An honest, experience-led overview of Japanese tattooing — what makes it recognisable, why composition and flow matter so much, and what to think about before committing to a piece.

What Neo Traditional tattooing actually is, how to tell it apart from Traditional, what to look for in an artist's portfolio, and what to consider before committing to a piece.

What Traditional — Trad, Old School, American Traditional — tattooing actually is, how to tell it apart from Neo Traditional, what to look for in an artist's portfolio, and how it lends itself to building a collection over time.

What Blackwork actually is, how to tell it apart from Black & Grey and Blackout, why two Blackwork artists can look nothing alike, and what to look for in an artist's portfolio.

What Fine Line tattooing actually means — why it isn't the same as single-needle or small, how size and detail affect readability, what happens as fine lines age, and what to look for in an artist's portfolio.

What Watercolour tattooing actually is, how the painted effect is created in skin, why loose doesn't mean random, how Watercolour ages without the internet myths, and what to look for in an artist's portfolio.

What colour tattooing actually means, the common ways colour is used, how colour heals and ages, colour vs Black & Grey, and what to look for in an artist's portfolio.

What Black & Grey actually means, how greywash and value work, the different ways artists shade in black and grey, how it heals and ages, and what to look for in an artist's portfolio.