Skip to main content

The Manual may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site.

9 Tattoo Artists to Follow on Instagram Right Now

tattoo artist
Lucas Lenzi

Have you found yourself endlessly scrolling instagram over the past few months, doing it not because you want to, but because there’s not much else to do?  Whether it’s while streaming endless Netflix shows or just sitting on your couch contemplating when things might be better, it’s bound to happen.

Recommended Videos

The good thing is that scrolling Instagram can have an added bonus — I have always found it to be an awesome medium through which to connect with and discover new artists. Now, more than ever before, we can engage in the creative process right alongside our favorite creators, which is downright thrilling if you ask me.

And some of my favorite people to follow are tattoo artists. I’ll admit, I’m kind of an ink-head, not so much in that I’m covered in tattoos, but that I really like and respect the art form. So, I thought it might be fun to round up some of the amazing tattoo artists kicking it on my Instagram feed.

With styles ranging from the traditional to the modern, these artists are guaranteed to have you sprinting to your nearest parlor.

@Hen.wife

If you’re into minimalist lines and softly rendered natural elements, then this is the account for you. Tattoo artist Julia Hayes specializes in precise and realistic portraits of flowers, leaves, vegetables, woodland creatures, and everything else in between.

@lovelivecake

For something a little bolder, take a look at @lovelivecake, the main art account of The Wandering Creative. Here, you’ll find a collection of writing, drawings, paintings, and colorful tattoo work that’s whimsical, radical, and absolutely gorgeous.

@nothingwildtattoo

Laura Martinez is the co-owner of Fleur Noire Tattoo Parlour in New York City and her work is stunning. Specializing in spare and intricate designs, her tattoos are practically perfect in every way; in fact, they’re almost uncanny in their flawlessness.

@framacho

Absurdist imagery and simple lines meet in the tattoo work of Fra Macho. Though the style may not work for old school aficionados, many will find a joyful irreverence in the pieces, which evoke a sort of clumsy doodle quality that’s quite beguiling.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B4AKeY1hge4/

@franki_tattoo

If you’re looking for a fresh spin on a traditional aesthetic, this may just be the page for you. The Barcelona-based artist favors lush black ink for its diverse array of pieces, which are notable for their depth, complexity, and surprising vibrancy.

@mathgoth

Queer artist L Hammel brings a pop-art punch to their tattoo work, which makes for a bright, playful, and slightly comical aesthetic. The Pittsburgh artist tattoos anything and everything, but I’m a big fan of their intergalactic/astronaut-adjacent pieces.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B3Snzr6hAoy/

@bombchelle

I’m obsessed with Seattle-based artist Raychelle’s Instagram page, which is fresh, funky, and weird in all the right ways. What I like most is the confident clarity with which she inks her art, be it a full-sized platypus or a pair of chopsticks expertly handling a chicken foot.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B3A-P93pxQ6/

@wolfgore

Mother Nature comes alive in the artwork of tattoo artist Marlow, who specializes in sumptuous natural scenes. The still lifes here are sweeping and beautifully dramatic in their intense intimacy. A must-follow for anyone who likes richly detailed tattoo work.

@ponywave

When it comes to realistic tattoos, there is perhaps no one better than Pony Wave. The Los Angeles-based tattoo artist inks jaw-dropping creations that are so precise you might just mistake them for their real-life inspirations. Consider your mind officially blown.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B3sWR7hATTB/

Though I could go on forever, I’ll wrap things up there. If you’ve got a favorite I missed, let me know! And for more tattoo content, check out our guide to tattoo aftercare.

Cody Gohl
Former Former Digital Trends Contributor, The Manual
Cody Gohl is a Brooklyn-based writer who enjoys covering a wide range of topics, including travel, fashion, literature, LGBT…
Meet the ‘Black Pop’ Artist Who’s Been Praised by Spike Lee and Wesley Snipes
xpayne feature xpaynemanual 1

Tall and lean, Xavier Payne walks into a Nashville, Tenn., coffee shop as a confluence of styles. The 33-year-old artist wears a denim trucker over a '90s-era Brooks and Dunn-style pearl-snap shirt, Converse All-Stars screened with comic book panels, and a haircut half Patrick Mahomes, half Euro soccer mullet. “I want to keep my options open as far as where I could be,” he says, sitting down with tea, “but as far as where I’m from, yeah, I’m from the South.”

Payne, or XPayne as he’s known in the art world, has been a rising star since his college days. “Black Pop,” as he describes his style, is caricature-like, filled with vibrant, saturated colors and historical references, which span from the present to the hallowed ground of the golden age of hip-hop, the "Don't Tread on Me" founding fathers, and early African religions. The nomenclature suggests Andy Warhol’s 1950s Pop Art of tomato soup cans and Marilyn Monroe heads, and like the white Americana the progenitor immortalized, XPayne is doing the same, albeit with Black culture.

Read more
Dystopian TV at its best: 8 must-see shows like The Handmaid’s Tale
These shows will make you think about the world in a new way
Elisabeth Moss in The Handmaid's Tale

If you're like me, you might have been taken by surprise to find out that one of Hulu's biggest original hits of the last decade was finally coming to a close this spring. The Handmaid's Tale dominated dystopian television discourse in the mid-to-late 2010s. It proved Hulu's worth in the streaming space and adapted Margaret Atwood's novel for a new generation of fans. While the first season was award-winning and fawned over by audiences worldwide, further seasons saw a decline in pop culture relevance.

What started out as a brilliant take on the consequences of women being forced to manipulate their bodies for the United States government teetered on repetitive as the characters maneuvered the same plot lines, and the themes bordered on stale. The final season just came to a close, and most people were happy with the sixth season and its finale. If you're already missing it and want other contemplative, post-apocalyptic shows, these are the shows like The Handmaid's Tale to watch next.

Read more
The first teaser for Apple’s new Matthew McConaughey movie is here
The movie suggests a mix of drama and action
Matthew McConaughey in The Lost Bus.

In between stints where he flirts with running for governor of Texas, Matthew McConaughey apparently found enough time to make a new Apple movie with American Ferrera. Now, we've got our first teaser for that movie, which is titled The Lost Bus. The film is centered on California's 2018 Camp Fire.

The film is based on Lizzie Johnson's fact-based novel Paradise: One Town’s Struggle to Survive an American Wildfire, which chronicles the deadliest wildfire in the state's history. McConaughey plays a bus driver and Ferrera a teacher, and the two of them are focused on saving a bus full of children amidst the chaos of the fire.

Read more