Motif
People tattoos in Japan
Human figure tattoos are a collection of works depicting people or human-like beings, such as portraits of women and men, Samurai, Geisha, angels, and mermaids. You can find everything from realistic portraits based on photographs, to Japanese traditional (wabori) human figure paintings, and illustration-style pieces.
1,335 works on tattooers.jp
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Artists with the most people work
- SoraOsaka · 55 works
- GINTokyo · 46 works
- KyoTokyo · 36 works
- Takaya HashimotoFukui · 31 works
- BizenTokyo · 28 works
- KaiOkinawa · 27 works
- KOTAROTokyo · 26 works
- MARIYA MariyaTokyo · 25 works
Questions
What types of human figure tattoos are there?
You can find portraits of women and men, Samurai, Geisha, angels, demons, mermaids, and more. In Japanese traditional (wabori) motifs, Oni (demons) and Hannya (Noh masks) are also included in this category. On each respective page, you can view works featuring only that specific motif.
What styles are human figure tattoos done in?
There are realistic and black and gray styles, which depict shadows like photographs, Japanese traditional (wabori), illustration-style, and more. Facial expressions and shading are areas where differences in artistic style are particularly evident.
What should I prepare when getting a portrait of a real person?
Prepare a clear photograph where the face is well-lit and the direction of light is discernible, as this makes it easier to depict shading. To depict facial details accurately, a certain size is required, so please also specify the desired body placement and size. Prices vary by artist. Visiting Japan? Send us your idea and dates through our booking form, and we'll match you with an artist whose work fits.