrast. The lightest part of your tattoo is your skin color. The darkest part is the blackest ink. If you sunbathe often, your skin gets darker and so does the lightest part of your tattoo. This leaves you with less contrast, and makes your tattoo less ''readable''.
Finally, long exposure to the sun can break down the tattoo pigment. You should pay attention to that for the rest of your life.
Can I get a tattoo during the summer?
It doesn't matter so much, as long as you don't expose the tattoo to the sun, don't go swimming ...
So getting your forearm tattooed just before you leave on a trip is not very convenient.
Getting a tattoo during the winter/autumn/spring makes more sense but that shouldn't hold you back from getting one in the summer.
Can I get a tattoo when I'm pregnant?
No.
There isn't a direct side effect between tattooing and a pregnancy but it's better to not take any risks during this period.
Baring the pain all day long also takes your immune system down a bit. You will be tired after such a session (pregnant or not 😉).
You want to avoid that, because you'll need as much energy as you can get a hold of in order to take care of your baby.
Can I go to you for piercings?
Of course! We have a webshop with high-end piercing jewelry. You can also book an appointment online to get pierced.
This is possible in each of our five studios (Roeselare, Sint-Niklaas, Brussels,Ghent,Sint-Truiden).
Good afternoon
I would like to put my first tattoo, the name of my son and his birth of date, if possible around the belly button.
It doesn't have to be big, I like the Japanese style, zen, maybe something small can be incorporated there.
Hey Ann, could you send us an email for this? You can find our email at the right bottom.
Hello,
I filled out a form with questions to make a design weeks ago. I filled out all kinds of elements I would like in my tattoo and such, but I still haven't been given an answer.
Hi Katie
Sorry to hear that something went wrong while filing out the form.
We apologize
Could it be possible to send us an email?
You can send it to roeselare@inksane.be
don't forget to mention the place of the tattoo, the size and how big you would like it, and maybe an example of what you had in mind.