20 Best Cartoon Tattoo Artists (2024 Updated)
Cartoon tattoos are incredibly popular with all people of all ages. This animated aesthetic uses bold colors, caricatures, and exaggerated figures to make a big impact. Think of your favorite Saturday morning cartoons but inked into your skin.
No matter your age, getting a cartoon tattoo is a great way to express your inner child. This tattoo style will take you back to your youth, to watching Saturday morning cartoons without any worry in the world.
The Best Cartoon Tattoo Artists
Cartoon tattoo artists don’t just replicate your favorite animated character. They can tattoo anything, whether it be a landscape or a portrait of a family member, reimagining it in the cartoon tattoo style. Here are some of the best cartoon tattoo artists working in the industry today.
Matt Daniels(@stickypop)
Matt Daniels is renowned for his super colorful and super eye-catching cartoon tattoos. He is one of the go-to guys for bright pop-cultured related tattoo designs. The owner of Season One Tattoo in Preston, England, he loves inking themed pieces.
From playful video game tattoos to Disney films and even The Office themed tattoos, Daniels can do it. He also holds the unofficial title as the first Pickle Rick tattoo posted on Instagram.
Lauren Winzer(@laurenwinzer)
Winzer is a fantastic and versatile Sydney-based tattoo artist. Although she tattoos stunning little dainty and minimalist tattoos, it’s her cartoon designs we love. Inspired by the bright Lisa Frank 90s imagery, she loves to design bold and bright tattoos.
Based at Hunter and Fox Tattoos in Sydney, her nostalgic tattoos have earned her a range of celebrity fans, including Katy Perry, Post Malone and Miley Cyrus.
Much like the celebs she tattoos (Miley Cyrus, Post Malone, and Katy Perry), Lauren’s aesthetic is quirky and not too serious. If you’re looking for a fun throwback tat dedicated to your Disney and Nickelodeon faves, you’ll definitely want her to be your new go-to artist.
Michela Bottin(@michelabottin.ackerman)
Michela Bottin is a new school tattoo artist who is world renowned for her perfect recreation of Disney’s cartoon characters. She also loves replicating Pokémon and anime designs in her tattoos. Working at Soho New York, she has come to be known as the cartoon queen.
The Italian-born artist loves cartoons as they depict a world of hope, happy endings, love, and true friendship. Her unique brings characters to life with bold saturations of color and a fun experience.
Kimberley Wall(@bunnymachine)
Kimberly Wall is the owner at Black Rabbit Tattoo. Her female staffed shop has a unique aesthetic, with Wall specializing in anime and cartoon tattoos. She is world renowned for her depictions of fan favorite anime and manga characters.
She is a tried-and-true member of the Otaku community and understands the movement, meaning she can really add details to her anime and manga tattoos.
Laura Anunnaki(@lauraanunnaki)
Laura Anunnaki is a worldwide recognized Mexican tattoo artist. She has a unique style that is bold and glittery, often humorous. Her cartoonish tattoo style is inspired by Kawaii culture, referencing magical girls and her Mexican culture.
Her feminine and magical tattoo style is so recognizable, she even has her own website where she sells clothing and accessories emblazoned with her cartoonish tattoo design.
Lilian Raya(@lilianraya)
Lilian Raya is a resident artist at Mano Sacra Studio in Mexico City. She has made a name for herself with her brilliantly colorful, anime inspired pieces. Her colorful pieces are inspired by Japanese art, anime, and manga.
A self-described pop-surrealist, she also has a website where she sells clothes, art prints and accessories based on her tattoo styles.
Steven Compton(@steven_compton)
Working out of Red Dragon Tattoo in Houston, Texas, Steve Compton has an instantly recognizable cartoon style. He is famed for taking beloved cartoon characters and putting a psychedelic, playful and witty spin on them.
A new school specialist with an eye for surreal imagery, Compton aims to make bold tattoos that tell a story in one single glance. He can do detailed cartoon tattoos in one single session, adding exaggerated features without compromising on details.
Claudia Denti(@clodin_93)
Italian Claudia Denti makes some of the best Disney cartoons in Europe. Her cartoon tribute tattoos often a watercolor twist. She works out of Drop Tattoo & Barber in Legnano, Italy.
Although she is known for her Disney tattoos, she also can recreate videogame characters and loves a spooky twist on our childhood favorites.
Joseph Canti(@canti___)
Spanish artist Joseph Canti loves to put his urban twist on iconic cartoon characters. His cartoon tattoos, frequently of recognizable figures from Star Wars, Disney films and The Simpsons, are given face tattoos and a rock and roll twist.
Working in the Barcelona and Tarragona area, his humorous wit alongside his eye for color maked him one of the most exciting tattoo artists working in Europe.
Jamie Ris(@jamieris)
Working out of Holland, Jamie Ris creates bright and playful cartoon tattoo designs. He loves to create his own whimsical creatures that are a playful spin on familiar animals. He works at Dog Start Tattoos and also sells clothing that feature his designs on his website.
When he’s not inventing his own cartoon characters, he’s recreating nostalgic cartoon characters from our favorite films and TV shows.
Scotty Munster(@scottymunster)
Scotty Munster is a cartoon tattoo artist with a darker side. His tattoo style is heavily influenced by horror, bringing amazing and horrific creatures to life. Based in the woods of Minnesota, he tattoos at Olde Town Tattoo in St. Cloud.
He loves to create zany creatures inspired by his favorite time of year, Halloween! He frequently sells products, clothing and furniture that have been customized with his unique art style.
Josie Sexton(@josiesexton)
British tattoo artist Josie Sexton has a unique take on cartoon tattoos. She takes well-known anime and Disney characters and adds a bright watercolor twist to them. She loves flowers and birds and often finds ways to add them to her cartoon images.
Working at Gothika Tattoos, she uses her fine art background to mix high concept fine art with pop culture figures like Yoda and Pikachu. If you like her style, she sells art pieces on her website. She currently works in Redcar, Northeast of the UK, but travels around Europe frequently.
Simon K Bell(@simonkbell)
Based in Liverpool, Simon K Bell is respected in his field for his sci-fi, pop culture and cartoon tattoos. As an illustrator himself, he loves to bring his eye for high concept pieces to the tattoo world.
He works out of Black Waltz where he loves to create designs based on My Hero Academia, Dragon Ball Z and Star Wars. He can perfectly mimic anime and manga artwork on the skin, capturing dynamic action poses.
Adam K Perjatel(@perjtattoo)
New York based Perjatel is one of the most respected anime and videogame tattoos in the city. He has a real appreciation for animations and cartoon imagery, and he manages to perfectly capture this on the skin.
This versatile tattoo artist can expertly ink anything from Godzilla to Dragonball Z and Super Mario. He understands color, creating saturated artwork that mimics the bold hues found in cartoons.
Duda Lozano(@dudalozanotattoo)
The Brazilian artist, Lorenzo, became famous for his embroidered patch tattoos. Often based on cartoon figures and pop culture icons, these 3D creations look like they have been stitched into the skin.
He used to be a realistic tattoo artist who worked on creating embroidered caps and shirts. He then realized he could mix the two styles together, achieving a highly skilled and very unique way of tattooing cartoons.
Matthew Larkin(@matsy__)
Matthew Larkin is renowned for being one of the cleverest pop culture tattoo artists. Inspired by cartoons, Disney and video games, Larkin delivers bold tattoos that pop with color and life. As well as being able to replicate various design styles, he is an innovative neotrad designer.
He gained fame for his crossover pieces, where he mixed two concepts or properties together, creating a unique, witty and custom pieces of art for the skin. He works out of Legendary Tattoo Studio in Dublin.
Jairo Carmona(@jairo.tattoos)
Carmona founded Morningstars private custom tattoo shop in London. The Colombian born artist worked as a graphic designer but became inspired by the graffiti artists around him. It’s these artists that have inspired his own crazy carton style.
His bright, vibrant tattoo style looks equally as attractive on original characters, as it does replicating scenes from his customer’s favorite animated movies.
Hugo Black(@sameblackwhite)
Hugo Black tattoos little custom pieces of black and white art. It is often inspired by Studio Ghibli, using thick lines that is reminiscent of the chibi style of artwork. Black is mostly famous for a distinctive black and gray cat design.
Not exclusive to cats, Black also inks Pokémon characters, cartoon depictions of pets and mystical creatures. Black’s unique minimalist cartoon style has made him one of the most in demand and distinctive tattooers in the world.
Jamaica Corridori(@sweetyjtattoo)
Owner of Sweety J Tattoo, Jamaica Corridori wants us all to bring out the inner child with her cartoon tattoo style. She loves to being animated characters to life on the skin, especially Disney characters. She also likes to transform non-animated characters like Marvel superheroes into childlike designs.
The Italian artist loves watercolor and adds a lot of this style to her cartoon tattoos. Her eye for color and her mixing of cartoons and watercolors make Jamaica an incredibly unique tattoo artist.
Mae La Roux(@missmaelaroux)
Mae La Roux specializes in high quality Disney tattoos, and no one can quite capture the magic of their films like she can. From character portraits to whole recreations of scenes, she is one of the most respect artists for Disney fans.
An inked pin up model herself, La Roux is based in California she makes cover up tattoos look easy. She replaces old, faded and uncool tattoos with bright, bold portraits of pop culture’s most famous figures.
Also Read: 40 Timeless Pinup Girl Tattoo Design Ideas (2023 Updated)
Cartoon Tattoo Artist: More FAQs
Which celebrities have cartoon tattoos?
Lots of celebrities have cartoon tattoos. Some have cool and bold designs that replicate the cartoon tattoo design, whilst others have a tribute to their favorite childhood show inked on them.
Amy Winehouse’s first tattoo was a Betty Boop design on her lower back. Actress and model Ruby Rose is a big fan of cartoon tattoos, her collection includes a Gumby character wearing a purple cat costume and Polly Esther from the anime TV show Samurai Pizza Cats. Ariana Grande added a portrait of Chihiro from the movie Spirited Away to her tattoo collection.
Model Isabeli Fontana has a cartoon teddy bear tattoo inked on the back of her left arm. Singer Tove Lo has a large tattoo of the girl from the Mark Ryden painting Clear Hearts, Grey Flowers. Singer Melanie Martinez has an extensive collection of cartoon tattoos including characters from the Disney Silly Symphonies short film, candy and love hearts.
Where should I get my cartoon tattoo?
There is no specific place to get your cartoon tattoos, it all depends on your personal preference and pain tolerance. This style does suit bigger styles as they are detailed and designed to be bold, impactful pieces. For this reason, they are usually found on arms, backs, thighs, and calves.
Smaller cartoon tattoos are not uncommon. Where you place this tattoo, the style depends on also depends on how visible you want it. Neck, wrist, ankle, finger, and hand tattoos are really popular.
What is the difference between cartoon tattoos and anime tattoos?
There is a slight design difference between cartoon tattoos and anime or manga tattoos. Essentially comics and cartoon in the Western world are the same as manga and anime in Japan. Anime characters look closer to reality, with distinct features and realistic movements. Cartoons are more two-dimensional and generally less realistic looking.
A tattoo artist interested in cartoon tattoos will also generally be interested in tattooing anime or manga styles. They are usually accomplished in both styles of tattooing.
Also Read: 50+ Dragon Ball Tattoo Designs And Meanings
What cartoon characters can I get tattooed on me?
There is almost endless potential when it comes to what you can get tattooed on you. You can go with a classic cartoon from your youth like a Looney Tunes, Simpsons, or Disney character. Alternatively, you can choose something more modern like Rick and Morty or Family Guy.
Every cartoon tattoo artist has their own specialist style and favorite characters to tattoo. Check out their portfolio to get inspired on the types of cartoon characters they like and excel at tattooing.
How do I find the right cartoon tattoo artist for me?
When looking for the right cartoon tattoo artist for you, the first place to start should be looking through their portfolio. Most tattoo artists have social media, usually Instagram and Facebook, as well as their own website or a page on their studio’s website.
Compared to other tattoo styles, cartoon tattoos are very bright and bold. You should choose a tattoo artist who knows how to use color and knows how to give you a bright tattoo that you will be proud to wear for many years to come.
How long with my cartoon tattoo take to heal?
This answer will depend on various factors, including your health and the location of the cartoon tattoos. Generally, we recommend caring for your tattoo for the first two weeks, as most tattoos will heal within 7-10 days.
Did you know:
If the artist puts on a bandage or clingfilm, you should remove it after 24 hours. Then gently wash the tattoo with antimicrobial soap and water. Always put, not rub, dry.
How long will it take to get a cartoon tattoo?
A good tattoo artist should never rush the tattooing process. Remember, you have to live with this piece of art for the rest of your life. Larger, more complex, pieces can take tens of hours and will usually take several sittings to complete. A small piece, about the size of the back of your hand, will take an hour or two. Show your artist your design and the size you want it, they will be able to accurately let you know how long it will take.
Did you know:
An Italian tattoo artist broke the Guinness World Record for the world’s longest tattoo session, executing 28 tattoos in 57 hours and 25 minutes. He is also part of the team that holds that most records in 12 hours (836).
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