Horror Style Tattoos for Halloween

As every horror aficionado’s favourite month is upon us, what better time to dive into the darker side of ink mastery? Whether or not you intend to carve a pumpkin or two, get dressed up and spook the children of the neighbourhood, settle down on your sofa for a night of binge-watching the latest Netflix True Crime, or go for the classics such as a Friday the 13th or a Hitchcock, there is no denying the appeal of Halloween.

A holiday beloved by kids and adults alike, it also has a special place in many a tattoo artist’s and collector’s hearts. A genre within realism all of its own, horror-inspired tattoos have gained momentum over the past couple of decades, and there is some truly stunning work out there. Let’s take a closer look at the style, and get some inspiration for your next spookily good piece. 

And — be sure to keep your eyes on Vivid Ink’s social channels and on this space, there are rumours of some definite treat-ing coming up.  

Horrific Halloween trends

Horror is usually created to excite and scare at the same time, so it naturally has a lot in common with the process of getting tattooed. While on-screen horror and on-skin art used to be niche pleasures, they have both gone on to become more mainstream and a big part of pop culture. Horror in tattooing has grown over the past couple of decades, with artists creating ever more hauntingly skilled large-scale dark art pieces.

Of course, the evolution of the horror tattoo goes hand in hand with the horror movie genre. Some incredible body art has been inspired by classic characters such as Jason from Friday the 13th, Michael Myers from Halloween, Chucky from Child’s Play, Pennywise the Clown from It, or Pinhead from Hellraiser. 

Meanwhile, others draw their material from books by authors such as H.P. Lovecraft and Stephen King, legends or stories of psychological torment. Others still prefer more of gore, blood, and why, even brains. What might be scary or even revolting to some may be beautiful to another. That is why tattoos are such a wonderful form of self-expression —  your skin, your prerogative. You choose your adornment, and if that is in honour of your favourite scary movie, a depiction of a blood-thirsty demon, or a surrealist portal to nowhere… then that is entirely up to you.

No better than Halloween for a hair-raisingly stunning piece

And what better time to plan for one than in October, the month of All Hallow’s Eve, also known as the time to get some wickedly good ink done. Hey, winter is coming after all… There is no better time to care properly for a new tattoo, shielding it from the harmful rays of the sun. Treat it as if it was a vampire. By the time spring comes around again, you will have a lovingly cared for piece all set to last for a lifetime. Happy Halloween everyone!