Five great tattoos recommended by five great tattoo artists

When you go for a meal, you sometimes ask the chef for what they recommend. So when you’re literally getting scarred for life, why wouldn’t you do the same?

With this in mind we’ve asked some of the UK's top tattoo artists on what designs they like to work with so you can make the right decision if you’re thinking about heading into the chair soon.

Ethan Jones

'My favourite styles to work in are black and grey realism and bold illustrative.  I like the bolder black style of tattooing because it almost looks quite aggressive from a distance, but then up close you realise the subject may not be aggressive at all. I enjoy finding the balance of a good piece of art and a good tattoo that will hold up and age well.'

Check out more realist work by Ethan

Luke Jinks

'My preferred style of tattoo is traditional because of the folk roots from which its grown. Much of the imagery and themes can be traced back over a 100 years in tattoo history and subject matter much further than that. I love anything jungle or tropical themed, I think this stems from my favourite painter of all time: Henri Rousseau.'

Explore more of Luke's traditional ink

Simon Erl

'I was influenced by traditional American tattooing for the first years of my career. My application may be reminiscent of that style still but I draw my influences more from European folklore and the occult.'

See more of Simon's work

Louie Rivers

'I particularly enjoy American traditional tattoos. There's no messing around; they are strong, timeless designs.'

Explore more tattoos by Louie

Harriet Heath

'My favourite subject matter is girls. Whether it's just the head or full pin ups, I love how every one is different and how you can alter the mood of a piece with something as simple as moving the eyebrows. They are the perfect image of beauty, and who wouldn't want to create that every day?'

Check out Harriet's Instagram